PIR: everything you need to know about this training program.

A summary of how the pathway to training as a Resident Internal Psychologist (and its exam) is.

In recent years there has been a notable increase in the demand for help from mental health professionals, with a low number of clinical psychologists within the public health system, requiring a greater number of places offered that can be obtained by passing the PIR access exam.

PIR (Psychólogo Interno Residente) is a specialized training that enables psychology graduates to practice their profession in the clinical setting within the public health system at the national level (e.g., in national general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, among others).

In this article we will explain everything you need to know about this clinical training and the PIR exam. (for example, what is the history of the PIR, what does the entrance exam consist of, what are the subjects to be prepared, etc.).

What does the PIR consist of in Spain?

PIR is the acronym used to designate the training of the Psychologist Intern ResidentA professional preparation that is equivalent to the one that the doctors realize by means of the access to the formation MIR (Medical Internal Resident).

The PIR training is to date the only way in Spain to be able to obtain the official title of Psychologist Specialist in Clinical Psychology in accordance with Royal Decree 2490/1998, in existence since 1993. This title is mandatory to work as a clinical psychologist within the scope of the national public health system.

The PIR training is eminently practical, with a duration of 4 years, during which the psychologists who complete the residency will have to do various rotations in different health care facilities (for example, in the child and adolescent unit, in the eating disorders unit, etc.) in which they will acquire theoretical and practical learning that will enable them in the future to practice as clinical psychologists in any hospital of the public health system throughout the country.

It should be noted that normally the schedule of both a psychologist who is doing the PIR training and a specialist psychologist who has already completed this training is usually in the mornings in hospitals, so that there are some clinical psychologists who also practice in hospitals. there are some clinical psychologists who also practice their profession in a private practice or center. in the afternoons, or even working as teachers in universities or in academies that train psychologists who are studying to take the PIR exam.

As a guideline, the salary, according to sources, usually ranges between €1,100 and €1,300 net per month during the first year of residency, with 14 payments per year, varying according to the scale set by each Autonomous Community and with a salary increase as each year of residency is completed. This salary could also be increased with the complement of the payment for the overtime or for the extra hours worked.

Once the PIR training is completed, the basic salary of a Psychologist Specialist in Clinical Psychology on average starts at 2,200 euros net per month, with 14 payments per year.2,200 per month, with 14 payments per year, which may vary in each Autonomous Community.

In addition to the PIR and the MIR, there are other specialized training specialties in the clinical field, these being the following: the EIR in Nursing, the FIR for Pharmacy graduates, the QIR for those who have completed their degree in the field of Chemistry, the BIR in Biology and, finally, the specialty in the field of Physics to train for the specialty in Hospital Radiophysics, which can be accessed by those who have completed their university degree in degrees in the field of Physics or other scientific and technological disciplines.

Brief History of the Resident Internal Psychologist program

The PIR training began to be developed in some Autonomous Communities before the PIR program was launched.In Galicia, for example, Asturias (since 1983), Castilla y León and Adulacía (since 1986) and Navarra (1988); although in Galicia there had already been a training position in Clinical Psychology at the Psychiatric Hospital "El Rebullón" since 1978.

Subsequently, other Autonomous Communities incorporated this specialized training for psychologists in the clinical field until 1993, when an agreement was reached to implement this specialty throughout the country.

In 2002, a process of homologation began, which made it possible for psychologists who met a series of requirements before 1993 to obtain the title of specialist.However, it was later taken into account that these requirements had to be met before 1998:

• To have at least 3 years of experience in the public field or 4 and a half years in the private field.
• Another way to obtain the homologation was to be a university professor or to have done the PIR.

In some cases in which there were psychologists who were close to meeting the requirements to obtain the homologation of the degree, they had to take a test with a syllabus similar to that of the PIR exam, which made it possible to obtain the title of specialist, and it was enough to pass.

As of 2010, the homologation process was closed and the only way to obtain access to the PIR exam was officialized. only one way to obtain access to the PIR training, which makes it possible to obtain the title of specialist. which makes it possible to obtain the title of specialist, and this format has remained in force to date.

The public health centers where rotations are normally performed during the PIR training are usually the following general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation units or devices that have been specifically configured as such. that have been specifically configured as such, having a rotation in various units and centers such as the following:

• Psychiatric hospitals or mental health centers.
• Rehabilitation and social reintegration programs.
• Hospitalization units.
• Forms of partial hospitalization.
• Child and juvenile units.
• Units specialized in the treatment of eating disorders, addictions or others.

The PIR test: How is the current panorama?

To access the PIR training you must pass an entrance exam that is held every year.The PIR exam is held every year, having obtained one of the positions that are within the limit of places that are offered each year.

In the field of Psychology there is a fairly high ratio of applicants for each place offered (21.5 applicants per place, approximately), with a slight increase in places over the last 3 years, in which around 200 places have been offered for some 4,300 applicants who have been applying in recent years.

Despite the slight increase, there are still few places due to the high need of a large part of the population to receive psychological support. Spain has a ratio of 6 psychologists per 100,000 inhabitants, being well below the 18 psychologists on average in Europe..

How does the PIR entrance exam work?

The PIR exam has been held in recent years on the last Saturday in January or the first Saturday in February, usually starting at around 4 pm, and currently consists of 200 questions plus 10 reserve questions, in multiple-choice format with 4 answer options..

The scoring is as follows: each correct answer adds 3 points, each question answered incorrectly subtracts one point, and unanswered answers do not subtract or add points. In addition, 4 and a half uninterrupted hours are available for the exam..

This exam format, in terms of duration and also the number of questions, is similar in all healthcare training programs (PIR, MIR, FIR, EIR, etc.).

What are the subjects to study to take the PIR?

The syllabus of the exam to access the PIR training, as it happens with most of the oppositions, is not a closed syllabus, is not a closed syllabus. However, most of the exam questions belong to 12 different subjects in the field of psychology.

Apart from those subjects that comprise the majority of the questions, there is always a space for questions that, although they may be related to these subjects, would come from manuals, studies, guides or articles that have been published recently, which tends to increase the difficulty of the exam, although it is true that all candidates are usually more or less on an equal footing when faced with this type of questions.

The following is a list of these subjects that cover the preparation syllabus for the PIR exam are listed below:

• Clinical psychology.
• Clinical psychology of childhood and adolescence.
• Psychological treatments.
• Psychological evaluation.
• Psychopathology.
• Personality and differential psychology.
• Psychobiology.
• Psychotherapies.
• Developmental and educational psychology.
• Social and organizational psychology.
• Experimental psychology: data analysis, psychometrics, and research fundamentals.
• Basic psychology.

For the preparation of these subjects applicants usually benefit from the help offered by the different academies specialized in the preparation of the PIR, which specialized in the preparation of the PIR, which offer specific manuals on the different subjects included in the exam, tutors who offer support and guidance to their students, online and/or face-to-face classes, a forum to solve doubts, preparation of mock exams (something fundamental to prepare for the PIR exam), etc. Although there are also those who prefer to buy only the manuals and train on their own.

Requirements to be able to sit for the PIR

In order to sit for the PIR exam it is essential to meet a series of requirements, which are listed below.

The first requirement is to have an official university degree or bachelor's degree in the field of psychology. in the field of Psychology.

The second requirement is not to have exceeded the age of compulsory retirement and that this age will not be reached during the PIR training period of 4 years.

The third requirement is Spanish nationality or nationality of any country of the European Union, of the European Economic Area, of the Swiss Confederation or of the Principality of Andorra.In addition, persons who have family ties (spouses, children or parents) with persons holding any of the above-mentioned nationalities may also take this test.

In addition, it is necessary to fill in an access form to take the PIR examThe application form can be filled out either at a Government subdelegation or telematically through the Electronic Headquarters of the Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare during a limited time that has been previously announced months before the test is to be held.

When filling in the form, it is necessary to pay an examination fee of around 30 €, as well as to attach a photocopy of the ID card, a certified copy of the official university degree in Psychology and a certified copy of the academic certificate. On the other hand, those who have a doctorate in Psychology must submit it because this allows them to start with a higher score compared to those who do not have such a degree.

In order to apply electronically it is necessary to have a permanent password or a digital certificate. that allows the applicant to personally sign his or her application. In case of submitting the application it would not be necessary since it would be signed manually when submitting all the necessary documentation to the corresponding agency.