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Health Sciences
185
Module 6: Evidence-based medicine and elective
practice 1
Aims:
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To ensure that students gain experience in searching
the scientific literature and obtaining appropriate material
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To develop a critical approach to published material
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To learn to prioritise aspects of their findings
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To learn to collate information and to deliver a succinct
and factual report of their findings
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To learn to present their material verbally to their peers
in a structured and meaningful way
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To have an opportunity to explore at some depth and with
guidance, a topic that impacts scientifically or clinically on
the current practice of medicine
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To understand the importance of teamwork and the problems
that arise during group collaboration and the ways in which
they may be managed
In these group projects, students are offered a choice of project
titles by the various departments in the medical school. Students
select the project of their choice and, following a meeting with
the staff project leader, they work in groups of 10 to review the
literature and draw up a written report. They also make a verbal
presentation to the class.
Medical Moderatorship and Intercalated
M.Sc. in Biomedical sciences
After completing year three successfully, you may be permitted
to take a year out from the medical course to undertake a
moderatorship in science in an approved subject. This is subject
to the availability of places and the agreement of the head of
department concerned. An intercalated M.Sc. in Biomedical
sciences is also available to medical students who successfully
gain a 1st or 2:1 in third-year modules. The M.Sc. is a two-year
programme, full-time in the first year and part-time in the second.
The subjects undertaken are molecular medicine, neuroscience
and bioengineering. Both courses offer students the opportunity
to gain experience in scientific research if you are interested in
the possibility of a career in academic medicine.
The fourth and fifth medical years
During these two years the emphasis is on continuous
enhancement of the skills and attitudes acquired in the first
three years of the course. There is, of course, some acquisition
of important new knowledge and most of this is achieved
through interaction with a wide range of consultants and mentors
both on the wards and at various hospital conferences. The
undergraduate student becomes an integrated member of each
team to which s/he is attached and is expected to participate
fully in all aspects of that team’s activities. This expectation will
inevitably involve some early morning and late evening work.
The duration of team attachments vary from two weeks to two
months so that each student is exposed to a wide range of
general and specialist areas. There are excellent library facilities
available on both of the major teaching hospital sites. There is a
range of special structured tutorials included in the final year to
ensure comprehensive cover of important areas for all students.
The majority of hospital attachments take place in St. James’s
Hospital in Dublin and the Adelaide and Meath Hospital
incorporating the National Children’s Hospital in Tallaght;
however some training also takes place in regional hospitals
around Ireland and in hospitals dedicated to particular areas
of medicine.
Study abroad
From the beginning of the third medical year students must
attend hospital continuously and credit for clinical exposure
may be obtained in a number of units including a general
hospital abroad or an overseas medical centre. The School of
Medicine currently has elective links with Columbia University
(NY), Georgetown University (Washington DC), University of
Pennsylvania (Philadelphia PA) and Johns Hopkins University
(Maryland). Students may avail of the opportunity to undertake a
one-year Erasmus exchange at the University of Tours, France.
Assessment
The assessment structure is wide and varied and includes
in-course assessment of practical and clinical skills, as well
as case studies, research projects, formal written and oral
examinations and objective structured clinical examinations.
Intern year
On completion of the medical course a doctor must spend
one year as a resident medical officer/intern at a hospital or
hospitals recognised for the purpose before being eligible for full
registration with the Irish Medical Council. The University does
not assume responsibility for these appointments. To practise in
Great Britain and Northern Ireland, registration with the General
Medical Council in the UK is necessary.
Career opportunities
As a doctor, you will have plenty of options to choose from when
it comes to making a decision about your career. Most people
wait until their year as an intern is complete before committing to
one area over another. Some then enter general practice, while
many more continue their training as a general physician or
surgeon, or in a related specialist field. Alternatively, you might,
as others have done, prefer to work in an area such as hospital
management, or make research your priority by opting for a
career in academic medicine.
Further information
Medical School Office
Trinity College Dublin
Tel: +353 1 896 1075
E-mail:
MedAdmin@tcd.ie
www.medicine.tcd.ie