To clarify a little bit about the programme length at RCSI from a current RCSI student. This is valid for the the Irish campus; I have no idea if RCSI-MUB differs or not. I've pulled the syllabus from 2008 off the RCSI website. There may be some minor changes but the gross structure is still the same.
The RCSI curriculum in organized into 3 medical cycles with the possible addition of a foundation year at the outset.
If you are admitted to RCSI after highschool/ leaving cert/ IB/ GSE, you may be asked to complete the foundation year if you do not have Advanced Placement/ IB higher levels or high enough Irish leaving cert/ GSE exam grades in all three core sciences: physics, biology, chemistry. The foundation year is a basic sciences course. Most foreign students are asked to complete the foundation year. It covers:
1) First semester (Stand alone modules)
· Introduction to General, Medicinal, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (Double Module).
· Introduction to Medical Physics (Double Module).
· Introduction to Human Biology (double Module).
· Medical Informatics.
2) Second semester (Integrated modules)
· Chemical processes involved in biological systems, in metabolism, and in the behaviour of drugs (Double Module).
· Human Systems 1 & 2 – Communication and Control: Skin, Musculo-Skeletal and Nervous Systems. Special Senses and Gastrointestinal Tract (Double Module).
· Human Systems 3 & 4: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems. Excretory, Immune, Reproduction and Endocrine Systems. Man and the Environment.
After completing the foundation year, or placing out of it, you will be admitted to Junior Cycle. Anatomy, one of the high points of RCSI, is taught along side each of the units in Junior Cycle. Junior cycle is 1.5 years long and covers:
1) First semester
• Neuromuscular System
• Nutrition and Energy (double modules)
• Haemopoietic and Immune Systems
• Health, Behaviour and Society
• Clinical Competencies: Communication, Clinical History and Physical Examination, Information Systems
2) Second semester
• Cardiorespiratory and Upper Limb (double module)
• Genitourinary and Endocrine
• Molecular Medicine
• Health, Behaviour and Society
• Clinical Competencies: Communication, Clinical History and Physical Examination, Information Systems
3) Third Semester
• Neuroscience (double module)
• Evidence Based Health
• Early Patient Contact
• Clinical Competencies: Communication, Clinical History and Physical Examination, Information Systems
You will then proceed to Intermediate Cycle. It is also 1.5 years long. At the conclusion of this cycle you will have been studying for at least 3 years (4 if you had to complete the foundation year). Intermediate Cycle covers:
1) First Semester
• Biology & Epidemiology of Disease
• Cardiorespiratory (double module)
• Genitourinary & Hepatology (triple module)
• Health, Behaviour and Society • Clinical Competencies; Communication, Clinical History and Physical Examination, Information Systems
2) Second Semester
• Renal, Endocrine, Genitourinary, Breast
• CNS, Locomotor, Movement
• Haemato-Lymphoid, Tropical Medicine
• Health, Disease and Society
3) Third Semester
• Clinical Team Attachments
• Advanced Clinical Skills programme
• Musculoskeletal programme
• Student Selected Programme
After Intermediate Cycle, you are admitted to Senior Cycle which lasts 2 years. All RCSI programmes have the same Senior Cycle. Graduate admits join the regular class at this point. Class rank and honours are solely based on Senior Cycle grades (with the recent addition of 5% from a barrier Objective Standardized Clinical Exam, or OSCE, at the end of Intermediate Cycle). Senior Cycle covers:
• Medicine and Surgery
• Medicine and Surgery of Childhood
• Obstetrics
• Neonatal medicine
• Psychiatry
• Family Practice
• Ophthalmology
• Oto-rhino-laryngology
If you are admitted to RCSI as a post-secondary graduate, with a bachelors degree or higher and a standardized medical admissions test result (MCAT or equivalent), you will be admitted to the graduate entry programme, or GEP. This programme is very similar to the regular programme in that it also has 3 cycles. Junior and Intermediate Cycle are covered in one year each. The only difference for these years is that the modules are compressed(more class time per day) and there is no student selected module. GEP classes are separate from the 5 year programme and held, other than Anatomy, outside of the RCSI main campus (Junior Cycle at the Sandyford campus, and Intermediate Cycle at Conelly Hospital in Blanchardstown). However, after Intermediate cycle the 5 year and Graduate entry 4 year programmes combine into one class and progress through Senior Cycle together. I have never heard of a graduate entry student being asked to complete the Foundation Year, though RCSI is such a small programme that exceptions might possibly occur at the discretion of Administrators. To reitterate, I am not aware of any.
At the end of Senior Cycle, you are awarded the functional medical degree of MB Bch BAO (as well as some fluffy RCSI degrees that don't mean anything practically). This degree is equivallent to the NORTH AMERICAN MD degree and the British MBBS (or any of the other diverse UK acronyms) degree. Recipients of the MB Bch BAO usually use MD if practicing in North America, but will publish under MB Bch BAO. The MB Bch BAO is NOT equivalent to the European MD degree, which is awarded for research and would be considered a PhD in Medical Science or another discipline in North America.
Hope that clears things up.
.... Congratulations on getting accepted to RCSI! I am very concerned though about your knowledge of their program!!! How did you pass the interview without knowing anything about their curriculum, how they work, what degree you get?????
