Stimulating, Diverse, Vibrant

From your first day in the dissection lab to the start of your clinical training, student life at UCD School of Medicine is a stimulating, diverse and vibrant experience. When you choose Medicine at UCD, you choose early patient contact, a world-class curriculum and an unrivalled calendar of social and extra-curricular activities.

At UCD, we’ve been training the best and the brightest for more than 150 years. Our curriculum is intensive, internationally recognised and delivered by some of Ireland’s best scientists and clinical educators.

Bringing Science to the Bedside

We’ll make you a scientist. We’ll teach you about how the body works, how and why things go wrong and how to treat and manage disease and ill health. We believe passionately in training doctors who see the world through the eyes of the patient, and you’ll interact with patients throughout your time at UCD. You’ll shadow GPs, learn from patient educators and train at Ireland’s best network of teaching hospitals.

Extensive Clinical Network

The main hospitals associated with the programme are St Vincent’s University Hospital and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, and there are more than 20 other training hospitals and some 100 primary care practices in which students learn. You will also benefit from a diverse range of exciting international placement opportunities.

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Medicine Stage One

The first year (stage one) focuses on building students' understanding of the core sciences. During the first year, students will take modules in the basic sciences including physics, chemistry, biology and genetics. In addition, students will learn about ethics, medicine and society, and information technology. Stage one is the entry point for our six year programme.

Medicine Stage Two

Stage two focuses on healthy organ systems and includes modules on anatomy, physiology, biochemistry of healthy cells, and tissues and organ systems. Both semesters include clinical modules that introduce students to patient care in the community (general practice) and hospital settings. Students admitted to the five year programme begin in stage two.

Medicine Stage Three

In stage three, students begin to review - through a clinically integrated approach - pathology, microbiology and pharmacology of organ systems.

Medicine Stage Four

In stage four, students complete the study of diseased organ systems and begin attachments in our clinical network.

Medicine Stage Five

Stage five refers to the final two years of the medicine programme.  Modular programmes in Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, General Practice, Community Medicine, Legal Medicine and Public Health Medicine are studied in rotation. This involves periods of clinical attachments in general and specialist hospitals, attachment to a general practice and systematic instruction in the various medical specialties. Clinical tuition is patient-centred and is largely carried out through small group sessions at the bedside.

A clinical elective is offered in the final year, and, in the three months prior to graduation, all students undertake our acclaimed Professional Completion module. This is an innovative and progressive module that builds and integrates knowledge, competence and confidence in advance of the internship year. 

Academic Environment & Clinical Training

Our students experience a modern multi-disciplinary academic environment and a clinical training network that extends well beyond the boundaries of the UCD Belfield campus.

Our medicine and radiography students have access to:

• Ireland's largest and friendliest University campus
• Ireland’s first academic medical centre involving two of Dublin's leading acute hospitals
• A network of over twenty acute, general and specialist hospitals across the country
• A global campus supported by our alumni and international partners
• Education that is delivered in the Community through:

1. A primary care network comprising more than 140 affiliated GP practices
2. A nation-wide Diagnostic Imaging Clinical Training Network

International Electives

Each year, many of our students compete for highly-prized international summer elective opportunities at locations all over the world. A long-established feature of our undergraduate programmes, clinical and research electives allow students to develop their knowledge and understanding of issues and themes relevant to their study of medicine. They experience a different healthcare system and get to work in many of the world's top medical centres including, but not limited to:

• Emory Healthcare, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
• Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, USA
• Lankenau Medical Centre, Pennsylvania, USA
• Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, USA
• Penang Medical College, Malaysia
• University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
• University of California, USA
• University of Kansas, USA
• University of Pennsylvania, USA
• University of Queensland, Australia
• Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Comprising more than 2,000 full-time enrollments and representing 30 different nationalities, our large and culturally diverse student community is the heartbeat of the School. 

• Meet our students

Graduates of the School have achieved worldwide recognition in clinical practice, research and healthcare leadership. Upon graduation, you must complete one year as an intern to gain full registration with the Irish Medical Council.

You may then pursue training towards a career in a wide variety of specialties, in a diversity of settings, including hospitals and primary care facilities, or laboratory-based diagnosis and research.

• Meet our alumni

More information