Medicine (Graduate Entry – GAMSAT required) Course content

The curriculum is taught in a traditional academic year. Years 1 and 2 are taught on campus and consist of 33 teaching weeks per year starting in August. 

Years 3 and 4 commence in July and consist of clinical training, where you will rotate through the major clinical disciplines in affiliated hospitals and General Practices.

The curriculum has three main modules or domains:

Domain 1: Knowledge of health and illness

This centres on the knowledge of the structure, function and development of the normal human body at all levels of organisation, from molecular and cellular to the whole individual. It encompasses the knowledge of the causes and consequences of disease, injury and abnormal development; and of evidence-based strategies for treatment and prevention of disease. This module will largely be delivered through Problem-Based Learning (PBL), an educational technique that involves student learning in small-group tutorials. In all, students spend five hours per week in PBL tutorials.

In Years 3 and 4, the aim is not only to continue to build an understanding of pathophysiology and relevant basic biomedical science but to promote effective reasoning and decision-making in everyday clinical settings. While students will continue to take a high level of responsibility for their own learning, they will be guided by well-defined educational outcomes and will be supervised by a range of Clinical Supervisors who will be specifically contracted to provide teaching, supervision and mentoring. Over time, students will have increasing exposure to disease processes and particularly to the diagnosis of illness and to disease management.

Domain 2: Clinical and anatomical skills

Clinical Skills covers the skills required by a doctor for direct patient contact, including consultation and communication skills, practical clinical skills and procedures, and emergency care - and to constructive interaction with other health professionals. Practicals relevant to the basic sciences will centre on anatomical teaching, which students will learn through surface anatomy on live humans, anatomical models, plastinated anatomical specimens, prosected specimens and through medical imaging. Clinical skills are largely taught in a 'Clinical Skills Resource Unit' on the UL campus, while Anatomical Skills are largely taught in a 'Anatomical Skills Resource Unit' on campus. Clinical Skills are taught twice a week for two hours. Anatomical Skills sessions take place once a week for two hours.

In Years 3 & 4, the teaching of clinical skills will build on what students have already been taught in Years 1 & 2. However, clinical skills teaching in the latter years will largely involve real patients, encountered in 'real-life' clinical settings such as the GP surgery, the hospital bedside, the operating theatre and the out-patient clinic. In addition, each of the clinical disciplines will deliver a full half-day each week of formal clinical skills teaching that is relevant to that discipline. For example, examination of the foetal heart will be taught during the clinical placement in Obstetrics & Gynaecology while students will acquire Advanced Life Support (ALS) skills during their clinical placement in Surgery & Related Disciplines.

Domain 3: Professional competencies

The Professional Competencies module embeds the generic skills, attitudes and behaviours that help doctors successfully manage several issues in professional life. The module spans the four years in the School. 

The programme is developed from the Irish Medical Council's "Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners", 8th edition 2019, and it is based on its "Three Pillars of Professionalism" – Partnership, Practice, and Performance.

Partnership

Quality patient care depends on working closely with patients, colleagues and other health professionals. Students learn the importance of trust as a critical professional quality. The module imbues the importance of excellent communication, respect for patient autonomy, confidentiality and consent. Partnership studies teach interprofessional communication, conflict resolution, healthcare resource utilisation, leadership and management. Social partnership studies teach understanding diversity, distributive justice, health economics, advocacy, social and community healthcare and public health and occupational medicine. Over the four years, students learn these competencies from the beginning, through the Early Patient Contact Programme, Problem Based Learning, formal lectures, group assignments, written reflections and student-selected modules.  

Practice

The elements of good professional practice include Health Law and Ethics, Self-Care, Health Psychology, Record keeping, and Informatics. The module focuses on the values and behaviours that support good patient care. Students learn patient centred care through high-quality consultation by listening to patients, by understanding their values and preferences.  Health and Illness are studied in the broader context of family, culture and society and explores community, political and economic influences.

Performance

Performance studies teach safe practice, taking in: systems analysis, error, human factors, situation awareness, quality development, risk management, complaints, open disclosure, health care governance and poor professional performance. Self-care and self-management are emphasised from early on to control stress and avoid "burn-out". Safe prescribing is also taught throughout the module. Students learn research methods and ethics, clinical audit, critical appraisal and biostatistics to practice evidence-based medicine. Students employ these skills in Year 4, completing a project of either original research, clinical audit or a scientific literature review.

The Professional Competencies module is integrated from the beginning of the course and is relevant to all medical disciplines for the professional life of doctors.

These domains or themes run concurrently and underpin all learning across the four years. They are designed to ensure that all aspects of the skills required to become a doctor are addressed, from the sciences underpinning a rational approach to diagnosis and management to an awareness of the importance of personal development.

Further information

What problem based learning (PBL) really means

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an educational approach that is student-centred, collaborative, integrated and contextual. The PBL approach is used to ensure that students, working in small groups and facilitated by a medically qualified tutor, engage with a series of weekly, real-life patient cases, to develop an understanding of the basic biomedical sciences within a clinical context. 

Students identify gaps in their knowledge explaining the biomedical science behind the patient’s symptoms, signs and investigations. They also consider the patient holistically, reflecting on the impact of the patient’s condition on their life and family as well as the duties of a healthcare professional. 

Students share responsibility for their learning with their facilitators and teachers. They define their own learning needs and are expected to engage in self-directed learning outside of core teaching sessions. When the PBL group reconvenes, students share their new knowledge and help each other resolve any difficulties they may have with the material. They then explore the clinical case further, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of the patient’s condition. 

PBL is particularly well suited to adult learners in any discipline. It is believed to:

• improve the retention of information by encouraging deep learning, and 
• promote other skills and attributes, such as teamwork, professionalism and life-long learning. 

Early patient contact programme

During the first two years, The Early Patient Contact Programme at UL- GEMS gives students an opportunity to interact with patients. In the first semester, students in groups of three are assigned a patient from an affiliated general practice. The majority of patients assigned to students in the programme have a chronic illness e.g. Diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and many have multiple illnesses. Some students may be assigned an expectant mother where they will monitor her progress during pregnancy and subsequently the early development of her child. Over the course of the following 24 months, students will get to know their patient as a person and how their illness and their illness experiences have affected their lives.

Students will be expected to interact with their patient in a variety of different settings e.g. the patient’s home, in the patient’s GP’s surgery and at their hospital clinic appointments. They may even accompany their patients to the operating theatre if they need surgery. The early patient contact programme helps students understand both health and illness and how each are managed from a patient’s perspective. The programme will also help students to appreciate the strengths and deficiencies of the health services and provide them with some insight into the relationships between providers and consumers of healthcare. Finally, the experiences students get on the early patient contact programme will assist them in their learning of their classroom-based subjects in particular Special Study Modules (SSMs) allow students to study in-depth areas that are of particular interest to them. In total, students undertake three SSMs, one in each of Years 2, 3 and 4. Students have a considerable choice over the subject of these projects, but the format for assessment is prescribed. Some students might choose to undertake their SSM locally and others may go abroad to complete these electives.

Special study modules (SSM)

Special Study Modules (Electives) allow students to study in-depth areas that are of particular interest to them. In total, students undertake three SSMs, one in each of Years 2, 3 and 4. Students have a considerable choice over the subject of these projects, but the format for assessment is prescribed. Some students might choose to undertake their SSM locally and others may go abroad to complete these electives.

Electives and residency programmes

Interested in completing clinical electives overseas?

Students registered on the BMBS programme can opt to complete clinical electives overseas. Completing a clinical elective in North America is essential to securing a residency in the United States or Canada.

The School of Medicine has entered into formal arrangements with McMaster University and Rutgers University to provide our students with clinical electives. In addition to our formal arrangements, strong links have been forged with a number of North American medical schools to provide our students with clinical electives in a variety of specialties. Feedback from North American institutions that have enrolled UL School of Medicine students on elective programmes have commented on their clinical proficiency and exceptional medical communication skills. View further information under Partner Universities below

Students applying for an elective while on the programme are supported by members of the School of Medicine admin team, Stephane Pinson and Ciara Joyce.

Queries to MedicineElectives@ul.ie

Looking to complete an elective In Ireland from overseas?

The BMBS Incoming elective programme is facilitated through our network of overseas partners. We are happy to accommodate external students seeking elective placements over the summer months. In the case of summer elective placements the School only accommodates students from institutions that have an existing MOU with UL School of Medicine.

Queries to MedicineElectives@ul.ie

Visiting Student Learning Opportunities

UL School of Medicine is also a member of VSLO. The AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) programme helps medical and public health students connect with institutions offering short-term elective opportunities that can enhance their medical education. These elective opportunities include observerships, summer research programmes, clinical opportunities, away rotations, away electives, clinical rotations and visiting opportunities.

Offered by participating host institutions in the U.S. and around the world, elective opportunities are available in teaching hospitals, community clinics, and urban or rural sites and are open to preclinical, clinical, or final-year students, as determined by the host institution.

The VSLO Application Service (sometimes referred to as VSAS), which enables students to browse and apply to electives offered by host institutions.

The VSLO program includes

• A collaborative network of US and international institutions.
• Training, information and guidance for students and institutions.
• Telephone and email support to students and institutions.

Partner institutions

The School of Medicine currently has agreements with the following institutions

• Michael G DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
• Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Thunder Bay

Additionally, students have completed electives at the following locations

• Memorial University, St John’s, Newfoundland
• University of Toronto, Toronto
• Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio
• Memorial Sloane Kettering Clinic, New York
• Weill Cornell University, New York
• Warren Alpert at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
• Johns Hopkins, Baltimore
• Morristown Medical Centre, New Jersey
• University of Miami
• Wyoming Medical Centre, Wyoming, USA

UL School of Medicine continues to expand its network of partners overseas and encourages institutions looking to develop partnerships to contact the school at MedicineInternational@ul.ie

How are internships awarded and will there be sufficient places for UL graduates?

In Ireland, the 'Internship' is the first year of medical practice following graduation from School of Medicine.  During the Intern year, medical graduates are provisionally registered with the Medical Council.  Full registration with the Medical Council follows successful completion of the Intern year.   
 
To date there have been sufficient Intern places available for all Irish/EU medical school graduates.  In line with government policy, as the number of medical graduates increases, the number of Intern places is also expected to expand.

For International students in all Irish medical schools, the future is less certain to the extent that Government policy is to advise all overseas students that for them, INTERNSHIP PLACES CANNOT BE GUARANTEED.  However, UL will do everything in its power to optimise the employment prospects and opportunities for further training for all of its students following their graduation.  For example, in the case of North American students, the School of Medicine supports students seeking elective placements in teaching centres in Canada and the US, so that students can form relationships that will later help them to secure good residency training programmes.