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Part of the HSE, the core purpose of NDTP is to ensure that the Irish health service has the required number of appropriately trained medical specialists, and that they are capable of delivering high-quality care while upholding patient safety. To meet this overarching purpose, NDTP has four core functions: commissioning postgraduate training, medical workforce planning, supporting the Consultant Applications Advisory Committee (CAAC), and managing the Doctors Integrated Management E-System (DIME).

To learn more about NDTP’s missions as well as the various supports and activities it provides for doctors in training, visit hse.ie/doctors.

The Forum of Irish Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies (often referred to as the Forum) is an umbrella organisation representing the various postgraduate medical training bodies or colleges in Ireland. It plays a significant role in shaping policies and standards for medical education and training in Ireland, ensuring that it is of high quality and meets international standards. In addition to continued evaluation and improvement of training programmes, the Forum facilitates collaboration between training bodies and advocates for their interests as well as the interests of postgraduate medical trainees.

To learn more about the Forum’s vision, mission, and diverse activities, visit theforum.ie.

There are six postgraduate medical training colleges in Ireland. They are:

• Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI): It provides training in a range of medical specialities, including general internal medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, pathology, public health, and occupational medicine.
• Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI): It focuses on surgical training, including general surgery, trauma and orthopaedics, neurosurgery, and plastic surgery, as well as specialties such as radiology.
• College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland (CAI): It provides training in anaesthesiology, including intensive care and pain medicine.
• Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP): It is responsible for the training and professional development of general practitioners (GPs) in Ireland.
• Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO): It oversees training in ophthalmology, covering both medical and surgical aspects of eye care.
• College of Psychiatrists of Ireland (CPI): It is responsible for training in psychiatry, including general adult, child and adolescent, and forensic psychiatry.

To learn more about the training bodies in Ireland and their various residency and fellowship programmes, visit postgraduatemedicaltraining.ie.