INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL DOCTORS SEEKING CONTINUOUS MEDICAL EDUCATION
The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) is committed to providing world leading continuous medical education to enhance the healthcare sector globally. Our Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) and suite of continuous professional development (CPD) courses and events can be accessed by local and international doctors.
The information here is tailored for doctors who wish to access continuous medical education in Ireland for the first time.
MAINTAINING PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE
If you wish to work as a doctor in Ireland you must be registered with the Irish Medical Council. All doctors who hold Specialist, General and Supervised registration with the Irish Medical Council are legally obliged to maintain professional competence by enrolling in a Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) and meeting the requirements set by the Medical Council.
You must be enrolled on a scheme in order to demonstrate you are actively maintaining your professional competence in a manner recognized by the Irish Medical Council.
For the PCS Year 1st May 2022 – 30th April 2023, doctors are required to undertake and record the following CPD activity with their Professional Competence Scheme:
There are a number of educational courses open for enrollment at present. Up to date information on all our courses is available here and you can access our online modules here.
Doctors from Ukraine
In the case of doctors from Ukraine , online CPD courses have been made available free of charge using a unique registration code. Such doctors who have completed the HSE survey will already have received an email with instructions to access your unique code. If you have any questions or think you should have received this email, please contact us directly at helpdesk@rcpi.ie.
Contact professionalcompetence@rcpi.ie with any queries or for assistance with meeting your CPD and Audit requirements.
USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT STUDYING AND WORKING IN IRELAND
There are a number of requirements to consider in order to legally live, work and practice medicine in Ireland.
MEDICAL REGISTRATION IN IRELAND
The Medical Council regulates medical doctors in the Republic of Ireland. International physicians who wish to work as a doctor in Ireland must first register with the Irish Medical Council.
The Medical Register in Ireland has six divisions and it is important to first identify which is most suited to your needs based on the eligibility criteria.
The application process is online and the Medical Council website clearly outlines what information is required to complete an application and access support.
IMMIGRATION AND VISAS
There are a number of steps that those coming to Ireland must complete in order to obtain the necessary permissions to work and live in Ireland.
Before you arrive
You must obtain the necessary visa from the Department of Justice.
You will also need to secure a work permit. You are required to have a job offer or a contract and a work permit. A work permit is issued by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and applied for by the employer on behalf of the doctor.
Upon entry
Once you arrive in Ireland, you must attend an appointment with the Department of Justice where you will receive the appropriate stamp on your immigration card. This stamp constitutes permission to reside in the state for a designated period.
INFORMATION ON THE IRISH HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
The Health Service Executive (HSE) provides all of Ireland’s public health services in hospitals and communities across the country, including the public hospital system.
There are 7 hospital groups; each with a ‘lead’ hospital.
For further details of Ireland’s hospital group including services and contact details click on the links below:
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Instagram
Connect with us on LinkedIn