DIVERCSITY - September 8th, 2014 (Issue #1)

#DIVERCSI TY

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The winner from our #SUMMER2014 photography contest!

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Societies!

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Dr Kevin Mc Guigan shares his buzzworthy experience

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#FEATURES #RCSI NEWS #STUDENT LIFE #SPORTS & FITNESS #SOCIETIES #INTERNATIONAL #STAFF #EDUCATION #POETRY ART PHOTOGRAPHY #ENTERTAINMENT #CULTURE & LEISURE

#EDITORS’ NOTES

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eing a fresher is all about firsts, which is why it made sense for us to go with a freshers theme for the first ever issue of DIVERCSITY. For a lot of new students freshers’ week means first lectures, first college parties, maybe even first time living away from home.

It’s a chance to try new things and find your passion.

For us there have been so many firsts in putting together this paper: from our first tentative visit to Student Services, quickly followed by the first time we realised this was really going to happen. After this the firsts just kept on coming; first applications, committee meetings, deadlines, submissions, our first visit to the Irish Times to discuss printing, the first time we typed divercsity.com into google and our website came up, our first print deadline and now this, our first issue, dedicated to the freshers of 2014 on your first day in RCSI! DIVERCSITY is for the whole RCSI community, staff, students and alumni, in Ireland and abroad and we are therefore eager to include staff contributions. On top of this there is everything you need to know about freshers’ week and the key events. We’ve brought together graduate perspectives from medicine, pharmacy and physiotherapy to share their advice on how to get the most out of college life. Also featured in this issue are some of the college’s many active clubs and societies, which are a great place to start for anyone looking for new experiences. This issue offers quick and helpful tips on everything from seeking advice and healthy living, right through to surviving Dublin on a bud-

get and what events not to miss in the capital this month. There’s also correspondence from RCSI international in Penang (and next month Bahrain), and much more besides.

GET INVOLVED! Our aim for this paper is that it will live up to its name and have something for everyone; to this end we welcome articles on any topic, as well as creative writing, photos, and poetry for which we have an anonymous submissions pathway.

We’re looking for even more ideas and inspiration from new and aspiring contributors as general submissions.

As well as general interest we will be looking for submissions for particular sections; Staff, Societies and Features.

Our Societies section highlights the wide spectrum of activity taking place in RCSI, detailing the many and varied activities of RCSI’s clubs and societies which sometimes get overlooked in the busy college term. We hope to keep this up in the coming months and help keep everyone informed about what’s going on in the college and how to get involved.

Features sets the tone for an issue and we will look at one topic of particular interest each month, we’re keen to get as many submissions as possible for this section to provide an interesting and varied perspective on whatever the topic may be.

We will be releasing next month’s Features theme shortly for anyone who may wish to con-

tribute.

We’ll be having various contests during the year with prizes for the best entry; already in this issue we’re featuring the winners of #SUMMER2014 photo competition, which was a collaboration with Photo Soc. For anyone interested in contributing to next month’s issue you can submit via our moodle page, which is currently under construction.

We will be welcoming any and all submissions and we’d love for everyone to get involved!

GET IN TOUCH WITH US! For updates on the submission process as well as easy access to our content and social media pages please visit our website at www.divercsity.com, and feel free to interact with us on our Facebook page fb.com/DIVERCSITY and on twitter and Instagram @divercsity!

DIVERCSITY Tuesdays! Every Tuesday following the Monday of the publication, we will be meeting you for pizzas or coffee for chats and feedback on our paper and how to get involved.

THIS DIVERCSITY TUESDAY IS ON 10th WEDNESDAY! Meet us at the coffee doc for Pizzas @ 7pm! email us at editor.divercsity@rcsi.ie divercsity@rcsi.ie

EDITORIAL TEAM OF SENIOR EDITORS

#FEATURES - AISLINN KILLIAN #RCSI NEWS - CATHAL DELANEY #STUDENT LIFE- HANNAH DUNNE & DIONDRA MILLER #SPORTS & FITNESS - CIARAN STANLEY #SOCIETIES - SAIED ALI #INTERNATIONAL - YUSUF JALY #EDUCATION - ARIMIE MIN #ENTERTAINMENT- SABRINA TEITEL #CULTURE & LEISURE -LUKE WALLIS CONTENT TEAM OF ARTICLE COLUMNISTS CYRILLE PAYNE, IARLA O’DOMHNAILL, ANU MENON, REBECCA JAGOO, SIMI POWAR, ARSHMEET CHAWLA, MOYOWA BOYO, ARUN B, DAPHNE YEN, SARAH KEYES, LAYVEENIEA ANANTHAN, PARAIC BEHAN, MICHAEL RYAN, SAMANTHA KNIGHT, LOUISE ELLIOTT, CORMAC DUFF, HONG MING, LISA MCNAMEE, MOHIT BUTANEY, COREY NIXON, STEPHANIE TUNG, CHEW JEN PIN, TOLUWALOGO BAIYEWUN, GHADY SHAFEI, LAMESESE AL HADDA CONTENT TEAM OF ARTICLE CO-ORDINATORS MUHIMMA SULAIMAN - PHOTOGRAPHY & POETRY, AISLING MCGRATH, NIKITA RANE- ART & ILLUSTRATIONS, OLUDARE ALABI - SOCIETIES, ABDULAZIZ ABUL - STAFF IT & MEDIA TEAM DIRECTOR OF MEDIA -RUTH EMMANUEL SOCIAL & EVENTS - ORLA DONNOHOE, WEBMASTER- YASODA SUBRAMANIAN, DAPHNE YEN, PRINTS DISTRIBUTOR- TALAL AL SAEED

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STAFF ASSOCIATES CORRIENA BRIEN & SANDRA BONNETTO - CONTENT REVIEW, STAFF CO-ORDINATORS PROF CLIVE LEE- WRITER: ANATOMY, JANE BURN- COPYRIGHTS & PLAIGARISM ADVISER

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DIVERCSITY.COM

Hello and welcome back!!

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INSIDE #FEATURES

#STAFF

ear Reader

I am delighted to welcome this first edition from DIVERCSITY and I wish the editorial team every success. It is a great opportunity to share and celebrate the rich mix of talents, skills, knowledge and cultures that is RCSI - diversity is a great description.

We are incredibly lucky as a College to have such an interesting and diverse mix of students and of staff; to live in such a friendy city (Dublin has been voted internationally as joint 8th friendliest city for students); and to be immersed in Ireland’s rich culture, environment and history.

Its all too easy to settle into a new environment and quickly lose the enthusiasm and curiosity of the ‘tourist’, or to live in a place and not see the half of it - so I hope this new publication will introduce you to lots of new ideas, people, places and activities to enrich your time in RCSI, in Dublin and in Ireland.

Happy reading! - Professor Hannah McGee, Dean, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, RCSI.

#EDITORS NOTES

Acknowledgements

We are immensely proud and thrilled about our first issue. This was only possible by our dedicated DIVERCSITY committee working all through the summer and the preceeding months, planning and preparing for the setting up of the society. Our committee is comprised of extremely passionate and talented individuals and we are excited to work with them and get to know them.

The support and encouragement from our friends and the Student Services office is why DIVERCSITY has grown from a humble four page document of ideas to a fresh new kicking society. We’d like to give a big thank you to Corriena Brien, Sandra Bonetto, Tanya Chapple, Emily Obrien, Deirdre Keogh and Ivan Carty for helping us co-ordinate with staff members and for supporting the idea from the outset.

Thanks are also due to Jane Burns for advice on copyrights and plagiarism and Eric Clarke for his help with the Moodle set up and the submissions disclaimers. Many thanks to Kenneth Purtell, Leila Wilson and Johanna Arajuuri for their design advice on the website and a big shoutout to Joe Hsaio and the rest of PhotoSoc for teaming up with us for the contest and troubleshooting our photo related queries. We’d also like to thank the RCSI IT department for donating a laptop to our society and providing us with some essential software.

We couldn’t think of anything more apt than DIVERCSITY for the RCSI student pa-

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#RCSI NEWS

#EDUCATION

#STUDENT LIFE

#POETRY ART PHOTOGRAPHY

#SPORTS & FITNESS #SOCIETIES

#ENTERTAINMENT #CULTURE&LEISURE

#INTERNATIONAL

per and would like to credit the students that campaigned for the student union in 2011 with the team name DIVERCSITY and thank them for letting us use their brilliant name.

DIVERCSITY would also like to thank The Irish Times, especially Michael Ruane and Colm Fitzpatrick, who have given us a greater understanding of the the world of publishing as well as guiding us through the printing process.

It was tough to get in touch with people over the summer, we’d like to to thank the students who helped our columnists get these articles ready, especially everyone who filled up the clubs and societies link!

Special thanks to Yasoda Subramanian for helping us get started and setting up the webpage.

Cover photo credits to Joe Hsaio A college paper is built on enagagement. We hope that the student paper will inspire support, interest and involvement from everyone in college for the many years to come and that it in turn acts as a collaborative focal point for the staff and student community.

- Nikita Rane and Caitrín O’Leary Directors and Editors-in-Chief

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Graduates of 2014 welcome the freshers of 2014... #FEATURES

EOIN KELLEHER MED CLASS OF 2014

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a career looking after kids, and the toddlers throwing tantrums turned the rest of us away.

On psychiatry we saw anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive behaviours– and that was just our classmates.

iversity is a word we heard a lot in RCSI. I graduated from a high school where 90% of my class came from the same neighbourhood as me. At the time I thought diversity was when people from Dublin’s Southside and Northside mixed.

I was mistaken. We had 26 different nationalities in our class. Now not only do I have friends from the Northside, but also from hundreds and thousands of kilometres away in places like Canada, Norway, Kuwait and Malaysia.

Medicine is a very international profession – in Ireland, we have one of the highest proportions of international doctors in the world; and Irish medical graduates travel all over the world ourselves to train and to practise. I think we all come away from RCSI with a great tolerance, respect, and curiosity for other cultures.

But what binds us together is medicine; it is a country of its own. It has its own language – a mixture of Latin, Greek, acronyms and abbreviations from Gubernaculum, to ABG; its own customs like the white coat and stethoscopes.

Leaving RCSI was bittersweet. Bitter, because I was leaving the college and the people here to move on to the next stage of my life. Sweet because we are leaving the college and the people here to move on to the next stage of my life.

JUNIOR CYCLE Being introduced to this new world is certainly a trial by fire. Hot off the Leaving Cert which was a marathon, first med is a lot more like the hurdles – there are plenty of opportunities to trip up: there were card signings and MCQ tests almost every week, on top of January and summer exams.

But we all managed, and the early years in RCSI were much more than anatomy classes and lectures – we enjoyed pool tournaments in the basement of Stephen’s Green, got acquainted with the Swan, and we are also one of the last years to remember Ballad Session in the O’Flanagan Lecture Theatre.

MOVE TO BEAUMONT With second med came the big move to the hospital.

After learning how the body works for a year and a half in Junior Cycle, it was time to learn what happens when it breaks in Intermediate Cycle. This was not just in pathology and microbiology; we also got a personal taste each time we had to drag ourselves out of bed for an 8am start in Beaumont. At home, my desk was covered with post-it notes containing mnemonics for just about

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Then came final med. There was the serious stuff – case presentations, TOSBAs and TOSCEs, short cases and long cases. There was also some stress. At one point a friend asked me how I was and I replied “Eoin Kelleher is a 23 year old male who is complaining of recent onset palpitations and insomnia on a background history of caffeine dependence…”

But there was also a lot of fun – our last ballad session in the Academy, our last Sports Ball, nights in the Swan, road trips down to Waterford and Drogheda, and our last College Ball.

“Over the year we went from Mochas to Lattes to plain black coffee. Much like the Krebs cycle, our coffee became steadily less sweet and darker as we moved closer to the end.” everything. I knew I had a problem when I realised I even had one for the members of my family.

Intermediate cycle is similar to sitting down at a feast, like the ones put on for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Eid. You are immediately overwhelmed by all the choice, from adenomas to Zollinger-Ellison syndrome everything was on the table here. You try to sample everything and stuff it all in, and you end up so full you think you could not possibly take in another bite. But then you realise it’s alright because it was all about regurgitation anyway.

Eventually, we moved from the safe confines of the lecture theatre to the hospital wards to join real patients and doctors. I will never forget the excitement of scrubbing in for surgery for the first time. I spent what seemed like 10 minutes washing my hands, got into the paper scrubs and somehow managed to get the gloves on – on my fourth attempt. I stepped up to the operating table, squeezing between the registrar and the SHO to peer down at what was happening. I had never seen real-life surgery before. I remember I asked, “sir, is that the spleen?” The consultant surgeon, looking up, clearly bowled over by my eagerness and curiosity, replied… “who are you?”.

SENIOR CYCLE And then senior cycle came. Fourth Med is a busy year. On obstetrics we delivered babies. In GP we saw the variety of ailments that people present with. In paediatrics the cute children won many of us over to

What is special about RCSI is how close-knit everyone is. Our class celebrated together on a boat on the Liffey the day we finished our final exams. One hundred of us went to Turkey together and by some miracle one hundred of us returned. It says a lot about us that after the past few years we can now travel to almost anywhere in the world and be sure of a friend to show us around.

After five years in RCSI, I can only think of one piece of advice I would like to: get a study group. Since the first semester of first year, five years ago, a group of six of us got together to help each other study. Since then, we met up almost every week for what were variably study sessions and dinners. We practised histories and clinical exams, made notes and quizzed each other over the years.

What I learned most over the years with them is the value of teamwork. You cannot study medicine alone, and you cannot practice medicine alone. It can be all-consuming. There are plenty of examples of doctors who have fallen victim to the stress and pressures of the job. I wasn’t joking when I mentioned earlier that it is like its own country – it can be hard to leave. But we must remember how important it is to look after ourselves too. Only by retaining our sense of humanity, our empathy, and a sense of humour can we ever hope to provide care to anyone.

Atul Gawande is a surgeon and author in Boston who has written many books on practising medicine. He compares the practice of medicine to a pit stop in a formula one race. It’s not the romantic ideal of men in white coats rushing in to save lives, but it’s quite accurate. Good medicine is people working closely together with the same aim.

That is one of the things I find most appealing about medicine, the sense of purpose and the sense of place.

Each day we will make a difference. Our job matters.

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#FEATURES

“This isn’t Kansas anymore, welcome to your new pond with all the big fish.”

BRIAN CARTON PHARMACY CLASS OF 2014

“I

would rather discover a single causal connection than win the throne of Persia,” proclaims the RCSI Pharmacy prospectus. Based on the assumption that at least some of the new meat joining pharmacy share this opinion with Democritus, I decided to pass on some causal connections for free, because I’m just lovely like that.

ONE: wearing your lab coat in the coffee doc will have you as drenched in the ire of your classmates as your coat will be in the smell of formaldehyde.

Nobody is impressed by anybody wearing a lab coat in RCSI, literally everybody has one and the anatomy room is not something people like to be reminded of while eating.

TWO: A lecture in the Albert theatre will result in acute somnolence.

It is absurdly comfortable in there and often just the right temperature to help you nod off. Do not wrap up warmly in there, you will fall asleep.

FIVE: Join the Saint Vincent de Paul Society It will make you instantly popular, well respected and irresistible to the opposite sex. I hear those guys saved puppies from a burning building once. I know, right?

SIX: Take good note of the people around you in your first few lectures You will be spending the next four years with these people. Their faces will become as familiar to you as the structure of acetylsalicylic acid that is about to be burned into your brain for forevermore. You are going see these fine people in states of concentration, anxiety, grim determination, and mirth. Also add to that the

“You are about to pursue one of the most rewarding careers out there. It will be tough but at the end you won’t regret a second of it.”

THREE: Where one piece of glassware is smashed during the course of a lab, more will inevitably follow.

Pass time by seeing how many accidents you can count in a single session.

FOUR: Forgetting to evaporate off your ethanolate solution in the fume cupboard will result in an unexpected pleasant giddiness.

Though of course I couldn’t possibly recommend it and you certainly didn’t read about here.

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ENDA CLARKE & AISLINN KILLIAN s physiotherapists are exceptionally well rounded individuals and just to prove it we decided to give two points of view on the RCSI physiotherapy experience. Enda Clarke (Class of 2014) points out all the wonderful aspects of the course, and I (class of 2013)… well I grumble quite a bit, but its only so that you get a balanced view of what you are in for!

Q. DID YOU ENTER THE PROGRAM AS AN UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE STUDENT? : I was a graduate entrant with a previous degree in Sport Science and Health at DCU. : I was an undergraduate... fellow undergrads be prepared for the graduates knowing so much more than you do.

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Q. ANY ADVICE FOR FIRST YEAR? : Learn your anatomy… seriously it comes back to haunt you, and learning it well the first time will save you from that time in 2nd year when you blank on where your hamstrings are… #awkward

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EIGHT: Party sensibly and in moderation of course. Try your best to make it to every big college event at least once throughout the year, except the pharmacy ball. Go to that one every year. Really what I’m trying to say at the risk of sounding overly sentimental is that if there is anything I will be glad to remember of my days at RCSI (aside from the knowledge of how to safely dispense medicines), is the people – so go out and socialise.

Finally, I’d like to congratulate all newbies for making it into RCSI. You guys rock and you should feel proud of yourselves. Do you? Good, because now it’s time to tell you that you’re in for a hell of a ride.

RCSI doesn’t do easy courses. You are going to be surrounded by people who are approximately as much of a smarty-pants as you are, and who have worked just as hard as you have to get here.

state of profound confusion when they’re first introduced to the concept of DLVO theory. That’s a doozy.

THE PHYSIOTHERAPHY Q. EXPERIENCE

Having said that, despite that absolute certainty that you will soon know the inside of a library cubicle better than your own bedroom ceiling, you are about to pursue one of the most rewarding careers out there.

It will be tough but at the end you won’t regret a second of it. possible to help you up your grade… and your knowledge of course.

Q. INCASE ANY OF OUR NEWBIES ARE PANICKING AFTER THE FIRST FEW WEEKS WHY SHOULD THEY STICK WITH IT? : As well as providing an exceptional education there are many opportunities that students of RCSI can avail of such as funded research projects in the RCSI research summer school. It is also great that the classes are small allowing for more focused classes and they take on board your feedback when they review the program each year. : All the physiotherapy classes became very close during the program, RCSI is such a good place to make friends as the class sizes are so small and you end up spending a lot of time with each other.

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Q. WHAT IS IN STORE FOR YOU IN FIRST PHYSIOTHERAPY? . There was a wide range of subjects in first year from Physics to anatomy to physiology. It is also when you start doing musculoskeletal practical classes.

SEVEN: Branch out, talk to people in other courses You will rarely, if ever, be part of such a smorgasbord of humanity as in RCSI again. Take this chance to meet people from all over the world, they will broaden your mind and give you lasting friendships (and they may also be handy connections in your professional life). As a Kildare man, I previously could only attest to understanding the ways of the Pale. Also, horses. Now I have friends from more countries than I could name on a map.

A CLINICAL PLACEMENTS – WHAT’S THE DEAL? : You have to complete 1000 hours in hospitals and primary care settings over the course of 3 years. I felt that I developed my skills and knowledge with each placement, which was great as it gives you confidence that you will be a competent physiotherapist by the end of it. : Hell. No just kidding, it was tough but I did learn a lot. It is quite challenging being graded everyday for 5 or 6 weeks but I would recommend bugging your supervisors for lots of feedback and do it as early as

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Q. LAST THOUGHTS ON YOUR RCSI PHYSIOTHERAPY EXPERIENCE? : If you are hard working and enthusiastic this is really the right course for you. My own experience was truly enjoyable and beneficial. I wish you the best of luck! : The medical students will make fun of you for being a masseuse but ignore them they are just jealous, everyone needs a good physiotherapist.

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CYRILLE PAYNE

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Freshers’ Week LINE UP

he SU along with the college and a number of clubs and societies have organised a packed week of events for freshers (and anyone else who wants to join), with events ranging from games nights to mystery tours to cater for everyone! Here we have a run down of the events not to miss, along with the reflections of DIVERCSITY’s Cyrille Payne on her first week in RCSI..

YOUR FRESHERS’ WEEK… MONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER

Coffee dock reception followed by pub crawl or Dub crawl: A relaxed start to the week with pizza, live bands and a chance for a chat in the coffee dock on the first day, followed by a trip around the corner to Harry’s on the Green for the start of the pub crawl, or if that’s not your scene you can move on to a treasure hunt around Dublin!

#FEATURES

Freshers’ Festival is one of the highlights of freshers’ week; held in Dardistown this year’s festival will feature inflatable challenges, DJ, food and drink and last but not least a performance from Keywest!

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TUESDAY 9 SEPTEMBER

“Before you begin your time at our beloved RCSI I must just tell you a tale, a tale as old as time, well at least as old as I have been in this college. Let me set the scene. It was our first week as freshers. We could hardly believe it. We were about to begin a harrowing journey to become pharmacists, doctors and physiotherapists, excited about our new beginning but daunted by the potential work load that would accost us from all directions.

What were we to do? How were we to have any happiness in a world of stress? We put on brave faces and marched onto campus never letting our fear show, hoping that there would be some respite in site. Clutching each other’s hands, we crossed the threshold of our new institution of learning and that’s when we saw a beacon of hope; a glimmer of salvation; a poster of events for Freshers’ Week.

Could it be that at an establishment such as this, students could actually have fun? The answer is yes and Freshers’ Week was the perfect place to start. We started with a pub crawl and the Islamic society (ISOC) games night; after these introductions we met at Harry’s on the Green, a favourite of the school for the after parties of many events. From there we were ushered to buses that would take us on a tour of wonder, shrouded in secrecy. I cannot say much, as the night’s mysteries cannot be divulged .You must experience them for yourself. They won’t be soon forgotten. The next night we convened with the Pharmacy society, who had potions for any ailment that plagued us. Then it was on to an evening of revelry at the Fresher’s festival. The night consisted of drinks, food, friends, fun …and a GIANT slide. What more could you want?

The week was capped off by the two biggest events, Ballad session and White party.”

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White coat ceremony! Your first RCSI tradition, where freshers don their white coats and become proper RCSI students. This is all terribly formal and official so it needs to be quickly followed with…games! ISOC is hosting their games night on Tuesday in the basketball court, while Man v Food will be played elsewhere with Captain America’s food After this the bus will be waiting to take you on a the annual freshers’ mystery tour..

WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER

Ballad Session; your second RCSI tradition and most people would agree, one of the best. This event will be held in the incredible venue of Vicar Street this term and is definitely one not to miss.

“Ballad session, hosted by Music Society, displays the musical talent of RCSI as student bands and solo artists take to the stage. By this time most of the older years were back so this event had the biggest mix of students yet. Physio, pharmacy and med students alike were drinking, dancing and cheering their friends on as they serenaded the crowd. Some of us were in awe of our new fellow student performers and others were already thinking about how great they would be next year when it was their turn to perform. Regardless of the group we fell in we were all having fun.”

SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER

The most important event of the week, which no one should miss for any reason. Sign-up day is your opportunity to see all that the college has to offer (-check out the preview in the societies section of this issue). Take your time, see what all the clubs and societies have to offer, and then sign up for DIVERCSITY. After this you’ll be treated to a great night out courtesy of Pharm Soc’s Freshers’ Fiesta in Diceys, pharm soc’s events are always entertaining and this is no exception.

THURSDAY 11 SEPTEMBER

White party in Club M! “White party was a glow party hosted by CAS (Caribbean African Society), where everyone was encouraged to wear white (as the name suggests). It is THE event to attend for the start of semester. CAS is always able to pull off a fun club night that will change your life. New connections were being made in every direction we looked.

Lips touching bottles of potions they have never before been tasted. Lips were touching lips they never before new existed, and new relationships were started (as people fought an inner battle with the libations that were flowing). Lips were touching the floor as some people lost the battle with the aforementioned potions and lost their faculties. Nevertheless as we were drenched in the Irish black speciality and ducked to avoid some flailing elbows swinging in merriment, we thought to ourselves what an amazing night. “

(Photos for this article were courtesy of Photosoc)

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10 Things you will experience as a “FRESHER”.

#FEATURES

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NIKITA RANE DIRECTOR & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

s an international student, some of thesepoints may be more relatable to you guys who aren’t from Ireland. If you are a current student in RCSI, I hope this article brings back some nostalgic memories of the first month in RCSI as a fresher.

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. THE SEEMINGLY INFINITE LOOP OF RE-INTRODUCTION. “Hi, I am *insert your name here*!”

The other person: “Yeah, we met before....”

The first month will be filled with awkward moments of reintroducing yourself and hearing someone else reintroduce themselves multiple times followed with forced nervous laughter. You will have an overwelming feeling of deja-who as you try to place someone you’ve probably met before, but can’t quite remember. Even when you do remember a face you’re not out of the woods yet; names can be tricky to pronounce, especially Irish names, and embrassing mispronounciations are bound to happen. You’ll add people on Facebook and not be entirely sure who they are for a while. My advice is to embrace that awkwardness like a boss because remembering 200 names and faces takes a while.

lot more fun. So if you miss an event or two because you wanted to spend some time with your parents or take time settling in, don’t worry about it! Honestly, there are a whole lot of events waiting right around the corner to distract you from that pile of lectures you are yet to get to for the MCQ that is four days away.

Eitherway, Freshers’ Week is something which you’ll always look back on, so do go out and try to attend as many as you can and create some of those Kodak moments.

(Image courtesy of RCSI) . YOU WILL RECEIVE A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE FROM SENIORS.

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. YOU WILL HAVE TO GET YOUR GNIB CARD. Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) registration will take hours. Make sure to get all your documents in order. The last thing you want is to go there, wait in line for hours and then get turned away because you forgot something. Even though there is a designated time slot for RCSI students, do go there a bit early because everyone will be queueing up from before and there will be no more number coupons left.

You could alternatively go early in the morning on a weekday. It might take a while so take someone with you for company, or at least make sure your phone is charged so you can while your time away on Snapchat broadcasting your sheer boredom to loved ones.

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.YOU ARE GOING TO MISS FOOD FROM BACK HOME. Whether it is the way your mom made Nasi Lemak or your usual go-to drink at Tim Hortons; you are surely going to salivate at your friends Instagrams or your mother’s Whatsapp snaps of your favourite foods in nostalgia. The stronger ones will prevail and learn to do without. The luckier ones get frozen home meals to last them a while in their freezers. The daring ones will attempt DIY recipes - which may not match up to the original, but something is better than nothing! In the meantime Yelp and the Dublindulgence column are your new bestfriends and with time you’ll find a substitute and take comfort in having it to look forward to everytime you travel back home. Which is why everyone’s infamous “back home now” facebook post usually involves food.

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. WARNING: YOUR SOCIAL CALENDAR WILL BE SWAMPED! Freshers’ week events are definitely the best way to mingle with the new and old crowd and meet people. But it really is fine if you don’t go as a fresher to freshers week.

A lot of people choose to attend the next year or their third with their friends - in a way, I’d have to say it’s a

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Always interesting, seemingly insightful and sometimes helpful, I’d just recommend taking things with a pinch of salt and don’t dangle on every syllable said or typed by a senior on how you ought to approach studying your module. The reality is - things change, modules change and the emphasis of content will differ from each year. So don’t have a prejudiced notion about a module or lecture and try to given an equal importance to every module, because everyone is a unique snowflake and what you’ll understand and find interesting will differ from someone else. Try to make the lectures interesting for you, when in doubt ask your lecturers email them or after a lecture!

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. TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY - BOOKS? I’ll now go forth and boldly contradict the point I made above and give you my experience with books.

Having done Foundation Year, the books I used the most was the one by Solomon and the Organic Chemistry book. I bought mine from a senior second hand and passed them on. I would definitely recommend checking out some of the used books at the SU office.

The library has a large stock of books so there is plenty there and I would highly recommend borrowing the books, unless you are one of those people who like to study at home and hate carrying heavy books, then perhaps purchasing a book to keep at home will best suit your lifestyle. For JC students - most students have a personal copy of Grays and/or Monkhouse.

The Clincal Anatomy by Stanley Monkhouse is a must purchase and you can buy your copy and mostly all books recommended in the reading list at Clarendon Medical bookstore. You might need to consult physiol-

ogy, biochemistry or molecular medicine textbooks and I’d have to say, just borrow them from the library. Get familiarised to the library.

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. YOU’LL MEET THAT FRIEND WHO YOU’LL BE SUPER CLOSE TO AND THEN SORT OF LOSE CONTACT WITH. If that sounds pretty confusing, you’ll know what I mean. Also, SPOILER ALERT! You are probably going meet that one friend or friends who will be your pillars throughout college.

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. YOU WILL TRY TO CHANGE UP YOUR STUDY STYLE. You will all try to emulate some of the popular RCSI study styles - all-nighters, last-minute cramming, group studies, mind maps, calligraphic-colour-coordinated handwritten summary notes or the classic: taking your lovely highlighter and highlighting literally ever word from the lecture - making your notes look as though they are all set for a neon rave party. I would recommend attempting to not diverge from the study style you used in highschool, because chances are if it got you to medschool without having black coffee pulsing through your arteries, it should get you through medschool. However, if you still find yourself struggling and unable to cope up or pass test or exams - you might have to re-evaluate your ways.

It’s important to be organised and make sure that even if you are sitting down for an hour, whatever you did, you made sure you understood the key concepts and try not to let doubts or confusion prevail for too long, because suddenly it will be exam time calling you and it’s like you got 11 missed calls from Mom and you know you are in some deep sh- um, I mean feceal matter.

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. YOU WILL HAVE YOU FIRST CARDSIGNING OR MCQ QUIZ. You’ll probably be really nervous, but remember you got into medschool, you have the ability to do this - don’t you ever forget that! Chances are MCQs and Cardsignings are not exactly dates on your calendar that you’ll be looking forward to like a fangirl looking forward to the next season of Sherlock. However use the MCQ and cardsignings as a learning tool. Obviously try to give it your best shot covering as much of the tested content as you can. Even if you don’t know the right answer, it will help you identify where you went wrong in your revision - was the concept not clear enough? did you somehow skim-read it without given it much attention?

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. YOU WILL MEET AWESOME PEOPLE FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD RCSI is sort of like a world travel and living show. So try to make friends with people from different nationalities. Make sure you try to attend events in college especially society events - a lot of effort goes into it, they are usually fun and informative, you’ll meet people who may share the same interest, its a good way of breaking from a routine cycle and there is plenty free pizza. Free pizza is to RCSI as cats are to the Internet. Attend every event with free food and pizza, because why not?

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#FEATURES

O

Think it will never happen to you? - THINK AGAIN!

STUDENT SERVICES OFFICE - STAFF n a dark, wet evening in late November, a student packed up her laptop and prepared to leave her university campus after another long day of studying. She plugged her headphones in and was instantly transported to another place and time. She wrapped her scarf around her head and braced herself for the cold rain outside. As she exited the building, a damp mist enveloped her. She couldn’t see very far into the distance, but that didn’t matter to her. She followed the same route so many times – she could probably complete it blindfolded.

While anticipating the warmth of her apartment, she smiled at the thought of a delicious pizza she would order that evening for dinner. She made a mental note to buy a recommended textbook on Amazon while thinking about a new assignment her class had been given that day. She turned onto a small path lined with tall trees and somewhat overgrown with unruly bushes – the shortcut across campus that would bring onto the main road. From there she only had a further ten minute walk to her apartment. She had been lucky to find accommodation so close to campus. Hopefully her roommate hadn’t forgotten to feed the cat. She decided not to leave it to chance and took out her i-phone to send a quick reminder message. Actually, she thought, her roommate might very well order the pizza too.

The pizza was never ordered that night.

She was already at the exit leading onto the main street, her i-phone still in hand, when she noticed a solitary figure standing against the perimeter wall. She didn’t pay much attention and continued on her way, preoccupied with the text message she was about to send alongside thoughts of a warm shower and hot food. It was not unusual at this time of the evening to encounter fellow students on this path, so she didn’t give it another thought.

EOIN KHELLER

Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, she found herself face down THERE ARE SOME SIMPLE MEAon the ground as the stranger attempted to drag her laptop SURES YOU CAN TAKE TO PROTECT bag from her. Her i-phone had been torn from her hand to the YOURSELF. incoherent shouts of the attacker. It all happened so fast. She felt the sharp pain of gravel digging into her cheeks and tasted blood •DO YOU take short-cuts on your in her mouth. There were indistinct own? sounds in the distance. She saw head•ARE YOU aware of your surroundlights from passing cars as she lay on ings at all times, but especially when the ground and couldn’t figure out why you are on your own? none of them stopped to help.

•DO YOU advertise that you have valuable belongings by carrying them Perhaps they didn’t see her, or maybe in sight? they misread the situation. She tried to •Do YOU travel with headphones in, scream but could not be sure that she hats, hoods and scarves, isolating made any sound. Perhaps she did, as your senses from the outside world? her attacker became more aggravated and began to kick and beat her relentlessly as she lay helpless on the ground.

He landed several kicks to her face and caught her cheekbone despite her desperate attempts to protect herself with her hands. She tried to curl up in a ball to protect herself but her body felt detached from her mind. The attacker managed to rip the laptop pouch from its strap and ran off into the misty darkness that now swallowed everything. She felt the tears sting her eyes as everything became a blackened blur.

When she awoke panic and confusion set in. She tried desperately to piece together exactly what happened and despite so many people telling her she was ‘lucky’, she certainly didn’t feel it. She struggled to provide the police with a description of her assailant. She had so many other things on her mind that night...

Unfortunately, this student’s story is not a once off. What could she have done differently? Of course, the attack was not her fault, but for months after it happened, she questioned whether there was anything she could have done? While fighting off her assailant was not an option, one of the key factors in personal safety is vigilance.

IN HOUSE COMICS

SEPTEMBER 2014

While Dublin is not a particularly large city and it does not have the same levels of crime as other international cities, crime does happen, so due care is required.

Anybody can become a victim of crime – regardless of gender, nationality, age, socio-economic background and lifestyle.

Awareness is key to prevention.

Assailants look for vulnerable and available targets.

Pay attention to what is happening around you and more importantly, to people around you.

Please take 5 minutes to study the RCSI Student Safety Handbook for further tips on personal safety. The Safety Handbook is available on Moodle and from the Student Services Office.

5 minutes could change your life.

RATHER HUMERUS

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IARLA O’DOMHNAILL

Winners from College Ball 2014

#RCSINEWS

ollege Ball is one of the year’s most prestigious events. It is a focal point in the social year for many students, with the awards ceremony being a highlight of the night. The Student Societies awards are run by the Societies Union and are voted for by the students. They exist to reward and honour the people and societies that make RCSI buzz with life throughout the year. The winners of the respective categories receive a place in RCSI history, bragging rights for the year, and their names on a plaque at the foot of the stairs next to the SU office. college as she wanted, but that didn’t stop her from helping RCSI Ladies GAA club from winning the Donaghy Cup in March 2011, being awarded player of the match Societies Person of the Year in the process, and becoming All-Ireland champions for the first time in RCSI’s hisYASSER FARAJ – MEDICINE (picture - left) tory. Graduating with a Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree this November, Lisa intends to The “Societies Person of the Year” award travel from her placement in Roscommon for one last year with the team, highlightis given to the student that best represents ing the commitment that helped win her this award.

RCSI throughout the year, both inside and Sportsmen of the Year Tie beoutside of the college, so it was no shock tween: DONNACHA WALSH (PHYSIO) when Yasser won this award. He was always (picture left)& ARIEF NAIMUN busy, working with many societies and (MEDICINE) (picture bottom left) clubs, primarily ISOC this year, helping to With so many worthy nominees it’s organise events such as RCSI’s Eid Festival not always possible to choose one and Discover Islam Week. Helping out as person to receive an award, and well with SU events such as RCSI’s Culturthat was the case this year. al Diversity Week, Yasser is an extremely sociable person who is always willing to Winning RCSI’s overall sportsperlend a hand. Yasser highlights the integration son of the year award Donnacha and unity that is possible between societies had a busy year, between his final in RCSI, and received this token of appreciayear in RCSI, playing Inter-County tion from his fellow students. football with the prestigious Kerry team, and playing with the college Society of the Year ISLAMIC SOCIETY RCSI’s Islamic Society is a dynamic society, GAA team, he was a worthy recipient of the award. conducting a very wide range of projects throughout the year, ranging from charity and exhibitions, to debates and talks; welcoming both Muslim and non-Muslim students.

Arief Naimun was this year’s sportsman of the Highlights of their year included the Women’s Masquerade Ball, Discover Islam year in RCSI, an impressive award to pick up in Week, and the Eid Aladha Festival; with countless other events making up the calenyour 4th year. He is involved in a range of dar. college activities. Getting to the quarter finals of Fresher of the Year OMAR ALZAHRANI – MEDICINE Starting your college life as a fresher isn’t always easy, with a new college, and tons of new people, there’s a lot to do. The “Fresher of the Year” award is given to the fresher who made the biggest impact on college life throughout their first year, and noone could deny that Omar did just that. From being ever-present at college events throughout the year, to being actively involved in tons of societies, and even running for SU, Omar was a deserved winner.

Club of the Year Karate RCSI’s Karate club has been growing steadily in size and in passion for the last three years. Training in the St.Stephen’s Green campus basketball courts twice a week and facilitating all levels of members, both new and experienced, they certainly have a bright future ahead in RCSI. With members progressing to higher and more difficult levels of belt throughout the year they are a dynamic club, and captain Aziz Aburiyah and vice captain Aiman Rahim will undoubtedly guide them to new heights this year again.

Sportswoman of the Year Lisa Leonard - Pharmacy (picture) With an impressive amount of both Senior County medals with Corofin and Sylane, and Inter-County medals with Galway, Lisa is an extremely accomplished footballer and camogie player. With so many commitments at home it was hard for Lisa to become involved in as many clubs in

SEPTEMBER 2014

this year’s badminton intervarsity, winning a silver medal at last year’s table tennis intervarsity, and participating in the archery intervarsity in NUIM this year, Arief was a clear candidate, and an unsurprising victor.

Most Improved Society Photography Society Receiving recognition on the night for what was an extremely busy year for Photo Soc, the society showed why they’re an integral part of RCSI. Not missing a RCSI event all year, and posting all of their photos diligently to Facebook, they preserved the year’s events for all to see.

Society Event of the Year International Night If there is one night of the year that can be counted on to encompass what RCSI is all about, it has to be International Night.

It is, in essence, an entire festival squeezed effortlessly into one breathtaking night.

Showcases from all societies are performed in front of an unsurprisingly large crowd of students and staff, it’s an explosion of colour and culture that’s not to be missed.

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Céad míle fáilte!

#STUDENT LIFE

A

SLICE OF CULTURE ANU MENON nd so you’ve arrived, blinking through rarefied sunny skies or wrapped beneath the perpetually threatening grey clouds of Dublin. At first you take your steps gingerly, risking whiplash as you attempt to take in all the sights at once. The excitement builds because, after all, it’s a new school year and you’re in one of the most amazing cities in Europe. You can already feel the luck of the Irish tingling through your fingers and you’re dead set on mastering that charming accent!

(“kade meel-a fall-cha”)

(No, really. That’s how it’s pronounced!)

“

My first weekend in Ireland, I went out clubbing to sample the local beors (Irish slang for “fly mamacitas”) whilst making a horrible fashion choice in wearing a bomber jacket a few sizes too big. A friend of a friend asked me “What’s the crack? “, and being gleefully self-involved and thinking he was alluding to the aforementioned jacket with an ungodly amount of pockets, I told him I had “Rocks and kilos of Crack, some speed, and some cocaine for good measure as well”. He walked away looking puzzled and I thought he didn’t get the joke, only to have my friend tell me a few minutes later with the straightest face I’ve ever seen, that I couldn’t sell drugs in nightclubs. I think it was another week before I found out that “What’s the CRAIC” is akin to “What’s up” and suddenly it all made sense. The moral of the story is get used to Irish slang, it’s fun to use, and the locals will love you for it.

But before you go off warbling “top o’ the morning to ye” at every person you meet and running helter-skelter in search of those elusive, green-clad, beard-sporting little men that prance along at the ends of rainbows, let’s travel into the heart of the Emerald Isle itself. Here you’ll certainly find riches, and not due to an abundance of randomly encountered pots of gold; the wealth of Ireland lies in the majesty of her land, the richness of her history, and the generosity of her people.

Let’s just set a few things on the table now that you’ve made the decision to put on some greenhued glasses and start living the Irish life! From the early days, Ireland was an agricultural society, with bands of farmers and livestock dotting the never-ending countryside. Over time, Christianity took root alongside crops as missionaries emerged from the shores, spreading their message. Around the 9th north to lay stake to the land. They eventually melded into society and founded the Dublin you know and love. Later the French Normans would follow suit, and the beautiful castles and churches you’ve no doubt admired in wonder are the proud products of their conquest. Finally, we arrive at a strenuous point in Ireland’s history; the relationship with Great Britain that would dominate the 17th of strong, unabashed revolt. In 1922, the Irish War of Independence led to secession from Britain, and in 1937 the Constitution gave birth to the Republic of Ireland.

What emerges from the strife and chaos that ran rampant

throughout Irish history is an identity that is well-recognized worldwide. We find a culture overflowing with traditions and customs that not only hint at an enduring history, but speak volumes of the resolve and hope of the Irish people. It is heard in the music streaming through the streets. It is read in the ink comprising the words of great Irish authors, playwrights, and poets. It can be tasted in the food prepared from recipes handed down in old pages, from one mother to another. It can be felt in everyday exchanges, in evening gatherings, and in the most commonplace of conversations. Stemming from the previous need to place survival above all, there has come an appreciation for taking the century, the hulking Scandinavian Vikings descended from the wintery century. This gave rise to tales of oppression, injustice, famine and, ultimately, time to enjoy life’s pleasures – be it a pint (or two... or several!) shared with old friends at the local pub, a night spent carousing, singing and dancing or long chats over hot tea.

What you will find here is a nation that will welcome you with wide open arms, imploring you to explore and discover to your heart’s content. What you will encounter is humility and kindness, an unpretentious and wholesome outlook.

You will find love and open-heartedness in the most unexpected places. You will find family in the ones around you and familiarity in the friends and folk who share this city with you. And, ultimately, with time...you will find home.

SEPTEMBER 2014

Only in Ireland...

,,

-Hamza Mahmood-

On Being Irish...

“

People always seem happy to meet you when they know you’re Irish. You can go anywhere in the world and everyone you meet will have some distant Irish connection to brag about to you...that’s always entertaining!

“

-Aoife Burke-

,,

Being Irish means having THE Irish Mammy. All Irish people can feel a sense of unity as they bond over memories involving the wooden spoon, boiled 7up and the latest gossip based on who was at mass.

“

,,

,,

-Ruadhan O’Laoi-

You’re not Irish until you refer to your closest friends by the most obscene, vulgar, and derogatory names.

-Anish Patil-

Photo credits to Joe Hsaio.

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REBECCA JAGOO

“I

Students of RCSI

#STUDENTLIFE

,,

n life things happen beyond our control, even though we’ve tried our best. The more you cling to what was, the more you suffocate the life out of this moment. Breathe, let go, and let things be. Be kind and give love purely. Better days are coming. Keep the faith. There is a plan for you. Be patient.

- AMNA MAHMOOD (MEDICINE)

Lo¥alt¥ ¢ard$ & $tudent dis¢ount$* I *offers or terms and conditions may change. Always check before you sign up.

t is almost impossible to fit everything in my wallet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not filled with money… but how is anyone supposed to keep all their loyalty cards with limited card holders? In Dublin, I’ve gotten a little card crazy and have loyalty cards to pretty much everywhere within Dublin 2. These small cards save you big bucks. How do you get your hands on these budget miracles? Just ask! Most places have cards available at the cash register. Even if they don’t have a loyalty card they often offer around a 10% off student discount with your RCSI student card. Here are my favourites:

DUNNES That’s right a loyalty card to the grocery store right across the street from Mercer, the one place that you will shop consistently. Whether you are buying groceries, clothes, kitchen supplies, or alcohol, this card can earn you points. Around Christmas and Easter they send out vouchers for the points you have accumulated at a ratio of 100 points to €1*. You would be surprised how quickly the points add up, last year I got 80 euros back in vouchers at Christmas alone. My favourite part is that it comes as key chain so it’s always accessible.

Cards are available at the registers and are sometimes provided in your move-in package at Mercer.

BOOTS Another great way to get money back on purchases is the Boots Advantage card. You collect 4 cent per euro spent to use on other purchases*. You can collect money back on anything in store, including medication, toiletries, and make-up. So next time you have the sniffles, get money back on your medication to buy yourself some warm tea.

EASONS

This restaurant is a student favourite, and for good reason. Great menu varieties cater to a variety of eating preferences: vegetarian, gluten-free, meat-lovers, and all at low prices. Located conveniently on South William Street not far from the college or library, it is not uncommon to find yourself there more than once a week. The Nando’s chilies card allows you to collect points for every meal purchased and you can redeem them for free meals in the future*. The card is available in store and must be registered online to collect points.

CLARENDON

Image courtesy of Clarendon

Claredon Medical is the local medical store and sells textbooks and medical supplies. A great place if you want your own copy of Gray’s, some gloves for anatomy, or a lab coat. Get 5% off all future purchases*. Buy all the medical essentials here and earn points for your purchases, on their points card available at the store.

The points can be used to buy textbooks and other items. Be wary when buying textbooks, it is cheaper to buy used textbooks, use the libraries, or check online for pdfs and other sources provided by RCSI. Check it out on the RCSI Library webpage.

STARBUCKS Image courtesy of Easons.

Easons specializes in books, stationary, and school supplies. The Eason’s Thank You Card allows you to earn 3 points per euro purchased, and each point is worth 1 cent*. You need 250 points total before they can be redeemed for in-store or online purchases. There is an Easons conveniently located in St. Stephen’s Green Mall and just off Nassau Street.

SEPTEMBER 2014

LEAP CARD

NANDOS

For all those coffee lovers or late night study sessions there is a card for you. Starbucks offers loyalty cards offering stars for every purchase. After 15 stars, you get then a free beverage. Every time u pay u get one star*. If Starbucks isn’t your cup of tea (pun intended) most other coffee places will have some form of loyalty stamp program.

SIMI POWAR

Image courtesy of wexfordbus.

For all those commuting around Dublin, a Leap card is essential. It can be used on Dublin Bus, LUAS, DART, and commuter trains. Top up the credit on the card to use it. The card boasts that the fare is 19% cheaper than single fare for bus, 20% cheaper for LUAS, and 23% cheaper for DART and rail*. Also, you will need this card if you plan to buy a 30 day student pass for the bus for €100*.

SUBWAY Subway above Londis on Grafton Street is one of the few places always open and their SUBCARD gets you great savings. You collect 1 point every 15 cents spent*. Points can be redeemed for a hot drink, a snack (a cheese toastie, pepperoni toastie, meatballs, garden side salad or nachos), a regular 6” Sub, flatbread or salad or a regular 12” Sub or flatbread* depending on the number of points earned from a range of 100 to a 1000.

You can use their special app or pick up a card in-store.

CINEWORLD Now this is a card I wish I could use. Unfortunately, I don’t live close enough to a Cineworld to see 3 movies a month (at about €8.70 a movie, you need to see about 2.5 movies to break even) But if you live close enough, €21.40 unlimited films for the month* and 10% off food and shopping is a great deal! However, hold on to your 3d glasses because they charge per pair. Regular tickets can still get a student discount with student ID and often you can save if you book online.

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ARSHMEET CHAWLA verything is new! The college, the people and for most of you, the country! It isn’t easy dealing with that. Most of you may feel homesick; some of you might have difficulties making friends. Well you don’t need to worry! RCSI is your home now and we are here to make sure that you do well.

The RCSI Ear

#STUDENTLIFE

them. This can be the beginning of some amazing friendships so make sure you don’t miss out!

Ireland is an amazing country but home is still home. All of us feel homesick at some point in our first year. Some of us may find it harder to be away from home than others.

There are ways that we can adapt so we don’t miss home too much.

Hang out with your new friends!

They are in the same position as you and they probably miss home as much as you do. Get involved in college activities and keep yourself busy. Of course, technology has made it so much easier to keep in touch with our loved ones. Take advantage of it! Use Skype, Facebook, Whatsapp, etc. Keep talking to your old friends too. It keeps those relationships strong. Take time out of your schedule to call your family. We may not realise it but sometimes we get so lost in our studies that it can bring us down. Family support is essential in these situations.

Let’s start with making new friends. It’s the first week of college. Pretty much everyone feels somewhat nervous, awkward, and overwhelmed. For some of you, making new friends may seem very challenging. Well we say, leave the shyness at the door! Open up and talk. This is really your best chance. Talk to everyone. Just say hello! Attend as many freshers’ week events as you can! Join a club or society that interests you! If you live on campus, try to get to know the people on your floor. If you live off campus, hang around RCSI as much as you can. There’s plenty to do; especially in these first few days. Just take the initiative! ReThis column is all about you and for you. You can send in your questions anonymously via the moodle page. member that you’re going to be spending the next five The questions can be about any problems that you may encounter and we will do our best to provide you or six with these people. So take a chance! Get to know with a solution. If you feel like you need additional help, our student services and student welfare officers are always there to help you with anything. Don’t hesitate to ask for help!

“Hello, Niteline?”

If you’ve ever given us a call, you’ve heard that line before. But most people reading this probably haven’t given us much thought beyond a casual glance at the sticker on the back of the bathroom door. In fact, a lot of students may not have heard of us or know what we do.

We are Niteline, a telephone and online listening service for students of Dublin colleges and universities like RCSI. We are open every night of term from 9:00 p.m.-2:30 a.m. You can call us at 1800-793-793, or log into our instant messaging service at niteline.ie. We are 100% student-run; after all, who understands students better than other students? We are thrilled to talk about absolutely - whether it be good news, bad news, or even if you’re just bored, we’re here for you. Whatever’s on your mind, rest assured that whichever volunteer you speak with will not share your conversation with anyone else, not even other volunteers. Niteline is strictly and completely anonymous and confidential. You don’t know us and we don’t know you, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have a chat!

Interested in joining the Niteline family? Check out our website (niteline.ie) to download a volunteer application form. We’ll be accepting applications until September 20th, and any student of any age is welcome to apply.

If you want to learn more, stop by our booth at the Societies sign-up day this week to say hello! Be sure to like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter, and keep an eye out for us throughout the year. Happy Fresher’s Week RCSI!

SEPTEMBER 2014

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Welcome to THE WELLNESS WHEEL!

#STUDENTLIFE

A column devoted to you and your wellness. You may be thinking to yourself “Why wellness?” or you may not know exactly what wellness is and why it’s important enough to have a whole column devoted to it. Let me define it for you. Wellness is how all aspects of your life, from social, physical, environmental to emotional and spiritual factors combine to form your state of being. It is a conscious and self-directed process that every individual must develop in order to become their best self. And who doesn’t want to be their BEST self? I know I do.

T

This column is called The Wellness Wheel because much like a wheel, wellness is a cycle. The Wellness Wheel is based on seven key aspects of well-being and each one of these factors are connected. Although it might not seem like it, all components influence each other and they all add up to make a wheel with you at the centre.

MOYOWA BOYO

he first thing to get you started on your wellness journey is awareness. Look at each piece of the wellness wheel and take inventory of your life. How do you feel about each part? Are certain aspects thriving while some others are shrinking? Be honest with yourself. This isn’t about judgement. It is simply about becoming aware of where you stand and how each piece of your wellness wheel is working together.

Next grab a piece of paper and draw your own wellness wheel. Congratulate yourself on the areas you feel you’re succeeding in and pick one area which needs improvement. Focus on that one area and ask yourself some critical questions. For example, if you chose Creativity & Intellect, you could ask yourself “How do I express myself creatively?” or “In what ways do I learn from the world around me?”. Take the time to think about the questions and write down your answers.

Then come up with a list of ideas that could help you move in a positive direction in this area of your life. Pick one idea from your list and try it out and see if it works for you. Don’t be discouraged if your idea doesn’t work, instead pick up your list and try something else. You can even do this activity with a friend you trust and make it a project for the two of you. Remember that wellness is a dynamic process. It’s constantly changing and evolving. If you are aware of this you can create change and growth in a way that supports you and pushes you to be your best.

Lastly, as with many things in life, with wellness, you get what you give. If you give a lot, you get back a lot. It’s simple. So be enthusiastic to start your wellness journey and commit to it. You won’t regret it!

SEPTEMBER 2014

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ARUN B & DAPHNE YEN

RCShape!

S

#SPORTS&FITNESS

ummer is over and it’s time to get back to the books, but being a healthcare professional isn’t all about study; as future doctors, physios and pharmacists we will be expected to promote healthy lifestyle choices to our patients and all those who come to us for help. Is it fair to ask them to do that which we won’t do ourselves? We don’t think so either.

Changing your lifestyle won’t happen overnight or in the blink of an eye, but that’s how quickly you can decide you’re going to make that change. It takes months of hard discipline and self-control before results are seen. The journey will be hard and long –but, luckily, you have us.

RCShape will be your guide, bringing you helpful tips throughout the process; which brings us to our first point: KICK-STARTING YOUR PROGRAMME.

‘How, Where and When do I start ?’

•BE CLEAR WITH YOUR FITNESS GOALS. -What is your desired outcome?

-Different training programs are meant to result in various outcomes.

-Know what is your end goal before starting a program (but this goal is subjected to change over the training phase).

•BALANCED WORK, COLLEGE AND PERSONAL LIFE -Completing a fitness program requires time and is a big investment.

-This doesn’t mean you have to totally kill your social life (if existent in the first place) or totally ignore college responsibilities (this cannot be an excuse to miss lectures).

-Make small compromises to include the training program into your daily life, like getting up that little bit earlier or giving that game

of pool a miss.

-Visit the gym in between lectures or go for a run in St Stephen’s Green if you prefer the fresh air.

SEPTEMBER 2014

1.Avoid fast food as far as possible: fast food has high content of trans fat and minimal nutritional value.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH “Muscles are torn in the gym, fed in the 2.A balanced diet is essential kitchen, built in the bed.”

3.Make changes to your diet to suit your training -Muscle building: high protein -Long distance training or heavy energy exercises: High carbohydrates -Weight loss: reduce carbohydrate intake (reduce not avoid), increase energy output, increase protein intake (muscle recovery).

•YOU KNOW YOURSELF BEST -Everyone is different.

-You are your biggest competition -So take your time, know your limits and constantly try to improve -Take rest days, ensure your body has sufficient rest before your next training session -Rest and sleep are essential!!!!

Make sure your body gets the rest it needs.

•PUT IT ON PAPER. -A written plan may encourage you to stay on track.

-Keep track of your progress and this will serve as motivation.

-Constantly try to improve on yesterday

THE Commentator’s B X...

SARAH KEYES

YOUR Diet Plan HAS TO COMPLEMENT YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM.

Image courtesy of Yoge (PhotoSoc)

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4.Choose complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates -Complex: take longer to digest, gradual rise in insulin levels Eg: brown rice, sweet potato, quinoa -Simple carbohydrates: give a quick spike in insulin levels, instant energy which won’t last long Eg: white rice, sweets, candy, white flour

cartoon by Will Mc Phail

nother academic year starts, for some it’s the beginning of a new era. With the hustle and bustle of college life, I’m as sure as anyone else that the social aspect of college is not going to be put on the back burner. A new college and a new country can be daunting for some. Some of you may miss home, and some may have a bit of a culture shock coming to Dublin. One way to make your transition into RCSI a smooth and fun one is meeting new people and making friends, and this can be done by joining one of the many clubs available in RCSI. It is in university that we are said to make some of the most important and special friendships of our lives. These are friendships that we carry with us throughout life.

Joining a sports club is the perfect way to get to know people and to ease you into the friendly environment here at RCSI. Joining a club can offer you many things depending on the club you join. If you would like to get to know loads of people from the get go and are interested in improving your communication skills, then joining a team sport is probably your best option.

Teams such as the GAA, Soccer and Rugby teams are all available for both Men and Women. As a member of these teams I can say that they have most definitely helped me meet many people from different courses

No matter how disciplined you are with your training program, you won’t reach the intended results if you don’t watch what you eat! and years. This has made college a friendlier place overall and a lot more enjoyable. For those of you who are interested in trying something new, RCSI offers a variety of unorthodox sports such as Archery, Table Tennis, Climbing and Karate. One thing to note about each club in RCSI is the friendly atmosphere at all trainings and practices. Whether you have experience in a particular field or whether you are eager to start a new sport, everyone is welcome to join. Due to the number of clubs available, I would recommend signing up for anything that interests you. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to rock climb? Or maybe you want to chance your arm at one of our national sports; Gaelic football? You don’t need to worry about whether or not you have the time to fit all of these extracurricular activities into your busy schedule. After the first couple of weeks when you are settled in and you’ve tried the clubs you were interested in, you can simply choose your favourites and opt out of the clubs you won’t have time for. Yes, education and our studies are why we are in college however it is important not to burn out and to enjoy your college years. After all, they only get harder and more serious as you progress!

So why not enjoy the time you have now, meet some new people, and join some clubs.

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Sign up day is Wednesday 10 September! for more info on other clubs and societies visit https://www.rcsi.ie/clubs_societies

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s ES PR AIL: rc EM Pharmacy Society is a must-join for all pharmacy students and anyone else looking to get to know new people and enjoy one of our many events throughout the year. We are a very active society and host a whole range of very diverse and enjoyable events during the college year.

Our main event is the annual Pharmacy Ball, which will be held in the first couple of weeks after the Christmas Break, and is always one of the biggest and best nights of the college year. Be sure to get your hands on tickets early when they become available, as they always sell out quickly! Pharmsoc’s first night of the year will be our Fresher’s Fiesta night in Dicey’s nightclub during Fresher’s week. This is always a good night and a great way to get to know more people in your class and from other

years and courses in RCSI. Some of the other events that we will be hosting throughout the year include the MiniBall, Pizza Nights, Fourth Year Farewell and the Scavenger Hunt around Dublin to name just a few! We’re also hoping to have a weekend away some time towards the end of the year, so keep your eyes peeled for that one. On the academic side of things, we will be hosting a careers evening where guest speakers will give advice and insights into the various paths you can take once you graduate with a pharmacy degree. Be sure to find our stand on sign-up day, and we can add you to the mailing list and answer any other questions you might have about Fresher’s Week and the year ahead

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Calling all dancers and workout lovers! We would love for you to be a part of DanceSoc! With 5 classes a week, DanceSoc is by far one of the most active societies at RCSI. We offer zumba, ballet, jazz, hip hop, breakdance and irish dances every week and exciting workshops like bollywood and salsa! All classes are in Damer Hall, right across from the school. Anyone and everyone is welcome, no matter what your level of experience is. DanceSoc is a warm, welcoming and fun environment. Dance class is a great way to get a workout in and stay in shape during the school year as well as a good

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study break. It’s really a great way to meet new people. The teachers are enthusiastic, love what they do and cater to the needs of the students in class. Our choreography is used in Chocolate Ball and International Night. Most importantly, DanceSoc has a great executive team that works to constantly improve our classes to ensure we are the best society we can be. We are always looking for our members input so give us a shout whenever. Whether you just want to drop by, or come by every week check us out!

The archery club is a great place to come if you just want to come down and blow off steam, or if you wish to have a serious go at it. The sport itself is not as complex as it seems, you’ll be able to pick up the basics quickly and begin straight away. Beginners will be given extra help and after the initial process of learning how to pull, aim and fire, you can then move on to further targets and eventually smaller targets.

The club boasts a large range of competitions available for those who wish to have a go at intervarsities. The competitions are held all around Ireland and will give you an opportunity to meet other students and archers from various universities and also let you have a look around Ireland itself.

The competitions range from beginners to advanced

levels so anyone, regardless of experience, can come down and have a go at these competitions. The club has also brought back various medals and awards from the intervarsities.

Given the frequency of the tournaments there will be many opportunities for anyone who is willing to work for it to win a medal!

Archery is not as physically taxing as other more physical sports but it requires a high level of concentration.

It helps you learn to focus your mind to the target and also helps in gaining a stable arm. It is a fun sport to try out and by joining the club you will be given many opportunities to not only win medals for yourself but to meet new friends and see new places as well!

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ICSIDEN rgical Surgical Soc hosts talks, practical skills G R PRE : su events, and careers evenings throughout the

AIL academic year. If you’re interested in a surgical caEM reer (or are just nosy), pop along to one of our talks/wine

receptions.

Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RCSISurgicalSociety

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What do we do?

We hold weekly club nights where students can play against each other. We also hold coaching sessions for beginners and intermediate level players.

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“Why should I play chess?” I hear you ask.

The story of chess is that of a battle and like any other sport in this world, there are two teams. The white pieces which get the advantage from the word go, and the black pieces, which aim to counter attack. Each chess game is a story that you create as you wait to see how it will end.

The most striking thing you notice when entering the playing hall at a chess tournament is the sense of intense tension in the hall, even though the entire hall is quiet.

You will see spectators crowding around the top boards eagerly waiting for the next move. The importance of the battle-taking place on the board was illustrated at the Chess Olympiad held in Norway this year when two former world champions and sworn enemies, refused to even shake hands with each other before their game!

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All us cool kids over at Art Soc would like to welcome you baby-faced freshers to RCSI!!! We have classes every Monday evening, so instead of sobbing into your Gray’s Anatomy you should come over and join us! We have everything from finger painting to intricate anatomy sketching, so whether you consider yourself the next Da Vinci or have never held a paint brush, you’ll have fun with us here at Art Soc (better known as banter soc by our stunning members). Come to meet new friends, discover your talents and eat free pizza all in one place! You can join our fabulous society by asking us nicely at sign-up day during freshers week or just send us an email. Byeeeeeee xoxo

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We are the Orthopaedic Society and this year it is going tibia a good year. We like to think we are better than all the wrist of the societies. All humerus jokes aside, we’re here to offer the students of RCSI an opportunity to meet with students with similar interests and gather information regarding Orthopaedics as a future profession.

includes a presentation from a leading innovator in surgical technology as well as an interactive demonstration of surgical tools. This is one event not to be missed. Whether you were born practice orthopaedics or you are just browsing to see if you have any interest in the field, this society is for you. There will be lots of opportunity to get involved, so stay tuned for lots of events coming up this year!

The RCSI Orthopaedics Society is going to run unique sessions packed with mixture of talks and hands-on demonstrations. Due to popular demand, we will be bringing back the Stryker event. This

Check out our Facebook page for upcoming events: RCSI Orthopaedics Society-https://www.facebook. com/RCSIOrthopaedics

If you’re looking for a creative outlet this year check out the Royal College Players! Don’t be fooled by our name - we are not a club of manipulation and seduction, but rather a club that appreciates the dramatic arts.

Dublin.

In past years we have held auditions for an annual play, written and performed sketches for a Comedy Night, held acting workshops and arranged subsidized trips to watch productions in theatres around

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The chess club in RCSI is a relatively new club. Our players range from beginners, to club level players, to players who have represented their countries in international tournaments. We aim to provide a fun environment for all levels of chess players to play and improve their game. Why not come to the chess club and see what stories you create on the chessboard!

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Only the chess players themselves know what is going through their minds as they spend hours sitting at the board, lost in the game. The roller coaster of emotions they experience in a single game is astounding. The player can initially experience joy at having outplayed the opponent in the opening, to facing intense pressure in the middle game as the opponent’s pieces launch an attack against the king, and all the while the player holds hope and dreams for a way to break out and launch their own plan. There is a time limit for each game and some chess games tell stories of brilliant play with beautiful plans throughout the game, only to loose it all in the time scramble at the end.

Whether you have experience or not, we welcome actors, sound and lighting technicians, sketch writers, and everyone else! Be sure to check out our booth at Clubs/Societies Sign-Up day and meet us. We will have information about upcoming play auditions and other events we have planned for the year. See you soon, players.

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#SOCIETIES Did you know that recycling just one tin can, could save enough energy to power a television for up to 3 hours? Probably not... But that’s why the Environment Society is here!

EnviroSoc is all about spreading environmental awareness throughout the campus. We invite you to tag along in our fun, nature-themed adventures such as rewarding beach clean-ups, trekking through amazingly green forests & watching majestic whales. Last year, we foraged for food in beautiful scenic Wicklow, where we tasted an assortment of surprisingly appetizing wild plants. We also traveled to the rocky shores of Killiney Beach, to help maintain the beauty of this wondrous emerald island.

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everyone at EnviroSoc! And let’s not forget our very own annual Green Week, in which we get everyone involved in our attempts to emphasize environmentalism, and pave the way to attaining a Green Campus status in Ireland and winning the Green Flag award. Green Campus is a government-run programme to help perpetuate sustainability in universities.

Finally we welcome everyone to the society and look forward to a great year with you, feel free to email us and follow us on Facebook at www. facebook.com/RCSIEnviroSoc, where we will post all our events and green tips for the week.

Our little efforts can have a huge impact on protecting the environment; so let’s definitely work towards this.

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The Choral Society is a co-ed choir full of enthusiastic students from different programs at RCSI. We perform at RCSI events, such as International Night, and host our own Christmas and Spring concerts.

If you’d like to get involved with or get more information on The Choral Society, drop us an email. Looking forward to singing with you!

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number, power and capacity to become a group whose continuous efforts can make a difference in the lives of those with cancer. Devoted to enhancing student awareness of the latest developments in cancer research, as well as raising money in support of research, patient care and support services, RCSI Cancer Society has successfully hosted numerous notable events. Events such as the Pink Party, Movember, Relay for Life and a Day in the Life of an Oncologist have been successful in fundraising and awareness promotion, with 100% of our proceeds going to both the Irish Cancer Society and Breast Cancer Ireland. Throughout the year, we also collaborate with these groups in national cancer awareness campaigns and fundraisers such as Daffodil Day and the Movember run.

There are many perks of being an RCSI Cancer Society member. This year, we

SEPTEMBER 2014

want to focus on hands-on volunteer work with patients. From first hand experience, much of our committee knows that this work is not only vastly rewarding mentally and emotionally, but is also highly beneficial in the development of patient contact skills. There’s nothing more fulfilling than knowing that you, even in the smallest way, contributed to putting a smile on a patient’s face. As future healthcare professionals, we need to join together to not only raise awareness of preventative measures and the pathology of cancer, but also to help make life easier for those who are already afflicted with the disease.

Our committee is made up of dedicated students who have a passion for making a difference. However, none of our success would be possible without your support.

We welcome all members, especially you, freshers! If you don’t make it to our stall on sign up day, shoot us an emai. We’re also on Facebook- RCSI Cancer Societyso feel free to like our page! We don’t need to wait for our degrees to start contributing to a better future for patients! We look forward to seeing you this year, RCSI.

Do you love animals? Are you already homesick mainly because you miss your pets? Have no fear, the RCSI Critters Society understands you. Join our society to meet other animal junkies. With activities such as monthly dog walking trips to an animal shelter, you no longer need to stare longingly at other people’s pets on the street and make desperate attempts to cuddle them.

Other activities include talks which educate the student population about the benefits of service animals in healthcare today and annual trips to the zoo. During exam time, we usually have an exam de-stressor event where dogs are brought into RCSI! This is a relaxing event that takes your mind off the hardships of school for a couple of hours. We also raise funds for animal welfare societies in Dublin via these events. We are a new and growing society so new

events are being planned and we are always open to suggestions.

This year we intend to commence an exciting event we call, “ Rent –APuppy”. This would be a fundraising event where you would be able to enjoy the company of a lovely puppy for a small donation.. This year promises to be a great one for the Critters Society so join our facebook group: RCSI Critters or email us to be added to our mailing list.

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Who can become a member of the Caribbean and African society, aka CAS? Anyone willing to experience the dynamic culture of carnival, rhythm, drums, soca music and festive dance in all its bright colours with its religious diversity. You don’t have to be of Caribbean or African descent to join!

EVENTS!!!

The first event was named the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ a momentus party/ fete which has now evolved into a yearly freshers week event, the White Party.

The Chocolate Ball raises funds to assist in the fight against the worldwide epidemic of HIV/AIDS. This has become the society’s largest event to date. Tickets sell out fast so make sure to get yours early. Date: 7th November, 2014. Come delve into

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the best culinary delights which Africa and the Caribbean have to offer. For the adventure seekers, come taste our selection of spicy dishes. For the faint of heart, there will also be a selection of milder, but equally flavourful and exotic selections. CAS also host several parties, including Dancehall, Reggae and Soca parties, throughout the school year.

For more information on CAS and how to become a member see the RCSI CAS Page on Facebook or email us.

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laxed and comfortable atmosphere where all are welcome whether they are Christian or not. Each week we spend some time learning what it is all about and before and after that we chat and hang out over snacks. Everyone is welcome Find us on Facebook Groups: RCSI Christian Union

In RCSI, cricket serves as an alternative to the stressful college life. We have an absolutely stunning ground beside the Dublin airport, overlooking the take-off and landing of flights. With carpet grass and a particularly helpful groundsmen team, a college cricket team cannot ask for more. We train on weekends in the indoor nets at Trinity and play our matches at Dardistown, RCSI sports ground.

We play in three annual tournaments and first of them is the Indoor Inter varsities, played during winter. This is when we get to travel as a team to different counties and have a bit of fun, well more fun than you would expect!

We also play the outdoor Inter varsities, played in a knockout format where home and away teams are drawn.

The most awaited annual game is the Colles Cup, where we play Prof Clive Lee’s team from Trinity in the College Park.

SEPTEMBER 2014

We do not have strict timings to adhere to and hence, trainings and friendlies are organized to suit majority’s convenience. We believe in friendlies more than trainings to bring the best out of the team and hence, we play an average of seven to eight friendlies prior to tournaments. With plenty of matches, everyone is ensured sufficient game time. We have numerous nationalities on the team and we provide you an excellent platform to broaden your horizons in an international environment. Meeting seniors and gaining academic advice, getting to know different cultures, watching international cricket matches as a team are all part of the package.

Cricket is not time consuming and even if you are not a Sachin Tendulkar or a Shane Warne, not to worry, you might still get into the team!

If you want to learn a new sport, why wait?! Look for the most passionate guys in the Clubs & Societies sign up day and get started!

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Having won the title ‘Society of the year’ twice within the last four years, RCSI s r Debating Society is no doubt one of the most i dh c@rc well established societies in the college. Debate n a o ): R ates Soc gives students the opportunity to bring forth their S ( b T e ideologies and cultural perspectives on pressing international DEN AIL: d I S E issues. Whether we discuss topics such as abortion or even the EM PR origins of Santa Claus, one thing that is certain is that the banter and fun is never-ending.

can join, and if individuals want to join but are not entirely keen on speaking they can simply attend our meetings and listen to the captivating arguments as well as help plan for our grand events.

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We host some of the best events in college, and our wine and cheese receptions are legendary. Our events often see some of the best speakers in Ireland giving their views on the most contentious issues.

In the upcoming academic year, we hope to further strengthen our society by theming each month with differing topics and fully exploring these by means of guest speaker events, light debates as well as explanatory sessions.

Our members are given great opportunities for participation in competitions, both locally and internationally. Many of our past members performed exceptionally well at these competitions with Elizabeth Flynn and Eoin Kelleher winning the Irish Times tournament in 2012 and more recently, Randhir Seetaram (current president) and Vikhnapriya Ganesan reaching to the finals of the Novice Irish Mace in 2014. Anyone with any level of debating experience

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Society is relatively new with this being only its third year in operation. For those of you who were drawn to med school by the promise of an exciting, exhilarating, blood-pumping day-today lifestyle this society is for you!

Through weekends away, all-day practical tutorial sessions, lectures and symposia we aim to give the student body here at RCSI a taste of what life as an Emergency Medic is all about. Last year saw some tremendously successful events including an ECG Masterclass, an evening with Dr. Niamh Collins looking at respiratory emergencies and visitors including Lt. Col. Anthony Corcor-

Defence Forces, Dr. George Little, former Emergency Consultant with HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) in London and Dr. Valerie Hayes, an expedition medic.

We have high hopes for the coming year and indeed we are all excited about the return of our much anticipated Trauma Module, which will feature a day long series of practical and theory sessions looking at all types of trauma and its medical management. Our last Trauma Module saw the day ending with a car crash demo complete with an overturned car, fire brigade on-scene and rescue demonstrations. Who knows what will creep up on us this year!

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The Biological Society is RCSI’s oldest society and devoted to promoting academic and clinical excellence. We receive a lot of support from the faculty and winning one of the case competitions will help your CV to stand out!

And if case competitions and medals don’t sound appealing enough, come to our annual meeting in January and experience the largest wine & cheese reception (canapes included!) of any RCSI society. Our events really are a lot of fun!

So drop by, email us or check out our FB page!

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We would like to welcome all freshers to our wonderful community at college and urge all of you to give debating a try. Even if you have never done it before, sign up and you may have more fun than you think.

To get involved send us an email or like us on Facebook at RCSI Debating Society.

“Hi everyone! In PMCSA, we pride ourselves on giving members of the RCSI community a chance to experience our vibrant blend of Malaysian culture, food and hospitality. For Malaysians in RCSI, it’s a chance to experience home away from home. For other RCSI-ans, an opportunity to get to know and indulge in the Malaysian culture.

Last year was an incredible year for PMCSA. We won both the International Night (a night of wonderful performances from around the world) and International Food Night (a night to over-indulge in various international cuisines). Ev-

ery year, Diwali, Eid, Chinese New Year festivals are celebrated joyously in events organised by PMCSA and happily attended by RCSI-ans of all nationalities.

All we can say in PMCSA is sign-up and attend our events and you will know what we mean by Malaysian’s festive and warm hospitality. We welcome all RCSI-ans to join us this year in making our celebrations and events even more colourful and vibrant.

Welcome to PMCSA! “

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Assalamu’alaikum (Peace be upon you!) from the Islamic Society!

The Islamic Society is one of the biggest and most active societies on campus, winning Society of the Year three times in the last five years. We are committed to supporting students indifferent aspects of their college life and catering for your spiritual, social and entertainment needs.

Our events are always non-alcoholic and open to everyone; we welcome all nationalities and religions to partake in any of our events and hope you feel free to approach us. We’re planning a very special celebration for Eid ul-Adha (a major celebration in Islam), which is a must-attend event. We also organize fundraising, football and free food as well as many more social and relaxed activities throughout the year.

Friday prayer is held every Friday in the RCSI Prayer Room, with sermons in both English and Arabic and we host weekly Islamic

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t r MusicSoc was one of RCSI’s first societies and remains Gra soc@ c What’s the craic an integral part of student life. Arguably the highg M irish n i l freshers?! light of Freshers’ and RAG week, the Ballad Sessions L: is : A EMAI ) organized by MusicSoc are college traditions that S ( If you understood that then unite cultures and musical tastes in a celebration ENT D I S you’re probably Irish and so Irish E of sound. We also host acoustic nights and jam PR Soc is where you’re meant to be! If you didn’t sessions throughout the year, to allow students then isn’t it about time you learnt?! Irish Soc is to meet new people and express their artistic side the place for genuine Irish citizens and adopted in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. A new addition to our citizens alike, it’s our mission to ensure that in the October calendar is the Cork Jazz festival trip, which midst of all your studies there’s always time for will give students the chance to see world-class pera bit of whatever Ireland means to you; whethformers firsthand. er that’s decent banter and a lively session with friends, or a weekend trip to one of Ireland’s MusicSoc is heavily involved in the college’s national national treasures! and international charity contributions, and raised half of RCSI’s charity donation to MS Ireland over the past Last year’s Irish Soc highlights includyear. We also collaborate with other college societies to ed a trip to the Cliffs of Moher, a bring students annual blockbuster events such as Interphenomenal Paddy’s weeknational Night, Chocolate Ball and College Ball. sh

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Look for our booth on Sign-up Day to join. Alternatively, get in touch with committee members via email, or simply walk up to us and say hi! Our Facebook page will keep you updated on the latest musical events and happenings, and will also provide students with the contact details of committee members.

Remember, MusicSoc members are the Kings and Queens of the student life scene. It’s time for you to take up your crown!

SEPTEMBER 2014

Get involved: We are always looking for people to help out. If you’re interested and want to get involved in the committee, come to the RCSI ISoc stall on sign up day or send us an email or a message us on Facebook.

We are a relatively new society that has only been around for a few years. Our purpose is to create an open and welcoming environment to students of all sexual orientations, and is supportive of equal rights. We would like our society to be a safe space for students to be themselves, meet other like-minded individuals and to be comfortable discussing issues that affect the LGBT community.

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Fancy yourself the next Ed Sheeran? Maybe hip hop’s more your thing. What about indie rock or even the blues? Well, whatever your musical preference, we’ve got just what the doctor ordered (pun intended).

circles (halaqas) throughout the year, where we share knowledge as well as motivation and encouragement. The circles are relaxed and always open for anyone to join at any time to listen in or contribute. We also hold formal talks and debates with renowned speakers who cover contemporary issues and topics, and we are anticipating a year of uplifting and thought-provoking events to come.

One of the society’s yearly campaigns is our Discover Islam Week, where an Islamic exhibition is set up on campus with freebies and activities. This is one of our most anticipated sessions to provide information about Islam as a way of life and to clear common misconceptions.

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end Party and numerous pub nights and movie nights for some good old fashioned craic (=fun!).

This year we’re expanding that to include trips to the Giant’s Causeway and Glendalough, as well as Céilí nights, “milk and cookies” story-telling nights, trips to the RDS and Croke Park for sporting events and much, much more!

Our events are relaxed and entertaining, and a fantastic opportunity to meet people and make friends you’ll have throughout your time here and beyond. So now is your chance, join Irish Soc this week at sign up day, come to our events, or forever regret what might have been! Feel free to send us an email and don’t forget to join us on facebook at RCSI IRISH SOCIETY! (all capitals, because we’re just that exciting). See you at sign up day!

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N IDE IL: ru S E A PR EM RCSI has a proud and rich rugby heritage and this year we are hoping to compete strongly. With club and college teams being organised for the first time this year there’s room for players of all levels and experience so it’s the perfect way to meet your peers and play a great game with a strong social background.

For more information like us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook. com/groups/RCSIrugby/

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ch eA i l ta Na si.ie d n c g a sa@r N m rly be AIL: a m i EM ): K S ( T N IDE S E PR

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The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is committed to improving health care and healthcare delivery to all people; promoting active improvement in medical education; involving its members in the social, moral and ethical obligations of the profession of medicine; assisting in the improvement and understanding of world health problems; contributing to the welfare of medical students, premedical students, interns, residents and post-MD/DO trainees; and advancing the profession of medicine.

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#SOCIETIES

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HT(S): J @rcs P A EN soc

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OHsiao S Y oe i.ie oto

PR IL: ph A EM

Have a camera you want to learn to get the most out of? Don’t have a camera but still interested in photography? Well, college is a great place to explore existing and new interests/hobbies so sign up for PhotoSoc! We go on a photography field trip every term and give lessons on how to use your camera to take great pictures! You can also like our Facebook page, ‘RCSI Photography Society’, where we post pictures of school events to share them with the RCSI community! You’ll find pictures of past events on there to see what they’re all like! (Don’t worry, we won’t judge if you stalk.)

SA rdan Limi.ie M CI ): Jo rcs

Past events have included USMLE Step 1 and 2 talks, Summer Experiences Talk, Electives Night, Sub-Internship Workshop, Heart Health Fair, Match Night, and Thanksgiving, among others.

Like our Facebook page to get updates about future events: https://www.facebook.com/AMSA.RCSI/info

Y T E CI

@ (S NT dian E D a an ESI PR AIL: c Calling all Canadians (and wanna-be Canadians)! Do EM you want information on how to get back to Canada? Are you

interested in meeting more Canadians at RCSI? Then CIMSA is the right society for you! We host various events throughout the year, such as CIMSA Thanksgiving, the Belfast Giants Hockey Trip, Residency and Observership Talks, and many more! Interested in getting more information? OF COURSE YOU ARE! Email us or look for us at Sign-up Day. We look forward to meeting you!

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C g Sch N E CI , Sara i.ie

S Peart e@rcs O R na enc

EU S): Joanurosci N E T( : ne

TH RESIDENEMAIL P

The RCSI Society of Neuroscience is run, coordinated and developed

by RCSI Students. We pride ourselves in the organisation of events and symposia of top standard featuring specialists in the ever-growing, ever-developing fields of clinical neurology, neurosurgery, neuro-opthalmology and neuro- psychiatry.

Last year saw many well-attended and positively acclaimed events coordinated by RCSI Society of Neuroscience. Our highlight was definitely our “Series on Epilepsy” entitles “Electrical Storm” which featured 6 internationally acclaimed experts on the condition who looked at epilepsy from a neurophysiological, neurogenetic, neurosurgery and neuropschiatry perspective. Speakers included Prof.

David Henshall (Neurophysiologist), Mr. Donnacha O’Brien (Neurosurgeon) and Mr. Mike Glynn (CEO of Epilepsy Ireland).

Our 2013/2014 spectrum of events also brought together experts in stroke which was examined from a neuropathology and neuroradiology perspective, all in an evening’s work in the Albert. Film also made its way into our programme of events with the first ever “Medfest” to be held in the Royal College of Surgeons. Chaired by a SEPTEMBER 2014

representative from the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland. Medfest featured the airing of a number of short films with a connection to medicine followed by a panel discussion. Indeed, attendees were exposed to the “popular culture” of medicine in today’s multimedia.

Each academic year is highlighted by paying tributes to a professional who has shown tremendous success in his/her contribution to the field of neuroscience. Chosen by the committee, our nominee is presented with a medal, named after the late Robert Bentley-Todd, an Irish-born physician who is best known for first describing the condition now known as Todd’s Palsy. Last year’s recipient was Prof.

David Henshall, on foot of his fantastic research achievements to date on the pathophysiology of epilepsy.

We hope to welcome many new Fresher’s to join us as we plan for what could well be our biggest and best year yet. With plans already ongoing for an Austism Spectrum Disorder public Engagement event, a neurosurgery sumposium, and an evening looking at MS we’re in for a busy year! See you in September! “

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PENNED FROM LAYVEENIEA ANANTHAN

Crossing continents, imagine floating in space; you see the earth, you see the seven continents (assuming you’ve been floating long enough for the earth to make a whole rotation upon its axis!). zooming in we focus on...EUROPE...zooming in further to focus on the UK. The tiny island next to that? Yeah, that’s Ireland. Just before touchdown, exactly like how they announce the arrival of the train at the next station, the air hostess will welcome all passengers to Dublin. You feel a slight flutter in your stomach, perhaps a twinge of excitement or nervousness. Or maybe you have spent the last 14 hours on the plane and are just eager to get on the ground.

Destination, Dublin: a new place, a new home and new people. Before you know it, you’re standing in front of a magnificent 200-year-old pre-war building; the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

A rich history permeates the walls of this building and knowing the fact that thousands of medical students, doctors and surgeons have walked the halls of this college, makes this experience all the more worthwhile. Freshers-welcome to RCSI! To the rest, welcome back.

Doesn’t time fly? Three years ago, I took my first ever 14 hour flight travelling nearly 9000 miles away from home and across two continents before stepping foot into Dublin. This was the beginning of something new; the excitement of flying miles away from my beloved Malaysia, a change in scenery and environment. Undoubtedly, the last three years have been the best of my life. Coming

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Penang

#INTERNATIONAL

from Kuala Lumpur, I expected to be greeted by the hustle and bustle of the city life but Dublin was surprisingly relaxed for a metropolis. The streets were not as congested as they were back home and the Dublin folk were definitely friendlier. Although I arrived in late September, I found Dublin to be fairly cold. Well, it was a significant change in weather, considering the fact that I come from a country that is hot and humid all year round (30 degrees at least!). It took me some time to acclimatize but once I did, I loved it. The wind blowing in my face on a cold November’s morning (to the extent that it stings, yeah, true story!) while I walk through the streets is the one thing I miss most about Dublin. In Malaysia, we get exhaust fumes in our faces while we walk down the streets.

masuk kandang harimau, mengaum’. Blend in and mingle. I met both my best friends, who are Irish by the way, in first year, and trust me; we are still as close as ever (although we hardly see much of each other, considering I now live in Malaysia!).

Some of you may be wondering: What about food? Sure, the most important question for some! What is life without some food, eh? The best advice to live cheap-cook! It may be time consuming, but sure does save a lot of euros!

I initially felt quite divided. A part of me was over the moon to be in Dublin-I always wanted to travel to Europe, and I finally got my chance; but then there was this constant pang of missing home, the warm weather and the longing to see my family that taunted me. My only consolation was the fact I already knew half the Malaysians in my year before coming to RCSI (I was from INTEC).

Settling into a new place is rarely fun or easy. Suddenly you’re a grown up. You have bills to pay, and decisions to make. Ostensibly it’s trivial, but for the many who have never lived on their own before, the responsibilities can seem overwhelming. It is as though you are your own keeper; everything is on YOU. Stuff you never imagined could be so problematic- such as financial planning- starts to consume your every thought. Every decision you make impacts your life here in Dublin. Sounds scary? Let me tell you this; I am who I am today because of I was able to learn to bear these responsibilities. Initially, they may overwhelm you. Take your time, settle down and sort them out one by one. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. The art of living in a new place is to blend in and act like the locals do. As the Malay saying goes ‘Masuk kandang kambing mengembek,

The best restaurant for home cuisine is Nyonya, on Dame Street. It’s a tad bit pricey, but with a Groupon voucher, you can enjoy a scrumptious meal without feeling guilty! Forget the calories for a day, we all need Malaysian food once in a while.

The Asia Market nearby the college is one of the closest stops for an Asian grocery shopping spree.

Soya sauce is an Asian necessity. Also, there are a couple of butchers who sell Halal meat for those who wish to purchase. All in all, life in RCSI is an amazing experience, from the lectures you attend, to the friends you make and the regular college events. There’s always a reason to get all glammed up and let your hair down. So don’t stress, just enjoy your time in RCSI.

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Laser Action in Killer Bees

Piaxtla, Mexico, August 2006.

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#STAFF SECTION

DR KEVIN McGUIGAN

olar disinfection of drinking water is thirsty work. You can build up a really respectable thirst while driving around the foothills of Southern Mexico in the back seat of a battered pick-up truck, wedged between two burly compañeros.

I’m in Piaxtla, which is a rural municipality of Puebla State in Mexico. Armando, the President of this Municipality (which equates to something between a mayor and a member of parliament), has invited me over to explore the possibility of setting up a health impact study of solar disinfection in the locality. Over the past 3 days we have visited every possible type of local water source: rivers, streams, ponds, wells, dams. You name it – I’ve hiked, photographed and taken samples from it. With Armando in the driving seat, I am accompanied by two local health officers and a parasitologist named Julio from the University in Mexico City who is doubling as my interpreter.

No matter where we go, we are never allowed to pass through a village without being stopped and invited to sit, eat and drink with the locals. Armando being the consummate politician, (and local GP for the area), accepts all invitations and uses the opportunity to explain exactly what we are doing and how solar disinfection can help them and their children.

Late in the afternoon, as we drive through the countryside Armando suggests we should stop at the side of the road for a “comfort break”. In my native Ireland such an impromptu roadside bladder evacuation is euphemistically called “jumping a hedge”. While most of us line up on the deserted roadside behind the vehicle to “water the plants”, Julio, who is shy, goes a little further from the jeep and steps behind a bush to begin his proceedings. I soon hear Julio say something casually in Spanish which prompts all my companions to shout back excitedly. My attention, however, is distracted by a bee that has taken an unwelcome interest in me and is hovering menacingly just at eye level. With appropriate use of the retrospectoscope I know now that I should not have swatted that first bee away.

Julio had stumbled across a swarm of wild bees in the bush which he had disturbed, and had pointed this out (in Spanish) to our companions. They had informed him (also in Spanish) that almost all the bees in this area are the highly aggressive Africanised, so-called “Killer Bees”. Did I mention that I don’t speak Spanish? I have no idea what they are talking about, having missed out on this interesting conversation.

Bees can sting other insects as many times as they want but where humans are concerned, most honey-bees only have one good sting attempt in them. Their barbed sting hooks into human skin and as they attempt to fly away, it is ripped from their abdomen causing so

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the time I can remember thinking if I get out of this, it will make a great analogy for the next time I teach the laser course to the Foundation Year class.

“

“Why are you hitting me?”

I exclaimed.

“Señior, we’re not hitting you” Julio replied “we are saving your life!”

I suppose it was one of those “he giveth and he taketh away” situations.

,,

Killer bees usually strike dark areas on the target such as eyebrows, nostrils, mouth etc. I must have missed that memo which is why I am the only person in the group who is not sporting a white shirt and white cowboy-style hat. The bees swarm around me and start landing on my hair which was dark then but is greying by the second.

Armando gamely tries to pick them off but for every bee he removes, five take its place. He quickly orders us into the jeep. I am reliably informed that there were about fifty bees on my head and face as I was picked up unceremoniously by my burly compañeros and thrown into the back of the car. By this time the bees were beginning to sting. To add insult to injury, at this point my companions started to punch me vigorously about the face. “Why are you hitting me?” I exclaimed. “Señior, we’re not hitting you” Julio replied “we are saving your life!” I suppose it was one of those “he giveth and he taketh away” situations. I was grateful that they were trying to kill the bees but that was little consolation as, from all sides, my fellow travellers slapped me senseless. Part of their enthusiasm may have derived from the fact that they also were getting stung by the bees that I’d brought into the jeep.

I was very lucky. I only ended up with about 20 stings - mostly on my face. I looked like the central character from the Elephant Man movie for about an hour after the attack, until, eventually, the swelling went down. My short hair had been just stubbly enough to prevent the bees stinging my scalp. The stings didn’t hurt half as much as the beating. The “killer” part of the bees’ reputation arises from the large number of stings that the swarm inflicts on unlucky victims who frequently succumb to anaphylactic shock. Armando insisted that I sit up front next to him as we drove and for the next hour he would squeeze my leg or my knee every fifteen minutes. I thought he was being a bit overly friendly until he explained that he was making sure that I was not going into anaphylactic shock by checking my muscle tone.

much internal injury that the bee quickly dies. Unfortunately, the sting is designed such that it continues to pump the apitoxin into the victim even after it detaches from its owner. The attack quickly escalates after the first bee sting, because attack pheromones are released during the stinging process which stimulate any nearby hive-sisters (stinging bees are always female) to continue the attack and also sting. It’s a bit like single-pass pulsed laser action. You have all these bees in an excited state and all you need is one spontaneous emission to stimulate a similar response from the rest of the population, all in the same direction, ie towards me. Even at

In hindsight I now realise that we were all very lucky.

We were standing right beside the jeep when the attack began. If the attack had occurred on any one of the numerous occasions in the previous days when we had hiked several kilometres away from the vehicle to water sources, the outcome would have been much more serious than a bruised ego.

The moral of the story? Got to the loo before you leave and don’t jump a hedge in Mexico.

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Anatomy WITH Clive Lee

#EDUCATION

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PROF CLIVE LEE HEAD OF ANATOMY

ABRAHAM COLLES AS A STUDENT IN RCSI...

s a student in RCSI in the 1790s, Abraham Colles was not too impressed with the way he was taught anatomy.

He wrote that ‘the student who has been shown the venous, arterial and nervous systems of the arm, does not know how each of them lies with respect to each other’.

After qualifying, Colles returned to the College and changed the way anatomy was taught, seeking ‘to describe the relative position of the parts, and to point out the subservience of anatomical knowledge to surgical practice’.

We have followed his advice since 1811, so students of the College should have no problem with the following:

CONTEST QUIZ QUESTION!!!

MCQ. In the cubital fossa, what structure is located just lateral to the median nerve?

A. biceps tendon B. brachial artery C. lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm D. median cubital vein E. radial recurrent artery

Email your answer in the form of A,B,C,D or E at editor.divercsity@rcsi.ie with the email subject QUIZ to stand to win our monthly giveaway!

Winner will be announced and contacted in the next month’s issue. In the future you’ll have to log in to Moodle to submit your answer.

Determining life and death from MAMMOTH AUTOPSY: 40,000 years ago

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MICHAEL RYAN THE ELEMENT OF SCIENCE!

T scanning of woolly mammoths has uncovered the hidden lives of creatures that roamed the Earth 200,000 years ago. These hulking creatures, roughly the size of the African elephant, have captured the imagination of man as far back as the early cave dwellers; their image was daubed on the walls of caves, while their bones helped build temporary dwellings, weapons and even ivory sculptures. They belonged to the Pleistocene epoch and their reign on Earth spanned many thousands of years, up to as recently as 4,000 years ago when they shared the planet with humans.

Fortunately for us their remains survived the events that ultimately led to the extinction of the species, preserved in the permafrost of the Siberian and Alaskan tundra. These remains are among the best studied of all prehistoric animals and have told us much of what we know about this period in time. The discovery of woolly mammoth remains was first documented in the seventeenth century, and centuries later these relics still permeate modern culture inspiring art, theatre and film, and calling to mind images of the Ice Age and a vast unknowable past. Indeed until fairly recently, and

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despite extensive study, our knowledge of these magnificent beasts has been based largely on observation and educated guesswork. This is no longer the case: thanks to modern science we can now envision the lives of these fascinating creatures in previously unthinkable

detail, from what they ate right through to how they died, and chronicle the lives of creatures 40,000 years dead. The particular woolly mammoths in question here are Lyuba and Rhoma, two mammoth babies discovered in 2007 and 2008 respectively, 3,000 miles apart, in the frozen expanse of northern Siberia. They were found in a state of excellent preservation, their skeletons intact and all muscles, fat, vessels and organs still in place. With the latest advancements in technology, CT scanning was used to assess their internal struc-

ture. Lyuba was so large that investigators had to use the scanner at Ford Motor Co. which is usually reserved for finding defects in cars. From these and subsequent studies, scientists were able to reveal the last moments of these mammoths’ lives in astonishing detail. Large deposits of river soil and sediment were found in the throats and lungs of both Lyuba and Rhoma, blocking their airways and indicating death by suffocation. In Lyuba’s case, iron rich sediments were found in the lungs as might be found at the bottom of a lake, suggesting that she died after crashing through the ice into a lake and breathing in mud from the lake floor. Rhoma on the other hand died with a fractured spinal column, and undigested milk from a last meal still in her stomach.

From this, scientists deduce that in her final moments Rhoma was feeding on the riverbed which gave way beneath her and hurled her into the mud. The idea that we can determine in such vivid detail the movements of creatures thousands of years deceassed is a testament to the progress of science, and consequently the endless possibilities for expanding our understanding of the past and the history of our planet.

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Medical Apps Reviews

EVERNOTE PRICE: Free!

AVAILABLE FOR: Mac, iPad, iPhone.

RECOMMENDED FOR: ALL STUDENTS Originally created for storing anything from recipes, to do lists, and beyond, this incredibly useful app is ideal for organizing lecture notes with a handy search index to quickly find the note you are looking for. Organize your lectures into notebooks, and courses into stacks for the best organization.Useful for making flashcards when used in conjunction with Evernote Peek.

5/5 STETHOSCOPES!

EVERNOTE PEEK PRICE: Free!

AVAILABLE FOR: iPad RECOMMENDED FOR: ALL STUDENTS Make use of your notes created in Evernote by turning them effortlessly into flashcards you can study on the

go! By using the Apple smartcover, or the virtual cover in the app, you can reveal the question and peek at the answer if you are struggling. The app keeps track of how many questions you’ve gotten right and wrong.

Makes reviewing with friends fun. Warning: don’t create too large of notebooks or the review session will become tedious and memorization harder. Organize a couple relevant lectures together on the Mac version and sync it to create a useful flashcard deck.

4/5 STETHOSCOPES due to a couple quirks that deserve an update.

CASE FILES ANATOMY – MCGRAWL HILL PRICE: 20 euros AVAILABLE FOR: iPad, iPhone RECOMMENDED FOR: JC Students Terrific app that provides through anatomy cases presented in very similar ways as in the final exam for JC students. The solutions are detailed and each short note question also includes an MCQ section on the related anatomical case. Includes approximately 35 cases and 90+ MCQs.

#EDUCATION

SAMANTHA KNIGHT THE MEDICAL PULSE

5/5 STETHOSCOPES! (Note: McGraw Hill creates fabulous apps for most JC and IC courses including Biochemistry, Physiology, Pathology, Microbiology etc. They also have case app for specialty related rotations useful for 4th Med students including OB/GYN, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Psychiatry etc.)

MICROBIOLOGY VIRTUAL PATIENTS PRICE: Free!

AVAILABLE FOR: iPad, iPhone RECOMMENDED FOR: IC Students This app allows you to make timely decisions on how to treat patients.

Useful app for practicing connecting symptoms with potential diagnosis, as well as applying criteria for stratifying patients for risk and therefore treatment protocol.

Really makes you think fast on your feet. Each case is well presented with the user having to decide what physical examinations and history questions to ask.

4/5 STETHOSCOPES due to lack of overall cases.

HAVE YOU GRABBED YOUR COPY OF THE RCSIsmj YET?

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he RCSIsmj aims to provide a forum for RCSI student contributions to the field of medicine, in any discipline. The journal publishes, but is not limited to, student research ranging from basic laboratory science and clinical work to humanities analyses of medicine in society. The goal of the RCSIsmj is to encourage student research, writing, and submissions for publications, whilst reaching a broad international readership through both our print and electronic versions of the journal.

Whether you have been working hard in a lab over the summer, assisting on a clinical research project, or just have an interesting topic you want to share your reading and reflections on, RCSIsmj is not just a great way to showcase your work and share some of your knowledge but also to gain some real life experience in the art of publishing. Research is a key component of a well rounded résumé and RCSIsmj provides a great avenue to help accomplish this goal. It also provides an ideal stepping-stone to a career in research. We accept the following types of work: original articles, standard reviews, abstracts, case reports, perspectives, elective reviews, research news, careers, and ethics challenge. Publishing your first article can be a daunting task and so if you are unsure about where to start, feel free to contact us - we also have some excellent resources including previous issues of the journal available through our website. The submission deadline for this year’s issue of the RCSIsmj is October 24th, 2014.

To keep you informed with the latest research and to enhance your analytic appraisal skills in a casual setting, RCSIsmj also hosts journal club meetings several times a term. In the past, these fun and engaging sessions have been led by several of our illustrious faculty such as Professor Hill, Professor McElvaney, Professor Lee, and many others. Apart from being a great way to learn something new, it is an easy way to get to know your professors and meet upper classmen!

If you have any questions feel free to contact us at any time at editorsmj@rcsi.ie.

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#EDUCATION

NIKITA RANE ICHAMS PR OFFICER

T

back with a

passion for progress!

he International Conference for Healthcare and Medical Students, popularly known as ICHAMS, was held for the first time in 2011. It currently exists as a student run research conference for undergraduate healthcare and medical students with the support of Dr Sarah O’Neill from Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics.

THE AWARD WINNING ICHAMS EXPERIENCE ICHAMS is an opportunity for students to present their research to peers and professors in the field. In addition to the high caliber of delegates and professors at the conference, there are numerous workshops which will be offered on a variety of topics, as well as the opportunity to network with colleagues from all over the world. The conference presents delegates with an opportunity to have their abstracts published in the ICHAMS booklet in print and in Bio Medical Central. The two day conference closes with a prize-giving where awards are given to the winners of the Oral and Poster presentations, and with a Gala dinner social event.

officer.

ICHAMS has worked on providing more detailed and comprehensive guidelines for abstracts and posters providing professional information to help delegates develop important presenting skills. Workshops will be more interactive this year to enhance the learning experience. The website has been revamped and ICHAMS is working on an app for the conference.

The highlight to this year’s conference are our keynote speakers.

Dr Mary Aiken is a CyberPsychologist and Research Fellow at the RCSI Institute of Leadership. CyberPsychology is an emerging field within applied psychology, focusing on Internet Psychology. Other technologies are also considered; virtual environments, artificial intelligence, gaming, digital convergence, mobile telephones and networking devices. Mary’s doctoral research at RCSI focuses on Cyber Behavioural Analysis.

Joining Dr Mary Aiken is Dr Kieran Murphy, MD, FRCPC, FSIR Vice Chair and Director of Research and Professor of Neurointerventional Radiology in the Department of Medical Imaging at the University of Toronto. He is also the co-author of Image-Guided Interventions, 2nd Edition.

ICHAMS 2014 will take place at The Royal College of Surgeons, on the th 24 and 25th of October.

MAKE THE MOST OUT OF ICHAMS As an active participant you are entitled to have your abstract published and to present at ICHAMS at an undergraduate level which is a unique experience, most delegates are likely to have taken part in a research project for the first time and are eager to share and discuss interesting snippets of their first time working MISSION FOR 2014 with equipment and their experiences in the lab. This leads to fantastic inTo provide undergraduate healthcare teraction between aspiring healthcare students the opportunity to present their proffesionals and is a brilliant way of research findings in an international setting networking on an international scale. with structured feedback.

ICHAMS is an award winning conference which won the Irish Healthcare best student project for 2013.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE 2014 CONFERENCE We are just a few months away from the fourth annual conference, and our committee is living up to our motto of Passion for Progress in our preparations for this year’s event. We have a dedicated team of individuals who bring years of experience to the committee as well as new ideas to make this year’s conference better than ever before.

The 2014 Committee consists of Danielle Zimmerman and Jeffery Nafash as this years Co-chairs, Daniel Creegan as Vice Co-chair, Juliet Veens and Ruth Carey as Scientific officers, Nikita Rane as Public Relations officer, Marina Yostos as the Communications officer, Hannah Dunne as the Workshops officer, Sunny Vig and Cara Coleman as the Sponsorship officers, May-Ahn Nguyen, Sean Kennedy as School of Pharmacy rep, Yasoda Subramanian as IT officer, Jonathan Markovic for Special Tasks, Events and Workshops officer, Brian MacCarthy for Special Tasks, Public Relations and IT Officer and Labhaoise Fitzpatrick as the Events and Accommodation

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ICHAMS also allows passive particTo provide career information on specific ipants to experience the conference. research topics and / or countries.

Presentations put into perspective what is heard in lectures, in the context of To promote interactions among healthreal life lab experiments. Attending the care students from different countries conference will expose you to various and exchange of research knowledge and areas of healthcare – it helps to always experiences. chat with the delegates during the lunch break, or note down what interTo educate healthcare students on the ests you and Google it! importance of research in the broader medical fields and expose students to Healthcare is a topic of universal future research opportunities. interest and relevance. It’s important to have platforms for medical students to engage with eachother and share ideas on an international scale, network, and be aware of advances in research in a broader medical context. ICHAMS is a platform for ideas, creating a unique environment for learning and discovering new areas of the vast medical landscape, making you aware of the ongoing research on a global scale.

For more information do visit their website at ichams.org The deadline for submissions poster presentations is 23rd of September. Register now by visiting the website.

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#EDUCATION

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#EDUCATION

Mercer

LIBRARY

Welcome to new RCSI students and welcome back to our existing students! We hope you had a lovely summer and look forward to seeing you all in the library over the coming year.

Opening Hours: 8am – 11pm (Mon-Fri) and 9am-10pm (Sat, Sun, bank holidays), with extended opening hours at exam times

FACILITIES INCLUDE: • Service Desk -open 9.15am-8.45pm (Mon-Fri) and 9.15am-1pm (Sat) • Copy and print facilities • Extensive collection of text books and other books, located on level two -check the catalogue (http:// www.rcsi.ie/library_catalogue) for the shelf location of your book • Collection of electronic textbooks which can be read both on and off campus, simply use your RCSI username and password to connect • Group study rooms, which can be booked via the Library’s website, at http://www.rcsi.ie/librarygroupstudy • Desktop computer on level one and level two • Mercer café –for your study breaks. Fully equipped with microwaves, vending machines and hot taps for tea and coffee

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Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook. com/rcsilibrary for news & updates, and check out our blog at http://rcsilibrary.blogspot.ie/ for the latest research news, resources, and library updates.

Also check out our heritage blog http://rcsiheritage.blogspot.ie/ for interesting items relating to the history of RCSI!

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ADVERT

#PHOTOGRAPHY, ART&POETRY poet’s anonymous POETS Strong and free as wild horses; Are the words pulsing from our hearts, rampaging in our veins.

At the tongue’s cliff, they linger untamed; And as poets brave we try, to steady those reins.

MORNING CUP Swirl a spoon in the morning cup.

You spiral another day in the Milky Way galaxy.

Let it warm you feel the power it radiates Destiny spins in your hands, add some sugar to it.

Take a sip with time and taste the universe.

WINNER OF THE #SUMMER2014 PHOTOSOC AND DIVERCSITY CONTEST IS

FAHAD ALABDULLATIF

Congratulations! We’ll be in touch with you regarding your prize! Thanks everyone else who submitted, your work will be featured in the future issues of the paper!

Submit your photos or artwork for the photography and art section at editor.divercsity@rcsi.ie until we have our moodle page set up!

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#PHOTOGRAPHY, ART & POETRY

poet’s anonymous LET’S FALL IN LOVE Tell me a secret, We are strangers now And we might even turn foe.

But I want to feel like, We could be more.

Let’s talk about things we like, Then you’ll try to get me to like them too.

And when you’re gone they’ll haunt me, With memories of you.

You’ll tell me you love me.

With just that word, We’ll create another world in space.

Then one day you’ll have enough and I’ll fall, crashing back down to Earth.

Let’s risk our hearts together, Trick ourselves to believe we are braver.

Let’s fall in love, Once more and several times again.

POETRY

Get your poetry posted anonymously on our Moodle page.

We only accept anonymous submissions of poetry and questions for our anonymous advice column- Doc on Call.

DIVERCSITY protects your decision to remain anonymous and refuses to disclose indentities

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Poetry is a tattoo of spilled ink from the soul.

The pain I bore was skin deep. and what you see on the surface is an art piece.

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DIVERSILLY R

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#ENTERTAINMENT (Pssh! It’s a satire)

ecent years have shown a vast decline in the number of honeybees populating the gardens of Ireland.

Scientists have warned that this may be due to the excessive use of pesticides by local culchies. One culchie was interviewed by our reporter and said “aye, the buggers were stingin’ me when I was tryin’ to admire me silage, go’wan pesticides!” After overhearing this comment, a worker honeybee approached our reporter and had this to say on the matter, “there’s gonna be an uprising soon, all the lads in the nest are talking about it”. Shortly after the guards were called in because the honeybees were refusing to produce honey. “It’s a pure disgrace”, said a member of Jedward, “I have nothing to put on my porridge in the mornings and I’ve had to eat toast instead. Those honeybees need to stop messing around and get back to work, this is affecting the innocent civilians of Ireland and it’s just not fair”. Further updates on the strike and imminent war to follow...

The Corzis - MOVIE REVIEWS

CORMAC DUFF fter the release of Kung Fu Panda 2, I convinced myself that I was finally “too old for kids’ movies”. All their exaggerated expressions, slapstick comedy and frenetic action sequences were geared towards five-year-olds, not adults.

Swayed by my own sister, I finally caved. “Two tickets to Frozen, please.” Five words I will never regret.

and “true love”.

Now this all sounds a little heavy – particularly for a feel-good children’s movie. That’s where Olaf the Talking Snowman comes in. In addition to warm hugs, Olaf provides much-needed comic relief to Acts Two and Three. A mixture of physical comedy, witlessness and the airy tune In Summer endeared me to Olaf. He’s my favourite animated sidekick since Donkey and Puss in Boots. Josh Gad creates a fresh new character: he’s not simply a hyperactive Eddie Murphy or Antonio Banderas self-parody. Olaf is funny and memorable in his own right.

Frozen is a modern fantasy classic. The faux-Medieval setting is played fast and loose: the kingdom features sandwiches, chocolate, and talking snowmen.

The story focuses on Arandelle’s two princesses, Elsa and Anna. The dual protagonist structure is a fresh new take on the creaky old Hero’s Journey. Dual female protagonists are as rare as hen’s teeth: Thelma and Louise is the only other Hollywood example I can think of. But contrary to conventional wisdom, passing the Bechdel test didn’t exactly hurt Frozen’s box office. At $1.3 billion worldwide, it stands as the highest grossing animated film of all time. And with good reason. (Image courtesy of Disney.)

Anna herself sets the plot in motion. She coaxes young Elsa to experiment with her powers. Later she riles up Elsa into revealing these same powers.

Then she leaves, of her own volition, to save the kingdom. Like any good hero, Anna is the cause – and solution to – her world’s problem. Anna is bubbly and likeable (For the First Time In Forever), yet never grating. She’s also flawed and relatable.

Do You Want To Build A Snowman illustrates her loneliness and isolation in the absence of her older sister (and closest friend). Her whirlwind romance with Hans (Love is an Open Door) reinforces her desire for attention and love. And her quest to find her sister shows her selfless naivety.

“

Elsa has her own journey – one of self-discovery. A pair of childhood traumas have consumed her with guilt and fear. Fear of emotional engagement. Fear of hurting her loved ones. Fear of her own potential. It’s easier for Elsa to close herself off from the world. To than repress her fears, rather than facing them. When her powers are revealed, she flees out of fear of persecution. And who can forget Elsa’s show-stopping, Oscar-winning song. Let It Go is the first time the ice queen embraces her powers.

She revels in her utter freedom: “No right, no wrong, no rules for me – I’m free”. This echoes Nietzche’s idealistic

SEPTEMBER 2014

LOUISE ELLIOTT

HONEYBEES ON THE WARPATH

Yes, I know Frozen came out way back in November 2013.

LET IT GO. vision of the “Ubermensch”, a person worthy to transcend conventional morality. But Elsa soon learns that you can never escape the past…

Kristoff too prefers his own company. The strapping young blond is a true misanthrope. His only companion is his trusty reindeer Sven. He claims “people will beat you and curse you and cheat you!” It’s a self-defeating attitude, at odds with Anna’s sunny, optimistic worldview. But Sven and the hilarious trolls bring out a funny, self-deprecating side in Sven. And his burgeoning relationship with Anna shows his personal growth. He bravely risks life and limb for her. And at the end of Act Two he selflessly lets her go, to the arms of her fiancé

And finally, our villain. We’re used to exaggeratedly evil antagonists in our Disney classics. Think of the Queen Grimhilde, the witch in Snow White. Think Cruela de Vil. Think Scar. Each reveals his or her nefarious intentions in Act One. In Frozen, we’re led to believe that the ridiculous yet malicious Duke of Weselton is our villain. I for one was was completely blind-sided by the film’s late twist – yet in hindsight it all makes perfect sense. Thirteeth in line, Hans has a miniscule chance of ever reigning in home kingdom. He calls to mind the Machiavellian bastard Edmund in King Lear: “Let me if not by birth, have lands by wit. / All with me’s meet that I can fashion fit.” Of course he preyed on Anna’s loneliness. Of course he manipulated Elsa’s fear of appearing a “monster”. And of course he abused his sovereign power in a time of crisis.

,,

Frozen’s unforgettable climax is Hans’ attempt on Elsa’s life. It forces Anna to unambiguously choose between her own life and her sister’s. Anna makes the impossible choice and pays the ultimate price.

Stricken with grief, Elsa finally has her catharsis. Tears of love and sadness, an uncontrollable outpouring of emotion in the heartbroken ice queen.

Anna’s miraculous return to life is a fitting end to the tale. The message rings through in the film and in our lives. The truth that platonic love is every ounce as strong as romantic love. The fact that repressing emotions is never healthy. The message that it’s not enough to simply have loved ones: you must also express that love in each word and action.

Read more on Corzies.com

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BROADCAST FROM DAEHAN AND NIHON - How to Be an Otaku

Y

HONG MING

ou may have heard the term otaku if you have any prior exposure to anything Japanese. Otaku is a Japanese term for people with a great interest in Japanese anime and manga; in other words, an otaku is a Japanese geek. The otaku culture has been fast spreading throughout the world. It is already huge in East Asia, quickly gaining ground in the Western World and even making headway in places like the Middle East and Africa! Interested in becoming an otaku? Already an otaku but want to take your inner otaku-ness to a higher level? Follow these simple steps……

STEP 1 – INTRODUCTION: READ A MANGA, WATCH AN ANIME

to meet them, get their autograph and watch their live performances!

STEP 4 – MASTER OTAKU: LEARN JAPANESE, WRITE FAN-FICS AND DRAW FAN-ARTS

Japanese novels are an integral part of the otaku culture.

To be exact, novels in otaku culture refer to light novels.

Basically they are anime/manga in novel form. They are usually thin and light books, with light plots in each book, hence the name “light novels”. Many popular manga and anime are adopted from light novels, including Sword Art Online, the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Accel World and Kyoukai no Kanata. Light novels are also my favourite part of the otaku culture – I spend more time reading light novels than watching anime or reading manga.

STEP 3 – PRACTICAL CLASSES: COSPLAYING, ATTENDING COMIC CONVENTIONS AND CONCERTS

Attack on Titan, the most popular anime of 2013 that has taken the otaku world by storm.

Some people just couldn’t wait for the translations to come out. If you want to watch what we call “raw” anime (anime with Japanese audio but without subtitles) or read untranslated light novels, you should consider learning Japanese. Japanese is not at all hard to learn as the whole Japanese kana or writing consists of only 92 characters, and you can pick up phrases quickly from watching Japanese-dubbed anime. Plus, knowing an extra language is almost always an advantage. There’s nothing wrong with learning the Japanese language!

People may dislike the plot or endings of certain anime, manga or light novels. They may even dislike the appearances of characters and backgrounds. Or, they may like them so much that they develop extra storylines and character settings for them. Hence, the fan-fics and fan-arts! These are known as doujins in Japan, which mean fan-made merchandises. One can submit fan-fics and fan-arts to various sites online to be shared with the huge online otaku community. One can also make their own doujin manga, games, animations and many other things to be sold at comic-cons! This is actually an amazing way to meet new people and try new activities.

A manga is a Japanese comic and it has now become one of the most popular reading materials in the world.

Manga range over many genres, but most popular manga of today are usually shounen manga like Dragonball, Naruto and One Piece. I am currently following Naruto and Bleach, but personal favourites of mine include xxx Holic, Shingeki no Kyojin, Nisekoi and The World God Only Knows, which are all popular in East Asia.

Anime are Japanese animated productions usually featuring hand-drawn or computer animation. The word is the abbreviated pronunciation of “animation” in Japanese. Many anime use manga and light novels as their source material -all the manga mentioned above have been adapted into anime. However, there are also original anime productions such as AnoHana, Guilty Crown and the immensely popular Gundam series.

STEP 2 – FROM BEGINNER TO AMATEUR: PLAY A JAPANESE GAME, READ A JAPANESE NOVEL Japanese games are incredibly popular and are fast becoming ubiquitous. You may be surprised to know that the legendary video games Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man are all Japanese! And don’t forget the Playstation and Wii consoles are made

by Japanese companies as well! If you have played any of them, consider yourself a semi-otaku! There are also games called graphic novels, which include games like dating sims but these are less popular in the Western World.

Recognise Super Mario, anyone? Despite being semingly Italian, he and his hugely successful game series are designed by Nintendo, a Japanese game company.

SEPTEMBER 2014

You know Naruto is really popular when Youtube celebrities like Ryan Higa started cosplaying as Uzumaki Naruto.

Now that you have acquired the necessary knowledge on how to be an otaku, now is the time to apply them!

First thing – learn how to cosplay! Cosplay, short for costume play, is a performance art in which participants, called cosplayers, wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character or idea that is usually identified with a unique name. A hardcore otaku will buy or make a costume of his favourite character and wear it to parties, comic conventions and even public places. Despite the unreasonably negative perception on cosplaying, it is actually a lot of fun wearing your hero/heroine’s costume and imagining yourself as him/her! Try it!

Now, you will need to attend comic conventions. Comic-Cons usually do not only cater to “geeks”, but also otaku as well. For example, at the first Dublin MCM Comic-Con I attended almost half of the stalls were selling Japanese otaku merchandise! Japanese manga artists, singers and voice actors and actresses have been known to put in an appearance at major comic-cons like the ones in the US. Therefore if you are a big fan of them, attending comic-cons will also be a great chance

Touhou Project is a hugely successful fan-made game series in Japan and North America.

That’s it! In my opinion, anything beyond this point will be considered borderline obsessive, which is not good – so control yourself! I have learnt many things from being an otaku, and being a relatively young otaku, I have so much more to learn. Being an otaku is my pride, and it’s yours too if you are one, or if you become one after reading this article.

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Cultural Ephemera

D

LISA MCNAMEE

ublin is at its very best in September, with the two of the most important and diverse events of the cultural calendar taking place in venues across the city, Culture Night and the Tiger Fringe Festival.

I recommend spending some time perusing the programme before diving in on the night as it gets a bit hectic and some of the venues are quite small. As there are hundreds of events on, it’s easy to get distracted by that loud drumming coming from the café next door so go to your must-sees early in the evening and observe the signs. I brought a group of Canadians/Americans on a little tour last year and there was a small incident with a Do Not Eat sign in an ‘edible’ art gallery!

CULTURE NIGHT (FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH)

churches, galleries and private homes of historical, literary or architectural interest. This year’s highlights include (by district):

HISTORICAL QUARTER

THE FEROCIOUS MINGLE: Steampunk arcade with live music and old movies showing in the Mingleopolis - this odd little place is full of artistic treasures new and old and attracts an interesting crowd. Add to that a particular brand of mischief, chocolate and fantastic coffee…difficult to resist.

TOG: A place for hackers and makers, from 5pm -11pm the talented sprogs at TOG collective will be running micro workshops showing you how to accomplish the life-hacks you never knew you needed.

ARCHBISOP MARSH’S LIBRARY: A perfectly preserved library of the Enlightenment with free tours every 15 minutes from 5.30pm - 8.30pm on the night.

TRINITY COLLEGE/DOCKLANDS

sees venues of every type open their doors with unique and-more importantly for students- free events. Special performances from every kind of artist, musician and performer will delight audiences as well as some taster sessions from actors, chefs and even professional fencers. There will also be openings of unusual venues including Quaker houses,

SCIENCE GALLERY: Strange Weather: Forecasts from the Future explores human interpretations of, and attempts to control the weather.

Dublin School of Flamenco: Free taster dance lessons are available to try.

yoga, meditation, mantra chanting and Buddhism run throughout the evening.

TEMPLE BAR THE ITALIAN QUARTER: Recreation of a 15th century atmosphere with music, games, food, wine and craft beer all day.

FILMBASE: Showcasing a series of Irish short films throughout the evening. It usually fills up fast so go as early as possible.

THE NEW THEATRE: Hosting a reading of the poetry of Francis Ledwidge; an Irish poet killed in the First World War. Readings every 30 minutes.

HEUSTON/MUSEUM QUARTER THE COMPLEX: Two free drive-in movies at Smithfield Square (7.30pm: The Mission, 10pm: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane) The Mendicity Institution: Dublin’s oldest working charity will recreate its 1820s workings with tastings of period style food and re-enactments by actors. ÁRAS AN UACHTARÁIN: The home of the Irish president will open its doors for free tours for the first time on Culture Night this year.

THE DUBLIN BUDDHIST CENTRE: Introductions to

THE TIGER FRINGE FESTIVAL (5TH-20TH OF SEPTEMBER)

Sunday 14th September, 8.30pm. Self-described as ‘one hour plus of the communal/political/conceptual/imaginational workout experience you always wanted but never could embarrass yourself enough to find or do in public’.

encompasses film, theatre, comedy, music and performances that straddle several of these spheres.

Always amusing and frequently offensive, it is something you must attend at least once if you’re to call Dublin your home, if only for a short time. Some of the greats acts include:

THEATRE

B(R)ITCHES explores questions such as ‘Would you be in an ad for laxatives if they paid you five grand?

Would you really?’

Irreverent theatre runs from 16th-20th September at The Project Arts Centre, Templebar.

JAMES WALMSLEY: (formerly of comedy group Dead Cat Bounce) This one-man variety show presents Get Ready to Die Alone, running from the 5th-7th September in Smock Alley Theatre.

MUSIC

COMEDY

CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN: A fantastic musician presents Intimate & Live - a 20th anniversary showcase of her sell-out Fringe shows on the 11th & 12th September, Meeting House Square.

FOIL, ARMS & HOG: A shamelessly dark Irish Comedy trio present their new show. Theatre meets comedy from 5th-14th September at Smock Alley Theatre.

DEEP AEROBICS: Held in Meeting House Square, this music/performance workout encourages you to come in costume and leave your inhibitions at home.

CIRCUS

STARMAN self-describes the show as a mixture of circus, comedy and cardboard. One of the Fringe’s odder offerings this year, runs at Smock Alley Theatre from the 7th-12th September.

A full listing of Culture Night events is available at: http://www.culturenight.ie/, while the full Tiger Fringe Festival line-up is available at: http://fringefest.com/

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Dublindulgence !

#CULTURE&LEISURE

MOHIT BUTANEY, COREY NIXON, STEPHANIE TUNG

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A foodie’s map to Dublin!

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Cheap (but Delicious!) Eats

#CULTURE&LEISURE

1

. PABLO PICANTE & 2. LITTLE ASS: MEXICANO CUISINE WHAT? Both have awesome burritos with a wide variety of salsas and GREAT guacamole!

WHERE? Pablo: 1 minute walk from the library on Clarendon Market Rd. by RCSI Mercer library Little Ass: 3-5 minute walk from library on Dawson Street PRICE? Pablo: €6.25 student deal giving you a large burrito + a soda beverage!

Little Ass: €5.50 student deal giving you a burrito! €7 student deal giving you a burrito + a beverage!

WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? Great options, cheap, wide variety of salsas, great guac and the best nacho chips!

PS - Stay tuned for our Mexican edition next month!

3

. GOVINDAS: VEGETARIAN INDIAN WHAT? Delightfully mild vegetarian Indian - fill a plate with many different dishes!

WHERE? 5 minute walk from RCSI main campus or library straight down Aungier Street.

PRICE? Fill your regular plate to the brim for €6.95! Weight does not matter, mere surface area.

WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? The meal options also change daily and it is a LOT of food!

PS - Consider getting a healthy portion of their Paneer or Potato dishes!

4

. CHOPPED: WRAPS SALAD BAR WHAT? Design your own mouthwatering “chopped” salad/ wrap or choose from one of the chef’s fantastic combo recommendation!

WHERE? 5 minute walk from RCSI main campus down St. Stephen Green St. to Merrion Row PRICE? Even for steak, duck and tofu salads/wraps, everything is cut for less than €8!

WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? Very filling and great healthy choices for very cheap.

What more do you want?

PS - You know that post-salad craving for something more? Not here.

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. SUPER MISS SUE: FISH & CHIPS

SEPTEMBER 2014

WHAT? Incredibly tasty, but less greasy than your average “chipper”.

WHERE? Beside Hairy Lemon in front of Mercer Medical Centre just behind the library.

Price?

On Fish Fridays, you get Fish & Chips + soda for €10!

Otherwise, Fish & Chips = €10.50 WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? The fish and chips are both crispy and actually flavourful. The grease is not overpowering but still gives you that loving fast-food experience.

PS - Their Tartar sauce is worth shelling out the extra buck for!

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. BUNSEN BURGER: BURGER JOINT WHAT? Perfectly cooked to order, actually succulent burgers without trying to do too much.

WHERE? 5 minute walk from the RCSI main campus at 36 Wexford Street.

PRICE? A hamburger or cheeseburger with regular fries will run you around €10 but the double burger, sweet potato fries, and milk shake might be worth splurging on for that special date!* WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? Don’t be frightened by the tiniest burger menu (a business card!) you have ever seen - less is definitely more at this hipster burger joint. They keep it simple but real. These bad boys literally melt in your mouth.

PS - Gluten-free and Paleo options available! *DISCLAIMER: Do not actually bring a date here, this is a burger to dig your fingers into.

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. GOOD WORLD: DIM SUM WHAT? The Asian take on “tapas” for any time of the day: delicious combinations of marinated meat and carbs that come steamed, braised or fried.

WHERE? 18 South Great Georges Street (right next to the Dunnes), 5 minute walk from RCSI PRICE? €4-5 per plate (each serving has 3-4 pieces of dim sum) WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? A perfect leisurely breakfast/brunch affair for social chit chat over cups of steaming hot Chinese tea.

Staff are happy to make recommendations for any newbies. Dim sum staples include: BBQ pork buns, prawn dumplings, pork and mushroom dumplings,

sticky glutinous rice, rice flour rolls with various meat fillings and sweet egg custard tarts.

PS - Variety is definitely the spice of life when it comes to dim sum - Get more bang for your buck by bringing along the whole entourage and sharing!

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. UMI FALAFEL: SANDWICHES & FALAFEL WHAT? They claim the “freshest and most authentic falafel in Dublin” and they live up to it.

WHERE? 10 min walk from the RCSI main campus at 13 Dame Street.

PRICE? At €7.5, their lunch deal is a steal - a falafel sandwich or plate with potato wedges and a drink. Even without the deal, the sandwiches, mezze (our favorites are the ‘batata hara’ and cheese and spinach fillo rolls), and salads range at an economical €4-6.

WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? They do falafel and they do it well - the fresh and crunchy exterior masks a soft and flavorful interior beautifully. These are not your run of the mill prefried frozen soggy falafels. For something so simple and economical, they put in an effort in presentation.

A great fresh healthy vegetarian option.

PS - Umi literally translates as “mother” in Arabic and this place does the name justice.

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. ZAYTOONS: KEBAB AND PERSIAN WHAT? Regarded as one of the best kebab shops in Dublin WHERE? Closest locations are a 10 minute walk in either direction from the RCSI main campus at 15 Parliament Street in Temple Bar and 44-55 Lower Camden Street by the Harcourt LUAS stop.

PRICE? Most dishes fall in the sub €10 bracket. You only start crossing into double digits if you go for larger and upgrade to a meal which might be tough to avoid once you try their doner kebabs.

WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? Albeit the go-to meal at ‘Toons is the doner kebab, the rest of the menu all stand up in their own right.

Oh and yes, the garlic sauce and chips are heavenly. Ignore the talk about it being purely a late night institution and give it a go in the day - you might be pleasantly surprised.

PS - Say NO to those 4 a.m. hypoglycemia attacks!

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. NEON: ASIAN STREET FOOD

WHAT? South East Asian (SEA) style dishes typically served by street vendors but now available in the heart of Dublin. Everything from Thai curries to Singaporean vermicelli. Quicker and cheaper than taking a culinary tour of the SEA region.

WHERE? 10-15 min walk from RCSI campus at 17 Camden Street.

PRICE? Most rice, curry and noodle dishes fall around the €10 mark (but trust me the quantity more than makes up for it. Starters go around the €5 mark.

WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? Quick, freshly cooked Asian street food bursting with a harmonious blend of spices served in convenient to-go boxes.

PS - Free complimentary soft serve ice-cream only makes this place even more of a steal!

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. CRACKBIRD: FRIED CHICKEN WITH A TWIST

WHAT? Delicious fried chicken without the grease of your typical fried bird. They have the soy garlic and buttermilk chicken. Both are exceptional, but their soy garlic is definitely a must try. They also have mouth-watering salads, but their fried chicken is something to behold.

WHERE? About a 15 minute walk from RCSI library on 60 Dame Street.

PRICE? For a half chicken, it will run you €12 but their lunch specials are €5.50 WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? Best bird in Dublin. The price may be a little steep for fried chicken, but spend the extra few € and you will be loving it at first bite.

PS - Their menu may be small, but if you are getting

THE FRAY

American band The Fray will be rocking the OLYMPIA THEATRE on the 23RD OF SEPTEMBER AT 7.30PM. With four Grammy nominations, three Billboard Music Awards and a Planeta Award under their belts, the band has churned out hits including How to Save a Life, You Found Me and Over My Head. An evening of rock magic awaits!

Tickets are available from €30 at Ticketmaster online.

CHEW JEN PIN

that monthly fried chicken craving, think Crackbird.

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. TEMPLE BAR SATURDAY FOOD MARKET

WHAT? A foodie’s perfect Saturday afternoon stroll. There are many stalls to buy amazing food and the prices won’t break your bank.

WHERE? Temple Bar’s Meeting House Square, a quick 10 minute walk from the RCSI main campus every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 430 p.m.

WHAT MAKES THESE SPECIAL? Discussing this might lead to an angry editor trying to squeeze our article down to size and hunger pangs. Take our word for it - take an afternoon off and go here! From oysters, cheese, and wine to fresh beef and guinness pies - this place has a little bit for everyone!

PS - Just go already!

,

Do-blin!

THIS MONTH IN DUBLIN

SANDEMAN TOUR

Have you ever wondered about the bullet holes around RCSI’s main entrance?

Asked yourself why the doors of Merrion Square are painted in such a variety of colours?

Dublin’s Sandeman Walking Tour will explain it all, including a descriptive history of Ireland, the Vikings and the Easter Rising of 1916.

It’s also completely free of charge!

Image courtesy of Lunchbox LP

DID YOU KNOW?

I’ve personally been on this tour and would highly recommend it. It’s a unique experience that allows you to have the opportunity to meet travellers from around the globe whilst immersing The Temple Bar area got its name yourself in the beauty of Irish culture and the stories behind each venue, be it Christchurch from being the site that housed the first Cathedral, the Chester Beatty library or even St Stephen’s Green. Just remember to wear comfy Jewish Temple in Ireland. ‘Bar’ referred shoes! to the refusal of Catholics to allow the Equipped with an experienced tour guide, you will get to visit Dublin Castle, stroll through TemJewish community to enter adjoining ple Bar, see Trinity College and more. This tour departs twice daily at 11am and 2pm from City commercial premises.

Hall on Dame Street. The tour can be booked online at www.newdublintours.com.

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