Teaching & Learning

Medicine Programmes Structure 

There are four themes running through the entirety of both the Medicine and Graduate Entry to Medicine (GEM) programmes

1. Evidence-based Medicine and Research
2. Clinical Competencies and Preparedness for Practice
3. Professional Medical Practice
4. Healthcare Systems, Quality and Patient Safety

In your first year, you will be introduced to the science of medicine, which underpins our biomedical and clinical curriculum. You will also be introduced to ethical, societal and technological issues relevant to the practice of medicine.

Stage One

Focuses on core sciences and their application to Medicine.

Highlights include: 

• Chemistry 
• Biology
• Physics
• Genetics
• Human Ethics
• Healthcare Imaging
• Science Medicine & Society

Stage Two

Focuses on the structure and function of healthy organ systems.

Highlights include: 

• Anatomy Dissection
• Biomedical Sciences
• Meeting Patients
• Social Behavioral Sciences
• Clinical Training

Stage Three and Four

Complete the study of organ systems in health and disease. Begin clinical attachments.

Highlights include: 

• Pathology 
• Microbiology
• Pharmacology 
• Neurosciences
• Respiratory Diseases
• Clinical Skills & Attachments in Hospitals
• Clinical Diagnosis & Therapeutics
• General Practice & Professionalism
• ENT & Ophthalmology

Stage Five and Six

Immersive clinical attachments, instruction in the various medical specialties, clinical elective and professional completion.

Highlights include: 

• Medicine
• Surgery
• Obstetrics & Gynaecology
• Paediatrics
• Psychiatry
• General Practice & Community Medicine
• Legal Medicine
• Public Health Medicine
• Professional Completion

(opens in a new window)View our video to find out more information about our Medicine degreee.

GEM Programmes Structure

There are four themes running through the entirety of both the Medicine and Graduate Entry to Medicine (GEM) programmes

1. Evidence-based Medicine and Research
2. Clinical Competencies and Preparedness for Practice
3. Professional Medical Practice
4. Healthcare Systems, Quality and Patient Safety

Stage One and Two

In the first trimester, you will take a series of modules that introduce the application of medical science to the study of biological systems and disease. You will also learn the clinical skills needed for the rest of the programme. The remainder of the first two years integrates the medical science disciplines, while gradually expanding your professional capabilities in a clinical environment.

Stage Three and Four

In the final two years, hospital and community placements with structured clinical education complete your degree. During your clinical training, you will participate in a series of specialist rotations, including medicine, surgery, psychiatry, obstetrics and paediatrics. 

Finally, you will undertake our acclaimed Professional Completion module to integrate your knowledge and prepare you for life as an intern.

(opens in a new window)View our video to find out more information about our Graduate Entry  Medicine degree.

The UCD Patient Educator Programme, which puts patients at the forefront of medical education, was established in 2009 by Suzanne Donnelly, the Associate Dean for Programmes & Educational Innovation in the UCD School of Medicine, and a Consultant Rheumatologist in the Mater Hospital. 

In partnership with Arthritis Ireland, a group of volunteers who were living with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis were recruited as patient educators to share their knowledge and first-hand experience with our medical students in small-group teaching sessions here in UCD. 

Since then, we have recruited additional patient educator groups in partnership with the Irish Society for Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, MS Ireland and Diabetes Ireland, and this has allowed us to increase the volume and diversity of patient contact our students receive, which is particularly important in the early years of their medical education.

Through sharing their knowledge and experience, our patient educators have a profound impact on the personal and professional development of our future doctors. Our students improve their clinical knowledge by learning how a chronic condition can develop and impact the physical and mental health of a patient, and the different treatment options which may be effective. They also learn about the broader impact that living with a chronic condition can have on work, family and social life. 

There is a particular focus on the patient-centred practice of medicine, which places an emphasis on empathy, compassionate care and an understanding of the patient’s personal perspective. Good communication is a key component of patient-centred practice, and these patient educator sessions provide an excellent opportunity for our students to develop their communications skills in a safe, controlled setting.

As the Patient Educator programme continues to grow and expand every year, we are always interested in hearing from people who may be interested in participating. If you would like to know more about the patient educator programme, please contact the team in UCD at (opens in a new window)patient.educator@ucd.ie.

Patient Educator Programme Team
Academic Lead

Assoc Prof Suzanne Donnelly 
Consultant Rheumatologist
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
Associate Dean of Programmes and Educational Innovation,
UCD School of Medicine

Academic Coordinator (School & College Enquiries)

Dr Paula Heaphy
Lecturer in Clinical Education
UCD School of Medicine

Programme Manager (Charity & Patient Liaison & Enquiries)

Dr David Crampton PhD
Clinical Skills Lab Manager
UCD School of Medicine

The passport to clinical education is an obligate requirement for clinical training. To take part in clinical learning, you will be required to be compliant with all HSE requirements for infection prevention and control, noting that these are subject to change, in addition to the existing all-stage programme requirements including confidentiality, ethical conduct, healthcare screening and Garda vetting.

• Clinical Campus

UCD Medicine Graduate Attributes

As a scholar, the UCD Medical Graduate will

• Possess and apply in-depth knowledge of the core biomedical and clinical sciences that underpin the practice of medicine
• Maintain and enhance professional activities through lifelong learning
• Critically evaluate information and its sources and apply these appropriately in decision making
• Facilitate the learning of patients, families, colleagues, other health professionals, the public, and others as appropriate
• Contribute to the creation, dissemination, application, and translation of new medical knowledge and good medical practice through audit and research

As a Practitioner, the UCD Medical Graduate will

• Establish and maintain clinical skills to perform a complete and appropriate assessment of a patient and use therapeutic interventions effectively
• Have proficient practical skills for diagnostic and therapeutic use as required of an intern in practice
• Possess health advocacy skills to promote health of individuals and communities
• Possess team working skills to promote and maintain the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary team in healthcare provision
• Develop and maintain effective communication skills for patient-centred care
• Critically evaluate information and its sources and apply these appropriately in decision making
• Recognise personal and professional limits of knowledge and competence and consult appropriately in practice
• Be committed to developing management and leadership skills over time

As a Professional, the UCD Medical Graduate will

• Understand and enact the roles and responsibilities of the doctor as defined by the Medical Council or other professional regulatory body
• Be committed to the prevailing professional, ethical and legal codes of practice
• Be committed to physician health and wellbeing including one’s own
• Maintain and enhance professional activities through lifelong learning
• Recognise personal and professional limits of knowledge and competence and consult appropriately in practice

Our staff and students enjoy a range of educational collaborations both nationally and internationally. These interactions deliver a range of student elective opportunities and drive innovation in our teaching and assessment methods. They bring us in contact with a range of international accreditation groups which help drive our constant pursuit of educational excellence.

Example collaborations include:

Other UCD Schools, Research Institutes & Centres

In the delivery of our programmes, we receive strong academic support from staff within:

• UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems
• UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Population Science
• UCD School of Biology & Environmental Science
• UCD School of Chemistry & Chemical Biology
• UCD School of Physics
• UCD School of Business
• UCD Conway Institute for Biomolecular & Biomedical Research
• UCD Geary Institute
• UCD Complex & Adaptive Systems Laboratory
• UCD Institute of Food & Health
• UCD Charles Institute
• UCD Centre for Teaching & Learning

(opens in a new window)UCD Medical Student Journal

This student-led initiative collates and publishes original research articles, commentaries and reviews of interest to undergraduate medicine, radiography and biomedical science students.  Our students also welcome contributions and contribute articles to similar student journals in other Irish medical schools.

Medical Intern Training Network

In a collaboration with the Health Services Executive, the School is responsible for the delivery of a  medical internship training programme and collaborates with the programmes delivered by other Irish medical schools.

Diagnostic Imaging

UCD Diagnostic Imaging has a particularly strong international reputation with well-established links in Australia, Canada, Malta, Malaysia, Portugal, and the United States of America.

(opens in a new window)Irish Network of Healthcare Educators (INHED)

We are a founding member of the Irish Network of Medical Educators, a forum designed to exchange learning and best practice across all Medical Schools on the island of Ireland. 

Formal International Alliances

Together with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, we operate an international medical school in Malaysia (RUMC). As a partner in the Irish Universities Medical School Consortium, the School and our colleagues in NUIG, TCD and UCD have recruited international students from Africa and South East Asia for over 30 years. In 2010, we established formal collaboration with Shenzhen University Medical School (China). We are an active participant in (opens in a new window)Universitas 21, a collaboration of leading research-intensive universities and hosted the (opens in a new window)U21 Health Sciences Group Annual Meetings in 2013 and 2020.

Learn more here on Central UCD Teaching & Learning Website about how we support staff to deliver inclusive, innovative and research-informed teaching that leads to engaging and meaningful learning experiences for all UCD students.

Watch the UCD Student led tour of the UCD Health Sciences Centre (opens in a new window)here.