UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science

Scoil an Leighis agus Eolaíocht an Leighis UCD

Teaching Facilities & Resources

The UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science boasts a range of modern and established biomedical and clinical teaching facilities on the Belfield campus and at our affiliated teaching site. These include:

UCD Health Science Centre
Constructed in 2007, this 16,000m2 state-of-the-art building supports multidisciplinary education and research in a range of teaching configuration. The building is home to Biomedicine, Medicine, Nursing and Physiotherapy Schools. Its key features include:
- Anatomy Dissection Laboratory
- Biomedical Research Laboratories
- Computer Aided Learning Laboratories
- Clinical Skills Training Laboratories
- Health Science Library
- Physiology Laboratory
- Multimodal Radiography Suite
More information on the UCD Health Science Centre.

Body Donation

Human Anatomy Laboratory

A unique aspect of the curriculum at the UCD School of Medicine & Medical Science is the dissection of cadaveric material to give students a thorough grounding in anatomy and its application in clinical practice. The Human Anatomy Laboratory is a state-of-the-art dissecting laboratory based in the Health Sciences Centre.

The laboratory is a purpose-built facility where students and staff can familiarise themselves with the human form supported by radiological material which allows simultaneous viewing of images of the cadavars under dissection. This resource enables detailed correlation of human anatomy and the clinical presentation of same. Classes are run by dedicated anatomy demonstrators, and students are encouraged to take an active role in dissecting. One of the many advantages of whole body dissection is that students get a real feel for normal human anatomy; the shape, size and location of the structures and organs, and their relationship to one another.

This large, spacious facility accommodates up to eighty students at any one time, working side-by-side on individual cadavers or on prosected material and human bones. The Human Anatomy Laboratory is used for scheduled dissecting practicals, private learning and revision purposes at certain times, and also for student assessments. In addition, anatomical teaching within this facility integrates with professional education by way of practical teaching on surface, functional and applied anatomy. Posters, anatomical models and skeletons are displayed across the room to enhance learning, there are also X-ray sets, books, videos and dissection guides for student use. (more information)

Radiography Suite

The School has a sophisticated and well resourced radiography suite with an array of imaging equipment backed by a state-of-the-art Radiology Imformation System / Picture Archive Communication (RIS-PAC) System. Description of Radiography Facilities

Clinical Teaching Facilities
The School has affiliations with more than twenty acute, specialist or general hospitals and in excess of 150 primary care centres. Key clinical attachments take place at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and St Vincent's University Hospital which have dedicated UCD teaching facilities:
- Catherine McAuley Education & Research Centre (Mater Misericordiae University Hospital)
- Education & Research Centre (St Vincent's University Hospital)

UCD Health Science Library

The jewel in the crown of the complex is the state-of-the-art Health Sciences Library, which like the rest of the building has full wireless network coverage. It provides for 244 study spaces, each with individual power/data and desk lighting as well as 11 small group project rooms. This facility is resourced with a team of librarians with expertise in support of health sciences education and research.

Further information on UCD Library Services.

UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Science

Many of the School's research investigators are based within the Conway Institute, Ireland's leading multidisciplinary research centre. Founded in 1999 under the Higher Education Authority's Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions, this state-of-the-art research facility is home to over 550 research staff. Its mission is to promote knowledge, health and economic advancement through excellence in biomolecular and biomedical sciences.

UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology

The Charles Institute of Dermatology aims to become a leading international centre of excellence in dermatology research and training.

Launched in June 2008 with an investment of €18 million, the Charles Institute is the first academic institute devoted to dermatology in Ireland. The Institute’s vision is to become a world leader in dermatology research and training, which will lead to improved patient care through the discovery of new treatments and therapies.

The Charles Institute is a partnership between the UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science; affiliated teaching hospitals, St Vincent's University Hospital and Mater Misericordiae University Hospital; and the Board of the City of Dublin Skin and Cancer Hospital Charity.

Groundworks have commenced in autumn 2009 on a new link building between the UCD Health Sciences Centre and the UCD Conway Institute to house both the Charles Institute and the Systems Biology Ireland centre. This facility is expected to be operational in 2011.

Clinical Skills Laboratories

The UCD Health Science Centre contains a number of clinical skills laboratories including simulated wards, a multidisciplinary health science laboratory and an anatomical dissection facility. The diagnostic imaging area contains a Networked Radiography Imaging System - Picture Archive and Communication System (RIS-PACS) that allows storage of, and access to, diagnostic images from all diagnostic and biological imaging modalities. It has been designed to be compatible with similar systems used in hospitals, and has clear advantages for the education of all healthcare professionals and has unlimited potential in research.