During my undergraduate degree in Canada, I always knew my next step was medicine I just wasn’t sure where I would end up. When I heard about Atlantic Bridge I immediately got in touch and they were very helpful in guiding me through the steps of the application and my options for the future. When I was accepted to Trinity College Dublin for Medicine I was absolutely thrilled.
As a second-year medical student, I think it’s safe to say I have learned so much both in and outside of the classroom. Trinity has some amazing doctors who are excited to share their knowledge with us. Not only do we get to learn from experts in their field, but we learn about medical advancements as they are happening.
The school year at Trinity is very similar to Canadian universities as it has two semesters with breaks in December and in the summer months. Medicine at Trinity is a 5-year degree. The first two years are comprised of lectures and labs. These lectures begin with more broad topics like biochemistry, physiology, and anatomy and become more focused on illness and disease over time. This approach allows everyone from different academic backgrounds to be on the same page. At Trinity, we are very fortunate to have top of the line dissection theatres and equipment to practice with. In the first year, we also have PBL (problem-based learning) where we go over case studies as a team to consolidate our understanding of the material we learn in lectures. The last three years at Trinity are clinical years. This means we spend our time within the hospitals and clinics where we receive a more hands-on approach to medicine and learn every day through our interacts with patients.
Trinity medicine adequately prepares their students to sit the USMLE and Canadian board exams for those intending to return to the USA and Canada to practice. I am so happy to be at Trinity. At first, it was daunting to think about leaving home for medical school, however, upon arrival, I was relieved to learn that Trinity is full of Canadians and Americas who were all in the same boat as me. I was fortunate enough to meet some amazing North Americans here both in my own year and in upper years who are all here to help each other through the crazy world that is medical school. My friends here have become my family and I wouldn’t want to be living and studying medicine anywhere else!
