The RCSI Deanery includes main general adult psychiatric units in North Dublin, Connolly Hospital and Drogheda. Each is linked to psychiatry of older life, rehabilitation and Child and Adolescent Mental Health In-patient and community (CAMS) services. Each centre has its own weekly academic training.

Services throughout the Deanery offer opportunities to experience psychiatry in urban and rural, and areas of deprivation and homelessness. Specialist training placements at multiple points throughout the region are available in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Later Life Psychiatry, Intellectual Disability, Social and Rehabilitation Psychiatry and Liaison Psychiatry. Additional training by specialist tutors in academic psychiatry is also available for trainees with 3 additional tutor roles available to trainees. Additionally posts substance use, forensics, rehabilitation and recovery, liaison psychiatry, and intensive home based treatment services are available.

The best way to understand the Deanery and the placements is to contact the vice-Dean and to be to speak with current and past trainees

Training Centres / Sub-Specialities

Key Features

• The various posts provide high quality training arranged by training centre tutors, including weekly case conferences, journal clubs, Balint group training and protected individual supervision sessions.
• Additional training sessions are also provided for BST trainees which comprise research presentations by local and visiting speakers, OSCE and CFME exam preparation, specialty service seminars and interdisciplinary training in a range of psychiatric emergencies and grand rounds within the general hospital setting.
• All posts provide on call experience for BST. The full range of on call experience settings are covered and include inpatient psychiatry units, emergency departments, general hospitals, a child and adolescent inpatient unit, community residential units.
• Trainees are encouraged to participate in management and governance activities including engagement in service development, committee work, clinical audit and trainee representation.
• Trainees are supported in engaging in formal postgraduate training, audit and research activities.
• A Deanery Day is arranged which provides a platform for regional trainees to present their research projects in oral or poster format.
• Trainees are strongly supported in the research interests.
• Trainees involvement in the College’s training bodies and training committee is strongly supported.

Clinical Exposure

The full range of general adult and specialty service placements are available for trainees in the region throughout the 3 training centres, including inpatient units and outpatient clinics in a range of settings attached to inpatient units, standalone day services, primary care services. Most services also provide clinical exposure through day hospitals, day centres, community residential units, nursing home and domiciliary visits.

In addition later life services provide exposure to domiciliary and nursing home visits, and community nursing residential centres. Child and adolescent services provide clinical exposure through outpatient clinics, clinic-based group programmes and school visits.  ID services provide clinical exposure through residential service and supported employment settings.

Forensic psychiatry is available in the central mental hospital.

Addictions Psychiatry is available through national specialty posts.

Trainees are supported in personalising their training programmes.

Additional Information

Trainees commencing the scheme are generally offered two general adult psychiatry posts in one of the three training centres for their first 2 six month posts. After successful completion of foundation year, 6 further posts are allocated in consultation with the vice dean to comprise a mix of general adult psychiatry posts, regional specialty posts, national specialty posts across at least 2 training centres, individually tailored to the trainee’s training needs and interests.

The training scheme has a high success rate in trainees attaining their professional examinations and transitioning to higher specialist training and academic posts.