RCPI HST Infectious Diseases & GIM: points estimator and scoring guide

RCPI shortlists HST Infectious Diseases and GIM applicants out of 100 across seven rows: Professional Qualifications/Education 13, Progression in Relevant Clinical Experience 30, Audit Experience 10, Leadership/Management 10, Publication Experience 15, Presentation Experience 12 and Teaching 10. Only the row maxima are published, and the panel scores each row against its description. The in-person interview is also out of 100, with Teaching as its own category worth 10. Applications for the 2027 intake closed at 5pm on 29 October 2026. Infectious Diseases interviews are on 8 February 2027, and the MRCPI Clinical must be passed by 31 December 2026.

Where Teach the Teacher counts for Infectious Diseases

Teaching is the row where we claim the Erudical Teach the Teacher course, and the panel decides what it’s worth. The row reads “Candidate demonstrates formal and informal experience with teaching”, out of 10. The course is a live online day with “6 hours of live teaching with an expert” plus a self-paced course of over 12 hours in 20 modules, each with its own certificate. Be clear about what it is: formal training in teaching. It isn’t a higher qualification such as a PG Cert in medical education, and it doesn’t replace teaching you’ve actually done, so list it next to your teaching log rather than instead of it. Infectious Diseases words its row as experience only, “formal and informal experience with teaching”, with no mention of a qualification, so the course supports your teaching log rather than standing in for it. RCPI publishes no value for a course inside the 10 marks, so we can’t tell you how much it adds.

Timing matters this year. RCPI says “the Admissions Team is not in a position to accept any documents or updates to applications following the close of applications”, so nothing can be added to a 2027 application now. A course finished from here counts towards the next window, which RCPI hasn’t published yet (the last one ran through October). If you’re shortlisted for 2027, Teaching is a separate interview category worth 10 of 100. The panel scores what you say there. We claim the course there as formal training in teaching; it carries no fixed marks, and the panel decides what it adds. Read more about the Teach the Teacher course, or compare other specialties on our Ireland HST points hub.

Rules in the RCPI Infectious Diseases criteria that change a score

Relevance runs through the ID table. Higher degrees are scored if “relevant to Infectious Diseases”, publications must be “relevant to infectious diseases”, and presentations are “Verifiable presentations relevant to infectious diseases including oral international, national, local presentations and posters”, so a talk on another subject may not count. Presentations and publications have separate rows (12 and 15), unlike most RCPI tables. Audit covers “Institutional/national Audit and Departmental Audit”. One oddity: the Leadership/Management description, as published, reads “Candidate demonstrates leadership to Infectious Diseases, including case reports and peer-reviewed publications”, which looks copied from the row below. Evidence a real leadership role regardless.

The evidence rules are strict. “Verifiable proof will be required” for presentations, publications and research, and whether abstracts score at all “depends on the specialty”, so follow the application form. “Error or inaccurate information cannot be corrected once you have submitted your application.” After interview, “Posts are allocated by the NSD(s) taking into account rank at interview and available places.” RCPI doesn’t say whether the shortlisting marks are added to the interview score.

RCPI Infectious Diseases HST shortlisting and interview points at a glance

RCPI 2027 intake shortlisting and interview criteria · Last checked 30 October 2026

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

Shortlisting total: 'Total | | 100'. RCPI publishes only the row maxima (13, 30, 10, 10, 15, 12 and 10); there are no point bands, so the panel scores each row against its description. Interview criteria (out of 100): CV/Clinical experience 25; Knowledge of Speciality 20; Leadership/Management 10; Research 10; Audit/QI 10; Suitability 15; Teaching 10. 'Posts are allocated by the NSD(s) taking into account rank at interview and available places.' RCPI doesn't say whether shortlisting marks are added to the interview score. 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 Infectious Diseases HST: every domain, what scores and the maximum

Domain	What scores (official wording)	Max
Professional Qualifications/Education	0 points None yet 4.5 points Some (about a third of the marks) 8.5 points Good (about two thirds) 13 points Strong (full marks for this row) Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 13 points. The panel scores this row out of 13 against the description. RCPI publishes only the row maximum, not what each item is worth.	13
Progression in Relevant Clinical Experience	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. The panel scores this row out of 30 against the description. RCPI publishes only the row maximum, not what each item is worth.	30
Audit 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. The panel scores this row out of 10 against the description. RCPI publishes only the row maximum, not what each item is worth.	10
Leadership/Management	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. The panel scores this row out of 10 against the description. RCPI publishes only the row maximum, not what each item is worth.	10
Publication Experience	0 points None yet 5 points Some (about a third of the marks) 10 points Good (about two thirds) 15 points Strong (full marks for this row) Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 15 points. The panel scores this row out of 15 against the description. RCPI publishes only the row maximum, not what each item is worth.	15
Presentation Experience	0 points None yet 4 points Some (about a third of the marks) 8 points Good (about two thirds) 12 points Strong (full marks for this row) Scores the single best option you can evidence, up to 12 points. The panel scores this row out of 12 against the description. RCPI publishes only the row maximum, not what each item is worth.	12
Teaching	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. The panel scores this row out of 10 against the description. RCPI publishes only the row maximum, not what each item is worth.	10
Total		100

Dates for this round

• 1 October 2026, 12pm Applications open (2027 intake) 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 Examination passed by source 1 source 2
• 8 February 2027 Interviews (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.

• Audit Experience. For the next intake: finish an audit cycle or QI project and present it, and submit papers early enough to be published or accepted before the window opens. Keep verifiable proof of each one.
• Leadership/Management. For the next intake: take on a formal role (rota, committee, QI or teaching lead) and get a dated letter confirming it.
• Publication Experience. For the next intake: finish an audit cycle or QI project and present it, and submit papers early enough to be published or accepted before the window opens. Keep verifiable proof of each one.
• Presentation Experience. For the next intake: finish an audit cycle or QI project and present it, and submit papers early enough to be published or accepted before the window opens. Keep verifiable proof of each one.
• Teaching. 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

• Publications, presentations and higher degrees must be relevant to infectious diseases. Verifiable presentations relevant to infectious diseases including oral international, national, local presentations and posters source
• The teaching row is about experience, formal and informal. It doesn't mention a qualification. Candidate demonstrates formal and informal experience with teaching source
• Your application is fixed when the window closes. RCPI won't accept new documents or updates afterwards, so a paper accepted or a presentation given after the close can't be added. No, the Admissions Team is not in a position to accept any documents or updates to applications following the close of applications. source
• Every publication, presentation and piece of research needs verifiable proof uploaded with the application, in the format the form asks for. What proof is required when submitting presentations, publications and research? Verifiable proof will be required. Please follow the instructions on the application form. source
• The MRCPI Clinical must be passed by 31 December 2026 for the 2027 intake. MRCP(UK) isn't treated as equivalent unless the specialty says so. All HST candidates must have successfully passed their MRCPI Clinical Examination relevant to their speciality by 31st December 2026. There are no exceptions to this requirement. Please note: MRCP UK and Membership from other Irish Training Bodies are not considered equivalent, unless otherwise specified. source

Sources

• RCPI HST Entry Guidance and Advice: HST Shortlisting and Interview Criteria & Specialty Entry Requirements, Key dates and In-Person Interview Dates, 2027 intake (applications 1 to 29 Oct 2026). The criteria are HTML tables on the page, not a PDF, and the page prints no revision date. Fetched 30 Oct 2026 (HTTP 200).
• RCPI HST Application Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions, 2027 intake ('Applications for our Higher Specialist Training (HST) programme will open 01 October 2026'). Fetched 30 Oct 2026.

For the shortlisting and interview tables and the 2027 dates on one printable page, add your email and we’ll send you the PDF.

Infectious Diseases HST questions, answered

How many points is teaching worth for RCPI HST Infectious Diseases?

Teaching is worth 10 of the 100 shortlisting marks: “Candidate demonstrates formal and informal experience with teaching”. Teaching is also its own interview category, worth 10 of 100.

How is the RCPI HST Infectious Diseases application scored?

Shortlisting is out of 100 across seven rows: Professional Qualifications/Education 13, Progression in Relevant Clinical Experience 30, Audit Experience 10, Leadership/Management 10, Publication Experience 15, Presentation Experience 12, Teaching 10. Only the row maxima are published, so you can’t add up an exact score in advance; the panel scores each row against its description. “Verifiable proof will be required.”

Does a teach the teacher course count for RCPI HST Infectious Diseases?

We claim it under Teaching, and the panel decides. The row reads “Candidate demonstrates formal and informal experience with teaching”. The Erudical course is formal training in teaching, not a higher qualification like a PG Cert, so list it alongside the teaching you’ve done. The ID row is about teaching experience and doesn’t mention qualifications, so the course works best next to a log of teaching you’ve done. RCPI publishes no value for it. The 2027 window closed on 29 October 2026, so it counts towards the next application.

When is the RCPI HST Infectious Diseases interview for 2027?

Infectious Diseases interviews are in person on 8 February 2027. The interview is out of 100: CV/Clinical experience 25, Knowledge of Speciality 20, Leadership/Management 10, Research 10, Audit/QI 10, Suitability 15, Teaching 10. You must have passed the MRCPI Clinical by 31 December 2026.

Do presentations count for RCPI HST Infectious Diseases?

Yes, in their own row worth 12: “Verifiable presentations relevant to infectious diseases including oral international, national, local presentations and posters”. RCPI doesn’t say what each level is worth, and a presentation has to be relevant to infectious diseases.