RCPI HST Clinical Genetics: points estimator and scoring guide

RCPI scores Clinical Genetics shortlisting out of 100, and teaching has its own 10-mark row, one of the larger teaching weights among the RCPI physician specialties. Qualifications and achievements (30) and clinical practice (30) carry most of the marks, with publication and audit at 20 and leadership and management at 10. RCPI publishes only the maximum for each row, so the panel decides each mark. The calculator at the top of this page is a self-estimate: you rate yourself against each row and it adds up your own estimate, not RCPI’s score. Applications for the 2027 intake closed at 5pm on 29 October 2026, and in-person interviews are on 3 February 2027.

Where Teach the Teacher counts for Clinical Genetics

The teaching row reads “Candidate demonstrates experience with teaching or higher qualification in teaching”. We claim Teach the Teacher there, and the panel decides. Be clear about what it is: a live online day (09:00 to 17:00, “6 hours of live teaching with an expert”) and a self-paced course of over 12 hours in 20 modules, each with a certificate. That isn’t a “higher qualification in teaching”, a phrase that most naturally means a postgraduate certificate or above, so the course supports the row as evidence that you are developing as a teacher. The experience route carries most applicants, so upload the certificates with a dated log of the teaching you’ve done.

Teaching awards score under qualifications, which names “teaching awards” explicitly. At interview, “Teaching, training and experience” is another 10 of 100. The 2027 window has closed, so new evidence counts towards the next intake.

Rules on the Clinical Genetics form that change a score

Clinical practice is worth 30 and says only “Adequate exposure and experience”. With no months or posts specified, the panel reads what you put in front of it, so name every genetics-relevant post: neonatology, fetal medicine, oncology, neurology, metabolic medicine. Audit and QI appear in both the publication and audit row and the leadership row, where RCPI lists “organising membership examinations, audit or quality improvement programmes” as leadership. List each project once, where its wording fits: leading a programme under leadership, taking part under publication and audit. Qualifications names “Professional and Extracurricular achievements”, so non-medical achievements are worth including. Nothing can be added after the close.

How the Clinical Genetics interview is scored

The interview is out of 100, in person on 3 February 2027 for this intake:

• CV (qualifications, undergraduate performance, teaching awards, higher degrees, professional and extracurricular achievements): 30
• Clinical Practice: 20
• Publications, Research and Audit: 15
• Management training and experience: 10
• Teaching, training and experience: 10
• Interview performance: 15

Places are allocated “taking into account rank at interview and available places”. Entry needs completed or final-year BST in General Internal Medicine or Paediatrics with MRCPI; GPs with MICGP are also considered.

RCPI Clinical Genetics HST HST Shortlisting Criteria (RCPI Entry Guidance and Advice) points at a glance

RCPI 2027 intake shortlisting and interview criteria (Entry Guidance page) · Last checked 30 October 2026

Your score is the total of the domain scores, out of a maximum of 100.

Out of 100: qualifications and achievements 30, clinical practice 30, publication and audit 20, leadership and management 10, teaching 10. Only category maxima are published. Interview (separate, out of 100): CV 30; Clinical Practice 20; Publications, Research and Audit 15; Management training and experience 10; Teaching, training and experience 10; Interview performance 15. “Posts are allocated by the NSD(s) taking into account rank at interview and available places.” Self-estimate (owner ruling 30 Oct 2026): RCPI publishes only the maximum for each row, so the calculator asks you to rate yourself on each row (none, some, good, strong) and adds up your own estimate. These steps are ours, not RCPI's; the panel scores the real marks.

RCPI Clinical Genetics HST: every domain, what scores and the maximum

Domain	What scores (official wording)	Max
Professional Qualifications/Education/Achievements	0 points None yet 10 points Some (about a third of the marks) 20 points Good (about two thirds) 30 points Strong (full marks for this row) Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 30 points. Category maximum 30. RCPI publishes only the category, the description and the maximum; how marks are split inside it isn’t published.	30
Clinical Practice	0 points None yet 10 points Some (about a third of the marks) 20 points Good (about two thirds) 30 points Strong (full marks for this row) Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 30 points. Category maximum 30. RCPI publishes only the category, the description and the maximum; how marks are split inside it isn’t published.	30
Publication and Audit Experience	0 points None yet 6.5 points Some (about a third of the marks) 13.5 points Good (about two thirds) 20 points Strong (full marks for this row) Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 20 points. Category maximum 20. RCPI publishes only the category, the description and the maximum; how marks are split inside it isn’t published.	20
Leadership and Management experience	0 points None yet 3.5 points Some (about a third of the marks) 6.5 points Good (about two thirds) 10 points Strong (full marks for this row) Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 10 points. Category maximum 10. RCPI publishes only the category, the description and the maximum; how marks are split inside it isn’t published.	10
Teaching Experience	0 points None yet 3.5 points Some (about a third of the marks) 6.5 points Good (about two thirds) 10 points Strong (full marks for this row) Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 10 points. Category maximum 10 of 100. No points per item are published.	10
Total		100

Dates for this round

• 1 October 2026, 12pm Applications opened source
• 29 October 2026, 5pm This round closed 29 Oct 2026 (2027 intake); nothing can be added to those applications source 1 source 2
• 31 December 2026 MRCPI Clinical (relevant to the specialty) passed by source
• 3 February 2027 Interview (in person) source
• 1 October 2027 Next applications open (2028 intake), expected early October 2027 expected source
• 29 October 2027 Next applications close (2028 intake), expected late October 2027: what you claim must be done by then expected source

What you can still add before 29 October 2027

What each of these adds is the difference between the option you would reach and the one you already hold, so it can be nothing if you hold that option already. The calculator works out the gain from your own answers.

• Teaching Experience. For the next intake (window expected October 2027): complete the Erudical Teach the Teacher course (live day plus self-paced) and keep both certificates, and keep a dated log of teaching you deliver, with feedback where you can get it. Gets you to: Some (about a third of the marks).

Evidence traps

• Clinical practice is worth 30 but only says “Adequate exposure and experience”. Spell out every genetics-relevant post. Adequate exposure and experience source
• Audit and QI appear in two rows. Claim each project once, in the row whose wording fits it. Publications, specialty publications, presentations, posters, audit, quality improvement programmes source
• The teaching row accepts experience or a “higher qualification in teaching”. A course alone isn’t a higher qualification. Candidate demonstrates experience with teaching or higher qualification in teaching source
• Everything has to be uploaded with the application. A paper accepted, a talk given or a course finished after the window closes can’t be added later. No, the Admissions Team is not in a position to accept any documents or updates to applications following the close of applications. source
• The shortlisting score gets you an interview. Places are then given out on interview rank, so prepare for the interview criteria as seriously as the CV. Posts are allocated by the NSD(s) taking into account rank at interview and available places. source

Sources

• RCPI HST Entry Guidance and Advice: Clinical Genetics Shortlisting and Interview Criteria, 2027 HST intake. The page says “Applications for our 2027 Higher Specialist Training (HST) programmes are now closed.” The criteria are HTML tables in the “HST Shortlisting and Interview Criteria & Specialty Entry Requirements” section, not a PDF.
• RCPI HST Application Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions, 2027 intake (MRCPI Clinical by 31st December 2026; no documents accepted after the close)

For every category, the interview marks and the dates on one printable page, add your email and we’ll send you the PDF.

Clinical Genetics HST questions, answered

How many points is teaching worth for RCPI HST Clinical Genetics?

Teaching Experience is 10 of the 100 shortlisting marks: “Candidate demonstrates experience with teaching or higher qualification in teaching”. At interview, “Teaching, training and experience” is another 10 of 100.

Does a teach the teacher course count for Clinical Genetics HST in Ireland?

We claim it in the teaching row, and the panel decides. The row accepts experience with teaching or a “higher qualification in teaching”; a course isn’t a higher qualification, so it works best as evidence alongside teaching you have done.

How is RCPI Clinical Genetics HST shortlisting scored?

Out of 100: Professional Qualifications/Education/Achievements 30, Clinical Practice 30, Publication and Audit Experience 20, Leadership and Management 10, Teaching Experience 10. Only these maxima are published; a panel scores each category.

Who can apply for HST Clinical Genetics in Ireland?

Applicants “must have completed, or be in the final year of, Basic Specialist Training (BST) in General Internal Medicine or Paediatrics, and must hold the MRCPI.” GPs with MICGP “will also be considered”; anyone else needs a Letter of Equivalence from RCPI.

When is the RCPI HST Clinical Genetics interview?

For the 2027 intake, in person on 3 February 2027. Applications closed at 5pm on 29 October 2026.