RCSI Graduate Entry Medicine (2006-2016)

GEM 2006–2016

GRADUATE ENTRY MEDICINE Celebrating another RCSI first

CAREERING AHEAD

GEM students and alumni on their journey and the future

CONTENTS PIONEERS

The forefront of innovation

IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

RCSI on its city-centre campus for 232 years

CORE MISSION

WELCOME

Educating and inspiring future leaders

For more than two centuries RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) has provided extensive education and training in the healthcare professions, at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Founded in 1784 as the home of surgical training in Ireland, RCSI is focused exclusively on educating healthcare professionals. The College’s teaching staff are top experts in their fields of medicine, pharmacy and physiotherapy and RCSI has a strong focus on clinical competence, professional practice and “real world” patient environments from an early stage of student training.

At RCSI we believe that the integration of science, technology, experience and experiment is at the heart of the teaching that enables students to provide the very best care for the patients they will treat around the world.

The College has invested in further developing its world-class facilities, with a new state-of-the-art medical and education building to open in 2017.

Nothing changes as rapidly as healthcare and RCSI’s commitment to active change has resulted in many firsts, not least the establishment of the country’s first Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme in 2006.

We are proud to mark ten years of GEM at RCSI. Join us on that journey.

GEM

ON OUR COVER ...

2006–2016

GRADUATE ENTRY MEDICINE

Current GEM first-year students Jesse Connors, Donal Roche and Yasi Besharatian.

Photograph by Patrick Bolger.

Celebrating another RCSI first

CAREERING AHEAD

GEM students and alumni on their journey and the future

GEM is published by Gloss Publications Ltd, in association with RCSI.

LATE VOCATION

Dr Mary Coghlan entered the GEM programme after a career as an actuary

CONTENTS

04 ADVANCING HUMAN HEALTH Professor Cathal Kelly, Chief Executive of RCSI

05 A NATIONAL FIRST

Celebrating ten years of GEM at RCSI

08 A NEW DIRECTION … and a second chance.

GEM alumni tell their stories

10 NOT A SOFT OPTION

Students with a broad range of degree disciplines enrich the GEM experience

11 SEE DIFFERENTLY

Patient-centred research and teaching: How RCSI stands out

12 NATURE AND NURTURE

Dean of Medicine and Health Sciences, Professor Hannah McGee, on developing a new breed of healthcare professionals

14 CAREERING AHEAD The global alumni network in 97 countries

15 A GLOBAL MEDICAL QUARTER RCSI President Professor John Hyland on a new world-class educational facility

OUR HERITAGE RCSI was founded by Royal Charter in 1784 as the national training and professional body for surgery. The College flourished from the very start and in 1810 moved to its present location on St Stephen’s Green. In 1978, RCSI became a recognised College of the National University of Ireland and in 2010, RCSI was granted by the State, the power to award its own degrees.

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FROM THE CEO

Professor Cathal Kelly

BUILDING ON TRADITION

ADVANCING HUMAN HEALTH At RCSI, as Ireland’s only focused specialist health sciences institution, we are uniquely placed to shape how health services are delivered for future generations

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ne of RCSI’s greatest strengths has been its ability to adapt and thrive in the face of challenges for more than two centuries. We have a long track record, since our foundation in 1784, of pushing the barriers and innovating, from a series of medical breakthroughs

by RCSI doctors to a list of firsts in terms of delivering healthcare education. With students from more than 80 countries, we have a global perspective on how we train our future clinical professionals. Just before the millennium, we began looking at the graduate medical school model, the established route for educating doctors in North America, and were eager to enhance our educational offering with a world-class graduate programme of our own, with a view to increasing equity and diversity among applicants to medical school. In 2006, the recommendations of the Fottrell report “Medical Education in Ireland: A New Direction”, reinforced our view that the introduction of graduate programmes was the way forward in medical education.

“NO OTHER HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION IN IRELAND IS SO UNIQUELY EQUIPPED ... TO DRIVE CHANGE AND INNOVATION IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.” In 2006, RCSI admitted its inaugural cohort of students to the first four-year Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme in Ireland.

The GEM programme has allowed RCSI to broaden access to medical education, having admitted students with a broad range of primary degrees, from nursing to aeronautical studies, from music to neuroscience. This diversity has enriched the educational experience for all our medical students and the clinical setting where our GEM doctors now work. I am delighted that this year we celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the programme, which has been an outstanding success.

Over the past decade, as an independent and primarily self04

funding body, RCSI has continually invested in enhanced learning experiences for our students and support for our research initiatives.

A primary example of this is the new medical education building on York Street, opening next year, which will include state-of-the-art clinical simulation facilities for our students and surgical trainees. Last year, we announced a major investment in our research programmes with RCSI’s Strategic Academic Recruitment (StAR) Programme.

The programme has begun recruiting leading specialist researchers to accelerate the College’s delivery of innovative, impactful research in the health sciences areas, including the creation of novel medical devices and the development of new therapeutics and diagnostic tests.

Our investment in the expansion of our educational and research activities is reflected in this year’s Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, which now places RCSI joint first in the Republic of Ireland and in the top 250 worldwide. Our rise in the rankings is linked in particular to the impact of our research within the fields of health sciences research, of which I am immensely proud.

Looking forward to the next chapter of the College’s tradition of developing new areas of healthcare, we are now embarking on an initiative which will draw on our expertise to shape how health services are delivered in the future. We already house numerous national healthcare professional centres across national audit, clinical and systems research, surgical policy, healthcare leadership, quality management and continuous healthcare professional development. No other higher education institution in Ireland is so uniquely equipped with the vital links required to drive change and innovation in the healthcare system. This new initiative includes the establishment of three dynamic specialist units that will focus on detailed accurate healthcare outcomes research, process improvement and strong leadership in healthcare professions, to bring about meaningful change in the delivery of patient-centred healthcare.

It is timely, as we celebrate ten years of the GEM programme, a credit to RCSI’s bold spirit and flexibility, that we look forward with optimism to transforming healthcare in Ireland – and globally – in the next decade. ^

GEM

MAJOR MILESTONE: Marking the ten-year anniversary of GEM: Shane Farrington (third year GEM student), Minister Richard Bruton, Minister for Education, Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI, Dáire O’Haodhagain (final year GEM student) and Sinéad Spencer (final year GEM student).

GRADUATE ENTRY MEDICINE

A NATIONAL FIRST

RCSI established the first Graduate Entry Medicine programme in Ireland in 2006. If you are a high-calibre graduate and you want to study medicine, you haven’t missed out …

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CSI, Ireland’s largest medical school, is one of the most international medical schools in the world. The mix of students includes an annual intake of 72 graduates who already hold degrees in another discipline that join the Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme, including 30 Irish and EU students who enrol each year (since 2006 when GEM was first launched) through the CAO. Prior to 2006, admission to medical school was based on Leaving Certificate points. The GEM programme at RCSI was established as a response to the need to broaden access to medical education in the belief that this would increase equity and diversity amongst applicants. This move prompted the opportunity for a radical reform of the curriculum and delivered a second chance to study medicine for graduates of any discipline, including those with a non-science background.

As an accelerated four-year medical degree programme, from day one, GEM is career-focused, with modules based on the systems of the human body, rather than traditional science subjects, and early clinical contact with patients in a hospital setting is introduced during the first year of the programme.

The medical course has a strong emphasis on small group teaching involving seminars with tutors in groups of ten and bedside teaching with students in groups of six. Simulation scenarios using the most modern simulation techniques occur in groups of one tutor per

three students in the senior clinical years. The programme provides continuous appraisal, mentoring and case presentations on an individual basis along with frequent reviews of your clinical progress with senior clinicians in the clinical years.

Following the qualification of the first five cohorts of students between 2010 and 2014, data showed that graduates of the GEM programme performed as well or better than their counterparts in the direct entry programme, allaying any concerns around the ability of students to be trained in a shorter timeframe.

At a recent event at RCSI to mark ten years ofChelsea the first GEM Gatcliffe programme in Ireland, alumni from each of the seven graduating classes convened with staff, faculty and former faculty. As Professor Alan Johnson, Inaugural Director of the programme commented: “I enjoyed the opportunity to get together with the graduates of GEM, to see how they are contributing in a variety of specialties in Ireland and all over the world. It is clear that the advent of the four-year programme has been an enormous success.”

Neil Moran Laura Houlihan and John O'Flynn were among the graduates from Ireland's first Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme conferred at the RCSI annual graduation which took place at The National Concert Hall, Dublin in June 2010.

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ALL ABOUT HEALTHCARE

Professor Seamus Sreenan, Director of GEM at RCSI, explains the appeal of the Graduate Entry Medicine programme and why it delivers well-rounded doctors What are the unique features of GEM at RCSI? We are Ireland's only higher education institution focused entirely on healthcare. In keeping with our tradition of innovation, we were first to introduce a Graduate Medicine Programme to Ireland. We are proud of our programme and see its strengths as a heavy emphasis on small group teaching, a supportive tuition structure, facilitated accelerated learning with early clinical exposure, delivered in bespoke facilities for the first two years of the programme.

What are the qualities you seek in graduate students?

We welcome students from a broad range of degree disciplines who relish the challenges of an accelerated training programme and the responsibilities of preparing for careers that have a positive impact on human health.

It sounds like there is sacrifice involved?

There is no doubt that the work will be challenging – students are required to achieve the same outcomes in four years that others take up to six years to achieve. The hours are long. For some students who have spent several years in the workforce, it means getting back to studying.

So yes, there is pressure but there is also fun, as we encourage students to partake in the more than 60 social clubs and societies to ensure they maintain an appropriate balance between work and leisure.

GEM students have often had an arts or music or non-science primary degree – is this a good thing?

We find that graduates who are committed to a career in medicine not only have the intellectual capability to learn, integrate, analyse

and synthesise information of all kinds but also have the benefit of a broader understanding of other subjects like law or engineering or music. A liberal education is a great supporting structure for the study of medicine. This also adds to the diversity of our student body and adds a richness to the learning experience for the students. As different students have different strengths, we find they use these strengths to help and educate each other in a collaborative fashion that benefits all. Although the early weeks of the programme are a particular challenge for students from a “non-science” background, as they encounter new concepts and ways of thinking, before long they get up to speed with biochemistry, genetics, etcetera. Our research has shown that by the end of the first semester they perform as well as those from a science background.

What do students like about RCSI? Students appreciate the commitment to healthcare of the College, with its long tradition of training doctors for more than two centuries, the focus on training healthcare professionals who have the opportunity to learn together and from each other, and especially the multicultural diversity of the College’s student population. RCSI also has an impressive track record in healthcare research which provides students opportunities to develop their research skills alongside their clinical skills. We also consistently receive positive feedback from our

"WE WELCOME STUDENTS FROM A BROAD RANGE OF DEGREE DISCIPLINES WHO RELISH THE CHALLENGES OF AN ACCELERATED TRAINING PROGRAMME ..."

THE GEM PROGRAMME A strong focus is facilitated through: YEAR 1

❚ Weekly small group tutorials on history-taking and clinical investigations related to the case of the week ❚ Weekly hospital attachments in semester 2 ❚ Weekly clinical cases introduced and case discussion facilitated by clinicians ❚ Participation in surgical and medical Grand Rounds by video conference link with Beaumont Hospital ❚ One month intensive hospital attachment at the end of Year 1

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YEAR 2

❚ Two month-long clinical attachments on the wards at Connolly Hospital and the National Orthopaedic Hospital ❚ Attendance at weekly hospital grand rounds ❚ Community medicine teaching (bi-weekly) ❚ Weekly clinical cases introduced and case discussion facilitated by clinicians, incorporating inter-professional teaching ❚ Ward tutorials (history-taking and examination of body system related to clinical case) ❚ Regular attendance at post-mortem examinations ❚ Pre-hospital clinical experience in the acute (ambulance) setting

GEM

JOIN US ...

at the RCSI Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) Open Day students regarding the College's strong record of supporting students academically and with career planning, which is facilitated by our alumni as part of our international RCSI Mentor Network.

Is there an opportunity to work abroad?

RCSI is committed to developing healthcare leaders who will make a difference worldwide and the presence of our alumni in 97 countries is testament to that. By providing experiential opportunities beyond the core curriculum, including Research Electives through the RCSI Summer Research School and Overseas Clinical Electives through the Alumni Network programmes, students have the opportunity to gain experience in different healthcare systems and to target that experience to their longer term career planning.

How does RCSI stay at the forefront of teaching and innovation?

RCSI is a reflective, pioneering and progressive institution which embraces novel methods of teaching and curriculum delivery.

Our Health Professions Education Centre has staff dedicated to incorporating novel technologies in its teaching programmes as well as making teaching qualifications available for all faculty to ensure that they utilise the most current and cutting-edge methods in their teaching. The College also recognises the need to have state-of-the-art teaching facilities for its students and continually invests in developing its teaching infrastructure. The College's new €80m teaching facility is due for completion in March 2017. This will have a state-of-theart surgical and clinical training suite with a flexible wet lab, mock operating theatres, clinical training wards and simulation labs where standardised patients will contribute to the teaching of the students. It will also include a 540-seat auditorium, a library spanning three floors with 500 study spaces, a sports hall and fitness suites. This major investment highlights RCSI's commitment to driving forward the latest innovations in our delivery of healthcare education. ^

YEARS 3 & 4

In the final two years, students are based at clinical sites for rotations in medicine and surgery; primary care, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, anaesthesiology, ophthalmology and Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT).

Students function as a member of a clinical team before graduation, with a one-month sub-internship (residency), which prepares students for the transition from medical student to life in clinical practice as a junior hospital doctor.

CONTACT US

call us on +353 1 402 2228

visit us at rcsi.ie/gem

DATE: Saturday, December 3rd 2016

LOCATION: RCSI Unit, Connolly Hospital, Dublin 15 RCSI Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) Open Days provide prospective graduate entrants with the opportunity to meet RCSI GEM staff and students and also to get a taste for some of the innovative teaching and learning methods at RCSI. Open Days take place in a custom-built hospital environment with small group interactive sessions led by staff and students which mirror a day in the life of a GEM student.

In the words of a former attendee: “RCSI gives you a taste for what life will be like, demonstrating everything in a custombuilt GEM facility." Another describes the open day as "a great predictor of what the course will be like" while another praised the "access to doctors, interns and students”.

Register for the next open day on Saturday December 3rd at rcsi.ie/gem-open-day

CLINICAL SETTINGS

The programme uses a tailored curriculum delivered by dedicated GEM staff in dedicated teaching facilities.

Year 3 includes seven-week rotations at hospital sites and in general practice.

Teaching in Year 4 is primarily conducted in RCSI teaching hospitals including Beaumont, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, University Hospital Waterford and Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. email us at admissions@rcsi.ie

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GEM ALUMNI

A NEW DIRECTION

With GEM, RCSI has achieved its goal of broadening access to medical education, admitting students with a diverse range of primary degrees MARY FLANAGAN BA PHARMACY (GEM Class of 2012) “While studying pharmacy, I spent summers volunteering with NGOs in India, Vietnam and Kenya. I knew from this experience I could make a bigger impact as a doctor. Pharmacy is a fantastic career and it was a truly hard decision – but I absolutely love my job as a paediatric doctor and don’t for a second regret the decision.” Why RCSI? “Its reputation for producing world-class graduates who are sought after by the best hospitals and healthcare systems in the world.” Memories? “The best bunch of friends, comrades for life. Since day one, I was at home, welcomed by classmates, professors, lecturers.” Now? “I spent last year working in Medecins Sans Frontiéres in Pakistan, the toughest experience of my life – dealing with very high child mortality, malnutrition, unsafe birthing practices – but rewarding. I am now working as a neonatology specialist registrar in Holles Street.”

MARK BROE

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE AND FRENCH (GEM Class of 2012)

“When I left school, I considered medicine but with both parents doctors, I also knew firsthand how immersive medicine is and wanted to try something different. RCSI established GEM around the time I finished my first degree, and I knew it was a great choice for me.” Highlights? “Meeting my wife Lorna [Keenan], rugby tours, the quality of teaching and the brilliant way RCSI marks

celebrations – our graduation involved a full week of events.” Now? “Surgery is my area – in the sub-specialty of urology.”

LORNA KEENAN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING (GEM Class of 2012)

“While working as an R&D engineer, I was sent on an anatomy course at RCSI. It was so interesting I decided that week to go back to study medicine.” Memories? “The morning coffee and gossip with Professor Johnson in first year and making lifelong friends – including my husband Mark [Broe] and bridesmaid Ciara Murphy.”

Now? “I am at St Luke’s, specialising in radiation oncology.”

SHANE CARR BA ECONOMICS POLITICS AND LAW (GEM Class of 2015) “I realised I wanted a career in medicine having spent just one week attached to a surgical service with the opportunity to spend some time in theatre and on the wards with the team. I don’t think I looked at my watch once! I made up my mind then and began working towards getting the GAMSAT.” Why RCSI? “Its academic reputation was the main draw but I felt it would be a fantastic experience culturally, with its very diverse student body. Its vast global network of alumni sets it apart.” Now? “I’m taking exams and hoping to pursue a career in surgery.”

Some Firsts of Many: RCSI alumni and fellows innovate over three centuries

1845

1784

RCSI was founded

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Francis Rynd invented the hypodermic syringe

1814

Professor Abraham Colles gave his name to the Colles wrist fracture

1847

The first operation to be conducted under anaesthesia in Ireland is performed by John MacDonnell

1865

1893

Robert MacDonnell performs the first blood transfusion in Ireland

The first female Fellow in surgery: Emily Winifred Dickson

1961

Eoin O’Malley performs open heart bypass surgery

GEM ALUMNI

MARY COGHLAN BA MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES (GEM Class of 2014)

“I was drawn to medicine from the age of twelve. I didn’t do it, mainly because of the fees which my family could not afford – largely due to my mother being seriously ill. After I earned my degree from Oxford, I became an actuary instead, but never forgot about medicine. Later, when I realised I couldn’t deny my vocation, GEM just made sense, given I had already completed a degree – I was 37!” Why RCSI? “After exhaustive research, the structure of the course at RCSI and the resources dedicated to it were key factors.” Positives? “My classmates, a brilliant mix of background and qualifications, and the exceptional teachers.” Highlight? “I had my son Darragh in my last year at RCSI. I also kept up my interest in athletics – I was former CEO of the Athletic Association of Ireland and was a 400m runner and a onetime pole-vaulter.” Now? “I am currently doing basic specialist training in internal medicine.”

CHELSEA GATCLIFFE BA SOCIOLOGY (GEM Class of 2014) “My elder brother trained at RCSI, graduating in 1999. He had a fantastic experience and this, plus a rich tradition of students from my home country of Trinidad at RCSI, made it my first choice.” Highlight? “Early clinical exposure is an excellent aspect of the programme – from our first semester we learned firsthand, and not just from textbooks. It is a great way for students to gain experience and confidence in history-taking and examination skills, such a critical component of our careers.” Memories?

“Working hard, playing hard!” Now? “I am in my final year of Pediatric Residency in Miami, Florida, and am applying for a fellowship in Pediatric Pulmonolgy, and a career in taking care of children with complex respiratory disease, like cystic fibrosis. I miss Ireland terribly.”

NEIL ROBERT MORAN BA EUROPEAN STUDIES, MSC COMPARATIVE POLITICS (GEM Class of 2012) “I studied European Studies at Trinity and Politics at the London School of Economics but realised a career in these fields was not for me. Having completed degrees and been gainfully employed, returning to study at 26 was a daunting prospect. All the more daunting was studying medicine from an arts background.” Why RCSI? “Great facilities. Great legacies.

Great location.” Why GEM? “It brings people with a variety of disciplines together with a common goal. As graduates, we had already had the ‘college experience’ and were ready to commit to some serious study.” Highlight? “Our small group of 60 Irish and international students bonded and still support each other.” Now? “I completed my intern year at Beaumont Hospital, then spent two years in Australia before returning to Tallaght Hospital where I am currently working as a gastroenterologist.”

“EARLY CLINICAL EXPOSURE IS AN EXCELLENT ASPECT – FROM OUR FIRST SEMESTER WE LEARNED MODERN MEDICINE FIRSTHAND.”

First heart transplant carried out by Maurice Neligan and Freddie Wood

First kidney transplant in Ireland, performed by Professor Peter McClean, William MacGowan and Anthony Walsh

“RCSI offered an amazing mix of traditional teaching and problem-based and workshop learning. I enjoyed being part of a smaller class, and clinical rotations with the larger class, enjoying the diversity represented by RCSI’s international student body.” Now? “After graduating from RCSI, I completed my Paediatrics Residency, then moved to Toronto to do my Paediatric Emergency Medicine Fellowship and Point-of-Care Ultrasound Fellowship. I am now a staff physician at the Hospital for Sick Children in Emergency Medicine while completing my Masters in Healthcare Informatics at the University of Toronto.”

1990

1985 1964

LIANNE MCCLEAN BA ENGLISH LITERATURE AND PYSCHOLOGY

(GEM Class of 2010)

1987

Established first Department of Family Medicine in Ireland

First keyhole gall bladder removal by David Bouchier-Hayes

1999

RCSI School of Physiotherapy opens

2000

RCSI first to develop online Surgical Education Programme globally

RCSI first to establish a Clinical Research Centre on an Irish hospital site

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NOT A SOFT OPTION ...

The work is hard, hours long, limits tested but for GEM students it’s all worth it KATIE DUNLEAVY

ALICE FOX

BA MUSIC AND PRE-MEDICINE (GEM Year 4)

TIARNÁN DALY

MA SCIENCE (GEM Year 4)

Drawn to the “small class sizes, accomplished teaching staff and wide array of hospitals for clinical experience”, Dunleavy likes RCSI’s broader view of medicine as a caring profession. “Students have the opportunity to volunteer in developing countries and give back to our own Dublin community.”

Involved, via RCSI, with the College of Surgeons of East, Central and South Africa, which helps to train surgeons throughout Africa, she is “grateful to have the opportunity to pursue my interest in global health.”

BA HUMAN GENETICS (GEM Year 1)

“From day one, we are introduced to the concept that medicine is much more than knowing about the science behind disease, but rather requires an appreciation of communication, culture, philosophy and ethics.” Fox’s own broad view of medicine was informed by her experience prior to GEM, which included a period in a leprosy hospital in Cambodia, working as a phlebotomist in a Sydney hospital, and research for which she won many awards.

In her spare time, Fox, who is Australian, is studying for an MBA and runs marathons.

GRACE MADIGAN BCL LAW (GEM Year 2) “I was drawn to RCSI by the fact that we start clinical placements from the second semester of first year. In June, I was assigned to the urology and rheumatology teams at University Hospital Waterford. The teams allowed us to scrub into theatre and encouraged us to meet and take histories from all the patients on the ward.” A summer research project at the Rotunda had an impact on Madigan’s career plans. “I learned so much from the two months spent there. I am now considering pursuing obstetrics after college.”

KIRSTEN MCGARRY BSC PHYSIOTHERAPY (GEM Year 2) “I loved RCSI for my primary degree and it really was my only choice for GEM. I wanted to come ‘home’ to RCSI. All of my med friends from RCSI were graduating: I thought, if they can do it, so can I.” For McGarry, the reputation of RCSI, the quality of the lecturers and facilities, the support for students and the early clinical training sets it apart. She also likes the international mix. “I spent time in various countries growing up and enjoy sharing different cultures.” As well as being a motivated medical student, she skied for Ireland at the Winter Olympics in 2006 and 2010.

For Daly, who comes from Co Fermanagh, RCSI provides an opportunity to meet students from all over the world. “This is one of the features that distinguished RCSI, along with teaching by some of the best hospital consultants in Ireland.” A keen Gaelic footballer, Daly plays for the senior team at Derrygonelly Harps GFC (county champions 2015/2016) developing time management skills to cope with his undergraduate programme as well as a rigorous training schedule.

NICOLA COLTERJOHN

BSC KINESIOLOGY (GEM Year 1)

“That RCSI is an internationalised school was a huge draw for me. I was interested in studying alongside more mature students with diverse life experiences. A focus on clinical settings with a hands-on learning opportunities also appealed.” Colterjohn, who is Canadian, says the curriculum provides “a balance between pushing me out of my comfort zone and cultivating a constructive learning environment. An emphasis on teamwork and a sense of camaraderie makes me feel part of a family.” Colterjohn balances study with sport – She has played water polo for the Canadian national team. “The experience helped shape who I am today.” ^

Some Firsts of Many

2002

RCSI School of Pharmacy opens

2005

2006

RCSI Institute of Leadership opens, dedicated to developing leaders in healthcare

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2017

2007

RCSI first to launch Graduate Entry Medicine programme in Ireland

RCSI launches first Nurse Prescribing Programme

RCSI and the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa establish a Collaboration Programme

Ireland’s first integrated, multidisciplinary clinical simulation suite

2010

Graduates of Ireland’s first National Pharmacy Internship Masters Programme conferred

NEW INITIATIVES

FROM BENCH TO BEDSIDE: the focus of impact and research.

CLINICAL IMPACT

SEE DIFFERENTLY As Ireland’s only health sciences-focused institution, RCSI is uniquely attuned to patient needs in the future …

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atients, now and in the future, are at the core of RCSI’s development plans. While excellence in patient care underpins the College’s approach to teaching, it also informs RCSI’s approach to research. Our new initiatives ultimately involve improving patient care and outcomes.

The first ambitious initative focuses on RCSI’s commitment to research excellence and how it will improve patient care. The Strategic Academic Recruitment (StAR) Programme aims to accelerate “the bench-to-bedside” approach by recruiting outstanding researchers in research areas where RCSI has proven strengths, among them the development of new therapeutics and tests and the creation of novel medical devices. Collaborative links with industry will assist in transferring the benefits of this research to clinical practice as speedily as possible.

RCSI’s success in commercialising intellectual property arising from research will be strengthened by the engagement of top-tier visionary researchers. The expertise of researchers already recruited to the programme include subject areas such as epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, drug delivery, nanomedicine and cancer.

The presence of StAR researchers on our campuses allows our students to witness world-class research in practice and to learn directly from some RCSI 50: GEM students of the leading minds in Katie Dunleavy and Alice Fox take patient histories. medical science.

With the completion of the new medical education building, the capabilities of RCSI as an academic and teaching facility are enhanced, to produce rounded, clinically distinguished professionals.

In another major initiative, RCSI has compiled a list of 50 Clinical

Professor Arnold Hill, Head of the School of Medicine.

“THE RCSI 50 ARE KEY COMPETENCIES THAT OUR MEDICAL STUDENTS, IN ALL OUR CAMPUS LOCATIONS ... WILL POSSESS WHEN THEY GRADUATE.” Competencies that all doctors should possess, examples of which encompass history-taking to clinical examinations, psychological evaluations to blood-taking and wound suturing. “The RCSI 50 are key competencies that our medical students, in all our campus locations across three time zones will possess when they graduate.

The RCSI 50 is the essence of what it is to be a doctor,” says Professor Arnold Hill, Head of the School of Medicine. ^ RCSI VISIONARY StAR RESEARCHERS: From left: Dr Tríona Ní Chonghaile, Professor Andreas Heise, Dr Marco Monopoli, Dr Tobias Engel.

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A NEW BREED OF DOCTOR BY KATHY SHERIDAN

NATURE AND NURTURE It’s not only about achieving a set of skills that leads to certification, it’s about nurturing tomorrow’s international healthcare leaders. Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Professor Hannah McGee explains

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our times a year, Professor Hannah McGee sets off on her travels to RCSI colleges in the Middle East and Malaysia, to keep a sharp eye on standards, ensure the courses rolled out are identical across each campus, and that exams are conducted under the same exacting conditions across the world. For Irish students, this means turning over exam papers at 8am in Dublin; in Bahrain, they do it at 10am; in Malaysia at 3pm. “They see exactly the same exam paper at the same time. That’s how we manage standards,” she says.

As Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, her job is to ensure that RCSI’s programmes stand up to scrutiny, both to Higher Education Authority standards and the standards of the regulatory bodies.

She happens to be the College’s first female dean of the medical school, a fact she tends to brush aside as irrelevant.

But RCSI has form in this regard. In 1885, when Agnes Shannon enrolled at RCSI, she became the first female medical student in Ireland or Britain. Emily Winifred Dickson, who began in 1886, went on to become the first female fellow of the royal surgical colleges in Britain and Ireland. Six years ago, Eilis McGovern, a cardio-thoracic surgeon and RCSI fellow, was elected as the College’s first female president in its 226-year history.

All this is relevant. In 100 years, the percentage of female students has soared from ten per cent to 51 per cent, which suggests that the environment is not merely conducive to an extraordinary diversity of nationalities but also of gender. Professor McGee is very proud of the College’s nurturing environment. “The word ‘nurture’ is in our mission statement: To Educate, Nurture and Discover. Nurture refers to how we look after our students. We want to give them more than a degree; we want to give them a career they aspire to.”

A lot of money has been invested in student supports around health and wellbeing, with a programme called Passport to Success and a new student hub. “We are very much saying to our students, from Day One, you need to think about how to look after yourself, about how you’re going to have a successful academic career while having an engaging social and personal life and developing yourself while you’re here. We have a strong message that you cannot be a seven-day student; you need a life that nourishes you.”

In many ways, she says, it is “quite amazing that students will come to

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Ireland from a different culture, a different continent, and study what is considered to be one of the toughest courses in university, in a different language. So it’s extraordinary how well our students do. We put a lot of effort into the non-academic side of their development.”

A unique advantage offered by that international diversity is the RCSI Mentor Network. At last count, alumni from 80 countries had volunteered to answer students’ questions, through an electronically managed system. “So if I’m a student from Canada interested in orthopaedic surgery and I want to get back to Canada, I can find RCSI mentors there to advise me.” Another source of pride is RCSI’s lifelong engagement with alumni, many of whom routinely return for continuing training and research “with a lifelong commitment to always improving practice.”

The same nurturing approach applies to staff, she says. “By and large, here, if you want to achieve more in education, you are enabled to do it.”

Professor McGee arrived at RCSI in 1987, a year out of college.

Her PhD was a study of psychological factors affecting the rate of recovery from surgery. Much of her research was carried out with cardiologists, in effect complementing their clinical research. “A lot of it is about partnership; I think you’ve got to work as a good partner to others in the College.” By 1997, she was Professor of Psychology, then first Head of Population Health Sciences, and later, Deputy Director of Research, meanwhile establishing the College’s Research Ethics Committee.

Still, there was a time when the double bind of both gender and professional discipline might have stalled her advancement. Now among her firsts, she also happens to be the first health psychologist – a relatively new discipline – to be head of a medical school.

“I have been influenced in my life by important role models, women like my mother and senior nuns in secondary school in Carlow who believed you could take on any task – with the proviso to ‘give it your best’.

Also hugely important were those informal mentors, in my profession, who gave me opportunities outside of the strict confines of being a postgraduate student. More generally, role modelling and informal mentoring are very important roles that many people in society can play for the next generation.”

With these firsts, she brings important perspectives to this institution focused exclusively on medical and health sciences, where

ALAN ROWLETTE

INTERVIEW

“EVERY PERSON WHO WORKS HERE IS INVOLVED IN EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND SERVICE, FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WORLDWIDE.”

students and staff to benefit from a cross-professional environment and in effect, to create a new breed of healthcare graduates, informed by the cross-fertilisation between physicians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and nurses. “If, for example, we want to improve how to teach prescribing to young doctors, to reduce errors and so on, our pharmacy faculty is able to advise on evolving best practice.”

Immersive is a word she uses often. This is what makes RCSI distinct for students, she believes. “Unlike wider universities, we don’t have a faculty of law, or humanities or engineering and so on, which means that every person who works here is involved in healthcare education, research and service, focused on developing healthcare professionals who make a difference worldwide. So it’s not just about acquiring a set of skills that leads to certification; it’s about creating a programme that develops healthcare leaders.”

Leadership is about standing up for what is right, she says. “So part of this is basic professionalism, how you behave in a professional environment.” Indeed, the College’s Professor of Psychiatry, Kieran Murphy, has been made Vice Dean for Medical Professionalism, an apt appointment for a former president of the Medical Council. “We’re not expecting first year medical students to go out and flag-wave and be leaders. But at every level, we are saying, learn about yourself, learn how to manage yourself; learn how to work in teams – that’s very important.

“We encourage students to take on leadership roles. We recently introduced a programme called the International Citizenship Programme, where students go off and do something beyond their own culture, such as a homework club. RCSI is based in a quality location in the centre of Dublin. If you go out the front door, there is Dublin 2. If you go out the back, there are parts of Dublin’s south-east inner city that have traditionally been underrepresented at third level. A homework club in Dublin for an international student will be a very different experience to what it would be for an Irish student. Our Irish students may undertake electives overseas guided by a mentor.” While those experiences may have little or no medical element, they lead to a more rounded individual, capable of bringing a broader life experience to his or her practice.

An important means of bringing a rounded experience to practice of course, is by having an entirely different career before entering medical school. In the US, Professor McGee points out, no student can go straight into medical school, but must do medicine as a second degree.

RCSI began its Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme ten years ago, the first in Ireland to do so. Professor McGee is wholly in favour of GEM, in that it broadens access. “With GEM, we are putting a much more diverse group of people into that medical arena.” But she does not dismiss the more direct route either. “Undergraduate medical students do a lot of growing up throughout the course of their studies.

I think if you are really sure of what you want to do when you’re 18 and you want to do medicine, then that’s great. But if you think, ‘well, I have enough points, therefore I think I should’, I think that’s not a wise move.” ^ 13

ALUMNI NETWORK

GLOBAL INFLUENCE

CAREERING AHEAD With more than 15,500 graduates worldwide, many of them leaders in key organisations, the RCSI alumni network empowers at every career stage

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rom student mentoring to creating a support network when you first leave college to helping you with future advancement or career changes, the RCSI ties that bind are lifelong. Being a uniquely healthcare-focused college on a single city-centre campus where students are committed to a demanding schedule might have something to do with why the RCSI alumni community is so close and collaborative. The diverse cultural mix and its far-flung footprint in 97 countries of the world might be another. Irish and international students form lifelong friendships first, then as time progresses, professional alliances become increasingly important. Many alumni point to the power of the alumni network in terms of help and advice, developing a career path, even relocating around the globe.

As one of the leading health sciences institutions in the world, since its founding in 1784, RCSI has produced graduates across every specialty in medicine and more recently, pharmacy and physiotherapy. Many of these alumni are available to connect with senior clinical students who want to make informed career decisions as they move from undergraduate education to excellent post-graduate training opportunities in healthcare settings throughout the world. This RCSI Mentor Network allows students reach out to alumni to learn and be advised as to how best to succeed in their chosen career paths. Engagement with alumni can practically contribute to broadening the student mindset from a campus context to a “real-world” perspective. One of the key reasons that Alice Fox, a student

“WE HAVE 15,500 ALUMNI IN 97 COUNTRIES, PROVIDING INVALUABLE ACCESS TO A NETWORK OF GLOBAL SPECIALISTS ...”

Dr Alice McGarvey, Deputy Director, Graduate Entry Medicine programme

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE WORLDWIDE From top: Dr Barbara Murphy (Class of 1989) Professor and Chair of Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, USA; Dr Houriya Kazim (Class of 1988) Medical Director and Specialist Breast Surgeon, Well Woman Clinic, Dubai, UAE; Lord Ara Darzi KBE (Class of 1984) Professor and Chair of Surgery, Imperial College, London, UK.

on the Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) programme (she had a Masters of Science when she enrolled at 32), chose RCSI was the Mentor Network. “The extensive international alumni network offers social and professional support all over the world. Knowing I have access to thousands of alumni is incredibly reassuring.”

Alumni mentors are located in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. This global network of alumni is active and generous in sharing their wealth of knowledge. Most common interactions include queries about specialist career pathways along with general information on country-specific licence and registration processes. Katie Dunleavy, a GEM student, decided to come to RCSI after completing her degree in Music (Opera) and Pre-Medicine in the US. Her goal is to return to the US for residency. “RCSI provides us with excellent mentors and guidance along the way. Our match rate for US IMGs (international medical graduates) was 100 per cent, meaning that every student who wanted to go home was afforded the opportunity.”

New perspectives are opened up during training which create ties with alumni in other countries. This summer, a group of GEM students were the first to take part in the new clinical research collaboration with Michael Garren Hospital in Toronto, Canada, an opportunity to tap into another alumni network. With campuses located in Dublin, Dubai, Bahrain and Malaysia, some of the world’s most interesting career opportunities are available to RCSI graduates. Recent graduate of the GEM programme, Shane Carr is hoping to pursue a career in surgery. “The alumni network has opened up many avenues for me abroad – it is something that sets RCSI apart.” ^

EXPANDING RCSI

RCSI PRESIDENT PROFESSOR JOHN HYLAND

A GLOBAL MEDICAL QUARTER With RCSI’s exciting modern building development in the heart of Dublin coming to fruition, a new health sciences district is born

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he RCSI campus has formed part of the streetscape of Dublin for over 230 years. RCSI’s state-of-the-art medical education building on York Street, opening in 2017, will allow clinical education to be delivered away from the patient’s bedside, enabling students and trainees to learn in a simulated environment. The building will accommodate a new surgical training suite with a mock operating theatre, clinical training wards, 540-seat auditorium, library and sports complex.

This expansion over ten floors – six above ground and four below – will provide medical students, surgical trainees and staff with modern cutting-edge facilities that will promote the development of the RCSI community at the heart of the city.

RCSI continually invests in facilities, and in people. “It will provide another major impetus for undergraduate and postgraduate education, as well as surgical training in particular,” according to Professor John Hyland, President of RCSI. The optimised deployment of these additional training facilities in the delivery of an enhanced curriculum is a key element of the RCSI’s new strategy for Surgery, Supporting Excellence in Surgical Training and Practice.

“RCSI’s new €80m medical education building represents our vision for a world-class educational facility that will put RCSI at the

President of RCSI, Professor John Hyland

“RCSI’S NEW €80M MEDICAL EDUCATION BUILDING REPRESENTS OUR VISION FOR A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATIONAL FACILITY THAT WILL PUT RCSI AT THE GLOBAL FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION IN HEALTHCARE EDUCATION AND TRAINING.” global forefront of innovation in healthcare education and training,” Professor Hyland added.

The new building on York Street will provide an emotionally rich educational experience for students and surgeons alike. It will facilitate the development of core technical and non-technical skills in a safe environment. Trainees will be able to learn safe surgical practice and develop operative skills, reinforcing the importance of surgical training to patient safety. The new building will be home to 4,500 students and staff and 420 Surgical Trainees (including Emergency Medicine Trainees). The opening of the York Street building in early 2017 will mark the beginning of the transformation of RCSI’s Medical Quarter in the heart of the city. ^ 15