A new online Postgraduate Certificate in Traffic Medicine (online), delivered by Trinity College Dublin (TCD), will commence this September.

Described as a “unique” level 9 postgraduate programme it is designed for medical and allied health professionals and explores the relationship between health, mobility, driving, and road safety.

Prof Desmond O’Neill, Director of the National Office for Traffic Medicine (NOTM), said the certificate is the “most recent development” in traffic medicine in Ireland.

Prof O’Neill said “much has changed” in the 15 years since the founding of the NOTM, originally based in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and now in TCD.

“From a situation where were no clinical guidelines, no itemised self-declaration of medical conditions by drivers, and no education or CPD in medical fitness to drive, we now have annually updated clinical guidelines, itemised self-declaration of medical conditions by drivers, a portfolio of leaflets for the general public and a range of educational and CPD offerings.”

The TCD programme is delivered fully online over one year (September 2026 – August 2027), the programme combines flexible self-directed learning with scheduled live online sessions, allowing participants to study alongside professional commitments.

The programme is taught by national and international experts from a range of disciplines and provides a structured understanding of medical fitness to drive, safe mobility, rehabilitation, public health, and patient-centred clinical decision-making.

Prof O’Neill noted that one important advisory for interested applicants is that all TCD post-graduate qualifications require applicants to provide official transcripts for each year of their primary degree, which universities will supply readily but may take 1-2 weeks.

“The programme may be of particular interest to professionals working in general practice, occupational health, occupational therapy, rehabilitation, public health, ophthalmology, neurology, psychiatry, geriatrics, and related fields,” said Prof O’Neill.

Applications close on 31 July 2026. For information on how to apply see  https://www.tcd.ie/courses/postgraduate/courses/traffic-medicine-pgradcertonline/

The National Office for Traffic Medicine (NOTM) will be holding its next clinical update session on Wednesday 27 November (5.30pm-7.30pm). The session will take place online.

A key focus for the NOTM, which is now based at the Centre for Innovative Human Systems in Trinity College Dublin, is to support doctors in assessing the medical fitness to drive of their patients.

In addition to regularly updating the guidelines on medical fitness to drive (Sláinte agus Tiomáint) the NOTM provides clinical updates and postgraduate education. It works with the Road Safety Authority to provide information on medical conditions and driving for the general public, and engages with international partners to develop guidelines at a European level.

The upcoming clinical update will cover a range of topics where there have been developments in the evidence-base that guides practice.

The topics include obstructive sleep apnoea (Prof Walter McNicholas, St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin); older drivers (Prof Charlie Musselwhite, Aberystwyth University); off-road assessments (Prof Tadhg Stapleton, Trinity College Dublin); and alcohol use disorders (Prof Desmond O’Neill, Director of the NOTM). 

The session provides 2 CPD points and is free.

Register at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-office-for-traffic-medicine-clinical-update-2024-tickets-1048682867687?aff=oddtdtcreator

Further information on the NOTM is available here: https://www.tcd.ie/cihs/notm/