In terms of the medical teaching, there are wonderful lecturers that are very willing to help. In the pre-clinical years, there are lab sessions in which you have the opportunity to work in smaller groups and solidify the theory of that particular subject. In terms of the clinical rotations, we had the opportunity to go to one of the four medical academies which was an invaluable experience. The hospital placement had exceptional tutors that went above and beyond to challenge you while encouraging you and constantly providing feedback. Starting clinical rotations for the first time is intimidating, but I was very quickly put at ease by the teams. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from the clinical tutors and all of the doctors in the hospital who have provided me with a very high standard of education. They have inspired me to always keep pushing myself to be the best I can be and to take advantage of every opportunity. What I like about living in Galway? Everything! It is the most beautiful city, with students everywhere you go! The people are so friendly and kind. It is truly a home away from home and there is a real sense of community at University of Galway! 

Studying medicine at University of Galway is a remarkable opportunity to gain exposure in a fantastic teaching hospital and feel secure in the knowledge that there will be people to help and guide you every step of your journey. The friendships you develop along the way will stay with you throughout your career and you will have countless opportunities to be involved in your community from your foundation year to your final year. Galway is a wonderful city to live in, with most facilities within walking distance and plenty of scenic recreational areas to enjoy. I personally found that studying at University of Galway enabled me to maintain hobbies and extracurricular activities while obtaining a high standard of medical education. This ability to balance ones work scheduled was a skill that University of Galway medical faculty felt strongly about and they supported individuals who wished to uphold high standards of sport, music and other talents including art and debating

Choosing to study medicine at University of Galway means choosing a university which provides the best, most wholesome student experience. The pre-clinical years consist of an immaculate syllabus which complements the training received in the clinical years. The close partnership with University College Hospital Galway in training medical students is the cornerstone in moulding competent future medical undergraduates who can not only excel as doctors but also in medical research. With an exciting campus life to the very international nature of students from various courses and the academically stimulating lectures and tutorials delivered by welltrained doctors and professors alike, University of Galway helps build life experiences, supports growth of character and prepares you for the real world application of your field of undergraduate study. 

Medicine is always my passion since childhood. Being a doctor is actually one of the ways to contribute to the public. Honestly, University of Galway is the only Irish university offered in twinning programme by my previous university in pre-clinical phase. However, I am always fond of pursuing my study in Ireland since Ireland is well-known with its medical course in my country. Hence, I chose University of Galway over other universities for my twinning programme. My first day was really great. I enjoyed my bridging course conducted by University of Galway. I was well-oriented and made clear on my visions while studying in University of Galway. The emphasis on the theory is one important component that I love. Having a strong foundation in pre-clinical phase is essential before starting the clinical years. Besides that, peaceful environment in Galway is one of the main traits that made Galway stand out from the others as the best place to study! 

Throughout my 6 years of study I had numerous opportunities to contribute to college life, both academically and secondary to my participation in many of the societies University of Galway has to offer. In Galway medical students are exposed to clinical practice early in their academic career; special study modules and early patient contact facilitate the translation and application pre-clinical theory to patient care and management. This is followed by clinical years wherein students are supported and guided by fantastic medical and surgical teams who very much take you under their wing and make you feel part of the team. University of Galway has also given me opportunities through societies, sports and as President of the Students’ Union to represent the college on a national and international stage. Opportunities and memories that I now cherish were very much supported by the School of Medicine throughout my studies. Medicine at University of Galway promotes a sense of community, one that simply cannot be replicated where the importance of inter-professional learning, giving back and academic collaboration are all central. 

Medicine is a course which requires its students to study a wide amount of knowledge regarding the human body, from basic anatomy, physiology to advanced clinical skills and knowledge in order to understand the underlying pathophysiology of a disease and the management of the disease. 

In order to help students, become familiarised and proficient with the fundamental knowledge taught in first year medical syllabus, University of Galway has implemented a more practical approach in educating its students. Apart from attending lectures on anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and professionalism, students are also required to attend lab sessions to enhance their learning experience. University of Galway offers students the chance to learn through dissection of a cadaver. The learning opportunities of students are further maximised by breaking the whole 200+ medical students attending first year to smaller groups of 10 per dissection table. 

The main clinical years in Irish Medical Schools begin during third year of medical education. During the clinical phase, students are not only required to attend lectures held throughout the semester, but also to attend clinical learning along with a team of doctors: consultants, specialist registrars, senior registrar, senior house officers and interns. Students learn about bedside mannerism, investigations done in clinical settings to manage various health conditions, management of diseases based on the team’s specialty that the students are attached to and much more.

In order to maximise every student’s learning opportunity, students are broken up into small groups, some may even get be attached to one team all by themselves. Students will be assigned to a specialty for a number of weeks where they will experience patient interactions and understand each individual patient’s needs. Students will have the opportunity to learn in many other hospitals around Ireland. This allows you to learn from a variety of mentors and see regional differences in practicing medicine. Another advantage of this attachment is that some hospitals are more specialised in a certain specialty and through placement in other hospitals allow students to have better learning opportunities regarding the specialty.

Apart from hospital placements, students who are attending their General Practice module will also require to travel to various part of the country to attach to their assigned GP tutor

Being placed in a different hospital has been advantageous to University of Galway students’ learning experience as they can experience different hospital cultures, understand the different hospital guidelines and also meet different doctors throughout their medical studies as an undergraduate. It also provides students a greater learning opportunity in the specialty that they are interested in and all the relevant advancement of the field in specialised hospitals.

Research 

Unlike most tertiary education, which requires students to submit a dissertation during their final year, medicine only requires students to pass their examination to complete their degree. Despite a medical syllabus consisting of evidence-based medicine, statistical analysis and database searching techniques which could help students to find strong data to support their knowledge in their studies and future career, many students have never written a research paper throughout their education. Fortunately, in Ireland and at University of Galway, medical students are given such an opportunity to produce a research paper during their summer holidays, while some may even carry out their research paper throughout their academic year. For proactive students, they can liaise with consultants, tutors and lecturers who work in the field of interest to have them become your supervisor to support your research project. Alternatively, University of Galway provides a platform during semester 1 of each academic year to allow students to apply for a research supervisor. 

Furthermore, Ireland also provides funding to students who are doing summer research. Students will only need to apply to the Health Research Board (HRB) and fill up relevant credentials and your end of year grades to apply for a sponsorship for your project. University of Galway also provides funding to students for their summer research project which you can apply via the school website.

All these precious opportunities provided by University of Galway has empowered many students in running their own research project. It also provides a great learning experience which sharpens student’s problem-solving skills and communication skills. Some excellent students may even get their written project published in the school journal or even international journals which has impact factors.

Special Study Module (SSM)

Special study module is an academic module offered by University of Galway medical school to students to learn more around certain fields of medicine outside their usual curriculum. These modules play a small role in the students’ end of year grade. It serves mainly to let you explore fields outside of your current syllabus.