The Intern Year
The intern year is the first year of postgraduate medical training and is an essential step in every doctor’s career in Ireland. During this year, the intern will be provided with the opportunity to experience the reality of patient care in a range of healthcare settings. A Medical Intern Board was established in 2017, by both the HSE and the Medical Council of Ireland, with responsibility for the governance and strategic direction of the intern year.
Intern training is based on collaboration with the Intern Network Executive, the Irish Medical Schools Council, the Forum of Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies, the HSE National Recruitment Service and the Medical Council of Ireland.
If you have any queries regarding intern training, please send an email to MIU.NDTP@hse.ie
The Intern year is designed to be a challenging and rewarding year, providing graduates with a supervised and supportive learning environment that will provide them with the basis for future practice as a doctor in their chosen field. Intern training provides a combination of education, training and clinical responsibility, enabling interns to develop the professional and personal competencies that result in good patient care and provide a foundation for lifelong learning.
Successful completion of internship allows the Intern Network Coordinator to recommend an Intern to the Medical Council of Ireland (MCI) for the award of the “Certificate of Experience”. This Certificate enables the holder to apply for registration on the Trainee Specialist Division (other than as an Intern) or General Division of the Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council of Ireland and to apply for Senior House Officer Posts in the Irish health service.
Duration of Intern Year – 12 months (minimum)
- Minimum 3 months in General Medicine
- Minimum 3 months in General Surgery
- Between 3 to 4 months in the following specialties:
- Emergency Medicine
- General Practice
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
- Anaesthesia (to include perioperative medicine)
- Surgery
- Medicine
