Celebrating Success, Progression and Friendship
The 2011 Alumni Reunion brought together the graduates of 1951, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1986, 1991, and 2001 to participate in the MGA Annual General Scientific Meeting and Gala Reunion Dinner on 29th April 2011.
The afternoon commenced with the Medical Graduates’ Association Annual Scientific Meeting which took place in the Health Sciences Centre. Graduates were first given an opportunity to tour the new Health Sciences Centre by some of our current medical students and were impressed by the state of the art clinical skills and dissection facilities as well as some familiar sights from their days in Earlsfort Terrace in the Anatomy Museum. Each graduate was provided with a copy of the ‘Farewell to the Terrace’ volume produced by UCD to commemorate the past. Following the tours, the Scientific Meeting commenced and delegates were treated to a varied and interesting range of presentations by speakers from the graduating years.
Scientific Meeting
The Scientific Meeting was opened with a welcoming address from UCD Dean of Medicine, Professor Bill Powderly. Professor Powderly informed the audience of the many new developments that have been introduced since their undergraduate days including, the White Coat Ceremony to mark clinical progression, the introduction of modularization and the Penang Medical College, Malaysia, twinning programme with RCSI. Professor Powderly then introduced MGA President, Dr. Jane Dolan who gave a brief word of welcome and affirmed the ties that have been forged over the past years through the Medical Graduates Association which recognizes their affiliation to UCD and their bond as a medical community.
Dr. Deirdre Phelan from the Class of 2001 was the first speaker. Her presentation was on the specialist area of Occupational Consultancy. Dr Phelan was followed by Dr. Bobby Smyth, Class of 1991, who gave an equally engaging presentation on Child Psychiatry – ‘Teenagers - Understanding Risk Behaviour and Promoting Mental Health’ raising awareness of the issues around drug and alcohol use as well as depression at this critical age. Class of 1986 graduate, Professor Mary Horgan in UCC, looked at the challenges currently facing medical education in Ireland. Professor Horgan finished with an apt quotation from Charles Darwin: “It is not the strongest of the species who survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.”
Sex, Love, Passion and Medicine
The meeting resumed after a short break with a reviving topic by Dr. Colm O’Mahony from the Class of 1981: “Are Sex, Love, Passion and Desire Compatible with a Medical Marriage?” Class of 1971 graduate, Professor Michael Foley presented his seminar on Women’s Health focusing on the transition from young women through child birth and motherhood to maturity. Our MGA Distinguished Graduate for 2011 is Dr. Louise Ivers who works with the poor in Haiti. Dr. Ivers gave a very informative talk on ‘Pushing the Boundaries in Healthcare Delivery to the Poor: Haiti.” To conclude, the 2011 Dr Leslie Lam Lecture was given by Mr Frank McManus entitled “The Mater Hospital – 150 Years Strong.”
The Scientific Meeting was followed by a short reception and book launch. Professor Cuimín Doyle talked about his two new volumes of medical poetry entitled Healing Hands from the Cradle to the Grave and Medieval and Hippocratic Medicine in Verse. Professor Doyle graduated from UCD in 1958 and trained in pathology in Dublin and Glasgow. He was appointed Senior Lecturer in Pathology at UCC and Consultant Histopathologist at St. Finbarr's Hospital, Cork in 1969. He was Professor of Pathology at UCC and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in the 1980s. His books can be purchased 'online' from Kennys.ie Online Booksellers Galway by entering, by author 'Cuimin T. Doyle’ at a cost of €15 each.
Celebrating Service to Medicine
After dinner, MGA President Dr Jane Dolan presented the MGA Distinguished Graduate Award to Dr Louise Ivers in recognition of her contribution to medicine in Haiti, where she has been striving to develop healthcare services for the poor. Dr Dolan also presented the Meenan Research Medal to Dr Robert Byrne and the O’Connell Research Medal to Dr Roisin Dolan in recognition of their research into coronary artery disease and breast cancer respectively. Congratulations to Dr Byrne and Dr Dolan on these wonderful achievements and we wish them every success in the future.