54 doctors were today conferred with their medical degrees as they became the second graduating class of the Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS) at the University of Limerick.

The graduates come from all across Ireland and abroad and have among them very varied undergraduate backgrounds.   Established in 2007, the Graduate Entry Medical School Programme at UL is open to graduates from any discipline and employs practical and interactive approaches to learning.  Among the doctors who graduated at UL today are students with undergraduate degrees varying from an MA in Fashion Design, to a BSc in Environmental Science.  The graduating class also included 13 international students all from Canada.  The programme is also the only medical education programme in the country founded on the pedagogical principles of Problem Based Learning (PBL).

Speaking at the conferring ceremony Professor Don Barry, UL President, paid a special tribute to Professor Paul Finucane, the Foundation Head of the Graduate Medical School who steps down from his post at the end of the Summer.  “The establishment of the Graduate Entry Medical School at the University of Limerick sought to make a significant contribution to medicine in Ireland, in both practice and research.  Under Paul’s leadership, GEMS has heralded a new era in the history of Medical Education in Ireland. Paul has led with energy, innovative, passion, resilience and an absolute determination that every problem had a solution. He encompasses the true spirit of UL and leaves behind a fine legacy of achievement and an excellent foundation for the future of the UL Graduate Entry Medical School that will yield many benefits for medical education in Ireland into the future.” 

Professor Paul Finucane, GEMS Foundation Head said: “Today represents another significant milestone in the development of the UL Graduate Entry Medical School, with 54 outstanding graduates joining the 32 doctors who graduated from UL this time last year.  Our students and graduates are and will continue to be the School’s greatest asset and I have no doubt but that the 54 people who graduate today will leave their mark on the Irish, Canadian and other healthcare systems throughout their careers.”

A number of Awards were made to outstanding students of the 2012 class.  They include:
First Prize for Overall Performance in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Graduate Entry Degree Programme 2012
Paul O’Hara, Portumna, Co Galway

First Prize in the Discipline of General Practice/Primary Care 2012
Eibhlín Healy, Dublin 4

First Prize in the Discipline of Medicine 2012
Lindsey McMurray, Brookville, Ontario Canada

First Prize in the Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2012
Lindsey McMurray, Brookville, Ontario Canada 

First Prize in the Discipline of Paediatrics 2012
Grace Egan, Sandyford, Dublin 18

First Prize in the Discipline of Psychiatry 2012
Jill Kambeitz, Regina, Saskatchewan Canada

First Prize in the Discipline of Surgery 2012
Gerald Duff, Rush, Co Dublin