Interviews
Name: Dr Noel Gerard Boyle
TCD Qualifications: B.A., PhD, M.B. BCh. (1979)
Title: Cardiologist at UCLA Medical Center
About: After graduating from Trinity, Dr Boyle undertook Internal Medicine and Cardiology training in the US. Thereafter his field of specialisation became cardiac electrophysiology. He works now as a Cardiologist at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles and is Professor of Medicine/Cardiology at UCLA School of Medicine.
What was your earliest childhood ambition?
I grew up in the village of Collinstown in County Westmeath, where our local school had just three teachers, but we did get a great education there, and much of it in Irish. Not being very good at hurling, unlike my brothers my early interest was in history. For most of my secondary schooling, my favourite subject was history, which I planned to study at university. I competed in the Young Scientists exhibition in my Leaving Cert year with a project in physics, and I was the winner that year (1975), so that made me want to study physics at Trinity instead.
Having completed a PhD in Physics what inspired you to study medicine at Trinity?
My PhD work was in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), with Professor Vincent Mc Brierty at Trinity, and the medical applications were just being developed. This caught my interest and prompted me to study medicine. I eventually found my perfect niche in studying and treating electrical problems in the heart.
What is your strongest memory of your Trinity days?
During my PhD, it would be the long 18 hour days doing experiments in the lab. In medicine, surviving the famous anatomy ‘spot exams’, and then going with classmates for coffee in the Buttery or Bewleys in Grafton Street.
What led you to move to the USA?
I graduated medicine in 1987 and finished my internship in St James’s hospital in 1988. At that time the postgraduate training in Ireland was very poor, as were career prospects, so I accepted an offer to train in Internal medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. I then moved to Beth Israel Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston for fellowship training in cardiology, and joined the cardiology faculty at UCLA in 1996, and have been here since then.
What do you love most about your work?
My specialty is cardiac arrhythmias – essentially dealing with any abnormal heart rhythm - too slow, too fast or irregular! The treatments available today are highly successful including ablation, pacemakers and defibrillators. It is both a great privilege and satisfaction to be able to treat these problems in a way that can change people’s lives.
What has been the proudest moment in your medical career to date?
My other interests are in medical education and research. My proudest achievement is to have helped train seven of my colleagues in our group at UCLA, and colleagues from all over the world, including Ireland.
Why is it important that alumni stay connected to Trinity?
I am immensely grateful for the education I received at Trinity, it facilitated me to be of equal standing with the best and to contend with them. This enabled me to be competitive professionally compete with the best in the world. It is very important to me to continue collaboration in education and research with colleagues in Trinity and in Ireland as this truly an international activity.
What advice would you give to graduates who are moving to the USA?
You need to be very focused on your career goals and prepared to work hard in the US to achieve them, as you will be competing against the best people from all over the world. This is usually not a problem for Irish graduates who have a strong work ethic and are ready to take on this challenge.