Committee of Anaesthesiology Trainees (CAT)
The Committee of Anaesthesiology Trainees (CAT) was established in 2011 and is made up of trainees elected by their peers. CAT gives anaesthesiology trainees a formal voice within the College, helping to shape the Specialist Anaesthesiology Training Programme and ensuring that trainee perspectives are heard.
The committee also provides trainee representation on a number of College committees and external groups, and contributes valuable insights that guide the future development of anaesthesiology in Ireland.
Introduction from Dr. Nicola Duffy, CAT Chair;
Hi, my name is Nicola and I am the current Chair of CAT. As always, we have a fantastic group of trainees on our committee, representing trainees across the country at different stages of training. As a committee, we’re committed to continuing the work of previous groups while also driving new initiatives that make a positive difference to trainees
This year, our focus is on trainee wellbeing and expanding access to wellness initiatives for trainees. Anaesthesiology training is hugely rewarding, but it is also well recognised as one of the most challenging specialties. Studies have shown that anaesthetic trainees report high levels of stress and burnout, and at times balancing professional duties, exams, and personal life can feel overwhelming. Please remember you’re not alone — there are always people to talk to, and support available both locally and nationally. Check out the college wellness page for the most up to date information. We look forward to working with the wellness committee this year in rolling out the Peer2Peer project.
We are here to advocate on your behalf and to represent trainee perspectives at College level so if you have any ideas, suggestions, or concerns — especially around wellness or projects you’d like to see happen — we’d love to hear from you.
You can get in touch through your local Lead Anaesthetic Trainee, or by emailing us at cat@coa.ie.
And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with our social events and activities!
Warm regards,
Nicola
Chair, CAT 2025/2026
Dr. Nicola Duffy
Chair, Social Events
Dr. Caroline Brogan
Vice-Chair, Social Events
Dr Brandon Tan Zhiming
AAGBI Trainee Rep
Dr. Donal Roche
Treasurer, NCPA Trainee Rep, Training Com
Dr. Dan Coffey
Training Com, NDTP Forum Subcommittee, Sustainability
Dr. Orla Murray
Examinations Committee, Education Committee, JFICMI / ICSI, National Lecture Series
Dr. Mark O’Rahelly
National Lecture Series, Wellbeing / wellbeing events, Global Health
Dr. Meghan Carton
LAT Coordinator, Wellbeing / wellbeing events
Dr. Tara Bannon
National Lecture Series, CAT News / Social Media, Social Events
Dr. Siobhan Clarke
Quality and Safety, HSE Liaison
Dr. Sinead Brady
Pain Medicine Faculty
The Lead Anaesthesiology Trainee (LAT) role was established in 2015. The role of this representative is to encourage communication between all trainees and the Committee of Anaesthesia Trainees. They also facilitate communication at a local level between trainees and individual anaesthetic departments. There is a permanent LAT coordinator position on CAT to facilitate this. CAT updates LATs regularly on any developments within the College that will have an impact upon trainees, as well as CAT activities.
CAT Boat Party – September 2025
CAT Quiz – March 2026
Congress – May 2026
Conferral – June 2027
*See our Instagram page for more details (cat_committee_)
We have compiled a number of resources that trainees have found useful for the MCAI, FCAI and a number of optional exams that you may sit during training. We hope this helps a little with your initial preparation for exams! The resource are available on the relevant exam page:
The National Lecture series was set up in 2023 by CAT with the aim of providing standardised,
high-yield anaesthetic teaching to all anaesthesia trainees nationwide, as an additional resource to local departmental teaching. These lectures are recorded and are available for trainees on the educational platform mediasite: https://cai.mediasite.com/
Please contact your LAT for login details.
Details of upcoming lectures will be sent out via email.
What is it?
The fellowship network is useful list of contacts for trainees in their final years of training who are considering applying for a specialty fellowship abroad following completion of formal training in Ireland. Often the best people to talk to about a particular fellowship are those who have recently undertaken that fellowship themselves. They will be able to give advice on what to expect from working and living in a foreign city and what to expect to get out of a particular fellowship. As trainees in Ireland, we don’t rotate through every teaching hospital; therefore there may be missed opportunities to gather information from those consultants who have completed interesting fellowships. The fellowship network is a list of consultants and fellows who have recently completed or are currently undertaking fellowships across the world. Everyone in the network has kindly agreed to share their details with trainees who need a useful contact to find information about a fellowships. The contacts on the list are happy to be contacted via email and help in anyway they can to make your decision and application process easier. Details are listed by speciality and by region.
How to go about applying for a fellowship?
Having decided on a fellowship that might be for you, then the next step will be the application process. The application process for fellowships differs greatly from centre to centre. Some fellowship posts accept applications on a rolling basis and appointments are made in a similar manner. Some fellowships (particularly in the UK) advertise approximately 6 – 12 months in advance of start date and applications need to be made in time. Specific details on the application process are usually available on the website of the hospital hosting the fellowship. Make sure to check well in advance of what is required for and application! Be advised that you likely be competing against trainees from the host country and, in some cases; fellowships are awarded preferentially to those trained ‘at home’. It is advisable to contact the centre of your choice early in order to express an interest and to enquire about their specific application process. Contact cat@coa.ie to receive a copy of Fellowship Network Contacts.
