Medicine

Foundation Year (FY) consists of two semesters - delivered from September to May of the first year - in the six-year Medicine programme.

• Semester 1 (FY1) - from September to December
• Semester 2 (FY2) - from January to May

Each semester comprises 11 direct-contact teaching weeks, one week of revision and two weeks of examinations.

FY will provide you with a solid grounding in the biomedical sciences and professionalism as well as the necessary IT skills to operate efficiently within the College's virtual learning environment (VLE).

The course is delivered as a series of stand-alone five credit modules taught in a single semester and integrated, systems-based modules, delivered across two semesters.

The FY structure is as follows:

First semester

• Fundamentals of Medical Physics (5 credits)
• Fundamentals of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (5 credits)
• Fundamentals of Human Biology (5 credits)

Second semester

• Disease Diagnostics and Therapeutics (5 credits)
• Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (5 credits)

Both semesters

• Musculoskeletal System, Nervous System, Skin, Special Senses, Reproduction and Endocrine Systems (10 credits)
• Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Immune, Gastrointestinal and Excretory Systems (10 credits)
• Professionalism in the Health Sciences (10 credits)
• Biomedical Laboratory Sciences (5 credits)

Teaching styles

A blended approach to teaching and learning is applied. FY is delivered as:

• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Small group teaching
• Laboratory practicals
• Electives

Tutorials serve to reinforce and enhance your understanding of the fundamental concepts covered in lectures and test your basic understanding through applied problems in a practical context.

Elective opportunities facilitate your growing awareness of the crucial roles that communication, culture, collaboration, critical thinking, medical ethics, information literacy, project management and self-reflection play in the professional practice of medicine.

Assessment

Each module is assessed independently by a combination of continuous assessment (laboratory write-ups, mid-semester MCQ assessments, reflective assignments, group projects) and summative end of semester MCQ and short note question (SNQ) papers.

Timetable

Below is an example of a typical week for an FY student in RCSI Bahrain.

Length and structure

Foundation Year (FY) consists of two semesters - delivered from September to May of the first year in the six-year Medicine programme.

• Semester 1 (FY1) - from September to December
• Semester 2 (FY2) - from January to May

Each semester comprises direct-contact teaching weeks, one week of revision and two weeks of examinations.

FY will provide you with a solid grounding in the biomedical sciences and professionalism, as well as the necessary IT skills to operate efficiently within the College's virtual learning environment (VLE).

The course is delivered as a series of stand-alone five credit modules taught in a single semester and integrated, systems-based modules, delivered across two semesters.

The FY structure is as follows:

First semester

• Fundamentals of Medical Physics (5 credits)
• Fundamentals of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (5 credits)
• Fundamentals of Human Biology (5 credits)

Second semester

• Disease Diagnostics and Therapeutics (5 credits)
• Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (5 credits)

Both semesters

• Musculoskeletal System, Nervous System, Skin, Special Senses, Reproduction and Endocrine Systems (10 credits)
• Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Immune, Gastrointestinal and Excretory Systems (10 credits)
• Professionalism in the Health Sciences (10 credits)
• Biomedical Laboratory Sciences (5 credits)

Teaching styles

A blended approach to teaching and learning is applied. FY is delivered as:

• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Small group teaching
• Laboratory practicals
• Electives

Tutorials serve to reinforce and enhance your understanding of the fundamental concepts covered in lectures and test your basic understanding through applied problems in a practical context.

Elective opportunities facilitate your growing awareness of the crucial roles that communication, culture, collaboration, critical thinking, medical ethics, information literacy, project management and self-reflection play in the professional practice of medicine.

Assessment

Each module is assessed independently by a combination of continuous assessment (laboratory write-ups, mid-semester MCQ assessments, reflective assignments, group projects) and summative end-of-semester MCQ and short note question (SNQ) papers.

Inter-Professional Education (IPE)

IPE is an important step in developing competent healthcare professionals, who work in teams with professionals from different disciplines and specialities.

At RCSI, students in Medicine, Physiotherapy and Pharmacy work in teams on inter-professional themed projects. Through learning together, you will understand more about the healthcare professionals you will work with in the future.

Throughout your course (from first to final year, in the classroom and clinical setting) you will come together with your colleagues in Pharmacy and Physiotherapy in a range of IPE-themed activities from stroke care, to diabetes, low back pain, frozen shoulder and infection control. Working in small groups, facilitated by your lecturers and tutors, you will work through clinical scenarios together; each student is bringing their professions' perspective to the discussion to develop an appropriate care plan for the patient.

Timetable

Below is an example of a typical week for an FY student.

Length and structure

Year 1 is delivered across two semesters from September to May:

• Semester 1 - from September to December
• Semester 2 - from January to May

In Year 1 you will learn about the normal body structure and function including anatomy dissection, as well as being introduced to professional clinical practice. You will also have contact with patients during Year 1.

First semester

• Fundamentals of Biomedicine and Pharmacology (10 credits)
• Cardio Respiratory Biology (7.5 credits)
• Musculoskeletal Biology (7.5 credits)

Second semester

• Gastrointestinal Biology (5 credits)
• Renal and Endocrine Biology (5 credits)
• Nervous System Biology (10 credits)

Both semesters

• Introduction to Professional Clinical Practice (15 credits)

Teaching styles

Year 1 is delivered through:

• Lectures
• Small group tutorials
• Large group tutorials
• Seminars
• Anatomy dissection
• Projects

Tutorials and practicals serve to reinforce and enhance your understanding of the fundamental concepts covered in lectures and test your basic understanding through applied problems in a practical context.

Assessment

Each module is assessed independently by a combination of one or more continuous assessment modalities (fortnightly MCQ quizzes, anatomy card signings, clinical case reflections, assignments and group projects); and summative end-of-semester examinations (MCQ and SNQ written papers, anatomy practical examinations and clinical competencies: objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs)).

Timetable

Below is an example of a typical week for a Year 1 student:

Length and structure

Year 2 is delivered across two semesters from September to May:

• Semester 1 - from September to December
• Semester 2 - from January to May

Year 2 of the Medicine programme focuses on the abnormal bodily functions. Semester 1 of Year 2 is primarily based in Beaumont Hospital and involves teaching from a wide variety of specialties including clinical microbiology, pathology, immunology, professionalism and therapeutics, in addition to the medical and surgical sub specialties. Teaching is delivered through lectures, small group tutorials, workshops, case-based multi-disciplinary teaching sessions with various hospital specialists, clinical skills, interprofessional education with the School of Pharmacy and online, technology-enhanced learning. 

The foundations of microbiology, pathology and immunology introduces the essential building blocks so patients with infection and disease can be managed appropriately. Thereafter students work through the different body systems where the focus is on disease of each system, its diagnosis, management and prevention. Inter-professional case-based teaching with the RCSI School of Pharmacy takes place in the cardiovascular module. This involves both undergraduate medical and pharmacy students collaborating in small groups to effectively devise an appropriate management plan for a patient with a complex infection (endocarditis) and learn their distinct collaborative roles in patient management. The session is led by staff from the School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy and supported by an antimicrobial pharmacist from Beaumont Hospital.

First semester

• Foundations in Microbiology (10 credits)
• Foundations in Pathology (10 credits)
• Immunology & Skin (5 credits)
• Respiratory Disease (5 credits)

Second semester

• Gastrointestinal Disease (5 credits)
• Renal and Endocrine Disease (10 credits)
• Nervous System Biology (10 credits)
• Cardiovascular Disease 1 (15 credits) 

Teaching styles

Year 2 is delivered through:

• Core didactic lectures
• Laboratory-based teaching
• Multidisciplinary case-based teaching
• Clinical skills
• Simulation teaching

Assessment

Each module is assessed independently by a combination of continuous assessment (e.g. MCQ quizzes, clinical competency skills assessment) and summative end-of-semester written papers (MCQ, SNQ, clinical pathological correlations (CPCs).

Timetable

Below is an example of a typical week for a Year 2 student:

Length and structure

Year 3 is delivered from September through to May.

During this year your class will be divided and undertake the prescribed modules in at different times throughout the year. You will participate in hospital-based clinical placements in medicine, surgery and orthopaedics and will be located in one of the RCSI-affiliated teaching hospitals throughout Ireland. 

You will also participate in a Student Selected Component, when you complete an individual research or audit project. This project is composed of a short introductory skills week followed by a six-week research placement. The research project is a flexible programme which is undertaken either at an RCSI institution/affiliated hospital or overseas. 

Further modules focused on evidence-based health, population based health, quality improvement, leadership and precision medicine are also completed in Year 3.  

Year 3 Modules

• Clinical Medicine & Surgery (20 credits)
• Evidence-Based Health (5 credits)
• Health Psychology (7.5 credits)
• Musculo-skeletal & Ocular Disease (5 credits)
• Public and International Health (7.5 credits)
• Student Selected Project (10 credits)
• Tomorrow's Health Professionals (5 credits)

Teaching styles

Year 3 is delivered through:

• Tutorials
• Case/team based learning
• Core didactic lectures
• Clinical attachments
• Simulation teaching
• Individual and team projects
• Supervised research

Assessment

Each module is assessed independently by a combination of continuous assessment (e.g. MCQ quizzes, clinical competency skills assessment) and summative end-of-semester written papers (MCQ, SNQ, Logbooks, Clinical OSCE, Clinical Long Case, written report and oral presentations).

Length and structure

During the final two years of the Medicine programme you will be attached to various RCSI-affiliated teaching hospitals located throughout Ireland, providing you with different learning opportunities.

The structure is as follows:

Teaching styles

During Year 4 you will be attached on a rotational basis for seven weeks to Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medicine and Surgery, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Neonatal and Paediatrics. You will be fully immersed in the speciality during each attachment and will participate fully with the clinical teams in both urban and rural settings.

During the final year (Year 5), you will be attached to Medicine and Surgery disciplines at local, national and international hospitals. Of particular interest during Year 5 is the sub-internship programme. This offers you the opportunity to function as a member of a clinical team in preparation for internship following graduation.

Assessment

Each rotation is assessed independently by a selection or combination of continuous assessment, portfolio, logbook, case presentations, end-of-rotation/end-of-year clinical examination, end-of-rotation/end-of-year written examination (MCQ, data paper, EMQ, SNQ).

Timetable

Below is an example of a seven-week rotation in Paediatrics/Neonatal Medicine for a Year 4 student:

• Weeks 1-6: During this rotation you will spend one week focusing solely on neonates and five weeks assigned to Paediatric teaching units. Three of these five weeks of teaching will be conducted in Dublin sites and for the other two, will be assigned to hospitals outside of Dublin.
• Week 7: This week is dedicated to revision and exams.

You will be assigned to a day in an Emergency Department (ED) in which you will shadow the ED Registrar or Consultant. While in ED, you will work with your assigned classmate and practice taking patient histories under the supervision of a qualified doctor.

When you undertake the neonatology rotation week in either the Rotunda Hospital or the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital, you will receive a brief introductory lecture on the care of the newborn and small group teaching on neonatal examination and common problems in the neonate. You will spend time on postnatal wards, in outpatient clinics and in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) as part of a teaching ward round. You will work closely with SHOs and Registrars, with an emphasis on problem-based, consultant-delivered teaching. You will also learn to take a comprehensive perinatal history of an infant and perform new-born, discharge and six-week checks. You will also learn about the well and sick new-born.

The Paediatric rotation is assessed using the following means:

• End-of-rotation short case clinical paediatric exam
• End-of-rotation short case clinical neonates exam
• Continuous assessment, which consists of your paediatric logbook; a series of online quizzes; topic and case reports
• Paediatric written exam in the summertime examinations