History of the University

There has been an educational establishment in Cork for over 1,200 years. A recognized Medical School was established in Cork in the 18th century, variously dated between 1722 and 1775.

The first recorded lessons in subjects like Anatomy, Physiology and Surgery date back to 1828, when a Medical School was founded by Henry Augustus Caesar. The school would become officially recognized as Queen’s College Cork in 1849.Medicine was one of the three founding faculties along with Arts and Law.

In 2004, the Faculty of Health Sciences launched a 120 million euro expansion with the development of new state-of-the-art facilities, including the Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, a Pharmacy building, and extended academic and research facilities. The University is an award-winning institution with a history of independent thinking stretching back over 170 years. UCC is ranked in the 1.1% of universities in the world. Today, University College Cork is the principal university in the province of Munster and the largest outside Dublin and now has a student population of over 23,000.

About The Medical School

The Medicine curriculum in UCC is rooted in the basic Medical Sciences of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, but also places emphasis on clinical instruction. A distinctive feature is small-group, patient-centred teaching, in which students learn the skills of listening and communicating, history-taking and clinical examination.

The Medicine curriculum at UCC reflects current best practice in medical education and is under constant review and evaluation. The curriculum is further enhanced by a wide range of student-selected modules, from research projects to humanities’ workshops (e.g. Art and Medicine, Creative Writing). Research is a key element of Medicine at UCC, and all students complete a research project in their final year.

Entry Requirements

FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM:

  • Students entering directly from high school with IB Examinations.
    • Applicants must present a minimum score of 36 IB Diploma points (exclusive of bonus points). The IB Diploma must comprise a minimum of six subjects (three subjects at Higher Level and three subjects at Standard Level), which must include Chemistry at Higher Level (with a minimum score of 6) and another laboratory science subject (Biology or Physics) or Mathematics at Higher Level.
    • If Mathematics is presented with Chemistry at Higher Level, another laboratory science subject (Biology or Physics) must also be presented at Standard Level.
  • Students who have completed one or more years of university will be assessed on an individual basis but are expected to be currently undertaking a science based curriculum.

Applicants applying directly from high school presenting AP exams are not eligible for the 5-year program.

FOUR-YEAR PROGRAM: A bachelor’s degree and MCAT/GAMSAT are required. The MCAT/GAMSAT can be written as late as March of the year of entry and a bachelor’s degree must be awarded before the September entry. The four-year course is also referred to as the Graduate Entry Medicine Program (GEM).

  • Minimum undergraduate cGPA of 3.0 (for Canadian applicants, please see the OMSAS conversion table for GPA calculation)
  • Minimum MCAT requirement of 500 or minimum GAMSAT requirement of 58. The MCAT/GAMSAT must be written within 3 years of the date of entry. e.g. test dates no earlier than August 2022 for 2025 entry.

Atlantic Bridge will provide specific guidance on your eligibility based on the information you submit on your Application Request Form.

Curriculum Overview

Year 1 Modules:

Person, Culture and Society I; Clinical Science and Practice I, Clinical Science and Practice I; Foundations of Medicine 1 – Introductory Human Biology; Foundations of Medicine 2 – Cardiovascular Biology; Foundations of Medicine 3 – Respiratory Biology and Metabolism; Foundations of Medicine 4 – Gastrointestinal; Nutritional and Metabolic Biology; Elective Course

Year 2 Modules:

Person, Culture and Society II; Clinical Science and Practice II; Foundations of Medicine: Medical Pharmacology; Foundations of Medicine: Mechanisms of Disease; Foundations of Medicine – Neuroscience; Bone Metabolism, Renal Mechanisms of Homeostasis and Associated Anatomy; Elective Course

Year 3 Modules:

Epidemiology for Evidence Based Healthcare; Clinical Science and Practice III; Clinical Science and Practice IV; Clinical Science and Practice V; Foundations of Medicine: Fundamentals of Therapy; Foundations of Medicine: Manifestations of Disease; Research for Medicine and Health I; Elective Course

Year 4 Modules:

Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science; Behavioral Medicine and Patient Safety; Reproduction, Pregnancy, Child Health and Development; Fundamentals of Adult Disease; Fundamentals of Otolaryngology, Dermatology and Ophthalmology; Forensic Medicine/Pathology and the Coroner’s Court; Research for Medicine and Health II

Year 5 Modules:

Principles and Practice of Surgery; Principles and Practice of Internal Medicine and General Practice; Principles and Practice of Pediatrics and Child Health; Principles and Practices of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Preparedness for Professional Practice; Research Project and Elective Practice

Year 1 Modules:

Fundamentals of Medicine I; Fundamentals of Medicine II; Fundamentals of Medicine III; Integrated Patient-centered Clinical Science and Practice; Health and Disease in Society I

Year 2 Modules:

Fundamentals of Medicine IV; Junior Clinical Elective; Professionalism and Patient Centered Practice; Clinical Medicine 1; Health, Disease and Society II; Clinical Medicine II; Research for Medicine and Health I; Elective (see below)

Student Selected Module (5 credits each):

Advanced Anatomical Skills; Psychological Medicine; Palliative Care: An Interdisciplinary Approach; Health Information Systems and e-Health; Creative Writing for Medical Students; Student Selected Special Study Module in Medicine; Leadership and Teamwork in Medicine; Malnutrition and Nutrition Support; Teaching and Learning in Medicine; Preparing for the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1; Genetic Research in Human Disease

Year 3 Modules:

Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural; Behavioral Medicine and Patient Safety; Reproduction, Pregnancy, Child Health and Development; Fundamentals of Adult Disease; Fundamentals of Otolaryngology, Dermatology and Ophthalmology; Forensic Medicine/Pathology and the Coroner’s Court; Research for Medicine and Health II

Year 4 Modules:

Principles and Practice of Surgery; Principles and Practice of Internal Medicine and General Practice; Principles and Practice of Pediatrics and Child Health; Principles and Practices of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Preparedness for Professional Practice; Research Project and Elective Practice

Teaching Hospitals

The primary teaching hospital is Cork University Hospital. The majority of the core medical rotations are located in the hospital. The hospital provides a local general service and a specialist tertiary referral service. It is the major accident center for the South of Ireland and forms the center of a network of teaching hospitals.

The Mercy University Hospital provides bedside teaching in Medicine, Surgery, Clinical Pharmacology, and Child Health and Gynecology. The South Infirmary-Victoria Hospital is the regional centre for ENT and Dermatology services. Bon Secours Health System has two large hospitals in Cork and Kerry providing a wide range of clinical teaching in Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics and Anaesthesia. University Hospital Waterford is a bed teaching hospital offering a wide range of speciality services including a busy Emergency Department. The hospital is a designated National Cancer Control centre. Additional teaching hospitals affiliated with UCC include Kerry General Hospital for Surgery, Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics, South Tipperarary Hospital, Mallow General Hospital, St. Finbarr’s Hospital, Cork, Marymount University Hospital and Bantry General Hospital.

Applications for Fall 2025 Entry are now open. Start your application today!

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