The Role of the Internet in Medical Education Challenged at Student Debate

Posted on: 20 April 2011

Debating teams from Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, the University of Limerick, the University of Oxford and the University of Edinburgh recently took part in a medical debate organised by the Dublin University Biological Association (Biosoc).  The winning team of Will Courtney (UCD), Neil Watson (Edinburgh), and Eoin Kelleher (RCSI), beat off competition from Eabhann O’Connor (TCD), James Fitzgerald (UL) and Tim Robbins (Oxford) when they debated against the motion ‘This House Believes that the Internet Has Changed Medical Education for the Worse’.  The event was organised by Biosoc to mark the 300 year anniversary of Trinity College’s School of Medicine.

Speaking about the event, student at TCD’s School of Medicine and chairperson of Biosoc, Anna Feeney said: “The idea behind picking these universities was to bring together different experiences of medical education from students in Ireland and the UK.  Each of the universities that took part has a different method of teaching with different proportions of undergraduate and postgraduate students.  We believe that the motion made for a lively and interesting debate.”  

Students at the debate with Minister, Dr James Reilly.

Minister for Health & Children, Dr James Reilly, chaired the debate which was held in Trinity College’s Public Theatre.  Neil Watson of the University of Edinburgh was awarded best speaker on the night by the judging panel which comprised of Professor Ronán Conroy, Associate Professor, Division of Population Health Sciences, RCSI; Professor Jane Grimson, School of Computer Science & Statistics, TCD, and Ms Kristina Lee, President, the Royal Medical Society, Edinburgh.

A full schedule of events organised to celebrate the tercentenary of TCD’s School of Medicine are available online.