Curriculum Integration

The program is organized into two broad phases, preclinical and clinical years. There is some variation in courses among the schools, but the major preclinical subjects include: Anatomy, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Ethics, Embryology, Histology, Medical Informatics, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physics, Physiology and Public Health/Epidemiology. Clinical subjects compose the final three years and include subjects such as: Legal Medicine, Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Surgery and Tropical Medicine.

Instruction in preclinical years is through individual combinations of lectures, problem-based learning, evidence-based medicine and small-group seminars, tutorials, practicals, laboratories, and computer-aided learning. In the clinical years, the student moves to the university's teaching hospitals to learn on a case-by-case basis at the patient's bedside.

Length of Program

The medical programs in Ireland range from four to six years in length.

Four-year courses:
University College Cork, University College Dublin, The University of Limerick and The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland offer four-year medical degree courses. A bachelor's degree and the MCAT are required for admission.

Five-year courses:
The National University of Ireland Galway and Trinity College Dublin offer a five-year medical degree course for students who will have earned a bachelor's degree prior to entry.

Six-year courses:
University College Dublin and The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland also offer a six-year medical degree course for students entering directly from high school and for high school graduates who have also taken college/university-level courses, but will not have earned a degree by September 1 of the year or proposed entry. Depending upon their qualifications, the latter may receive an exemption from one year of the six-year course from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Length of School Year

For the preclinical years, the school year in Ireland is from late September to May. It is divided into two semesters: the first from fall to Christmas break, the second from January to spring. For the clinical years, the school year extends several weeks longer in the spring. There are breaks at Christmas, in the spring and the summer, as well as on the individual national Irish holidays.

Assessment

Student progress is continuously assessed throughout the year, culminating in final exams at the end of each school year. Continuous assessment may involve any combination of seminars, multiple-choice questionnaires (MCQs), essays, clinical skills, oral exams and projects. The final exams are any combination of essay papers, oral exams, multiple-choice questionnaires and practical exams. Marks for the in-course assessment and end-of-year assessment are then combined to represent a final grade for the course. All examinations utilize the pass/fail format. Distinctions of Honors and First-Class Honors are awarded to students whose performance is considered notable.

Research Opportunities

During the summer months, students may carry out research in several departments. Grants are available from the schools, the Irish research council, non-profit organizations and private corporations. Students of high standing may also apply for entry into an Intercalated BSc honours course in selected preclinical subjects.

Degrees Awarded

In Ireland, successful candidates are awarded a suite of degrees upon their graduation from medical school. Some programs award a total of three degrees: Medicine (MB), Surgery (BCh), and Obstetrics (BAO), while others award a total of two degrees: Medicine (BM), and Surgery (BS). The Irish suite of degrees is the equivalent of the M.D. which is awarded in the USA and Canada.