Year 5

During this year 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 are 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.   In addition to the clinical skills that are consolidated in this year, professional ethics and decision making will be explored through a number of interactive events.

The credits for this year are based on:

• Integrated Medical Science and Practice (20 credits)
• Integrated Surgical Science and Practice (20 Credits)
• Competency Based Preparation for Practice (10 credits)
• Elective Practice 3 (10 credits)

Intern Year

Internship: 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.