Training in Ireland for international doctors

The International Medical Graduate Training Initiative (IMGTI) enables suitably qualified postgraduate medical trainees from overseas to experience structured, active medical training within clinical services in the public health service in Ireland.

The purpose of the initiative is to give access to clinical experiences and training that trainees cannot have in their own countries, with the goal of enhancing and improving the individual’s medical training and learning and, subsequently, the health services in those countries.

Training and experiences are developed by the relevant Irish postgraduate medical training body (PGMTB) to meet the specific clinical needs of participants as defined by their home country’s health service.

The period of clinical training provided is usually two years, Doctors will work in a broad range of areas, typically in senior house officer (SHO) roles during the first year and in registrar roles during the second year (subject to meeting the relevant milestones set by the medical training bodies).
After the programme, the doctor is expected to return home. The skills, experience, and knowledge doctors develop during IMGTI scholarships will help to enhance, support, and grow local and national health services in their countries of origin.

At present, the IMGTI Scholarship programme is open to trainee doctors from Pakistan and Sudan. The HSE has partnerships with the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) and the Sudan Medical & Specialisation Board (SMSB) in collaboration with the Forum of Irish Postgraduate Training Bodies. Doctors if successful, will be employed directly by their assigned site and will hold the NCHD contract. These doctors are generally at the earl stages of training (having completed at least one year’s training and generally two years, in their home country and are employed at SHO level initially.

Successful candidates will be supported in ongoing knowledge development and enhancement of medical skills and competencies within the doctor’s chosen specialty. They will have direct exposure to the health system in Ireland and an opportunity to learn about alternative approaches to delivering healthcare services.

Training is available in the following specialties:

• anaesthesiology
• emergency medicine
• general medicine
• obstetrics and gynaecology
• ophthalmology
• paediatrics
• psychiatry
• surgery
• trauma & orthopaedics

Structured training in these specialties is provided for two years and is recognised by CPSP and SMSB. IMGTI doctors will have the same access to logbooks, exams, study days, assessments, etc., as other trainees.
Co-ordination of communication between all the stakeholders is organised centrally through the Forum of Irish Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies and NDTP. Each trainee is expected to rotate to a different clinical site after 12 months, subject to completing an annual assessment by their respective training body and feedback from hospital sites.

Once IMGTI is complete, doctors will return to their home country to complete their training.

If you are currently on a training programme in Pakistan or Sudan and would like to participate in the IMGTI scholarship, please contact your home country training body to begin the process.

The current entry requirements and criteria (PDF) are available on the HSE website. They include successful completion of the Intermediate Module Exam (IMM) and IELTS certification.

Applications to the scholarship programme are managed by the Forum of Postgraduate Training Bodies, in conjunction with the HSE-NDTP (which liaises with the relevant international training body in November each year and the relevant Irish postgraduate training body). Successful applicants commence their programme in July of the following year.

The IMGTI Sponsored Programme provides training opportunities for doctors who will be fully funded by their home country for the duration of their training. These doctors are generally at a high level of training and are employed in specialist registrar (SpR) roles.

This cohort is recruited directly through the relevant medical training body and are supernumerary to the staff compliment of the sites they are assigned to. As with the scholarship programme, it is not intended that their training will lead to settlement in Ireland.

Training under this initiative can be provided in clinical departments approved for postgraduate specialist training in Ireland, as long as the position is incorporated into the IMGTI training programme and is tailored to meet the doctor’s educational and training objectives as well as responding to the needs of the health service in their home country.

Further information on participating countries and specialties is available directly from the relevant Irish medical training bodies or at postgraduatemedicaltraining.ie.

If you are funded by your home country and wish to participate in the IMGTI Sponsored Programme, please contact your home country medical training body with any queries.