...A Yearin Review

2009

Plans for the future...

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

As Registrar of the College for the past five years, I have been privileged

to lead an academic Institution that is steeped in history and tradition

yet, at the same time, continues to be at the vanguard in identifying

new initiatives and opportunities that will build its future successes. Later

this year I will step down as Registrar after a career of more than 30 years with

RCSI and I am proud to have worked alongside truly outstanding people who

I now am privileged to call friends. I have proudly witnessed the College grow

from strength to strength to become the remarkable organisation it is today.

My career in the College began in 1976 where I started in an administrative

role, taking over from the superintendent of schools, moving to examinations

in 1978 and while there, also taking responsibility for IT and HR. The College

today is almost unrecognisable from the institution I first joined. The late

1970’s and 1980’s were difficult times in Ireland and we were fully aware

that fees alone would not sustain the College into the 21st century; therefore

we looked elsewhere to safeguard our financial security.

Upon reflection, there are many projects and initiatives that I feel privileged

to have been a part of, in the mid 1990’s, I proposed a scheme to provide

every student with a personal laptop upon entry into the Medical School,

which was unheard of at the time. This project, coupled with the development

of the first on-line surgical training programme, BeST (electronic based surgical

training) in 1999, which is now being used by Harvard University Residents,

contributed to building our reputation as the leading provider of medical

education in Ireland.

My job in the College has brought me to places far afield from where I was

raised in Cork. In the summer of 1996, I spent a few months in Penang,

Malaysia, laying the groundwork for the establishment of Penang Medical

College in collaboration with University College Dublin. The College operates

a twinning programme whereby students spend their pre-clinical years in

either RCSI or UCD before returning to Penang to complete their clinical

studies.

Our reputation as the leading provider of medical education in Ireland was

further strengthened this year, following a quality assurance evaluation which

benchmarked all aspects of the Medical School’s activities against the World

Federation of Medical Education Standards.

The College achieved superb results, with standards of excellence in two-thirds

of the categories. This significant achievement demonstrates the Faculty’s

commitment to striving for excellence and these results have lead to a greatly

improved learning experience for our students. All recognise that ‘Excellence’

is not a destination, but a never-ending journey of continuous improvement.

In 2006, together with Oscar Traynor, we pioneered the world’s first dedicated

mobile surgical skills training unit, which represented another milestone in

the College’s commitment to excellence in surgical training. Built to

accommodate ten surgical trainees the unit facilitates the delivery of surgical

training to world-class standards and allows live link ups with the campus in

Dublin and operating theatres around the world.

One project in particular that has always been close to my heart is the

development of the RCSI Bahrain Health Oasis, incorporating the Medical

University of Bahrain and the King Hamad General Hospital. In February this

year, the College was delighted that H.E. Mary McAleese travelled to Bahrain to

officially open the new RCSI Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI-MUB) campus.

Accompanied by Batt O’Keeffe, T.D., Minister for Education and Science, the

Opening marked an important milestone in the relationship that we have

developed with Bahrain over the past 30 years. Currently, RCSI Medical

University of Bahrain has over 700 students with a capacity for 2,000 students.

In May this year, the laying of the foundation stone for the RCSI Bahrain Health

Oasis was performed during a ceremony by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin

Salman Al-Khalifa Prime Minister, Kingdom of Bahrain together with Minister

Dara Calleary, Minister with responsibility for Labour Affairs at the Department

of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. This occasion marked a further milestone

in bringing this project to fruition. The Oasis will represent a truly unique

medical education and healthcare campus within a world class, mixed use

waterfront development – an international healthcare centre of excellence and

enterprise for the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Middle East. When completed,

it will integrate world-class healthcare, state-of-the-art medical education and

research and health sector enterprises.

The King Hamad General Hospital (KHGH), which is currently under construction

in Bahrain, is one of the biggest public sector health projects in Bahrain in recent

times. It is scheduled to open in 2010 and will provide world class healthcare

services to the people of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

One project of which I am especially proud is the Private Bill we brought through

the Oireachtas (Parliament) to amend the Charters of the College. This became

the RCSI Charters Amendment Act of 2003 and gave the College the authority

to award its own degrees – a long held ambition of all graduates of RCSI.

The achievements of the College, and there have been many, are due

exclusively to the dedication, energy and loyalty of the individuals who

comprise the President, Council and staff of RCSI. I am extremely grateful to

each and every one of them for their contribution.

The continued success of RCSI can be contributed to two things: the wise

governance of the Council of the College and the dedicated commitment of

staff in every area of the College. It is they who have made RCSI what it is

today and will continue to do so in the future. I am honoured to have followed

in the footsteps of inspirational leaders such as Harry O’Flanagan, Bill MacGowan

and Kevin O’Malley. It is now time for new thinking, new directions and new

leadership. An exciting new era will begin for RCSI, under the leadership of

Professor Cathal Kelly, and I am confident that the new leadership team will

have the commitment, energy, drive and passion to lead RCSI to many successes

into the future.

I am truly grateful for your support and help over the years and hope that you

are as proud of our achievements, as we are of yours.

Mr. Michael Horgan, Chief Execu�ve/Registrar. (2004 - 2009)

2 • Fleam

ReflectionsSpanning Three Decades

message from the

©Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland 2010.

For additional copies of Surgeons’ Fleam please contact theAlumni Office at: 353 1 402 2235 / 402 2163or email at: lsherwin@rcsi.ie or alumni@rcsi.ie

Editor: Louise SherwinDesign / production: ICON Graphic Services 01 - 831 8103Printing: Print Fusion 01 - 833 9892

RCSI Graduate elected as next President ofMayo Clinic, USA

Professor Michael D. Brennan has beennamed as President Elect of the worldrenowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA.Professor Brennan is the first Irishgraduate to hold such a position in almostsixty years and he will take over thePresidency in January 2010.

After graduating in 1969, ProfessorBrennan completed his residency at theMayo Graduate School of Medicine in Minnesota in Internal Medicine. Hereceived his Fellowship in Endocrinology from the Mayo Graduate School ofMedicine in 1977. He currently holds the position of Consultant in theDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, Nutrition Department ofInternal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic. A keen researcher and recipient of anumber of awards, Professor Brennan was recently awarded theDistinguished Service Award from the Mayo Clinic Department of Medicinein 2008.

The office of President at the Mayo Clinic is extremely prestigious and iselected by popular vote of the voting staff of the Clinic including almost allof the physicians and a large number of the administrative staff.

Professor Frank Keane, President of RCSI said “RCSI has a long tradition ofeducating and training students to the highest standards and our graduatesare highly respected both here in Ireland and abroad. On behalf of RCSI, Iextend my congratulations to Professor Brennan on this enormousachievement and wish him all the success in his new position.”

Graduate Appointed CEO OF RCSI

Cathal Kelly, Class of 1985 wasannounced in July 09 as theincoming CEO/Registrar of RCSI.Cathal replaced Michael Horganwho stepped down in December2009. Professor Kelly was RCSIDean of the Medical Faculty beforehe took up his new appointment.Cathal says that “I look forward toworking with Council, faculty, staffand students, building on theoutstanding legacy under theleadership of Michael Horgan andof previous Registrars. I am thrilled,proud and delighted to be leading RCSI. My commitment as CEO isto provide leadership that takes into consideration RCSI’s rich past,yet at the same time, develop its potential to face the newchallenges presented today and into the future. I believe RCSI is wellpositioned to provide leadership in many areas, making a significantimpact on healthcare globally.”

In making the announcement, Professor Keane, President RCSIexpressed the Council’s confidence in Professor Kelly’s suitability forthe specific needs of RCSI. “Cathal’s wide-ranging experience inadministration, his excellence in his own academic discipline andhis understanding and commitment to the mission of RCSI, makehim a superb fit for this College. The Council looks forward to thisnew chapter in RCSI’s history under Professor Kelly’s leadership.”

editorT

here can be no denying that 2009 has been a challenging year becauseof the national and global economic crisis. Notwithstanding this, RCSIresponded to these challenges positively and our annual review

highlights our success stories and some of our plans for the future.

With the passing of the first decade of the 21st Century also marks the endof an era with the retirement of Michael Horgan as CEO/Registrar. Michaelhas been with RCSI for some 30 years and was a catalyst for thetransformation of RCSI into the information and technology age. He hasaccomplished much in improving the education of our students and thereputation of RCSI at home and abroad.

A new year, and decade brings a new energy to RCSI especially with theappointment of RCSI graduate and fellow, Professor Cathal Kelly asCEO/Registrar. Professor Kelly took up his appointment on 4th December2009 and we wish him well as he takes up this leadership position. Cathalwill be building on RCSI’s strengths and will be engaging with our alumnicommunity in new efforts to strengthen our position as national andinternational leader in medical education.

As a graduate you need to be aware that you play an integral role as partof the RCSI community. Your support and advocacy on our behalf isinstrumental in raising our profile and advancing the reputation of Irishmedical education.

Between the economic downturn and the ever –rising cost of postage,Surgeons’ Fleam will in future be sent to you by email or available on ourwebsite www.rcsi.ie in an effort to reduce our costs. If you haven’t alreadysent us your email address, could you please do so by emailing me atalumni@rcsi.ie Thanking you in advance!

I would like to thank all who have been in contact with the Alumni Officeduring the year. I hope you enjoy our 2009 edition of the Fleam. As always,if you know anyone who has lost touch with the College or who is not inreceipt of Surgeons’ Fleam, please ask them to email their contact details tome at alumni@rcsi.ie

Finally, my best wishes for 2010. I look forward to your continued supportand interest in our work.

Kind regards

Louise Sherwin

Fleam • 3

Remembering the College in your WillHave you thought of leaving a legacy to RCSI?

If you are updating your Will or making one for the �irst time –

you have the opportunity to express your support and affection for

RCSI by means of a bequest.

Making a Will is a highly personal way to help us to develop our

resources and facilities.

RCSI has a tradition of offering students the freedom to experiment,

to think differently, to be an individual based on our highest academic

standards of teaching and research. If you should choose to remember

RCSI in your Will, you would not only be making a generous gift,

you would also be helping to ensure that the RCSI tradition lives on.

For further information, please contact:

Louise Sherwin

Alumni Of�icer, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

123, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

Tel: +353 1 402 2235

Fax: +353 1 402 2463

Email: lsherwin@rcsi.ie

4 • Fleam

Fleam • 5

Dr. Ronnie Delany, Dr. Carlos Pellegrini and Professor Frank Keane, President of RCSI.

RCSI Awards Honorary Fellowship to Dr.Ronnie Delany and Dr. Carlos Pellegrini atCharter Day DinnerRCSI granted its highest award of Honorary Fellowship to Irish Olympic GoldMedallist Dr. Ronnie Delany and Dr. Carlos Pellegrini from the University ofWashington at the annual Charter Day dinner last Saturday evening.

RCSI Launches New Medical Leaflet onObesity as Study Reveals Lack of Informationfor General Public RCSI launched a medical information leaflet on 9th March, which will givepeople in Ireland information on the dangers of being overweight andobese. Over 100,000 copies have been distributed and made available to300 pharmacies and doctors clinics around the country for the public totake away with them.

The joint initiative between the School of Pharmacy and Molecular &Cellular Therapeutics (MCT) follows the results of a study that was carriedout by the two RCSI departments, which revealed that pharmacies, generalpractice clinics and hospitals, did not have any literature available to thegeneral public on being overweight or obese.

As part of the study, thirty pharmacies, fifteen general practice clinics andthree weight loss clinics were visited in Dublin city centre and surroundingcounties including Co. Louth, Co. Meath, Co. Kildare and Co. Kilkenny. Noneof those visited had any available leaflets on obesity.

Dr. Steve Kerrigan, project leader and lecturer in Pharmacology said“Collectively we saw this as a problem where there was nowhere for thegeneral public to find out about the health implications for beingoverweight or obese. While the pharmacies had several other informationleaflets on diseases ranging from diabetes to heart disease, we found nosuch literature on obesity. When we visited a number of GP clinics they toodid not have any leaflets available on obesity.”

Dr. Kerrigan continued “Although there is information on the internet,obesity has often been linked with poverty and educational disadvantage;therefore obese people may have less access to a computer or theinternet.”

Professor John Kelly, Head of the School of Pharmacy said “Currently,obesity presents one of the biggest public health problems in Ireland and itis essential that information on such a common disease is readily availableto the general public prior to them seeking advice from their pharmacistsor doctors. Empowering people with this knowledge could prevent themfrom suffering obesity related diseases in the future.”

Obesity in Ireland has increased by 67 per cent since 1990 and we are nowranked the fourth highest country in Europe for obesity. It is estimated that€4 billion per year is spent on obesity and related disease in Ireland. Thedisease results in 2000 premature deaths in Ireland each year.

The leaflet on obesity is now available on the RCSI website at www.rcsi.ieunder the School of Pharmacy section. Please click on Leaflet onObesity.pdf to view a copy.

college news...

Dr. Ronnie Delany Dr. Ronnie Delany is a former Irish athlete, who specialised in middledistance running. In 1956, he became the seventh runner worldwide tojoin the club of four-minute milers. In the same year went on to win thegold medal in the 1500m final at the Melbourne Olympics, setting a newOlympic record in the process.

In 1958 he won the bronze medal at the European Championships. Heremained the last Olympics champion of Ireland for 36 years, until MichaelCarruth won the gold medal in boxing at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Dr. Ronnie Delany’s athletic career also included an unprecedented andunsurpassed 40 straight victories indoors in America from 1956 to 1959.

He broke the World Indoor Mile Record on three occasions from 1958 to1962. In 1961, representing Ireland, he was World University GamesChampion at 800m, Ireland’s first ever Gold Medalist at this level. In 2006,Dr. Delany was granted the Freedom of Dublin City.

Reading his citation, RCSI Council member Professor David Bouchier Hayessaid “The transforming power of Ronnie’s great victory and his careerrecord of 40 indoor victories including three indoor victories was also feltby the Irish-American community who co-operated with the IDA in settingup new businesses in Ireland at a time of great poverty and emigration.”

Dr. Carlos Pellegrini Dr. Carlos Pellegrini was appointed as The Henry N. Harkins Professor andChairman of the Department of Surgery, University of Washington inSeattle in 1996. He is a world leader in minimally invasive gastrointestinalsurgery and a pioneer in the development of videoendoscopy for thesurgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease and esophagealmotility disorders, particularly achalasia.

In the area of medical education he has been a major contributor to thefundamental reform of residency work hours. He is a past-president of theAmerican Surgical Association and was chair of the Digestive Disease Week(DDW) Council from 2002-2008. Dr. Carlos Pellegrini serves on several

editorial boards, and publishes regularly in the field of minimally invasivesurgery for upper gastrointestinal diseases, esophageal cancer, and relatedareas, as well as the field of training and new technologies for preparingsurgeons in this field. His bibliography lists well over 300 articles, chapters,editorials, and books, as well as 12 surgical videos and films.

Reading his citation, RCSI council member Mr. Joe Duignan said “Ourcandidate this evening is an outstanding scholar; he has 200 publishedarticles in peer reviewed journals, 110 book chapters, 40 invitedcommentaries and 15 videos and films to his credit. His medical interestsspan the spectrum of oesophageal disorders, hepatobilary surgery,minimal invasive surgery and surgical simulation and he is a world leaderin each. Everywhere he has worked he has won prizes for his teaching.”

This year is the 225th in the College’sexistence. I have been privileged to takeover the Presidency of this very successful

organisation from my predecessor GerryO’Sullivan. But the climate within which we arenow living both in Ireland and internationallyhas changed dramatically, plunged as we areinto a deep recession. This College has facedmany difficult times in its history including war,famine and pestilence. But it has always risento meet the needs of its time or to harnessopportunities as they arose. Even in its earliestyears, between 1785 and 1815, it furnished1000 surgeons to the armies and navy’sengaged in the Napoleonic wars.

There is, as yet, no job description nor arethere Terms of Reference for the Presidency ofthis burgeoning institution. The fact that I am the 167th in line and theappointment is just for two years perhaps justifies this kind of flexibleapproach particularly as we continue to achieve significant success. Butwith the increasing number of obligations and complexities of theCollege, its expanding portfolio together with an increasing exposure torisk, both reputational and financial, then each of its parts, including thePresidency, has to become more accountable. Governance, I hope hasbeen a watchword of mine and recent Presidencies, and our awarenessof its importance has been magnified as we view with dismay some ofthe financial and institutional failures that have taken place in Irelandand the world over the last year. I am confident that Council’s GovernanceCommittee is steadily putting the pieces into place and is making each ofus more accountable and our College more robust.

But ‘accountability’ is also letting people know what you do. To that endI have tried to make the Presidency more accessible. I have moved intoa wonderful office, the old Colles Room, where our very personableexecutive assistant, Kate Smith, provides a more identifiable focal point.Working with Louise Loughran, communications throughout the College,both to its own constituency and to the outside world, have madesignificant strides. My own activities and views are well documented bothin my Ezine and Bulletin and I hope that people find the time to glanceat them from time to time.

Surgery, as well as being our heritage, is fundamental to the delivery ofhealthcare in Ireland and our responsibilities have to reach further andfurther into its many aspects of training, standards and practice delivery.This is against a background of a changing society with changingdemands, increased expectation and spiralling costs but, at the sametime, with a health service that is struggling to manage itselfcompetently. Engaging constructively with the Department of Health andChildren and the Health Service Executive either directly or through theForum of Irish Postgraduate Training Bodies is a focussed strategy of RCSIrecognising that working together is the only solution to resolving manyof our healthcare problems. In this way we have been very active in the

Patient Safety agenda (launching the SurgicalChecklist with HIQA, the Health InformationQuality Authority, and participating in theimplementation of the Madden report -“Building a culture of patient safety”; we havesupported the principles of hospitalreconfiguration and the National Cancer ControlProgramme while at the same time providedcritical and constructive appraisal andamendments to each; we have formed aconsensus within the surgical community as tohow paediatric surgery should be providedoutside the planned tertiary centre in Dublinand we continue to express our dissatisfactionat the lack of preparedness to meet theimplementation of the European Working TimeDirective and the shortage of elective surgicalresources, while, at the same time, working

toward solutions.

The problems for our surgical trainees include the lack of surgicalexposure during the early years, the adequacy of their training withinthe working time regulations and the maintenance of funding for theirtraining. Reconfiguration and the National Cancer Control Programmealso make the future workforce requirements unclear and this adds tothe uncertainties of their futures. We, in the College, have and arechanging our training from an apprenticeship model to a more activelytaught, competence based model and I believe our programmes are ofa world standard and improving all the time, with many aspects linkedto our sister Royal Surgical Colleges. Training at the coal face is still,however, essential and we are actively pursuing the huge potential ofelective surgical experience contained within the National TreatmentPurchase Fund. Surgical training is more resource demanding than othermedical disciplines and we will make a strong case to government forappropriate funding. Meanwhile we have also commenced a studylooking at future workforce requirements for surgery in Ireland.

For surgeons in practice Continued Professional Development (CPD) islooming inexorably on the horizon when it becomes part of theenactment of the Medical Practitioners Professional Competence Scheme,arising out of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007. This has provided a newemphasis for the College and we are currently busily structuring itscomponent parts and recording systems so that it will be introducedwithin the next year in a stepwise manner and starting with an emphasison CME (Continuing Medical Education) with Peer Review Activities andAudit following closely behind. Our aim is to help and supportpractitioners in a self -improvement exercise that provides usefulfeedback for them and their patients but does not impose anoverweening bureaucratic chore.

During my first year of Presidency I have experienced some wonderfulhighlights. In March 2009 I attended the RCSI Faculty Forum held atNuremore Hotel in Monaghan. There we received, amongst other reports,

6 • Fleam

President’s Report

news of the outcome of the highly successful QA/QI process. It wasextremely rewarding to see the Faculty “in action” on what was anexcellent and informative meeting punctuated by lively debates. Itemphasised to me both a remarkable esprit de corps and an impressiveclarity of purpose and ambition. This emphasis on a co-ordinatedapproach to teaching delivered at the different hospitals attached to RCSIwas further emphasised when the Lord Mayor of Waterford, late lastyear opened the smart, new €4.2 million HSE – RCSI Education Facilitywhich had been built in partnership with the HSE and Waterford RegionalHospital. The occasion was also marked with the re-introduction of theAbrahamson Lectures which will be delivered alternately at the differentHospitals affiliated to RCSI.

Indeed it was a year of openings. In October 2008 I had the pleasure ofparticipating in the official opening of RCSI-Dubai by Tánaiste, MaryCoughlan. Our Institute of Leadership and Healthcare Management hasbeen running courses in the Middle East for approximately 16 years, inBahrain, Jordan and more recently Dubai. RCSI-Dubai is the very firstbody to become institutionally licensed and its programmes accreditedby the UAE Ministry of Health, Education & Scientific Research. Thisquality and regulatory approval has created great opportunities for RCSIto establish strategic alliances and developments within DubaiHealthcare City, the UAE Health sector and the Gulf region as a whole.

Another auspicious occasion, in January 2009, was marked by theopening of the new Medical University of Bahrain building by PresidentMary McAleese and His Highness the Prime Minister of Bahrain. It is hardto out-perform President McAleese who brings such enormous style andpresence to any event that she graces but on this occasion I think thateven she was outdone by the magnificence of the building itself. This isvery much a landmark event signifying our commitment to Bahrain andanticipating our further involvement with the new, shortly to becompleted, King Hammad Hospital and the Health Oasis, the foundationstone of which was laid in May.

Our medical schools in Penang and Bahrain are now operating to fullcapacity and are important hubs for medical education in those regions.Our international profile, however, was further emphasised by ourpartnership with COSECSA, the College of Surgeons of East, Central andSouthern Africa when I went to Mozambique to participate in theirexams and their Annual General Meeting. With significant support fromIrish Aid we are helping them to model a self sustaining business plan

not only to train surgeons but also other health workers who will remain

to work within their own communities.

Our commitment to Africa was further emphasised when former

President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, had earlier launched the

Ireland/Africa Health Research Capacity Strategy Programme put

together by Ruairi Brugha, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health

Medicine. Indeed such are the diversity of RCSI’s overseas activities that

I am delighted that an Overseas Development Group, bringing together

all our resources, is being co-ordinated by Declan Magee.

Closer to home we greatly value the special relationship we have with

our Faculties of Radiology, Sports and Exercise Medicine, Dentistry and

Nursing. They each continue to grow and provide the full range of

postgraduate services extending from centre accreditation through

training, assessment, examinations and professional development and,

at the same time, liaising with other accrediting bodies. We also value

the continued collaboration with the Royal College of Physicians through

the Conjoint Board and the Forum of Postgraduate Training Bodies.

Innovation and entrepreneurship remain key to the Colleges

developmental strategy and growth. The Colles Institute with its Centres

of Surgical Skills, Innovation and Research have made great strides in

amassing projects and key collaborations with partners including

Enterprise Ireland and the Cleveland Clinic. Our Research Pillar, under

Brian Harvey, is continuing to grow organically and anticipates a major

proposal for PRTLI5. And the College remains very much alive to academic

alignments that may be required within the Irish third level milieu.

No year passes without some sadness and we particularly mourn the

tragic deaths of the three young doctors, Jane Deasy, Aisling Butler and

Eithne Walls who were lost in the Air France disaster were a focus of

enormous grief to us all.

The year 2010 also marks 200 years of our presence in our building in

St Stephen’s Green. ‘Number 123’ has seen a lot of life go by both inside

and outside of its portals. Indeed it is a great privilege for me to see it

across this next great milestone, during this very vibrant era of its

existence, and I hope you will all join with us in this great celebration.

Professor Frank KeanePresident

Charter Day

Fleam • 7

RCSI Holds Medical EducationInformation Programme for Membersfrom International EmbassiesMembers from RCSI’s Medical Faculty hosted a seminar on 3rd June

entitled ‘Medical Education at RCSI - an outline of the Medical

Curriculum and Student Journey’, for members of the embassies that

are represented in the student body at RCSI.

The seminar was held for the first time in order to inform the cultural

attachés from each of the embassies about the medical curriculum

and of recent improvements and initiatives within RCSI. Among the

countries represented were Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE),

Malaysia and Qatar.

Professor Cathal Kelly, RCSI Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and

Health Sciences said “The aim of the event is to ensure that we can

provide representatives from the embassies with a good

understanding and appreciation of the medical education curriculum

at RCSI. The day will also build on the strong relationships that exist

between RCSI and the embassies, which will ultimately also benefit

the students at the College.”

NEW APPOINTMENTS IN RCSIDepartment of PaediatricsProfessor Alf Nicholson, a UCD graduate took up the position of

Professor of Paediatrics in June 2008. Professor Nicholson completed

his post-graduate training in Dublin, and Manchester. His three-year

fellowship training was undertaken in the Royal Children’s Hospital,

Melbourne, Australia. His appointments included Regional Adviser for

paediatrics in Ireland from 2000 – 2003 and Director of Higher

Specialist Training Director in paediatrics from 2000 - 2006. His

present appointment is as Higher Specialist Training Director in

General Professional Training in paediatrics . He is also a member of

European Academy of Paediatrics and Chair of the Accident

Prevention Committee.

Professor Nicholson is married to Helen and they have four children

ranging in ages from 17 down to 11. He is a resident of Co. Louth

which he enjoys because of its location close to the sea and the golf

course.

His research interests are in injury prevention and care of the critically

ill child. He is the co-author of a book to be published in April 2009

called “When your child is sick – what can you do to help.”

Professor Nicholson says that he is “enthusiastically looking forward

to developing further undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in

paediatrics in RCSI.”

Professor of Surgical Informatics AppointedProfessor Sean Tierney was appointed Professor of Surgical

Informatics in June 2009. He is a Consultant Vascular Surgeon in the

Adelaide and Meath National Children's Hospital (AMNCH), in Tallaght,

County Dublin and was appointed Vice Dean of Distance Learning for

Postgraduate Surgery in RCSI in 2003. Professor Tierney also runs the

RCSI School for Surgeons, an online case based learning programme

for surgical trainees. This award winning programme complements

other aspects of the surgical training programme and is now alsobeing piloted in Africa in partnership with COSECSA - the College ofSurgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa.

Professor Tierney graduated from University College Dublin (UCD) in1987. After a BSc in Anatomy, he completed Basic Surgical Training inDublin and was awarded his Fellowship from RCSI in 1992. He spenttwo years in Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA undertakingresearch into biliary physiology. Hecompleted his clinical training initiallyin London prior to completing the IrishSenior Registrar Training Programme.After a year as lecturer in RCSI /Beaumont Hospital he was appointeda Consultant in Vascular Surgery in2000. Professor Tierney has over 80publications, including more than 20original peer reviewed papers, 50abstracts and 7 chapters and reviews.He is former Chairman of the MedicalBoard in AMNCH Tallaght and theHigher Surgical Training Group. He iscurrently Vice President of the Irish Medical Organisation.

Commenting on the appointment, Professor Frank Keane, RCSIPresident said “we are delighted to appoint Professor Sean Tierney toProfessor of Surgical Informatics. The growing complexity of surgicaltraining and practice, the need to quantify and quality assure surgicalcare, and the need to ensure the competence of surgeons in practicerequires the development and deployment of data systems. ProfessorSean Tierney, in his role as Professor of Surgical Informatics will play aleading role in developing, promoting and evaluating the use ofinformation technology in supporting learning, ensuring clinicalquality and assisting practitioners in the process of competenceassurance.”

Senior Appointments in Midland Regional HospitalRCSI announced the appointment of Dr. Sean Murphy, ConsultantPhysician in Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar to AssociateProfessor of Medicine and Dr. Farhana Sharif to Senior Lecturer inPaediatrics in May 2009.

college news...

8 • Fleam

Pictured on the front row are: Dr. Sean Murphy, Dr. Orla Murphy, Professor CathalKelly, Dr. Farhana Sharif and Mr Imran Sharif.

college news...Dr. Murphy was appointed Consultant Physician in General Medicineand Geriatric Medicine in Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar in1995. He has been instrumental in developing the services in thehospital. In 2004 Dr. Murphy established a DXA Scan service, in 2005he set up a Medical Assessment Unit to facilitate rapid access for GP’sto same day ambulatory assessment of patients with urgent problemsand in 2006 he set up a Stroke Service Unit in the hospital.

In his role as Associate Professor of Medicine, Dr. Murphy will beresponsible for the RCSI Academic Department of Medicine in MidlandRegional Hospital to ensure the delivery of teaching and assessmentin medicine to the highest standard at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and to foster and promote research in Medicine.

A native of Carlow, Dr. Murphy is a graduate of the National Universityof Ireland, Galway (NUIG) and interned in Galway University Hospitals.He later pursued post-graduate training in the USA at the University ofWisconsin Hospitals and at the Johns Hopkins University School ofMedicine followed by further training at Oxford and Cambridge in theUK before returning to Ireland.

Dr. Sharif Farhana was appointed Consultant Paediatrician in MidlandRegional Hospital in 2003. She has a special interest in CommunityPaediatrics and has set up Early Intervention Teams in LongfordWestmeath, which has streamlined care for children with disabilitiesin this region. She has also been instrumental in introducing asensitive and specific tool for screening for developmental delay inchildren which has facilitated and enhanced care for these children inthe community.

In her new role as Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics, Dr. Sharif will beresponsible for teaching both undergraduate and postgraduatestudents in the Department of Paediatrics in Midlands RegionalHospital, Mullingar.

A graduate of the Aga Khan University in Pakistan, Dr. Sharifcompleted her Paediatric Residency Programme in Cardinal GlennonChildren’s Hospital in Missouri in the United States. She also holds aMaster degree in child health from University of Warwick in U.K.

Commenting on the appointments, Professor Cathal Kelly, Dean of theFaculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI said “we are delightedto appoint Dr. Sean Murphy to Associate Professor of Medicine and Dr.Farhana Sharif to Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics in Midland RegionalHospital. Since 2000 Midland Regional Hospital has played animportant role in training the future generation of medicalprofessionals and we are delighted to further strengthen therelationship between the College and Midland Regional Hospitalthrough these appointments.”

Professor Conor Murphy appointed Professor ofOphthalmologyProfessor Conor Murphy recently returned to Ireland from Liverpool totake up his position as Professor of Ophthalmology at RCSI andConsultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Royal Victoria Eye and EarHospital.

Conor qualified from UCD Medicine in 1996 and following his internyear obtained a MMedSc degree in physiology at UCD. He undertookhis basic and higher specialist training in ophthalmology at the MaterHospital, Dublin and in Bristol and Liverpool. Under the mentorship of

Professor Andrew Dick at the University of Bristol and Bristol EyeHospital, he developed expertise in the area of inflammatory eyedisease and uveitis. In 2005 he was awarded a PhD degree for histhesis “Optimising immunosuppression for posterior segmentintraocular inflammatory disease”, publishing widely on this subjectin the peer-reviewed literature. Conor later undertook advancedtraining in cornea and external eye diseases in Liverpool and Perth,Western Australia where he built on his expertise in infectious andimmune-mediated diseases of the anterior segment of the eye. Hisprinciple surgical interest is corneal transplantation.

Professor Murphy’s principle researchinterest is herpes simplex infection ofthe cornea, in particular how thevirus evades the innate immuneresponse at the ocular surface in thisblinding condition. He is currentlydeveloping a research programme inthis field with Dr. Caroline Jefferies,Senior Lecturer in Molecular andCellular Therapeutics at RCSI. Otheractive areas of research includeinvestigating the pharmacokineticsand in-vitro efficacy of novelantimicrobials in the cornea and theoutcome of corneal transplantation inrheumatoid arthritis associated corneal ulceration.

Conor undertook a post-graduate certificate in medical education inEdge Hill University in Liverpool in 2007 and feels this experience willhelp him to make a number of improvements to the delivery of theundergraduate ophthalmology programme at RCSI in line with themodernisation of the undergraduate curricula in medicine andsurgery. One such improvement includes the introduction of a moduleon ophthalmology in primary care for the medical students on theirgeneral practice rotation which will begin at the end of September.

Changes to post-graduate training in ophthalmology in recent yearshave led to the need for a more modern approach to the membershipand fellowship assessments. Professor Murphy is leading a number ofchanges to the MRCSI and FRCSI examinations in ophthalmology,including a restructuring of the examinations, the modernisation ofthe syllabus and the introduction of on-line OSCE and MCQassessments. It is expected that once implemented, candidates willbe able to sit the new examinations at a number of overseas centres,building on the international reputation of the College.

Minister Batt O’Keeffe launches NewTeaching Agreement between RCSIand Independent HospitalsMinister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keeffe TD launched a newteaching agreement between RCSI and five independent hospitals inMay 2009 to facilitate the clinical teaching of RCSI medical students.The hospitals involved in the agreement are Beacon Hospital, BonSecours Hospital, Galway Clinic, Hermitage Medical Clinic and MountCarmel Hospital.

Fleam • 9

college news...

Pictured from l-r Ba� O'Keeffe T.D., Minister for Educa�on and Science (Front le�)and Professor Cathal Kelly, Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, RCSI (FrontRight), with (Back le� to right): Dr. Mark Laher, from Mount Carmel, Mr. EamonnFitzgerald, from Hermitage Medical Clinic, Mr. Michael Costelloe, Beacon Hospital,Mr. James Sheehan, Galway Clinic and Gareth Jones, from Bon Secours Hospital,pictured at the launch of the new RCSI Teaching Agreement.

Commenting on the agreement, Minister O’Keeffe said “I would like tocongratulate RCSI and the hospitals for developing and cultivatinginnovative educational links. This new teaching agreement will make avaluable contribution to the training of our future generation of medicalprofessionals. By providing medical students with exposure to a broaderrange of medical conditions and treatments their experience will beenhanced and the quality of their training improved, leading ultimately tobetter patient care".

The private health care sector in Ireland has grown significantly over thepast ten years with over 50% of the Irish population now owning privatehealth insurance compared to only 10% in the United Kingdom.

Professor Frank Keane, RCSI President said “RCSI is at the forefront inproviding the highest standards of training for the future generation ofmedical professionals. The new teaching agreement will enable us toaddress the changes in our healthcare landscape so that our medicalstudents are exposed to both public and private practice which will leadto a more varied clinical teaching programme. We look forward toworking alongside the hospitals here today to provide training andprofessional development for our students.”

The use of private hospitals to facilitate the teaching of medical studentsis normal in the United States and Australia. Research has shown that thispractice improves recruitment into specialties such as surgery as well asproviding patients with a positive hospital experience.

Representatives from each of the hospitals involved in the agreementsaid “We welcome the opportunity to provide clinical teaching to studentsfrom RCSI in the independent healthcare sector. The agreement marks asignificant development in medical education in Ireland as bothundergraduate and postgraduate students will be exposed to certaintechniques and technologies that are currently only available in theprivate sector

Scope for medical device industrygrows as RCSI signs major researchand innovation agreementRCSI signed a major scientific agreement in May 2009 with one of thelargest and most respected American medical centres, Cleveland Clinic inOhio. The agreement will enable the two institutions to collaborate on

educational, research and innovation activities in the medical device areaand will contribute to the growth of the industry in Ireland and theUnited States.

The collaboration will enable growth of the research, development anddesign end of the medical device sector in Ireland. The agreement willenable the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Cleveland Clinic toidentify medical device market voids, encourage the development ofmedical device solutions, as well as partnering on clinical trials for CE andFDA approval.

Professor Oscar Traynor, RCSI’s Director of National Surgical Training Centresaid ‘The establishment of this scientific agreement helps to positionIreland at the forefront in Europe as an innovation hub and an innovatorin clinical care. The agreement will enable the Centre for Innovation inSurgical Technology (CIST) and the Centre for Clinical Research andDevelopment (CCR&D) to work in collaboration with Cleveland ClinicInnovations in the areas of orthopaedics, cardiovascular disease andgeneral surgery and we look forward to working with Cleveland Clinic tofurther develop and enhance patient care.”

Chris Coburn, Executive Director, Innovations, Cleveland Clinic’s corporateventuring arm said ‘Cleveland Clinic was founded on a belief that anexceptional capacity for innovation should be valued. Collaborating withthe Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is a valuable extension of thosecore values, and we are thrilled to be working with such an esteemedinstitution.’

Welcoming the agreement, Mr Frank Ryan, Chief Executive Officer,Enterprise Ireland said ‘The establishment of this scientific agreementbetween the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Cleveland Clinic is ahighly significant development. It provides a great opportunity for bothorganizations to work together to address complex healthcare challengesand develop innovative medical solutions that will ultimately improvepatient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. It will deepen theinnovation capability in the sector in Ireland, contributing to our globalreputation in this field and helping to drive continued growth in thesector. Enterprise Ireland looks forward to continuing to support the RoyalCollege of Surgeons in Ireland in its future international growth.’

Kenyan Ambassador pays official visit to RCSIH.E. Ms. Catherine Muigai Mwangi, the Kenyan Ambassador to Irelandpaid an official visit to RCSI on 22nd September 2009. The Ambassadoraccompanied by Ms. Kasiva Mbithi, Second Secretary met withProfessor Frank Keane, President RCSI; Professor Arthur Tanner, Directorof Surgical Training; Professor Sean Tierney, Professor of Surgical Informatics;Mr. Roger Duggan, ProgrammeManager of COSECSA and Ms.Fiona Walsh, Associate Directorof Surgical and PostgraduateAffairs.

The visit will serve to strengthenexisting links between the twoinstitutions and countries,particularly in the area ofsurgical education and training.

10 • Fleam

Ms. Catherine Muigai Mwangi, the KenyanAmbassador to Ireland.

Fleam • 11

college news...Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Ireland Pays Official Visit to RCSIFollowing his recent appointment as the Saudi Arabian Ambassador toIreland, H.E. Mr Abdulaziz Aldriss paid his first official visit to RCSI on 8thOctober where he met with RCSI staff and students.

Bahraini Minister Pays Official Visit to RCSIH.E. Fahmi Bin Ali Al Jowdar, Minister of Works and Minister of Electricity and Water Authority in Bahrain paid an official visit to RCSI on 13th October 2009.

The Minister was welcomed by senior officials including Ms. EilisMcGovern, Vice-President, RCSI; Professor Cathal Kelly, Dean of the Facultyof Medicine and Health Sciences; Mr. Joe Duignan, RCSI council member;Mr. David Hanly, RCSI; Ms. Paula Wilson, Associate Director in the office ofthe CEO and Ms. Louise Loughran, Associate Director of Communicationsand Events. A gift was presented to the Minister in the College Boardroom, where he was also greeted by other members from RCSI.

The Ambassador was greeted by Mr. Michael Horgan, CEO; ProfessorArthur Tanner, Director of Surgical Affairs; Professor David Croke,Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics; Mr. Fintan Foy, Associate Director ofAcademic Affairs; Mr. Philip Curtis, Associate Director of Student Affairs;Professor Ciaran O’Boyle, Head of the Institute of Leadership andHealthcare Management; Ms Louise Loughran, Associate Director ofCommunications and Events and Ms Tina Joyce, Institute of Leadershipand Healthcare Management. The visit will serve to strengthen therelationship that exists between Saudi Arabia and RCSI.

Pictured from l to r with H.E. Mr Abdulaziz Aldriss, Saudi Arabian Ambassador toIreland are founda�on year Medicine students Ms. Amal Al Yousif, Ms. BashaarShafai, Ms. Sarah Al Nafisee and Mr. Sami Backley.

Members from the Biological Society, Minister Micheal Mar�n and senior membersfrom RCSI and RCPI.

H.E. Fahmi Bin Ali AlJowdar, Minister of

Works and Minister ofElectricity and Water

Authority, Bahrainwith Professor Cathal

Kelly, Dean of theFaculty of Medicine

and Health Sciences.

Biological Society Welcome MinisterMicheál Martin, Minister for ForeignAffairs at 77th Annual MeetingMinister Micheál Martin, Minister for Foreign Affairs delivered a speechentitled ‘Education, Research and Diplomacy’ at the 77th Annual BiologicalSociety Meeting, held in RCSI on 12th November 2009. The President ofthe Society, Professor Noel G McElvaney opened the proceedings andpresented medals to Jenah Ghany, who received The Leonard AbrahamsonMedal; Laura Gould who received the RCSI Council Medal; Adwait Mahta,who received the RCPI Council Medal and Robert Ohle who received theDenis Gill Medal.

Annual Millin Meeting RCSI held its Annual Millin Meeting on Friday, 6th November. This year'sMeeting was entitled 'Assuring Patient Safety' and was aimed atbringing to the fore all those issues concerning safety, particularly those,which are pertinent to surgical disciplines. Among the keynote speakerswere Dr. Deirdre Madden, Chair of the Commission into Patient Safety;Professor Adian Halligan, Director of Education, University CollegeLondon Hospital and Chief of Safety Brighton and Sussex UniversityHospitals; Dr. Victor Fazio from the Cleveland Clinic and Mr. Chris Russell,Honorary Consultant Surgeon, University College London and formerVice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons in England.

Final year medical student Knut Moe spoke on ‘Operation Smile –Reflections on Nairobi Mission 2009”. Knut Moe, was the first recipient ofthe inaugural Operation Smile Ireland Medical Student Fellowship,sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Medical.

The Biological Society is the longest running Society at RCSI, and is madeup of Medical students and faculty members. The Society promotes andencourages lateral thinking and healthy competition through broadbased discussions at our guest speaker forums and case competitions.During the college year, students present case studies to a Panel ofProfessors and Doctors which arejudged. There are three main categoriesPaediatric Case Competition (Inaugural,Senior Case Competition and Junior CaseCompetition).

Minister Micheál Mar�n, Minister for ForeignAffairs and Professor Gerry McElvaney,

President of the Biological Society.

college news...

Pictured from l-r are Professor Ronan O’Connell; Mr Christopher Russell; ProfessorFrank Keane, President, RCSI; Dr. Victor Fazio and Mr. Kenneth Mealy.

Chris�na Noble pictured with RCSIstudents Amber Waits and CiaraShouldice.

Chris�na Noble pictured with RCSIPresident Professor Frank Keane and Dr. Harry Beauchamp (Class of 1985).

The day long event culminated in the Honorary Fellowship of Dr. Fazioand Mr. Russell, while RCSI Council member Mr. Ronan Cahill deliveredthe 32nd Millin Lecture, entitled ‘Tailoring Innovation for Surgical Care.’

RCSI hosts Photographic Exhibition toCelebrate Christina Noble's first visit toVietnam 20 years agoChristina Noble made a rare trip home to Ireland and RCSI to launch aphotographic exhibition on 16th November to celebrate the 20thanniversary of her first visit to Vietnam and to raise awareness and fundsfor The Christina Noble Children’s Foundation (CNCF).

The photographic exhibition consists of photographs and stories written byvolunteers, several of whom are students from RCSI, that have spent timein Vietnam and Mongolia working with CNCF. Their stories outlined howthey are providing help and support to children in need of medical care,nutritional rehabilitation, educational and vocational opportunities, as wellas children at risk of sexual and economic exploitation.

Speaking at the launch, Christina Noble said “Every volunteer that hasspent time at the Foundation has experienced something different, fromchildren taking their first steps, to families being given their first home. Allour volunteers have different photographs to show these incredible timesand experiences and the exhibition is a great way to showcase theimmense talents, development and potential of the children and highlighthow the Foundation has touched and changed so many childrens’ lives.”Every year, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, sponsors a group ofstudents from the schools of medicine, physiotherapy and pharmacy totravel to Vietnam and volunteer in the Christina Noble Children’sFoundation.

Speaking at the launch, Professor Cathal Kelly, Dean/CEO Designate, RCSIsaid “We actively encourage our students to get involved and volunteer inworthwhile charities such as the CNCF because volunteerism providesstudents with an invaluable experience that will be carried with themthroughout their lifetime and encourages humanitarian commitment tothose less fortunate.”

DATES FOR YOUR DIARYJanuary19th RCSI Celebration of 200 Years on St Stephen’s Green

Venue: RCSI

February18th – 21st Charter Day Meetings incorporating 85th Abraham Colles Lecture delivered by

Dr. Michael Brennan, President, Mayo Clinic. Venue: RCSI

24th – 25th Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery Annual Meeting.Venue: RCSI

March11th Widdes Lecture delivered by Professor Mark Jarzombek, Professor of History,

Theory & Criticism, MIT. Venue: RCSI

AprilTBC Leadership Lectured delivered by Lord Patton.

Venue: RCSI

7th Research Day.Venue: RCSI

May6th Leadership Lecture.

Venue: RCSI

12th – 14th 2nd International Conference on Surgical Training.Venue: RCSI

June3rd Conferring Ceremony.

Venue: National Concert Hall

28th RCSI Bahrain Conferring Ceremony. Venue: RCSI Bahrain

JulyTBC PMC Undergraduate Conferring Ceremony.

Venue: RCSI

7th RCSI Annual Golf Outing. Venue: TBC

12th Postgraduate Conferring Ceremony. Venue: RCSI

August26th – 28th Class of 1985 Reunion.

Venue: RCSI

SeptemberTBC Academic Meeting & 21st Leonard Abrahamson Lecture.

Venue: TBC

3rd – 4th 35th Sir Peter Freyer Memorial Lecture & Surgical Symposium.Venue: Arts Millennium Building, NUI, Galway

23rd – 25th Faculty of Radiologists Annual Scientific Meeting.Venue: RCSI

27th Orientation Day. Venue: RCSI

October7th – 10th Alumni Weekend for the Classes of 1950, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1990 and

2000.Venue: RCSI - For details contact Louise Sherwin at lsherwin@rcsi.ie

28th – 29th Faculty of Dentistry Annual Scientific Meeting. Venue: RCSI

31st RCSI Raceday. Venue: Leopardstown Racecourse, Dublin

NovemberTBC 77th Biological Society Inaugural Meeting.

Venue: RCSI

10th-13th Class of 1971 Reunion. Venue: Melbourne, Australia. For further details please contact Jay Sadhai byemail at jsadhai@netspace.net.au

18th Conferring Ceremony. Venue: RCSI

December13th Postgraduate Conferring Ceremony.

Venue: RCSI

12 • fleam

1. Kevin McGuigan, with his student Eunice Ubomba-Jaswa who was conferred with her PhD and her parentsDr. Susie and Dr. Peter Ubomba-Jaswa

2. John Kelly, Head of School of Pharmacy, Ann-Marie Hamilton, Ahmed Alagha and Kevin Nolan, Dean,Postgraduate School, RCSI

3. Roudha Al Dehneem, Cathal Kelly, CEO and former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,Mohamad Al Dehneem and Mohamad Alkaabi, Cultural A�aché in the Embassy of Qatar.

4. John McCormick, Jessica Leschied, Frank Keane, President of RCSI, John Sullivan, Seonaid Nolan and AmreShahwan

5. Jana McHugh, Michael Co�er, Laura O'Flynn, Jane Mitchell, Denis Vaughan, and Eimear Ki� 6. Alicia O’Dwyer and Lydia Finnerty7. Paul Dhillon, Dominic Wong and Wan Mohd Hafizullah Bin Wan Mansor 8. Graduates awai�ng the commencement of the conferring ceremony9. Gillian Byrne with her husband Will Kea�ng and baby son Liam10. A graduate reading the conferring commemora�ve bookley11. Laura O’Flynn, Eimear Ki�, Jana McHugh and Jane Mitchell celebra�ng their Gradua�on from RCSI

21

9 10

3

7 8

4 5

6

class of 2009

11

Fleam • 13

and Consultant Microbiologist in Connolly Hospital has greatly assisted the

development of teaching and learning on that campus, and in particular

delivery to the GEP. On the Children's University and Rotunda hospitals

campus, Professor Cafferkey, teaches during the medical student

attachments in paediatrics and obstetrics as part of the Senior Cycle, and

she also contributes to the Intermediate Cycle.

The Department makes a significant contribution to the Junior Cycle

Pharmacy programme and this is led by Dr. Deirdre Fitzgerald Hughes,

Lecturer in Molecular Microbiology. This introductory course consists of a

series of lectures, tutorials and practicals. Members of the Department also

contribute to courses in Physiotherapy, Infection Prevention and Control

Nursing Modules and to other postgraduate courses. The philosophy of the

Department is to deliver teaching and learning in an environment that

combines enthusiasm and motivation while emphasising the key role that

knowledge and understanding in this area can contribute to the safety and

quality of patient care in hospitals and in other healthcare facilities.

The research undertaken by the Department is based at the RCSI Education

and Research Centre and also in the Children's University/Rotunda Hospitals

campus. The epidemiology of HCAI including methicillin-resistant

Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), biofilm development and medical devices,

and the pathogenesis of S. aureus bloodstream infections are the main

themes of research conducted on the Beaumont Hospital campus in the

Clinical MicrobiologyDepartment of

Staphylococcus aureus Neisseria meningi�dis

Streptococcus pneumoniae

Staphylococcus saprophy�cus & Escherichia coli

In 2000, two years after Professor Hilary Humphreys, the current Head of

Department, was appointed, the Department moved to the Education and

Research Centre (ERC) in the Smurfit Building on the Beaumont Hospital

campus. This has greatly facilitated the interaction between the

Department and Beaumont Hospital, since Clinical Microbiology, as its name

implies, has a significant impact on the management of patients both in

hospitals and in the community.

Teaching, learning and research are the main activities of the Department,

in addition to contributions to public debate and scholarship. The

Department plays a major role in the Intermediate Cycle, both in the

Undergraduate and Graduate Entry Programme (GEP). Following on the

pioneering work of Professor Moorhouse, members of the Department

have enhanced the delivery of teaching, using problem-orientated and

case-based learning methods and e-learning. The emphasis is always on

the role that Clinical Microbiology plays in the management of patients

with infection, i.e. diagnosis, treatment and prevention and on wider issues

related to microbial diseases, with less emphasis on basic aspects of

microbiology as might be the case for a non-clinical course. While the

lecture format still remains useful, there is increasing emphasis on case-

based tutorials, podcasts and computer-assisted learning. More recently,

the Department has entered into a collaborative arrangement with

“Intuition” to deliver e-learning programmes on healthcare-associated

infection (HCAI). The appointment of Dr. Eoghan O'Neill as Senior Lecturer

The Department of ClinicalMicrobiology was establishedin 1966 with the late ProfessorEllen Moorhouse as itsinaugural Head of Department.Professor Moorhouse focusedthe Department's interests oneducation and learning andher lectures and teachingnotes were highly regarded bymany generations of RCSImedical students. She alsopursued research interests inantibiotic resistance.

14 • Fleam

ERC. In addition, the Department actively participates in audits and clinicalstudies with colleagues, including Consultant Microbiologists Dr. EdmondSmyth and Dr. Fidelma Fitzpatrick, both of whom are based in BeaumontHospital. Dr. Fitzpatrick is also based at the Health Service Executive’s HealthProtection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).

One of the first Health Research Board Translational Research Awards wentto the Department to study aspects of MRSA including determining the trueprevalence in an Irish hospital, the value of rapid detection, the role of theenvironment and the efficacy of enhanced hand hygiene andenvironmental decontamination in reducing MRSA rates. This research,which also incorporates the molecular characterization of MRSA isolatesfrom patients and the environment, is carried out in collaboration with theDublin Dental School and Hospital (Dublin University), the HPSC and theNational MRSA Reference Laboratory, based at St. James’s Hospital.

The role of biofilms in medical devices, e.g. central vascular catheters andneurosurgical ventricular drains has also been a research theme in recentyears. In a recent study carried out by Dr. Niall Stevens, variations wereseen in the production of biofilm amongst isolates of S. epidermidisrecovered from cerebrospinal fluid depending on local environmentalfactors. Future work will focus on new approaches to the therapy ofvascular-device infections including the use of antibiotics and other agentssuch as antibiotic lock therapy.

The prevention and control of HCAI is increasingly important as acomponent of ensuring the safety and quality of patient care as theseinfections are responsible for considerable mortality and morbidity, andcontribute greatly to avoidable healthcare costs. With the Department ofSurgery, Microbiology is developing audit and educational tools to enhancesurgical practice and reduce HCAI. This includes practice and procedures

on surgical wards, e.g. peripheral vascular line care and in the operatingtheatre, e.g. the administration of antibiotic prophylaxis.

On the Children's University/Rotunda Hospital site, national referencefacilities are in place for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis and for themolecular characterisation of Neisseria meningitides, Streptococcuspneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. In addition, a number of studieshave been carried out in recent years on maternal and neonatal infectionsincluding toxoplasmosis, listeriosis and Group B streptococcal infections post-partum. The work of the Irish Meningococcal and Meningitis ReferenceLaboratory (IMMRL) has contributed to the decline in infections caused bysome strains of meningococci throughout Ireland. Large studies ofmeningococcal carriage in third-level students have been undertaken at theIMMRL and detailed molecular characterization of carriage and disease-associated meningococcal isolates is ongoing. These studies will yieldvaluable information on the changes in circulating strains of N. meningitidesfollowing the introduction of the meningococcal serogroup C vaccine. AlsoClinical Microbiology initiatives at the Rotunda have had a major influenceon national policies for pre-natal screening for blood-borne viral infection.

Members of the Department hold joint positions with hospitals and throughtheir work contribute directly to patient care. In addition, we are gratefulto many medical, scientific and nursing staff in those hospitals for theirassistance and their contributions to the teaching and research activities ofthe Department.

Finally, members of the Department sit on national and internationalcommittees that impact on public policy in the area of HCAI, healthcaregenerally, and on neonatal, paediatric and obstetrical services. Examplesinclude input to national immunisation policies and national strategies tocontrol and prevent the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

Fleam • 15

Philanthropy plays a key role in leveraging fundingfrom both private sources and public bodies allowingfor an enhancement to the quality of resources on

offer. New scholarship initiatives; research programmesand facilities on and off campus have benefitted greatlyfrom the generosity shown by private donors, friends of theCollege, graduates and staff.

RCSI is extremely grateful to its InternationalDevelopment Board (IDB) under the chairmanship of MrDermot Desmond for its ongoing support and strategic advice.The Board is comprised of leaders of business and industryfrom Ireland and overseas including Loretta Brennan Glucksman,Gilbert Little, James Kenny, and Faisal Al Mousawi to mention just afew. Our ongoing priorities include;

• The redevelopment of York Street which will encompass ournew Colles Institute. The Colles Institute currently consistsof three centres. First, the National Surgical Training centre(NSTC), a world leader in the development and delivery ofprocedural based education, training and assessment.Second, the Centre for Research and Development (CR&D)which provides clinical research services and will facilitateclinical research by surgeons or by industry in Ireland orinternationally. Finally the Centre for Innovation in SurgicalTechnology (CIST) which provides services to assess,develop and commercialise surgical technology ideas fromsurgeons, researchers or industry. In addition to the CollesInstitute we will be developing our new BiomedicalSciences Institute along with improved Student SportsFacilities.

• Research Initiatives – we currently support a wide range ofresearch initiatives at RCSI . Our current focus is to continueto build on our research capability to a standard recognisedglobally. Our goal is to achieve a truly translationalapproach within each initiative. At RCSI, breast cancer is justone of the areas where our scientists and clinicians have aparticular strength and through passion and commitment,our diverse team collaborate to transform laboratoryfindings into smarter, integrated and coherent approachesto diagnosing and treating breast cancer patients nationally.

• Faculty Endowment Programme: The development of anycurriculum is supported by its faculty and at RCSI we arecontinuously seeking to expand internationally ourdistinguished faculty programme offering through the RCSIEndowment fund. This fund is being established to allowRCSI to invest in the professors and academics of the future,who in turn will inspire the next generation of RCSIgraduates. Investment in this fund not only helps to createfuture leaders of the health science arena but it alsosupports the economy and the future prosperity of Ireland.

Recent Highlights 2009AUTUMN ’09 & SPRING ‘09 Raffle for Breast CancerIreland@RCSI raise in excess of €1.1 MILLION forBreast Cancer Research at RCSIBreast Cancer Ireland (BCI) seeks to offer Ireland a truly translationalapproach to the treatment of Breast Cancer, by speeding up discoveryand ultimate treatment of patients diagnosed, through endeavour andcollaboration amongst all relevant clinicians and scientists throughoutthe country.

Our aim at Breast Cancer Ireland within RCSI is to lead a collaborativeinitiative with all the breast cancer research units within the country byrecruiting nurse coordinators, whose role will be to gather and analyseall breast cancer tissue and serum samples nationally and build Irelandsfirst ever National Register of Breast Cancer patients, thereby affectingmore speedy discoveries and ultimately more efficient and effectivetreatments for all patients diagnosed.

16 • Fleam

The winning team – le� to right: John Diviney RCSI, Tom Mulcahy AIB,Walter Coakley and Robbie Hennebery AIB

Name ...............................................

...............

(BLOCK CAPS PLEASE)

Address ...............................................

..........

................................................

..........................

................................................

..........................

Tel ..............................................

.....................

e-mail .............................................

................

Closing Date: Monday 26th Oct 2009

Draw Date: Friday 30th Oct 2009

ALL MONIES, COUNTERFOILS & UNUSED TICKETS TO

BE RETURNED TO:

Breast Cancer Ireland

FREEPOST

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

123 St Stephens Green

Dublin 2

Licence approval 7 July 2009 District Court No 52. Charity No. CHY 1277

TICKET PRICE €2

TICKET PRICE €2

CLOSING DATE: Monday 26th Oct 2009 DRAW DATE: Friday 30th Oct 2009

If you would prefer not

to be contacted by Breast

Cancer Ireland

please tick this box

Autumn

Draw 2009

1st PrizeAmazing trip to

South Africa for the

2010 World Cup

for 2 people. Includes return flights,

accommodation and

tickets to 3 matches.

Also some fabulous

runner up prizes!

.............................................

NameAPS PLEASE)

OCK C(BL

ess .........................................

ddrA

................................................

.........

..................

.................

.................. ezzeiPrts1

................................................

.........

el ..............................................

.....T

-mail ............................................

et y 26th Oc

e: MondatClosing Day ridae: Ftw DaarD

t30th Oc 2009

TDESUNU&SLIOFRETNUOC,SEINOMLLA O:TTURNED BE RE

elandrer Ianceast CBrFREEPOST elandrgeons in I

ollege of Sural CyoR een

ephens Gr123 St St

Dublin 2

T PRTICKEt onreferpdluowuoyfI t saerBybdetcatnocebot

d nalerIrecnaC xplease tick this bo

al 7 July 2009 Dist

..................

..................

..................

t 2009

09

O TSTEKCI

voe apprencLicRICE €2

TE:AATOSING DCLy 26ondaM

tpirtgnizamA offoacirfAhtuoS uCdlroWWo0102 .elpoep2rofIncludes return flight

ndtion adaommocac .chesto 3 maets ttickkeuolubafemososlA !sezirppurennur

Y 1277. CHy Noitt No 52. Char

ourt Cictr

6th

n

T PRICE TICKE €2

muumttuuutAAu00220waawrraDDr 90090

RCSI hosts its 21st annual Golf Classic raisingover €37,000 for Surgical Research at RCSIOn Thursday 2 July 2009, RCSI hosted its 21st Annual Golf Classic atLuttrellstown Golf Club in Dublin. 28 teams participated in what can onlybe described as “difficult weather conditions”!. But despite suchconditions, the day was a great success with many new teams on boardthis year. The winning team presenting a score of 89 points was led byMr John Diviney of RCSI; Mr Robbie Hennebry, AIB; Mr Walter Coakleyand Mr Tom Mulcahy.

Fleam • 17

Breast Cancer Ireland@RCSI announces recipientof its National Breast Cancer Research Fellowship Congratulations to Dr. Marion Hartmann of NUI Galway – winner ofBreast Cancer Ireland’s inaugural Breast Cancer Research Fellowship.

Within her application she concurred with strategies being adoptedby Breast Cancer Ireland in the identification and characterisation ofcancerous tumours at a cellular level and the correlation of thisinformation into groups that could benefit from treatment and thosefor whom treatment would be unsuitable. This she advised would helpto individualise therapy and thereby reduce costs.

Dr. Hartmann welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with RCSI inthe use of a more extended biobank of tissue samples therebyguaranteeing her more concise and more effective results.

RCSI /AIB Annual Race Against Breast Cancer2009 raises over €290,000 Sunday 1st November 2009: Horse racing fanatics together with a hostof well known Irish personalities from the worlds of business, art,fashion, music and entertainment came together for Breast CancerIreland’s annual “RCSI/AIB Race Against Breast Cancer Day” at

Leopardstown Pavilion on Sunday1st November. The day, now inits fourth year, attracted over 680people to a “Sell Out” event andraised in excess of €290,000which will go towards fundingvital breast cancer research atRCSI.

HIBERNIAN AVIVAHEALTH delighted tosupport Breast CancerIreland@RCSI withseed funding totalling €450,000Hibernian Aviva Health have agreed to support RCSI with seed fundingfor the recruitment of Breast Cancer Research nurses within regionalbreast cancer units throughout the country. Initially nurses will berecruited within Galway, Cork and Limerick facilities and their role willbe to collaborate, collect, and collate all tissue and serum samples frombreast cancer patients thereby helping to speed up discovery andultimately translate their research into more effective and efficientpatient treatment and benefit. Their work will also assist in building thecountries first ever National Breast Cancer Patient Register.

SAVE THE DATE Leadership Lecture 2010Our 2010 Leadership Lecture will be hosted by the Right Honorablethe Lord Patten of Barnes on Thursday 6th May 2010 at RCSI Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, CH, PC - born 12May 1944 in Cleveleys, Lancashire, is a prominent BritishConservative politician and a Patron of the Tory Reform Group.

He was a Member of Parliament, eventually rising to a cabinet

minister and party chairman. In the latter capacity, he orchestratedthe Conservatives' unexpected fourth consecutive electoral victory in1992, but lost his own seat in the House of Commons.

He then accepted the post of last Commander-in-Chief and BritishGovernor of Hong Kong, a post which came to an end after Britainhanded Hong Kong back to China in July 1997. From 2000 to 2004 heserved as one of Britain's two members of the European Commission.After leaving that post, he returned to the UK and was elevated to thepeerage in 2005. He is the Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

Frank KeanE, President RCSI; Michael Kerin; Cathal Kelly, Dean RCSI;Michael Horgan, CEO’; and Arnie Hill, Professor of Surgery RCSI

Above: The deBurgh family.

Right: Louise Kennedy withPaddy Bollard and Caroline

Kennedy

In second place, was Gannon Homes, followed by IntuitionPublishing (3rd), Moore Cleaning Services (4th) and Typetec IrelandLimited (5th). In excess of €37,000 was raised on the day to helpsupport surgical research at RCSI.

2009 has been an exciting year for the international activities of the

College. The predominant focus has been on our activities in the Kingdom

of Bahrain.

RCSI BahrainIn October 2008, RCSI Bahrain opened the doors of its new purpose built,

state-of-the-art university building in Busaiteen. The new facility has a

capacity for in excess of 2000 students. It has a fully integrated IT system

and wireless access in all areas to allow for the maximum use of technology

and e-learning in the delivery of the education and training programmes.

As a constituent university of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland,

RCSI Bahrain delivers education and training in medicine, nursing, surgery,

general practice, healthcare management and healthcare ethics and law to

the highest international standards with qualifications that are recognised

worldwide. The student body is an international one, with around 30

countries represented, including Ireland. Further information on RCSI

Bahrain, including the admissions process, can be found on our website

www.rcsi-mub.com

Official Opening of RCSI BahrainAn official opening ceremony was held in February 2009 and RCSI was

honoured to welcome Her Excellency, President Mary McAleese, President

of Ireland, and His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Prime

Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain to preside over the ceremony and join

RCSI in celebrating a prestigious moment in our history.

The King Hamad General Hospital is a 312 public hospital currently

under construction and expected to open in 2010. KHGH will be the main

teaching hospital of RCSI Bahrain. The university also has access to existing

Ministry of Health Hospitals and the Bahrain Defence Force Royal Medical

Services Hospital.

In August 2008, Professor Niall O’Higgins, former President of RCSI, was

appointed Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery and plans

are in progress to establish a secretariat at RCSI Bahrain to support the

Official Opening of RCSI Bahrain

RCSI Bahrain

King Hamad General Hospital

International Projects

18 • Fleam

coordination and delivery of specialist postgraduate surgical education andtraining in the region.

Professor Kevin O’Malley, Founding President of RCSI Bahrain, retiredfrom his position this year. RCSI owes a debt of gratitude to ProfessorO’Malley for his tireless efforts in laying the groundwork for theestablishment of the university and in making it the huge source of pridethat it now is to its students and staff. Dr. Faisal Al-Mousawi was appointedPresident of RCSI Bahrain in July 2009. Under his leadership the universitywill continue to grow to meet the needs of the Kingdom and beyond. Wewish Dr. Faisal every success in his new role.

The success of RCSI Bahrain is a mark of RCSI’s collective ability toestablish medical colleges and provide internationally recognised medical,allied health and surgical education and training on the international stage.

RCSI Bahrain is located on a site provided by the Government of theKingdom of Bahrain, adjacent to the King Hamad General Hospital and RCSIBahrain Health Oasis sites (see below). The entire concept extends over acombined site of circa 60 hectares. This district will be named after HisMajesty, the King, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Together these inter-related components will form a truly unique medical education andhealthcare campus.

Healthcare DevelopmentRecognising our strengths in healthcare education, research and service,RCSI developed a strategy to invest in a range of opportunities in Bahrain.A key element of this strategy has been to appoint a dedicated team ofpeople to support such initiatives. This diversification from our coreeducation and research activities is driven by our need to providesustainable additional revenue streams that will allow us to meet our long-term strategic objectives.

RCSI Bahrain Health Oasis The RCSI Bahrain Health Oasis project is progressing well. We haveidentified a development/financial partner and hope that developmentwork can commence during 2010. The Health Oasis will represent a trulyunique medical education and healthcare campus within a world class,mixed use waterfront development – an international healthcare centre ofexcellence and enterprise for the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Middle East.When completed, it will integrate world-class healthcare, state-of-the-artmedical education & research and health sector enterprises in anunprecedented environment designed to foster novel approaches tohealthcare and healthcare delivery. It will be unlike any existing orproposed health or wellness centre in the region as it will combine anextensive and comprehensive provision of international standard, RCSI ledmedical and healthcare excellence, with state-of-the-art medical

enterprises, in a high amenity leisure waterfront environment.The Oasis Private Hospital will perform a central role and deliver much

of the specialist medical care within the Oasis. In doing so, it will have thesupport of the King Hamad General Hospital (KHGH) and RCSI Bahrain. Theactivity and speciality mix will complement that of the King Hamad GeneralHospital and will be consistent with the overall target market.

RCSI Health Oasis Preliminary MasterplanThe laying of a foundation stone for Health Oasis was performed during aceremony in May 2009 by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-KhalifaPrime Minister, Kingdom of Bahrain together with Minister Dara Calleary,Minister with responsibility for Labour Affairs at the Department ofEnterprise, Trade and Employment. This occasion marked a furthermilestone in bringing this project to fruition.

King Hamad General Hospital King Hamad General Hospital (KHGH), currently under construction, is oneof the biggest public sector health projects in Bahrain in recent times. It isscheduled to open in 2010 and will provide world class healthcare servicesto the people of the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is a 312 bed public hospitaloccupying a 227,000m2 site located to the north of Sheikh Isa Bin Salmancauseway on the coast of Muharraq. The hospital is constructed over fourfloors and three main blocks and will be the main teaching hospital forRCSI Bahrain.

King Hamad General HospitalAt the invitation of the Government of Bahrain, RCSI signed an agreementwith the Ministry of Health to provide commissioning services for thehospital and a commissioning team has been on the ground in Bahrainsince April 2008. In parallel with the commissioning work, RCSI haveentered negotiations with the Ministry of Health for the operation andmanagement of the hospital.

RCSI continues to explore both philanthropic and entrepreneurialopportunities in nations across the globe. We are a culturally diverse, trulyinternational organisation with a highly respected fellowship and alumnirepresentative of almost every country in the world.

Laying of RCSI Health Oasis Founda�on Stone

Fleam • 19

20 • Fleam

The Institute of Leadership andHealthcare Management

We provide National University of Ireland Diploma, PostgraduateCertificate, Postgraduate Diploma and Masters Degree programmes,delivered part-time over two to five years, using a blend of classroom andweb-based teaching. Our programmes are offered in Ireland, Bahrain,Dubai, Jordan and Egypt. In the United Arab Emirates our programmes areaccredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Who are our programmes aimed at?Our programmes are aimed at all graduate health professionals (doctors,nurses, allied health professionals, researchers or administrators) whocurrently work in a hospitals, community based healthcare systems,government agencies, academic, research institutions or pharmaceuticalorganizations. He or she has some work experience but can be at an early,middle or senior level in their organization. Our typical course participantis be open to learning from others, exploring new ways of learning andthinking, and is keen to develop themselves and their organizations inorder to improve the ultimate delivery of efficient, effective and safehealthcare to patients.

Our approach to continuous professionaldevelopment and learningThe Master of Science in Nursing (Advanced Leadership) aims to providestudents with an advanced level of theoretical leadership knowledgedeemed relevant to enhancing practice by fostering a questioningapproach to knowledge development and professional practice issues. Theprogramme will facilitate the development of the nurse in the field ofleadership at advanced level, thus allowing critical evaluation andsynthesis using appropriate research findings. An increasing focus on‘evidence-based’ practice in nursing has created an environment in whichresearch awareness is essential.

Master of Science in Nursing (AdvancedPractice) Incorporating Nurse PrescribingWe specialise in facilitating adult learning in the overall context of lifelonglearning and our programmes are participative and interactive.Interprofessional learning is a core concept and we provide a supportive

The Institute of Leadership and Healthcare Management is a postgraduateInstitute of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Our mission is to improvehuman health through the development of excellent leaders and managers inthe health professions. Healthcare is particularly challenging because it requiresthe harmonious functioning of a multidisciplinary workforce to deliver integrated,patient-centred services in an environment that is constantly changing. In orderto be effective, managers, clinical or otherwise, must be capable ofdemonstrating leadership and ensuring that resources are managed effectivelyand efficiently. A highly developed level of self-awareness and the capacity forapplying systems thinking to complex problems are also increasingly important.

environment to help course participants learn from experience, through

reflection, dialogue, advocacy and enquiry. Our programmes are applied;

we help individuals to develop themselves and their organizations through

ongoing research and development and through consultation with

stakeholders in the healthcare system.

Finally we are aware of the time constraints that busy professionals

face and so we provide a mix of classroom and electronic media to meet

their needs.

Internationally accredited MastersProgrammesThe Institute offers a number of internationally recognised Masters

Programmes in Healthcare Management, Quality and Patient Safety, and

Leadership. Our programmmes are flexible and designed in such a way

that students can take modules in Dubai, Bahrain or Ireland. This provides

opportunities to visit hospitals in those countries and build an international

network with other healthcare professionals. This initiative has proved a

popular and positive experience. The benefit of this approach is that it

gives students a wider perspective on the challenges of global healthcare

and encourages collaborative problem solving.

In addition to classroom teaching, students are supported by an online

learning portal which provides all learning materials, podcasts, vodcasts

and communications forums. The masters programme also includes

specialised modules for specific groups e.g. researchers or pharmacists.

Internationally accredited Diploma inLeadership and Organisational Development:The programme is aimed at people who want to develop their leadership

skills and have and a greater impact in their organisations. The programme

is accredited by the National University of Ireland (Level 6) and takes place

over a year. There are 12 contact days supported by online learning.

Participants on the programme undertake a number of assignments

including an organisation development project that provides them with

the opportunity to put their learning into practice in a very real way.

The first programme, with 20 participants, was successfully launched in

Bahrain in December and there are plans to introduce it in other locations.

Professor Ciaran O’Boyle

Fleam • 21

Continuing Professional Development:The Institute a number of continuing professional development andbespoke training programmes. These include ‘Coaching and Mentoringskills for Consultants’, ‘Communications skills for Clinical staff’, ‘Train theTrainer’, and ‘Introduction to Management’. In 2009, we trained 184 SHO’swho completed the General Professional Development Course. Activity inthis area is likely to expand markedly both in Ireland, Bahrain and Egyptin the coming year.

President and Faculty of Yarmouk University,Jordan, visit the InstituteThe President of Yarmouk University, Jordan, Professor Sultan Abu-Orabi,visited the RCSI to meet with faculty from the RCSI Institute of Leadership& Healthcare Management. In 2003 a partnership between YarmoukUniversity and the RCSI was established to deliver a Masters in HealthServices Management. This programme has been successful and graduateshave benefited from their masters education in terms of their careerdevelopment. Among the highlights of the programme was theattendance of Her Royal Highness, Princess Mona of Jordan, at this year’sgraduation

Memorandum of Understanding with theArab Administrative DevelopmentOrganisation (ARADO)The Director General of the Arab Administrative Development Organisation

(ARADO), Professor Refat Al Faouri, visited RCSI to sign a Memorandum of

Understanding with the RCSI’s Institute of Leadership and Healthcare

Management. ARADO, established in 1961, is a specialized organization

affiliated with the League of Arab States. It is responsible for promoting

management, administrative and institutional development in various

sectors in the Arab region. On signing the Memorandum of Understanding,

Professor Ciaran O Boyle, Head of the Institute said; “we are delighted to

sign this agreement with ARADO and look forward to helping develop

leaders in healthcare across the Arab region”. Professor Refat, Director

General said “RCSI has a reputation for providing healthcare education and

training internationally to the highest standards. This agreement

demonstrates our mutual commitment to providing high quality

management development initiatives in the healthcare sector.”

2009 has been a very successful year with 250 students graduating the

Institute of Leadership and Management and with a further 360 students

enrolled on its programmes. Further information about the Institute and

our programmes can be found on our website: www.rcsileadership.org

President and Faculty of Yarmouk University, Jordan, visit the Ins�tute

Memorandum of Understanding with the Arab Administra�veDevelopment Organisa�on (ARADO)

In April 2009 the Library Strategy was presented to, and approved by, theRCSI Council under three broad headings:

1. Refurbishment of the physical library to create a fit for purposelearner-centered environment in line with current best practice forlibrary/learning centre design

2. Investment in resources, electronic and print, to support RCSIlearning, teaching, clinical and research activities and to bring theallocated library resources budget in line with benchmarkedstandards of library expenditure as a percentage of the overallCollege budget and of expenditure on per student.

3. Preservation, conservation and exploitation of unique RCSI heritageand archival resources`- to provide, for the first time, a separatebudget line for these resources in order to undertake best practiceconservation and preservation measures.

The plan detailed eight strategic objectives and articulated the vision,mission and values developed by the library staff as part of its strategicplanning process.

Vision:Our vision is that in “three” years’ time the RCSI Library and InformationService will:

• Provide excellent online biomedical resources in physicalenvironments that are people-centered learning spaces

• Serve the entire RCSI community through its co-ordinated networkof libraries

• Use the skills of information specialists to support education,research and clinical practice in new ways

• Develop a “living” heritage collection focused on surgery in Irelandand related themes

• Be a model health sciences library and information service thatimplements international best practice

Mission:We endeavour to empower the RCSI community in its mission to enhancehuman health by providing easy access to best available biomedicalinformation resources, supported by quality services and an excellentteam.

Values We are user centered, service oriented, highly collaborative and innovative.

Space Feasibility Study

A working group with representatives from the Students Union, FacultyExecutive, School of Post-graduate Studies, Information TechnologyDepartment, Estates and Library was convened to work with architects,ODOS, to undertake a space feasibility study for the refurbishment of theMercer Street library.

Early stage concept drawings are below and show how the building couldbe transformed from a “one size” fits all space built to house printcollections, to a resource that caters for different learning styles, providesflexible/resizable, multifunctional spaces that support individual and grouplearning and teaching and which acknowledges the irreversible switch todigital library resources in the last decade.

The results of the feasibility study were incorporated in the library strategicplan. Copies of the plan are available from Kate Kelly, Chief Librarian email:katekelly@rcsi.ie

RCSI Libraries 2009

Library StrategyProposed entrance

and courtyard

22 • Fleam

Fleam • 23

Information Services Highlights

Improvements to the physical spaceAs a prelude to major refurbishment, interim steps were taken during thesummer to make the libraries more customer friendly most notably atMercer Street. These included:

• Creating a more approachable service point by removing highsurrounds on the service desk on the ground floor

• Doubling the amount of group study space available byreconfiguring individual study carrels on the ground floor into 8group study tables

• Designating the ground floor as an area where conversation levelnoise is permitted

• Relocating all books shelves and contents on the ground floor tolevel one to completely “open up” the ground floor ascollaborative/group work space

ELFs and 3G Cards• A scheme to lend 3G cards to SC1 students to facilitate broadband

access for placements outside Dublin was introduced. Initially twelvecards were provided but this was quickly increased to fifty due todemand.

• Faculty employed students as ELFs (ELearning Facilitators) to assiststudents with IT issues in the Mercer Library at evenings andweekends.

Customer Service Charter and Code of Conduct Introduced• A library Customer Charter and a new Code of Conduct were

introduced and are available in the library and on the library website http://www.rcsi.ie/library

Information skills teaching• The RCSI Medical Graduate Profile outcomes incorporated

information literacy skills under the “Professionalism” strand.• During the academic year 08/09, library staff led by Grainne

McCabe and Paul Murphy taught 1835 students with a total numberof 160 contact hours within the Undergraduate and ;postgraduateprogrammes, these include

Undergraduate• Foundation Year • Junior Cycle Medicine • Junior Cycle Physiotherapy • Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle Pharmacy • Senior Cycle Medicine • Graduate Entry Programme, Yr 2 • SPUR Summer Programme in Undergraduate Research

Postgraduate and other• M Research / PhD Researcher Programme• Higher Diploma Healthcare Management • Higher Diploma in Quality in Healthcare• MSc Nursing• Master in Women’s Health • Master Medical Ethics and Law• MSc Neurology & Gerontology (Physiotherapy)• MSc Industrial Pharmacy• Higher Diploma in Bereavement Studies• Higher Diplomas in Nursing/ BSc Nursing & Nursing Management• Certificate Nurse Prescribing• Emergency Medical Technician Programme• General Practice Training Programme• HRB PhD Scholars Programme • Transition Year students (Outreach programme). • Tutorials in the use of EndNote, software used to manage citations

and generate formatted bibliographies, were held each monththroughout the year.

“Recep�on” area

Café area facing the courtyard

Level One Reading Area

Level 3

24 • fleam

Information Systems Highlightse-publications@RCSI (http://epubs.rcsi.ie)

• The RCSI open access institutional repository, designed to captureand make accessible the research and scholarly output of the RCSI,is essentially an online archive for collecting, preserving anddisseminating RCSI published works and making the full text freelyavailable on the Internet. It: ◊ Increases citations for RCSI research and other publications◊ Provides worldwide access to RCSI published output◊ Preserves RCSI material – its all digital◊ Makes RCSI research findable via search engines such as Google,

Google Scholar◊ Raises the profile of RCSI researchers and authors◊ Helps RCSI researchers fulfill their funding authority's open access

mandate ◊ Showcase RCSI research output◊ Provides space for individuals, groups, departments etc to display

research work• e-publications@RCSI is maintained and managed by RCSI Library

staff, led by Jenny Byrne. • From April - Sept 2009 there were approximately 8000 page views

of the repository by over 1000 unique visitors from 71 countries.

Information Resources HighlightsJulia Christopher was appointed Assistant Librarian for InformationResources Management in September 2008 and highlights included:

Access to Irish Research Electronic Library (IReL)• Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) provided funding for a two year

period to enable RCSI to participate in the national universityconsortium, the Irish Research Electronic Library (IReL).

• Access to IReL resulted in the number of electronic journals availableto RCSI students and staff doubling to over 6,000.

Books – Print and Electronic• 493 new books were added to the working collection between Oct

2008 and September 2009 • a subscription to Thieme E-books takes the total number of

electronic books subscriptions to 89.

Stock Removal and Relocation• In the Mercer Library, all books on the ground floor were removed

to create a more open and welcoming entrance area and additionalspace for group work.

• All old and out of date materials were removed from the bookcollection

• All “history of medicine” material was relocated to the WiddesRoom Archives and Special Collections area on the third floor.

• All open access print material is now located in one area on leveltwo and can be considered the “working” collections for studentpurposes.

Resources Management•A full series of electronic resource usage statistics for 2008 wasproduced to help inform decisions for 2010. The data gatheringand analysis will be an ongoing process and the series will includeyear on year comparisons of resource expenditure and use.

Learning Resource Centre RCSI Medical University of Bahrain • Evelyn Anand, Assistant Librarian in the Learning Resource Centre in

RCSI MUB assumed responsibility in January 2009 on the retirementof Warwick Price Librarian in RCSI-MUB.

RCSI Beaumont Library HighlightsBreffni Smith was appointed librarian at Beaumont Hospital Library inJanuary 2009 and together with library assistants Christina Doherty andRose Bisset set about reshaping the library. Actions included:

• Updating the hospital book collection by adding over 200 new titlescovering all clinical and teaching areas and undertaking acomprehensive book stock inventory to assess the relevance andquality of the existing collection.

• Undertaking marketing initiatives including: ◊ A new Library Information Pack for new hospital staff◊ Library Week events in the library in April 2009◊ Poster campaigns to promote a different electronic resource

each week◊ Monthly New Books lists email notifications to staff

• Creating two new Library Department web pages on the Beaumonthospital intranet and on the hospital public website to highlightlibrary services

• Assessing and re-organising the physical library to allow better useof library facilities.

• Providing tutorials on database searching and literature review bothin the library and in the hospital staff training and developmentdepartment.

• Initiating staff refresher training with part-time staff to ensure aconsistent high standard of service at the Information Desk.

RCSI Archives and Special collectionsHighlightsBuilding on the Inventory and Evaluation of the antiquarian LibraryThe 2008 Inventory and Evaluation Report on the antiquarian library atRCSI undertaken by Mr Nick Nicholson of James Adam & Sons Ltd providednew profiles of the antiquarian collection century by century and informedthe strategic direction of the care and exploitation of these collections. Asthe potential for exploitation of these resources is badly compromised duelargely to neglect and substandard environmental conditions preservationand conservation of valuable items is a priority. Activities inculded:

• Assessing the various elements of the antiquarian collection,drawings, muniments, diaries and archives to ascertain costs forconservation and preservation including digitization.

MarketingThe newly formed library marketinggroup held two events to promoteaspects of library services and resources

Easter A DynaMed promotion to coincide with theEaster break. Easter eggs were given as aprize for using DynaMed to find the answerto a question set about heart disease.

Research DayThe library delivered a roadshow at Research Day in April 2009, topromote the institutional repository – see below.

• Submitting an application to the Wellcome Trust in August 2009 toscope the content of the RCSI archives and other unexploredmaterials.

• Completing the weeding, cleaning and cataloguing programme inthe library store -the material now remaining is worthwhile andaccessible

• Serving on the 2010 Committee set up to organise the celebrationof this bicentenary, chaired by Mr. Frank McManus, Council member,and on the committee chaired by Professor Tom Gorey to bring outan up-dated history of RCSI from its bicentenary in 1984, for apublication to commemorate the bicentenary of the 1810 Collegebuilding.

Visitors and Uses Among those consulting the collections this year were:

• Susan Wilkinson guest editor of "Irish Migration Studies in LatinAmerica" to research a special issue Health, Physicians and Nursesin Latin America (November 2008).

• UK author Gillian Tindall who drew on the life of her ancestor, ArthurJacob, president RCSI (1837 & 1864) in her book Footprints in ParisA few streets, a few lives. (London, Chatto & Windus, 2009).

• Dr. Tom Feeney, biographer of Sean MacEntee, who consulted theDeeny papers.

• Tyrone Productions who used the location to shoot scenes ofnovelist John Connolly examining early works on morbid anatomyin the Library store on 21 January 2009 for a forthcomingdocumentary in the RTÉ Television Arts Lives series.

• Doctoral candidates researching for theses on topics such as thehistory of midwifery and women in medicine.

• Members of the RCSI academic staff and Council to research the roleof the RCSI during the famine, connections between RCSI andNorthern Ireland, and connections between RCSI and Africa.

• In addition the historical collections provided material and imagesfor College lectures and photographs for a gallery of RCSI Honorary

Fellows for the RCSI Graduate Entry Programme facility in ReservoirHouse in Sandyford.

RCSI Heritage • A miniature portrait of Sir Philip Crampton PRCSI 1811, 1820, 1844

& 1855 was bought by RCSI at auction by Adams February 2009. • The words and music of the College anthem Robin Adair was

researched with a view to recording it. • Mrs Catherine Gyll and Sr Paula IBVM, daughters of William Doolin,

PRCSI 1938 visited in connection with having their father’s portraitcommissioned by RCSI, as William Doolin is one of a few formerpresidents without a portrait at RCSI.

• The portrait by Sean Keating of Surgeon-General Thomas O'Farrell(1843-1917) was donated to RCSI by his descendants and RCSIalumni the Gaffney Family in March 2009.

• Professor RSJ Clarke visited to arrange for the deposition in RCSI ofphotographic portraits of John MacDonnell FRCSI the first in Irelandto operate under anaesthesia in 1847 at the Richmond Hospital.

• Mr Marshall visited from the UK with his son to see the portrait oftheir ancestor Henry Gray Croly, PRCSI 1890-91.

• Dr. GE Lentaigne visited the library in July 2009. Her ancestor Sir JohnLentaigne PRCSI (1908-9) presented in 1851 the College’s valuablemanuscript of the Practica of Surgeon John of Arderne (1307-1390).

Donations & Deposits• Dr. Patrick Mullin gave a money donation. • Dr. David Lyons presented a bound typescript of his father’s, the late

Professor JB Lyons, unpublished novel ‘O Boys! O Boys!.’• Mr Brian Graham deposited a collection of reprints and pre & post

operative photographs of cases of M Spencer Harrison, ENT surgeonin the UK in 1950s.

European Health Information Libraries(EAHIL) Dublin 2010EAHIL 2009 was a major event for all Irish health sciences librarians.Deputy Librarian Paul Murphy was the International Programme Chair forthis gathering of over 300 health sciences librarians and informationspecialists from all over Europe. The event was held in Dublin Castle andopened by Minister for Health, Mary Harney. RCSI presenters includedProfessor Tom Fahey, an invited speaker and .Kate Kelly and Beatrice Doranwho presented separate papers.

Tom Fahey Mary Harney Paul Murphy

Fleam • 25

MedicalEducationW

e continue to celebrate our educational mission at RCSI and toinvest in faculty development, innovation and educationalresearch. The calendar year commenced with another successful

Curriculum Forum enjoyed by staff representing all departments andteaching hospitals from across Ireland and Bahrain. The key notespeaker Prof. David J. Birnbach, Professor and Vice Provost, University ofMiami and Director Center for Patient Safety Miller School of Medicine,addressed the ongoing need to embed safety and quality issues in thetraining of our future health professionals.

One particularly successful faculty development initiative this yearhas been the introduction of Teaching on the Run (TOTR), a trainingpackage developed in Australia to help improve the quality of teachingand supervision of senior clinical students and hospital trainees. Leadfaculty from the Education Centre (EdCent) at the Faculty of Medicine &Dentistry at the University of Western Australia (UWA) were invited toRCSI in July 2009. In partnership with the Office for Medical Educationthe vision will be to establish self-sufficient clinical teacher trainingprogrammes in all our teaching hospitals during 2009/2010.

The excellent attendance at these workshops and the new tutorinduction sessions held each year is testament to the excellentcommitment and support of our clinical tutors across all our teachingsites.

Inaugural Teaching on the Run workshopsIn the area of Medical Education Research the Evaluation and MedicalEducation Research Group (EMERG) was very well represented at therecent international conference on Medical Education (Association forMedical Education in Europe) held in Malaga in Spain with close to adozen faculty showcasing educational innovation in the areas of studentassessment and curriculum design.

Apart from EMERG, the other curriculum working groups established

in preparation for the institutional self review in 2007/2008 have gonefrom strength to strength. The Assessment Working Group has securedfull membership of the international Ideal Consortium which has seenRCSI join medical schools across the globe in contributing to and sharingin a bank of over 20,000 MCQs, all of which have been subject to a highlevel of scrutiny. In support of excellence in student assessment RCSIrecently hosted the first of the Association for the Study of MedicalEducation (ASME) OSCE Masterclass series to be held outside the UK.Also earlier in the year a series of workshops on Item Writing andBlueprinting were held as part of a faculty wide development program.

The Curriculum Outcomes Working Group has continued updating theRCSI Medical Graduate Profile and mapping the entire program using apurpose built curriculum database.

A particular focus of the Curriculum Outcomes Working Group (COWG)recently has been embedding ‘leadership’ into the medical curriculum.Professor Peter Spurgeon, Director of the Institute for Clinical Leadership,

Mr Michael Horgan, Professor Bimbach and Professor Cathal Kelly atAnnual Curriculum Forum in March 2009.

Dr. Skantha Kandiah (RCSI Bahrain) and Professor Fiona Lake (Faculty ofMedicine & Den�stry at the University of Western Australia (UWA) atTeaching on the Run workshops hosted by Office for Medical Educa�on.

Professor Clark Hazle� (IDEAL Consor�um, Chinese University Hong Kong)in discussion with Professor Ruairi Brugha and David Croke on CurriculumBlueprin�ng

26 • Fleam

Fleam • 27

Warwick University, UK wasinvited by the COWG toshare insights on the newNHS Medical LeadershipCompetency Framework.

As part of theProfessionalism Theme ofall our health curricula atRCSI Interprofessionallearning has been aparticular focus. In the past

year new modules delivered as early asthe first year have seen Pharmacy,Physio and Medical Students learntogether in teams.

The Office for Medical Education Seminar Series has continued torecruit speakers from around the globe and earlier this year theAustralian Council on Educational Research presented the researchevidence base supporting the new admission tests such as HPAT.

Finally, we look forward to hosting the Annual meeting of theAssociation for Medical Schools in Europe in 2011.

Professor Geraldine MacCarrick (Medical Educa�on, RCSI); Professor DavidGordon Associa�on for Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE) President andProfessor Cathal Kelly meet to plan AMSE conference for 2011.

From L to R: Lorraine Nolan (Pharmacy Student) and Connor McHugh(Physiotherapy student) beside their winning Interprofessional Educa�onPoster at the RCSI Research Day 2009.

Ms Marita MacMahon Ball (General Manager Higher Educa�on ACER) andMr Philip Brown (ACER, UK) with staff from RCSI

Pictured at recent Medical Educa�on seminar on Medical Leadership (L-R)Ms. Sibeal Carolan, Ins�tute of Leadership and Health Care Management;Professor Peter Spurgeon, and Ms. Pauline Joyce, Ins�tute of Leadershipand Health Care Management.

Front Row from Le�: Professor Fred Jackson (Waterford Regional Hospital); Professor David Whi�ord (Medical University Bahrain); Professor Fiona Lake(University of Western Australia), Dr. Gerard Ryan (University of Western Australia) Professor Geraldine MacCarrick (Office for Medical Educa�on, RCSI);Dr. Frances Meagher (RCSI) and Professor Conor Egleston (Drogheda) Middle and back rows (l-r): Drs Mary Lynch (RCSI Bahrain) ; Michelle McEvoy; EmilyBoyle; Orlaith Kelly; Marilyn Harris; Judith Strawbridge; Aileen Barre�; Muirne Spooner; Maeve Royston; Wai Sun Chan; John McDermo�; Trevor Duffy;Nicholas Clarke, Skantha Kandiah (RCSI Bahrain) and Ms Niamh Carroll

28 • Fleam

Nursing & Midwifery

The Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, since its inauguration in 1974, hascontinued to lead the way in the development of pioneeringeducational programmes for nurses and midwives who are engaged

in clinical, managerial, educational and research roles within the healthservices. This year, the Faculty celebrates over 35 years of service innursing education and as such, is one of the longest serving providers ofnurse education in Ireland. The Faculty’s core philosophy, through itsprogrammes, seeks to develop caring, reflective practitioners, who havethe ability to seek out and use evidence to underpin clinical practice andcompetency development.

A wide range of nursing/midwifery education programmes areoffered through the Faculty, which aim to support nurses and midwives inmeeting the challenges of providing nursing care within the rapidlychanging face of healthcare in Ireland. Primary degrees, masters degreesand postgraduate diploma programmes, approved through the NationalUniversity of Ireland and An Bord Altranais, are offered on a full or parttime basis. Increased numbers of nurses continue to register for postgraduate research studies at Masters and PhD level. Dr. Zena Moore, underthe supervision of Head of Department, Professor Seamus Cowman, hasjust completed a randomised control trial in repositioning for theprevention of pressure ulcers in the older adult.

Post Graduate Nursing EducationProgrammesThere are currently 26 nursing education programmes approved throughRCSI/NUI and An Bord Altranais that are delivered to over 450 registeredstudents. A range of stand-alone modules are also offered. This year anumber of new postgraduate nursing education programmes have beendeveloped within the Faculty. The following section provides a briefoutline of these programmes.

Certificate in Nursing (Clinical Research) A new Certificate in Nursing Clinical Research (Level 9 Minor Award) inassociation with the Clinical Research Centres at Beaumont Hospital (RCSI),The Mater Hospital (UCD) and St Vincent’s’ Hospital (UCD). The provisionof the programme is supported by funding from the Health ResearchBoard of Ireland (HRB) and the Wellcome Trust, through the Dublin Centrefor Clinical Research (DCCR). The programme is unique in Ireland andindeed the EU. It consists of three modules designed to provide studentswith specialist knowledge, attitudes and competencies related to Clinical

Research Nursing. A clinical attachment to a research site or centre is

incorporated into the programme to assess students’ competence in areas

of clinical research under the guidance of a mentor.

Master of Science in Nursing (Advanced Leadership)The Master of Science in Nursing (Advanced Leadership) aims to provide

students with an advanced level of theoretical leadership knowledge

deemed relevant to enhancing practice by fostering a questioning

approach to knowledge development and professional practice issues. The

programme will facilitate the development of the nurse in the field of

leadership at advanced level, thus allowing critical evaluation and

synthesis using appropriate research findings. An increasing focus on

‘evidence-based’ practice in nursing has created an environment in which

research awareness is essential.

Master of Science in Nursing (AdvancedPractice) Incorporating Nurse PrescribingThe establishment of advanced practice roles and the subsequent

introduction of prescriptive authority for nurses and midwives have been

important practice developments for the nursing and midwifery

professions. In addition, these developments have contributed to a more

efficient health service capable of responding more effectively to patients’

needs. In a timely development, the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery has

prepared a new master’s level programme that incorporates preparation

for advanced practice and prescribing of medicinal products and ionising

radiation (X-Ray) and builds on the Certificate in Nursing (Nurse Midwife

prescribing) offered since 2007. Entitled the MSc in Nursing (Advanced

Practice), this programme was developed in consultation with clinical staff

in a number of major Dublin hospitals and is unique both in Ireland and

other European Union countries. It was approved by the National

University of Ireland and by An Bord Altranais in July 2009, and its flexible

format will make the programme attractive to prospective students and

their employers. The programme is expected to commence in 2010.

Certificate in Nursing (Nurse Midwife Prescribing)The education programme delivered by the School of Nursing in

Seamus Cowman, Head of School of Nursing

Fleam • 29

Taken at the 28th Annual Interna�onal Nursing & Midwifery Research Conference Dinner February 2009: (L- R) Ms. Maeve Dwyer, Dean of theFaculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Mr. Fergus Finlay, CEO Barnardos, Professor Frank Keane, President, RCSI, and Professor Seamus Cowman, Headof School, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery. Mr. Fergus Finlay delivered the opening address for the 28th Annual Conference.

collaboration with both the School of Pharmacy and Medicine at RCSIcontinues to run biannually. The Independent External Evaluation of theNurse and Midwife Prescribing Initiative, published in October 2009,acknowledges the success of both the education programme and theimplementation of the initiative nationally. The School of Nursing hasamended the delivery of the programme to incorporate blended learningtechniques. Much of the programme content is accessed by studentsonline at a time and place convenient to them. This online material issupported by face to face tutorials which are delivered at RCSI Dublin andvideo-conferenced to regional sites. These innovations have createdgreater accessibility to education for nurses from around the country andthis is in keeping with recommendations form the Health ServiceExecutive.

New Undergraduate Nursing ProgrammesBSc Nursing (Hons) (undergraduate) pre-registration ProgrammeA new four-year pre-registration Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Hons)Programme has been developed by the School of Nursing, Royal Collegeof Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and is expected to be offered through theCentral Applications Office in 2010. Taking a unique partnership approachthe RCSI and four private health service providers (Beacon, Bon Secours,Hermitage and Mount Carmel Hospitals) will collaboratively provideeducation for students of nursing in Ireland. Students will receive most oftheir biological, physical and social sciences lectures with studentsundertaking baccalaureate programmes in the RCSI, thus availing ofopportunities for multidisciplinary education, teaching, interactiveassessment methods and research. They will gain clinical experiences inboth private and public hospitals, and will undertake their internship in theprivate partnership hospitals

BSc (Nursing) (Hons)A new proposal for the establishment of a BSc (Nursing)(Hons.)programme for non-national nurses at the School of Nursing andMidwifery, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and threeInstitutes of Technology, is being considered. All participating educationalinstitutions will adopt and deliver:

• The ITT KSA student commencement programme of English

language, cultural and nursing orientation

• The RCSI teaching programme for Bridging (Access) and BSc

programmes

This model of University education will provide initially a bachelor’s

degree programme for overseas students who are trained nurses and who

already hold a Diploma in Nursing from their own country. This is a

bridging programme for registered nurses to advance their qualification

from Diploma in Nursing to Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The

programme fulfils the academic requirements of the National University

of Ireland for a BSc degree award. The programme has three

interdependent strands that will enable students to gain optimal personal

and professional development.

Nursing Research The Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery enjoyed considerable success in

research during 2009. Dr. Zena Moore, a clinical nursing & midwifery

research fellow, conducted a randomised clinical trial funded by the Health

Research Board of Ireland, which aimed to compare the incidence of

pressure ulcers among older persons in long-term care hospitals, nursed

using two different repositioning regimes; and also to compare the cost

implications of repositioning individuals using two different repositioning

regimes. The experimental group (n=99) were repositioned 3-hourly at

night, using the 30 degree tilt; the control group (n=114) received routine

prevention. Routine prevention for the control group was identified as

turning during the night, on average, every six hours, using 90 degree

lateral rotation. Three patients (3%) developed a pressure ulcer in the

experimental group (3-hourly turning), whereas 13 patients (11%)

developed a pressure ulcer in the control group (6-hourly turning), this

difference was statistically significant (X2 5.347, p=.021). Total costs were

€19,962.27 (experimental) and €31,370.56 (control). The cost difference

between the two positioning regimens was -€11,408.29. Projected

annual costs of repositioning were estimated for use of the 30 degree tilt

as €258,402.48, these costs were estimated as €509,078.64 for standard

care. The annual cost difference is -€250,676.16. This study reports on a

30 • Fleam

‘low-technological’ intervention that has shown to have a direct effect on

pressure ulcer incidence. Repositioning older persons at risk of pressure

ulcers every three hours at night, using the 30 degree tilt, reduces the

incidence of pressure ulcers when compared to usual care. It is also less

time consuming, requires less personnel and is more cost effective when

compared with standard care.

Catherine O’Neill is in the final stages of her PhD studies. Catherine’s

work, an ethnographic study of treatment decision making in the care of

older patients in acute Irish hospitals has been submitted to School of

Sociology, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4. This study involved extensive fieldwork

on two hospital sites over a period of four years. The data generating

methods, in addition to the field work included attendance at case

conferences, in depth interviews with 42 participants and tracked 13

specific patient cases. Catherine is also a member of a research

consortium developing An Ethical Framework for End-of-Life care in

Ireland. This is a collaborative interdisciplinary initiative between School

of Nursing, Schools of Philosophy & Law University College Cork, Faculty

of Nursing & Midwifery and the Dept. of General Practice, Royal College

of Surgeons in Ireland. This project is part of a five-year Hospice Friendly

Hospitals Programme, (HfHP), an initiative of the Irish Hospice Foundation

in partnership with the HSE and Atlantic Philanthropies. The study is

designed to identify the key ethical issues that arise in relation to death,

dying and bereavement, and to design and develop an ethical framework

to deepen public and professional understanding of experiences of death,

dying and bereavement and to enhance the experience of dying in diverse

health care settings in Ireland. The development of this framework is

ongoing.

Eight other research projects, under the directorship of Professor

Cowman and Dr. Georgina Gethin, have been completed or near

completion. These included the first International eDelphi to determine

the research and education priorities in wound management and tissue

repair; testing of antimicrobial activity of a Chilean honey; the role of the

CNS in cancer care; pilot study of prevalence of lymphoedema among

patient attending vascular and wound service in an acute hospital; quality

of life of patients with lower limb lymphoedema; and a study exploring

provision of day surgery across public and private hospitals in Ireland.

Research proposals are currently being developed to determine key

elements of quality day surgery in Ireland. The unit is also a co-applicant

in two FP7 research applications in 2009. The multi-disciplinary and multi-

agency nature of the many studies has been a key factor in gaining

research funding for the centre.

An MSc student, Niamh McCormack, was awarded an Irish Medical

Times Healthcare award for her study which evaluated the

implementation of an individualised respiratory patient passport for

persons with COPD. Niamh graduated in November 2009 and is currently

developing this work for a PhD.

A very successful 28th Annual International Nursing and Research

Conference was held in February 2009.The Faculty of Nursing and

Midwifery have led the way in research dissemination, as this conference

is the longest established across Europe. A wide range of papers relevant

to clinical nursing, nursing education and nursing management were

presented to over 250 Irish and overseas delegates. Professor Sioban

Nelson, a leading international nursing scholar, based at the University of

Toronto, Canada delivered the keynote address entitled “Two Steps

Forward One Step Back: Nursing and Midwifery in a Climate of Health Care

Reform”. The plenary paper, from Professor Anne Marie Rafferty, Dean

and Professor of Nursing Policy at The Florence Nightingale School of

Nursing and Midwifery at King's College, London, explored the nursing

contribution to the quality of care in health system reform. In recognition

of her services to healthcare, Anne Marie was subsequently awarded witha CBE in Buckingham Palace.

Challenges for the FutureThe current economic climate poses considerable challenges for thedelivery of bachelor and post graduate education programmes for nursesin Ireland. Restriction in funding combined with the recruitment embargolimits the educational opportunities for nurses and midwives. The Schoolof Nursing and the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery having cognisance ofthese challenges, have developed several new and innovativeprogrammes for prospective students. The education of nurses plays a keyrole in the delivery of a cost effective, efficient health service. Thus, thesenew programmes are aimed at enhancing relevant competencies ofnurses and midwives practicing within today’s Irish healthcare system.Furthermore, in response to the changing climate, the Faculty of Nursingand Midwifery, has adopted a blended learning approach for its educationdelivery. This involves a combination of on-line material, discussion forumsand face to face lectures. With these new developments, the Faculty isleading the way in changing the traditional approach to education. Thus,we are ensuring accessibility, flexibility and value for money for the keystakeholders utilising our sevices

Dr. Zena Moore, Ms. Chanel Watson, Ms. Catherine Clune MulvaneyNovember 2009

Taken at the 28th Annual Interna�onal Nursing & Midwifery ResearchConference Dinner February 2009: Top Row (L to R) Dr. Zena Moore,Ms. Mary O’ Neill, Ms. Stephanie Lawrence, Dr. Georgina Gethin.Middle Row (L- R) Ms. Kathleen Kinsella, Ms. Margie Craig, Ms. Catherine Clune Mulvaney. Bo�om Row (L-R) Ms. CatherineO’Neill, Professor Sioban Nelson (Keynote Speaker), Professor SeamusCowman, Head of School, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery.

Fleam • 31

In this issue we’ve decided to focus on postgraduate activities at the Schoolof Pharmacy. We are a very new School, with our first pharmacy graduatesin 2006 so inevitably the early days concentrated on developing the

undergraduate and satisfying the accreditation requirements of regulatorybodies. However a flourishing postgraduate environment is essential to builda rounded School and to grow awareness of the School. Recognizing that, weinitiated PhD programmes and taught postgraduate activities as early aspossible.

A notable success was the School’s MSc programme in IndustrialPharmaceutical Science. This commenced in 2003, producing its firstgraduates in 2005, a year before the first graduates from the undergraduateprogramme. Over the last five years this has provided the pharmaceuticalindustry with over 100 graduates. These are an important resource sincegraduates from the programme are eligible for Qualified Person status. UnderEuropean Directive these are required by companies to oversee themanufacturing process.

Regulatory affairs professionals also play a key role in the pharmaceuticalindustry in the development of new medicines, obtaining productauthorizations, in collecting data on quality and safety and liaising withgovernment regulatory agencies. Currently there is no training programmefor such people in Ireland, a significant unmet need given the fact thatIreland is one of the world’s leading exporters of pharmaceutical products.In the coming academic year we intend to introduce a joint programme withthe Institute of Technology Sligo, leading to a Postgraduate Diploma inPharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs.

PhD programmes were also an important focus, beginning in the first yearof the new School so our first two PhD degrees were awarded in 2005, againa full year before the first graduates from the undergraduate programme.Excellent research funding under the government’s Programme for Research

in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) and support from Enterprise Irelandcontributed to this and we are currently examining commercializationopportunities for the technologies that have emerged.

Last year the first students graduated from our MSc Healthcare Managementprogramme. This is an inter-professional programme delivered jointly withthe Institute of Leadership and Healthcare Management in the College. Theprogramme is intended to provide management and leadership skills forpeople having a supervisory role in a healthcare environment.

Recognition of Third Country Pharmacist Qualification as a QualificationAppropriate for Practice in Ireland is a responsibility of the PharmaceuticalSociety of Ireland (PSI) and includes the requirement for an equivalenceexamination. The role of designing and conducting the assessment processfor this important regulatory activity has been given to the School ofPharmacy at RCSI. This reflects the expertise of RCSI in postgraduate trainingand examining and the School’s innovations in teaching and examining,including our introduction for example of OSCE-based examinations.

A highlight of the year was the launch of the National Pharmacy InternshipProgramme. Successful completion of this programme, designed anddelivered by the School of Pharmacy at RCSI leads to the award of the degreeof MPharm. All graduating pharmacists in Ireland must successfully completethis training programme as a prerequisite to entry to the professional register.The programme makes much use of electronic teaching resources developedin RCSI and adds to the College’s reputation in delivery of state of the arttraining to healthcare professionals.

Finally it’s been a privilege for me to have played a role in establishing thisnew School. Some of you older graduates may remember me as beginningmy academic career in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology in the late1970s and I was somewhat but very pleasantly surprised to find myself backat RCSI in the new century. I’m now stepping down from my post as Head ofthe School, from the end of this academic year so I will use this opportunityto sign off and say goodbye and to give my best wishes for another twocenturies or so to this great institution in which to to study and work.

The first class of the MSc HealthcareManagement programme with Dr. Paul

Gallagher (extreme le�) and ProfessorCiaran O’Boyle (extreme right).

Pictured are from le� Dr. Terry McWade, Deputy CEO, RCSI; ProfessorJohn Kelly, Head of School of Pharmacy, RCSI; Minister for Health andChildren, Mary Harney TD; Dr. Ambrose McLoughlin, Registrar/CEO,Pharmaceu�cal Society of Ireland; and Ms Noleen Harvey, President,Pharmaceu�cal Society of Ireland at the inaugura�on of the Na�onalInternship Training Year for Pharmacy Graduates

School of Pharmacy Medal Winners from the academic year 2008-2009. Ms Alice O’Dwyer, Ms Lydia Finnerty, Professor John G. Kelly, Ms Gillian Byrne, Ms Aine O’Driscoll, Ms Anne Marie Hamilton.

School of

Pharmacy

Postgraduate Diploma/MSc in Neurologyand Gerontology In recognition of the considerable demographic changes in Irelandand the increasing number of older persons in society, an MSc inNeurology and Gerontology programme was developed. Thisprogramme, the first of its kind in Ireland, was developed to addressthese increasing demands and to provide an opportunity forphysiotherapists to expand their knowledge and skills in the area ofneurological rehabilitation and rehabilitation of the older person. Thefirst intake of 19 students to this programme was in September 2008and these students will graduate in summer 2010.

Currently these postgraduate students are undertaking researchstudies in a variety of locations around the country. Applications forthe next intake to this programme will be invited in early 2010 andalready a considerable number of enquiries have been received.

Educational ActivitiesThere have been several new educational initiatives implemented thisyear. The Physiopedia project involved the development of a “wiki”,pages of information on specific topics. This was a collaborativeproject undertaken in partnership with other educational institutionsand included students from the RCSI School of Physiotherapy underthe direction of Practice Education Co-ordinator, Aileen Barrett.

Physiotherapy staff have also participated in the delivery of successfulinterdisciplinary Teaching on the Run workshops in several clinicalsites and these have been received with enthusiasm by cliniciansinvolved in the clinical teaching of students.

Research ActivityNiamh Kenny (Second Physiotherapy) was awarded a HRB ResearchSummer Studentship for a project investigating the effects ofpulmonary rehabilitation. She has been shortlisted for the WattsMedal for Summer Scholars competition in December 2009,presenting results of her research activity.

Other research activities include departmental success in the HealthResearch Board Therapy Fellowship Awards for research projectsinvestigating gait impairment in cervical spondylotic myelopathy andeffectiveness of exercise for hip arthritis.

Marie Guidon, Head of Physiotherapy

School ofPhysiotherapy

32 • Fleam

Marie Guidon, Head of Physiotherapy

REACH RCSI PROGRAMME:Recreation Education And Community Health

Fleam • 33

REACH Sports Day at RCSI Sports Grounds,Dardistown: (April 2nd 2009)Over one hundred local children from St. Enda’s National School, WhitefriarStreet and Warrenmount Primary School, Blackpits, Dublin 8 took part inthe second REACH RCSI Sports Day at the RCSI Sports grounds atDardistown, Co Dublin.

The children were divided into ten teams and approximately 50 RCSIstudents volunteered for the day, manning stations and looking after theteams throughout the day. The programme for the day included a circuitof 10 traditional sports day games such as Egg & Spoon, Sack Races,obstacle course and relay races etc which teams had to complete,accumulating points around the circuit.

The REACH RCSI Programme is the Community Outreach Programme atRCSI. The Programme works to facilitate access to Further and Highereducation and enhance life chances for those experiencing socialexclusion, particularly those living in the environs of RCSI.

The REACH RCSI Programme works with primary and secondaryschools, youth, community and sports groups promoting education andlifelong health and recreation in the community.

RCSI staff and students volunteer their valuable time and expertiseand are pivotal to the success of the programme. This year, the REACHRCSI Programme was nominated for two awards, the Irish Times LivingDublin Award and President’s Awards for Corporate Social Responsibilityand was highly commended at both ceremonies.

A particular highlight of this year was the involvement of more RCSIstudents through the Student Ambassador Programme which theyparticipated in as part of a Foundation Year Elective.

Creating awareness and promotinglifelong health & activity in thecommunity:REACH Student Ambassador Programme: World Cup 24 Foundation Year students had the opportunity of mentoring bothprimary & post primary school students from the local community byparticipating in the REACH RCSI Student Ambassador Programme. The

REACH RCSI Programme partnered with the Football Association of Ireland(FAI), Garda Síochana, Dublin City Council (DCC) and Youth InterventionService (YIS) on this initiative which saw 12 Dublin primary schoolscompete in a mini World Cup combining sport with promotinginterculturalism.

Two RCSI Student Ambassadors worked with each primary school anddecided which country the school would represent in the World Cup Finals.They visited their schools to present on the traditions, customs, nativedress etc of the country in question. The RCSI Student Ambassadors thensupported the children as they put together a collage/artwork depictingwhat they had learned. Some of the countries represented wereArgentina, Bahrain, Brazil, UAE and Kuwait and winners over the two daycompetition were: Presentation Primary School, Warrenmount (Canada),Francis St. (Bahrain) and Synge St. (USA).

Khalifah Alali & Abdulla Almesailim and their winning team from St Audeon’s Na�onal School, March 2009.

Par�cipants at Sports Day 2009.

34 • Fleam

Aungier Celtic FC Coaching Session withGlasgow Celtic FCThis year REACH has been working with Glasgow Celtic Football Club on anumber of initiatives aimed at promoting participation in sport andeducation. Aungier Celtic FC is the local community football team basedin Dublin’s South East Inner City and in April 2009, approximately 50children from the Under 8 and Under 10 teams were invited by the REACHRCSI Programme to spend the afternoon being professionally coached atthe RCSI Sports Grounds with soccer coaches from Glasgow Celtic FC.

REACH Link Schools Soccer CoachingSessionsThis academic year, over 300 children & young people have been coachedin soccer skills by the coaches from Celtic FC.

Pictured (L-R) are Alexis Bouvier(3rd Year Medicine, RCSI) with AlanHealy (age 10 from St. Enda’s,Whitefriar Street, Dublin 8)

Pictured (L-R) Aima Giwa-Amu (1stYear Medicine RCSI) with CharityWaithire, age 9 from St. Enda’s,Whitefriar Street, Dublin 8

Men’s Health Programme Par�cipants – Back Row: Chris Hendry,Cel�c FC, John Donnelly, Eddie O’Callaghan, Liam Tracey, DavidWynne, John Donnelly, Ryan McGregor (Cel�c FC). Front Row: PaulKenny, David Fitzpatrick, Michael Murray, Philip Bisset, Alan Dunne.

4th class from St Enda’s PS, Whitefriar Street with Cel�c FC Coacheswinding down a�er a coaching session.

Aungier Cel�c FC Coaching Session with Glasgow Cel�c FC atDardistown.

Men’s Health ProgrammeAnother joint REACH RCSI and Celtic FC initiative, the Men’s HealthProgramme has been underway since October 1st 2009. The group, madeup of middle aged men from the local community meet at RCSI eachThursday evening for 10 weeks. The evening begins with a workshop ona different health related topic facilitated by RCSI staff e.g. weightmanagement, diet and nutrition; healthy heart, blood pressure andcholesterol management, smoking cessation & alcohol reduction; cancerawareness, promoting good mental health, diabetes, dental and oralhygiene. Professional coaches from Glasgow Celtic FC work with the

participants on overall physical fitness during the second hour of theprogramme. Each participant underwent a full medical at Mercer’s MedicalCentre prior to beginning the programme and will undergo a second inthe final week. It is hoped participation in the project will improve theirhealth and well-being of participants and illustrate that making smalllifestyle changes and increasing awareness of health issues, can make abig difference to long-term health and well-being.

Fleam • 35

Free Medical Checks Local Community –RCSI Mercer’s Medical CentreOn August 25th 2009 fifty free medical check ups were provided by Dr.Kilian McGrogan and the team at Mercer’s Medical Clinic for members ofthe local community. Those who availed were screened for diabetes,cholesterol, kidney disease, and had their BMI and blood pressure checked.

Facilitating access to Further and Higher Education: REACH coordinates several programmes, aimed at boosting the ambitionof those linked with the programme and creating awareness ofeducational opportunities. Initiatives include Leaving Certificate StudentSupport Programme and provision of a bursary to support students at thirdlevel.

College4U Programme42 young people from three local schools completed this 6 week workshopseries which aims to show what college life is really like and that it issomething attainable for them. This programme culminated with a trip toRCSI where the Foundation Year Student Ambassadors led the visitingstudents in two separate scientific experiments under the supervision ofREACH Academic Directors, Dr. Maria Morgan and Dr. Marc DeVocelle.

RCSI Founda�on Year Students leading visi�ng Junior Cer�ficatestudents from CBS Westland Row.

Homework Club

Educational Guidance:Members of the local community can avail of support and guidance fromthe REACH RCSI programme on educational courses. Some individuals maybe returning to education having left school early, others are keen todevelop their skill set while some are still in school. Support is availablewith making CAO applications, subject choice and information on financialsupport/grants they would be eligible for.

Homework Club: The Homework Club runs in RCSI Tutorial rooms, Monday to Thursday,4.30pm – 7pm. RCSI staff and students volunteer their time to assist themembers with homework and study.

The club takes place on site in a college environment supported byRCSI staff and students and consists of a mixture of academic work andrecreation. It is hoped that informal relationships forged here will fostera more positive view of education in the minds of the club members andcreate a natural forum for discussion and accessing information. This year,some Leaving Certificate students have also had access to the RCSI libraryfor further study.

The Kiran Pathak Scholarship in PharmacyThis annual Scholarship in Pharmacy offers a student a bursary and a placein the RCSI School of Pharmacy. The Kiran Pathak Fund was established inmemory of Kiran Pathak, MPSI, and his family who lost their lives in atragic boating accident in Kenya in 2001. The fund supports a range ofPharmacy initiatives and of key interest to the Pathak family is this accessscholarship for students with a desire to study Pharmacy who due toexperiences of social exclusion may otherwise have been unable to do so.

Several Transition Year and Leaving Certificate Applied students fromlink schools have completed office work experience at RCSI. Five studentsfrom local schools interested in studying Medicine participated in the weeklong RCSI Mini Med School in January 2009.

36 • Fleam

2009 was an eventful and successful year for the research community

at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Faculty, staff, and students

at RCSI were very effective at competing for increasingly sparse funds

to support their research. Grants were awarded to support major

research programs in a year of deep recession and faculty and

students were recognized with national and international honours for

their many contributions.

In a major regional development, the College formed an alliance with

Dublin City University and the National University of Ireland at

Maynooth to form a Translational Research Hub together with

Beaumont and Connolly Hospitals. Professor Brian Harvey, Director of

Research, said that “ collaboration between RCSI and the largest non-

medical Universities and the College’s opens up new opportunities

for clinician-scientist research teams to advance translational research

and is the backbone of the RCSI research programme 2010 -2014

under the HEA Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions”.

The College maintained in 2009, its first ranking in the 5 year

cumulative number of citations in medical research publications

among all of the Irish Universities. Some example are given below of

the impact RCSI researchers are having at national and international

levels.

Research funding awards2009 research funding awards include the very prestigious European

Research Council Starting Independent Research Grant to Professor

Fergal O’Brien and the Science Foundation of Ireland Principal

Investigator grants to Professor David Henshall, Professor Nikolaus

Plesnila and Dr. Caroline Jefferies.

In June 2009, in partnership with Dublin City University, other third-

level institutions and the pharmaceutical industry, RCSI was successful

in securing SFI funding (€5.6M) towards the establishment of a

Strategic Research Cluster in Molecular Therapeutics for Cancer. The

RCSI Principal Investigators involved in this Programme are Dr. Judith

Harmey and Dr. Annette Byrne who were awarded a total research

budget of €1M. The aim of the Cluster is to assemble and build a

fully-integrated national translational cancer drug discovery and

development programme for the benefit cancer patients. The award

was announced by Conor Lenihan T.D., Minister for Science,

Technology & Innovation. Making the announcement, Minister

Lenihan, said “This SRC has genuine potential to make Ireland a

leading centre for cancer drug discovery and development. Today

marks the latest declaration from Government that it believes in

science, and greatly values the top class collaborative research being

conducted in this country. There is real confidence that this SRC will

help to ultimately position Ireland as a key international player in the

oncology research arena.”

In April 2009 the Ireland Fund of France in conjunction with the French

pharmaceutical group, L’Institut Servier and the Royal College of

Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have awarded the Servier Scholarship Prize

to Professor Dermot Kenny (Class of 1983). The event was presided

over by His Excellency Mr. Yvon d’Albert Roé, French Ambassador to

Ireland at the French Embassy today. Professor Kenny received his

award for his contribution and success in supporting research

collaborations with France in the area of platelet adhesion and for his

work into the rare congenital bleeding disorder Bernard-Soulier

syndrome.

Post-graduate research training PhD registrations at RCSI have increased notably in the last five years

with the highest registrations to date in 2008 (from 17 in 2004 to 62

new registrations in 2008). RCSI currently has 136 PhD students, 34%

on structured PhD programmes (significantly above the 21% national

average reported by CIRCA (HEA 2008).

Report publications In 2009 the Ministers for Older People and Health Promotion has

announced the publication of two reports entitled "Smoking Patterns

in Ireland: Implications for policy and services" and “Mental Health

and Social Well-being of the Irish Population”. These reports present

and analise the results of surveys carried out under the National

Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition Programme (SLÁN 07).

The surveys were carried out, on behalf of the Department of Health

and Children, by RCSI Division of Population Health Sciences in

collaboration with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI),

Brian Harvey, Director of

Research

Research

Fleam • 37

University College Cork (UCC), The National University of Ireland

Galway (NUIG)

Major eventsIn March 2009, RCSI hosted the first inaugural scientific conference of

the National Biophotonics and Imaging Platform Ireland (NBIP Ireland).

The NBIP Ireland is a €30M research Programme, co-ordinated by RCSI

and funded by the Higher Education Authority under the Programme

for Research for Third Level Institutions, Cycle 4. The mission of NBIPI is

to provide an integrated national access and training infrastructure in

research, education, technology development and industry collaboration

for Ireland’s investment in Biophotonics and Imaging.

The conference was opened by Dr. Jimmy Devins, Minister of State for

Science, Technology and Innovation, who officially launched the NBIPI

initiative and the associated FP7 Marie Curie Career Enhancement and

Mobility Programme (CEMP). Speaking at the launch, Dr. Jimmy Devins,

said “The NBIP Ireland research programme is an excellent example of

the Government’s commitment to provide support to colleges and

higher-level institutions to develop their research facilities and foster

links between academia and with industry to create an innovative,

knowledge-driven economy. In a more challenging global economic

environment, it is imperative that Ireland can compete internationally

on the basis of our world class research and NBIP Ireland will enable

Post-doctoral and Post-graduate researchers to develop their career

prospects and become independent investigators and senior scientists

in academia or industry. Coordinated by RCSI, NBIP Ireland comprises

nine Irish and two European third level institutions and there are

currently over 150 Irish researchers working in the programme.

In June 2009, RCSI signed a major scientific international agreement in

Naples with research bodies from Ireland, France, and Italy. The event

was attended by His Excellency Ambassador O'Huiginn, Ireland

Ambassador to Italy. The new EU consortium will promote academic and

industry research and development (R&D) partnerships in drug

discovery and medical diagnostic devices and will be run through the

Regional Centre of Competence in Diagnostic and Molecular

Pharmaceutics (DFM) in the Campania region of Naples. As part of the

agreement, the research bodies from Ireland, France and Italy will be

funded through national and EU programmes and from research

contracts from the pharmaceutical industry. They will jointly apply for EU

funded programmes as well as promote the exchange of training and

knowledge among scientists.

Professor Harvey, says that “2010 will be a challenging and difficult yearas agencies will have greatly diminished funds for new programmesand will re-focus their business plans to maintain current fundingobligations. RCSI can rise to these challenges by targeting scarceresources to prioritised clusters of researchers in experimental medicineand surgery and by diversifying its funding base particularly in EUProgrammes and through philanthropic endowments .“

Research AppointmentsIn June 2009 Professor HannahMcGee was appointed to thenew role of Deputy Director ofResearch at the RCSI. She willwork closely with Professor BrianHarvey, Director of Research topromote RCSI's ResearchStrategy – translational research‘from bench to bedside topopulation’. Professor BrianHarvey, Director of Research, haswelcomed the new appointmentas an acknowledgement of

RCSI’s commitment to translational research.

Hannah joined RCSI in 1987 as a Health Psychology ResearchFellow. In 1997 she became Professor of Psychology and in 2006she became the first head of Population Health Sciences (PHS)at RCSI. Professor McGee is RCSI lead on the joint RCSI-TCD-UCCHRB PhD Scholars Programme in Health Services Research sinceits commencement in 2007. In terms of her disciplinary andresearch interests, she has previously served as President of thePsychological Society of Ireland, the European Health PsychologySociety and is currently Chair of the Cardiac RehabilitationSection of the European Association for CardiovascularPrevention and Rehabilitation. Within Ireland, Hannah hasserved as RCSI/RCPI representative on the board of the HealthResearch Board and was appointed by the Minister for Healthand Children, Mary Harney T.D. as chair of the Department’sNational Cardiovascular Health Policy Group – the Policy to belaunched Autumn 2009.

Postgraduate surgical education continues to make great strides withinsurgical training, innovation, research and development for RCSI. In2008 the RCSI established the Colles Institute which is named after

Abraham Colles (1773 -1843) of the eponymous fracture, and who was anRCSI President and held three RCSI Professorships in Anatomy, Surgery andPhysiology.

This is the first Institute of its kind in Ireland, bringing together the expertiseof three existing RCSI centres across the areas of surgical practice, training,clinical research and the development and commercialisation of new medicaltechnologies. The National Surgical Training Centre – NSTC, the Centre ofClinical Research & Development (CR&D) & the Centre for Innovation inSurgical Technology (CIST)

Currently located in RCSI House, developments are underway on a new stateof the art facility to house the Institute on York Street. This will be equippedwith leading edge training, conference and research facilities enabling theInstitute to continue to pursue its primary objective of enhancing patient carethrough supporting the development of optimal therapeutic strategies andtechnologies and by providing education and training to ensure the rapidtransfer of these standards into practice.

2009 has seen a number of significant developments within the Institute,from the development of the Colles Portal, the appointment of a newProfessor, to the establishment of a new Masters in Surgery (MCh), and thesigning of an MOU.

One of the Institutes major initiatives during 2009 has been the developmentof the Colles Portal. The last decade has seen significant growth in many ofthe NSTC activities coupled with a 100% increase in training numbers. Itbecame critical that Surgical Training could support these activities in to thefuture and in order to achieve this we are now in the final developmentstages of the Colles Portal. The Portal will offer all of our stakeholders fromthe consultant trainer and non trainer, surgeons, trainees, medical manpowermanagers and the Medical Council a web based support system that willenable them to access information from one central platform and completethe steps necessary to support surgical training. It will record and archive allthe data during the lifecycle of the surgeon from trainee to consultant.Furthermore, the probable commencement of Professional Competence inearly 2010 will mean that there will be a legal requirement for all medicalpractitioners in Ireland to be registered with an accredited professionalcompetency scheme.

The Colles Portal will support this functionality and allow surgeons to recordand review all CPD activity. A communications campaign was launched at the

Millen Meeting, with a Colles Portal stand, user demonstrations andsupported by a Colles Portal brochure, which was posted to all our key users.We are continuing to engage with all our stakeholders in order thataccessibility and useability is a smooth and easy transition for all. This is botha unique and significant accomplishment within the Irish Medical Sector andit is expected that there will be over 1,200 users by the end of 2010.

There will be a Colles Portal stand and demonstrations at the Charter DayMeeting in February 2010 and the official launch will take place in Spring2010, when the portal will go live. This is both a unique and significantaccomplishment within the Irish medical ssector and it is expected that therewill be over 1200 users by the end of 2010.

May 2009, saw the appointment of Mr Sean Tierney to RCSI’s Professor ofHealth Informatics. Sean is a vascular surgeon in the AMNCH and is currentlyVice-President of the IMO. In 2003 he was appointed as the College’s ViceDean of Distance Learning for Postgraduate Surgery, developing the Schoolfor Surgeons, our online learning programme for surgical trainees. In his newposition, Professor Tierney will play a leading role in evaluating, developing,and promoting the use of systems to support learning, ensure clinical qualityand assist surgeons in the process of competence assurance.

In September 2009, Professor John O’Byrne introduced a one year full timeMasters of Surgery (MCh) by module, the first in Ireland to incorporate ataught component in addition to a research dissertation. The programme isdesigned to equip trainees with a range of skills which will enable them tobetter meet the demands of higher surgical training. It is progressing welland all students are entering their research dissertation phase. The 15students are expected to complete their course work by the end of May 2010

View of proposed York Street Development.

38 • Fleam

Surgical Affairs

Fleam • 39

and submit their final research dissertation. Due to the huge success of theprogramme and the demand for places exceeding expectations in 2009, itis hoped that there will be an increase in the number of places on offer forthe 2010/2011 intake which will commence in March of this year.

The Centre for Research and Development (CR&D) continues its researchprogramme in surgical training with the appointment of two new researchfellows Dr. Emmeline Nugent and Dr. Hazem Hseino. These fellows continueto research the development of proficiency based progression training andthe use of simulation in surgical training. We are also pleased to confirmthat our first two research fellows in surgical training Ms Emily Boyle and MsAnne Marie Kennedy have had their research theses accepted for award ofM.D. in 2010. In February 2010, CR&D will be translating our research inproficiency based progression training using simulation into training coursesthrough the launch of a Proficiency Based Training using simulation forLaparoscopic Colectomy. This course will be supported through an educationgrant by Ethicon Endosurgery Ireland.

The CR&D, on behalf of the Surgical R&D committee, continues to supportthe Irish Surgical Research Network (ISURN) and this year we were successfulin developing 3 multicentre, inter-institutional research proposals forsubmission to the HRB Health Research Awards grant call in November 2010.

In addition to this, CR&D is supporting RCSI in the development of a numberof important collaborative projects with the Health Service Executive. TheRCSI is taking a leadership role in the reconfiguration and restructuring ofsurgical services and training. These projects are involved in the optimisationof elective surgery and surgical manpower planning.

The Centre for Innovation and Surgical Technology (CIST) and the newestaddition to the Colles Institute continues to make regular headlines. CIST wasestablished to provide the suite of innovation services required to transforman idea into a clinical product taping into and developing the huge amountof local expertise and resources available. It will support both companiesand academia in the development and commercialisation of innovativeideas. In May 2009 the RCSI and Cleveland Clinic signed an MOU enablingthe two institutions to collaborate and share ideas on projects and activities.This joined up thinking and innovative collaboration fits into the currentgovernment strategy on the Smart Economy by converting research,

development and innovation into commercialised products. CIST has gainedhuge market presence over the last year and has attracted the attention ofmany of our leading surgeons, government bodies such as EI, IDA, SFI, HRB,Forfas and other medical device companies. 2010 will see continued growthand expansion for CIST with links been forged with other international /national companies and Institutes such as Tyndall, Codiven and Renishaw(UK). Continued and future development of these links will only enhanceboth the RCSI and the Colles Institutes profile on the international stage asa world leader in the delivery of innovation surgical & clinical solutions to themarket.

These notable achievements within the Colles Institute have laid thefoundations for continued growth into 2010 and beyond in line with theInstitute’s goal to increase the standards of clinical practice by addressing keyknowledge, training and technology barriers.

For more information on the activities and resources in the Colles Instituteplease log on to www.rcsi.ie/colles or for user information on the CollesPortal www.collesportal.com

Pictured at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between theRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Cleveland Clinic in Ohio are(standing L-R) Derek Young, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; SeanMcEllin, Enterprise Ireland; Joseph Hahn, Cleveland Clinic; Kieran Ryan, RoyalCollege of Surgeons in Ireland; David Strand, Cleveland Clinic; Chris Coburn,Cleveland Clinic Innovations and Brian Griffin, Cleveland Clinic. Sitting (L-R)are Oscar Traynor, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Delos CosgroveCleveland Clinic.

The agreement will enable the two institutions to collaborate on educational,research and innovation activities in the medical device industry and willcontribute to the growth of the industry in Ireland and the United States.

StudentServices

There is increasing evidence that higher educa�on must also address thebasic personal needs of students by providing a comprehensive set ofout-of-classroom student services and programmes commonly referred toas student affairs and services.

These efforts should be designed to enable and empower students tofocus more intensely on their studies and their personal growth andmatura�on, both cogni�vely and emo�onally. They should also result inenhanced student learning outcomes. Another important ra�onale forthese efforts is economic, because investments in students and studentaffairs and services provide a healthy return to na�onal economies as theinvestments help to assure students’ success in higher educa�on andtheir subsequent contribu�ons to the na�onal welfare.

Source: The role of student affairs and services in higher educa�on, UNESCO, 2002 & Studentaffairs & services in Higher Educa�on: Global Founda�ons, Issues & Best Prac�ce, UNESCO, 2009

There is no denying the importance of support services in education and their

provision is closely linked to the success of academic programmes. In recent

years, support services have received increased recognition (and indeed

investment) in schools and colleges, thus resulting in greatly enhanced

opportunities for students.

RCSI is committed to providing a high level of ‘out of classroom’ supports to its

student body and to creating the best possible student experience. In fact, this

is one area which sets us apart from other competitor institutions. The Student

Services Office manage and deliver a host of services for students and is proud

to be part of a diverse student support system within RCSI.

From a strategic perspective……In May 2009, the Student Support Services Project was initiated by Prof Cathal

Kelly (CEO) and Dr Terry McWade (Deputy CEO) with Colm Murray (Estate &

Support Services) acting as Project Manager. The project objective is to review

all supports and services at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Alongside many defined services, a range of other supports have evolved and

grown over time. The project aims to identify and evaluate all supports and

services, to examine regulatory/legal obligations alongside best practice and

to benchmark RCSI’s offering. The combined works will create a more strategic

approach in the planning, management and delivery of supports and services

– in essence, to create an effective roadmap. This is an exciting project and the

first of its kind for RCSI in terms of reviewing student support services.

The Student Services Office is part of a support services network at RCSI. Each

year, as part of its own efforts to raise standards and improve services to

students, the office reviews the structure and delivery of its remit. In 2009, a

degree student from outside the college with a wealth of experience and

learning both as a student in Ireland and also in the US proved instrumental in

this initiative. Working with the team in Student Services, the policies,

procedures and processes of the office were reviewed and assessed.

Supports and services in both domestic and international schools were usedas benchmarks, including educators in the UK, US and Australia. We wereheartened to find that supports and services delivered by the RCSI StudentServices Office faired well. In addition, many services were identified aseasily accessible, highly responsive and that high levels of flexibility wereevident. Areas identified under ‘room for improvement’ includedaccommodation (both peripheral and term accommodation ) and the sportsfunction. In response to this, the office plans to devote more resources tothese key areas in 2010.

From an operational perspective…..Sports Clubs & SocietiesThere is never a dull moment in the Student Services Office. The managementof activities, events and budgets for over 50 clubs and societies to a studentbody of over 2,000, ensures the office is a constant hive of activity.Membership /participation in both clubs and societies increased in 2009.Some relatively new clubs and societies made significant inroads andsucceeded in adding to the vibrancy of student life (examples include Archery,Polo and Fencing). All clubs and societies have helped to showcase thewealth of talent that exists within the student body.

The men’s soccer team took home the Collingwood Plate, the Fencing teamwon a prize at the Schull Cup intervarsities, and not to be outdone by theboys, ladies GAA reached the semi finals of the national cup competition. TheSwimming Club proudly took home 2 gold medals at their Intervarsities whilethe Running Club once again sent 10 runners to the Boston Marathon. TheGolf Society competed in Nottingham (UK) - and what is now becoming ahabit - the students beat their Nottingham peers.

The sports function has had new life injected in the form of a new Sports Co-ordinator – Mr Aidan Kavanagh. Aidan took on the role at the end of 2009having held a similar post in a Scottish university. He has some excitinginitiatives in store for both the sports teams and the sports function ingeneral. So watch this space!

The societies once again hosted an array of glittering events throughout theyear – the most popular nights included Ballad Session, International Night,Chocolate Ball, Food Fair and the college play (‘Flumes and Fumes’) - to namebut a few. The Islamic Society organised a very successful Islamic AwarenessWeek which focused on creating a better understanding of Islam. Attendancehas grown at society events and the Friendship Lunches hosted by theFriendship Society in conjunction with the Chaplaincy team continue as a

Student Services: Margaret Morgan (Socie�es Co-ordinator), CorrienaBrien (Student Services Manager), Aidan Kavanagh (Sports Co-ordinator),Sandra Bone�o (Accommoda�on, Access & Disability)

40 • Fleam

Fleam • 41

popular weekly event. The lunches provide an informal opportunity for

students to get to know each other, to chat and catch up over a bite to eat.

Students benefit in numerous ways from their involvement in clubs and

societies. From developing communication and interpersonal skills to

teamwork and co-ordination - ask any of the students involved in International

Night, the Chocolate Ball or Intervarsities and they are sure to bear witness to

this. Valuable life-long lessons are learned and new friendships forged. Many

events raise funds for local and international charities. The benefits and the

achievements of our clubs and societies are held in high esteem. While

recognising the importance of the academic programme, we greatly

encourage students to make time for recreation.

Financial Assistance to studentsThe economic crisis, needless to say, has touched students from all corners of

the globe – regardless of whether they are self funding or sponsored. 2009

saw the official formation of a Student Financial Assistance Committee. The

Committee oversee several funds including the Alumni Hardship Fund and the

Higher Education Student Assistance Fund. It aims to provide a fair, equitable

and accountable mechanism for the allocation of funds to students considered

most in need. With a shortage of student loans from banks or in some

instances, a complete withdrawal of loans, the Committee is also involved in

assisting students with supplementing their income through other sources –

such as part time jobs.

Nonetheless this also presents its own challenges (shortage of jobs and

academic study commitment). Several initiatives have been set up whereby

students can work part time within the college on a paid basis. The motto

being, that every little helps.

The Alumni Hardship Fund has been instrumental in supporting students with

severe financial problems. We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely

thank all those Alumni who have so generously contributed to this fund. Your

contributions are making a real difference.

Access/Disability/MobilityOur Access & Disability services have once again proved successful in 2009 in

attracting students previously under represented in third level education.

Individual needs assessments are carried out on students entering via this

route and support services are tailored to the individual. Different students

have different needs and this is a keystone in delivering support services and

assisting students in reaching their true potential. A ‘one style fits all’ approach

simply doesn’t work.

Student Services are also part of a student mobility programme with our sister

college, RCSI Bahrain (MUB). This exchange programme facilitates students to

transfer for one semester to Bahrain. As more students avail of this wonderful

opportunity for east to experience west and vice versa, we expect this

programme to grow in popularity.

Accommodation When students are unhappy in their domestic environment, it stands to reason

this can negatively impact on their studies. And even more so for many of

our students who find themselves living away from home and family for thefirst time. Finding a ‘home from home’ is imperative. While the property boomcertainly created a plentiful supply of accommodation and eliminated theaccommodation queues prevalent in the eighties and nineties, it has pavedthe way for other challenges. Landlords who are unwilling to reduce rents inline with market changes or students breaking lease agreements to avail ofmore favourable options are just two examples of new genre issues.

Accommodation – both peripheral and term accommodation - consumessignificant resources within the office. Accommodation is provided for studentson clinical rotations outside the Dublin area (peripherals). Matching studentneeds such as location, cooking & study facilities, security, etc can provechallenging – especially in smaller towns and cities. While an array of newhouses and apartments have sprung up all over the country, many are notwithin easy walking distance of our peripheral hospital sites.

We also avail of B&B accommodation (Bed & Breakfast options) in many areas– finding their locations more favourable to hospital sites. However, theseproviders cannot supply cooking facilities and study space may also proveproblematic. While self catering tends to be the preferable option, keyrotation, cleaning, repairs, utilities and maintenance require tight controls andconstant monitoring/management to ensure success. At the outset,accommodation may appear an easily managed function due to the Irishproperty boom. However on scratching the surface, one can clearly see morecomplex challenges at play.

Pastoral Care/Chaplaincy Team

Noreen Shankey, David Weakliam, Maura Muldowney.

In addition to religious services open to all denominations, the Chaplaincyteam addresses the wider needs of students and offers assistance, advice anda listening ear to students in times of need. A plan to integrate the team inother support services is currently under way and 2010 will see the chaplainsinvolved in the college’s communication and language skills programme. Theyplay an active role in the weekly friendship lunches and arrange a host ofcourses/activities to support students including meditation, bereavement andcounselling support. They also deliver initiatives around exam time to helpreduce/alleviate exam stress.

In the next edition of FLEAM we look forward to providing updates anddevelopments on all the above.

42 • Fleam

1. Sharon Sco�, Graham Sco� (‘79), Anna Bofin (‘79) and Colm Quinn (’79)

2. Nina and Khemlall Khooblall (’62)

3. Meta and Fergus Gleeson (’74)

4. Eileen Fennell, Patricia McKendrick, Alasdair McKendrick (’69),Fergus Gleeson (’69) and Sean Fennell (’69)

5. Jennifer Matharu, Elizabeth Ogden (’59), Manmohan Matharu(’59), Donald (’59) and Sheila Johnson (’60), Osman (’59) and Sheila Dervish (’60), Peter Tan (’59) and Deirdre Dalton (’59)

6. Class of 1989 enjoying the welcome recep�on

7. Members of the Class of 1984 at the Welcome Recep�on

8. Jacqueline Furlong-MacCarthy (’74), Rick Nu�all (’74), Tony Benedict-Smith (’74) and Himmet Dajee (’74)

9. Jagdish & Kusum Tolia (’79) and Espen Wold (’79)

10. Anne & Ernan Gallagher (’79) and Larry Allen (‘79)

11. Alan Johnson, James Bonner (’79), Nane�e Mjellem (’79) and Espen Wold (’79)

12. Kaushik Karia, Koogan Moodley and Barend Grobbelaar, all members of the Class of ‘79

13. Members of the Class of 1989 at the Scien�fic Mee�ng, DavidCrooks, Ruban Nathan, David Chris�e, Dr. Else Christoffersen

14. Rick Nu�all (’74) and Arvind Joshi (’74)

15. Denis Kanhai (’69) and Maeve Peyton (’69)

16. George Fennell (’49) being presented with his scroll bySarah Rogers

17. Brian O’Dolan (’59) and Moira O’Brien (’56)

18. David Andrews, Catherine Hurley (’79), Tadgh (’79) andRosemary O’Carroll

19. Desmond (’45) & Bernade�e McGrath, Helen & JackMolony (’44), and Fred Kenny (’54)

20. Don Johnson (’59), Sarah Rogers, President Associa�on of Graduates, RCSI, Dermot Fitzgerald (’59) and OsmanDervish (‘59)

Thank you to our sponsors: • Quintiles • A Menarini • Abbott • AstraZeneca • Aveeno • Association of Gradu

1 2 3 4

8

5 6 7

12 13 14

19 20 21

9 10 11

15 16 17 18

alumni weekend

Fleam • 43

35. Ara Darzi (’84), Noreen Keane, David Bouchier-Hayes andFrank Keane, President, RCSI

36. Frank Keane, President RCSI, Ara Darzi (’84) recipient ofDis�nguished Graduates Award and Sarah Rogers, President,Associa�on of Graduates, RCSI

37. Dorothy & James Reilly (’79) and Hy Browne (’86)

38. Arvind Madaan, Jerome Devi�, Niamh Banville (’99) and Priya Kohli (’99)

39. Klaus Schmierer, Rachel Farrell (’99), Pradeep Govinder (’99),Grainne McCauley (’99) andHolly Porter (’99)

21. Solly (’69) & Bri�e Gardee, Anthony (’69) & Eve Milling, Be�y & Dharmamitra Jugessur (’69)

22. Sheila (’60) & Osman (’59) Dervish with Don (’59) and Sheila Johnson (’60)

23. Lauri & Michael (’59) Huxley, Rosemary Hynes, RichardConroy (’56), Sarah Rogers and Terry Hynes (’59)

24. Michael Ryan, Gareth Jones (’68), James Harty (’69), SarahRogers (’68), Felicia Soni-Vaughan (’69) and Sina Alakija

25. Terry Sla�ery, Johanna & Neill Webb (’54 and Joe Galvin (’55)

26. Moira O’Brien (’56), Kris�ne and Nane�e Mjellen (’79)

27. Barbara Murphy (’89), Peter Fogarty,John Keaney (’89),Blaithin & Paul McCormick (’89) and Fiona Keaney

28. Peter Tan (’59) with Sarah Rogers

29. Antonia Lehane (’82), Hy Brown (’56), Maria Gaard (’84), DavidBirnbach (’84) and Nancy Manahan (’84)

30. Bill Rainer (’84), Dave Sullivan (’84), Joan Gilvarrry (’84) and Bill Twomey (’85)

31. Class of 1959 celebra�ng their Golden Jubilee during Alumni Weekend

32. Sue O’Connell (’74), Rick Nu�all (’74), Grainne McSorley, Jacinta O’Hanlon (’74), Arvind Joshi (’74), Sara Gallagher (’87),Himmet Dajee (’74) and Anna Maria Gallagher (’76)

33. Kevin Molloy, Parnell ’74 & Jo Keeling and Helen Molloy (’74)

34. Sammy Nasr (’89), Ellen and Rick Sawyer (’89)

uates RCSI • Boehringer Ingelheim • Hermitage Medical Clinic • Novartis • Recordati Ireland • Sanofi Aventis

22

25

28

23

26

29

24

27

30

33

36

34

37

35

38 39

31 32

2009 Sponsored by Quintiles

QUINTILES IRELAND LIMITED East Point Business Park, Fairview, Dublin 3.

Tel : + 353 1 819 5100

Ronan Donelan (Director of Regulatory Affairs)

Email : ronan.donelan@quintiles.com

Dir : + 353 1 819 5403

www.quintiles.com

Quintiles Ireland Limited

A private company limited by shares.

Registered in Ireland

Registration No. 162942

VAT Registration No. IE 6562942T

Registered Office: Fitzwilton House, Wilton Place, Dublin 2. Ireland

Directors: John G Kiernan (Managing) Alasdair MacDonald UK: Michael Wilson

By the start of this 2009, I was well into my first year as President ofthe Association of Graduates.

In April, the Annual General Meeting was held in the College’s AlbertTheatre. I was happy to report a successful year, including my own40th year class reunion held the previous September. Our finances werein a good state, thanks to the hard work done by Dr. Pamela Mangal,Hon Treasurer. Dr. Mangal stepped down from that office which is nowheld by Dr. Mary Davin–Power. Due to pressure of work, our HonSecretary, Dr. Nicole Farrell announced that she would be vacating herposition. Nicole has performed a superb task over the previous fiveyears. Since then, Dr. Lucy-Ann Behan has taken on the role. After theAGM, our fellow committee member, Dr. Antonia Lehane, delivered afascinating lecture on “Medicine and the Law” This was followed bysupper.

During the course of the year I attended the Convocation Committee ofthe National University of Ireland. This brings together all the collegeswhich together make up the NUI, with the other colleges - includingRCSI – which award its degrees. Things have changed since I graduatedand all medical graduates are conferred with both a licence to practisefrom the Royal Colleges and a Bachelor of Medicine degree from NUI.The Graduation Ceremony in June is such a big affair (180 graduands)that the College Hall (old Exam Hall) is no longer big enough toaccommodate proceedings. These are held in the National Concert Hallwhich, in its previous life, was the Aula Maxima of UCD. You will bepleased to know that the Association is well represented with thePresident leading in the Graduands for their conferral and forming partof the Platform Party.

The Alumni Reunion weekend was held in September with over 215graduates taking part. Reunions were held for those qualified from tento fifty years. The few days were enjoyed immensely by all taking part.The highlight of the reunion was the Gala Dinner at which theDistinguished Graduates Medal was awarded to Professor Lord Ara Darzi.Lord Darzi graduated from RCSI in 1984 and after intern year and earlysurgical training in Dublin went to London where he had a stellar career,both in his surgical specialty of minimal invasive surgery and alliedtechnologies in which he and his team are internationally recognizedand in his career in medical politics. On 29 June 2007, Lord Darzi wasappointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lords) at theDepartment of Health by the UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. His rolewas to carry out a wide-ranging review of the NHS to ensure that it is

properly resourced, clinically led, patient-centered and locallyaccountable. On 14 July 2009 Lord Darzi announced his intention toresign his role as a Health Minister, saying that he wished to devotemore time to his academic and clinical work. With best wishes for 2010

Professor Sarah Rogers

SPORTING MEMORABILIAInterest has been reawakened in the College with regard tosporting memorabilia. The recent interest being fuelled by thefact that the Irish Rugby Team won the Triple Crown and GrandSlam in 2009. The last time this feat was accomplished by anIrish Team was in 1948, the Irish Team then captained by the lateKarl Mullen (’49). There are some RCSI graduates who haveobtained international honours and we would welcome anyinternational jerseys worn by anyone who represented theircountry. Lest it be thought that rugby is the only sport and thatan international standard is any sport is all that the College isinterested in.

It is hoped that an area will be available to display any sportingmemorabilia whereby RCSI sporting history may be displayed.So all sporting memorabilia is early sought and if any graduatehas something of interest which they would like to share, suchas a physicial item, tales of past sporting stories, could theyplease contact Hyacinth Browne at hybrowne@eiercom.net

Sarah Rogers, President, Associate of Graduates, Antonia Lehane.

Mary Davin Power, Pamela Mangal, SarahRogers, President, Associate of Graduates,

Dr. Nicole Farrell.

Association of Dental and Medical Graduates RCSI

Fleam • 45

Providing excellence in graduate education, is the core vision of theSchool of Postgraduate Studies which advocates quality in graduateeducation at RCSI. It ensures that the challenges of improved quality

of graduate researchers in biomedical, biopharmaceutical and biomedicaldevice industries, areas which are integral to Ireland’s economy, arecontinuously addressed. This is done through interdisciplinary researchprogrammes with core partner institutions nationally and internationally.Our graduates are trained to become leaders and innovators with therequisite skills that underpin continued growth and economic sustainability.

Innovations in PhD TrainingThe College has been very successful in competing for funding for structuredPhD programmes, which are built around specific themes and are linked tothe RCSI translational (‘bench to bedside’) research strategy. Many of theinnovative elements of these programmes are available to all our researchpostgraduate researchers. Crucially, a transferrable and business skillscurriculum is built into these PhD training programmes enabling ourpostgraduates to compete for a wide range of career choices.

One of our key training programmes, the HRB PhD Scholars Programmein Diagnostics and Therapeutics for Human Disease was successfullyreviewed by an international panel of experts. This panel complementedthe excellence in supervision, mentoring and support structures for thescholars and the opportunities for overseas or industry placements thateach scholar will avail of in their third year. The programme is overseen byAn External Advisory Committee, a core Steering Committee of eightprofessors (three of whom are clinicians) with Professor Gerry McElvaney as

Programme Director. In addition to the Steering Committee, a pool of 40 PIstrain scholars in the programme, providing taught modules, specialisttechnology training, supervision during laboratory rotations and PhDsupervision. This, we hope, will be the model for PhD training in RCSI for theforeseeable future.

During the past year at the Irish Embassy in Paris RCSI and the NationalUniversity of Ireland signed a co-tutelle agreement with the Centre Nationalde la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the Universities of Montpellier I and IIand the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm).This event was hosted by Her Excellency, Anne Anderson, Irish Ambassadorto France. This collaboration will facilitate joint research and training, andwill be recognized by the award of co-tutelle degrees. The agreement isthe first of its kind between Ireland and France.

Increasing Numbers of PostgraduatesThe numbers of postgraduate students at RCSI have been increasing year byyear. In 2007-2008 there were:

• 34 higher degree (by research) graduates which included 18 PhD, 10MD, and 6 MSc degrees

• 144 MSc graduates in various taught courses

Kevin Nolan Head of School ofPostgraduate Studies

Developing and supporting postgraduates tobecome competent and inspiring leaders capable ofmaking significant contributions to Human Health

School ofPOSTGRADUATE STUDIES

www.rcsi.ie/postgraduateschool

Developing 4th Level Education

46 • Fleam

• 217 students registered for higher degrees by research which included136 PhD, 57 MD, 11 MCh, 13 MSc

• 105 were new registrations 58 PhD, 24 MD, 14 MCh and 9 MSc degrees

Leadership and Management DevelopmentWe warmly congratulate the eight members of RCSI staff who recentlygraduated with an MSc in Leadership and Healthcare Management (LMD) forResearchers. This programme provides formal training for researchers facingthe myriad challenges of teaching, administration, clinical responsibilitiesas well as running successful research programmes. This LMD MSc is acollaborative programme between the Institute of Leadership and HealthcareManagement and the School of Postgraduate Studies. In addition to specificleadership and management modules, participants complete a work-relatedproject which brings the benefits of their training back to their research teamor department within RCSI. Examples of completed projects includeimplementing quality in the application of electronic patient records; qualityimprovements in an examination record procedure; a coaching programmefor new lecturers; managing change in mentoring for undergraduates; thedevelopment of an organisation-wide, online reagent ordering system.

Postgraduate Careers Seminar The School of Postgraduate Studies works closely with the PostgraduateStudents’ Union (PGSU) to foster good relations between postgraduatestudents and RCSI management and staff and to encourage peer-to-peeractivities among postgraduates. The current PGSU team comprises ClaireWynne (President); Robert Wells (Treasurer); Sarah Theissen, (IT Officer);Catherine Coughlan, (Events Officer) Claire O'Leary, (Welfare Officer) andEamon Hughes, (Sports Officer).

In May 2009, the PGSU hosted the annual careers seminar includingexternal speakers from a diverse array of professions including:

• Dr. Joanne McDonald, Science Recruitment Ireland• Professor Fergal O’Brien, Academia, RCSI• Dr. Andrew Lynne, Orthomimetics • Dr. Siobhan Roche, Science Foundation Ireland • Dr. Aoife Gallagher, Tech Transfer, RCSI• Dr. Stephen Moore, Almac Group

This was a Dublin-based event and was attended by 200 participants fromRCSI, TCD, UCD, DIT and DCU. The sessions were chaired by PGSU members.The reception which followed provided a forum for informal interactionbetween speakers and students.

The PGSU organises a variety of other activities including a Writing Skillsseminar; a PGSU Forum; Welcome Reception for new postgraduates as wellas social events such as table quizzes, ice skating and a karaoke evening.You can follow their progress on their facebook page, username “RCSIPGSU”.

Transition Year Mini Med School The School of Postgraduate Studies coordinates the annual Transition YearMini Med School programme which hosts 150 transition year students in aweek-long Mini Medicine training programme. Through this programmestudents have the opportunity to experience what it is like to train and workas a doctor as well as gain an insight into the different stages of a careerin medicine. During the programme they witness a live operation, attendinteractive lectures, gain hands-on training in clinical skills as well aspractical experience in medicine and scientific tutorials. The quality of theprogramme is enhanced by the leading medical professionals from RCSIand Beaumont Hospital, including Professor Marie Cassidy, State Pathologistwho teach the students combined with the use of innovative technologies.

Ross McKiernan, a HRB Scholar in Diagnosticsand Therapeutics for Human Disease underthe supervision of Professor David Henshalland Dr. Norman Delanty, received aCentennial Medal and a TravellingStudentship from the National University ofIreland (NUI) for his research project on “Celland Molecular Pathogenesis of ExperimentalEpilepsy”. This investigates the gene-basedregulation of neuronal cell death, andseizures in experimental epilepsy with aview to identifying novel therapeutics for thetreatment of this common neurological disorder. The funding will enableRoss to carry out research contributing towards his PhD at the Robert SDow Neurobiology Laboratories, Legacy Research, Portland, Oregon.

Fleam • 47

The Royal College ofSurgeons in Ireland and theCollege of Surgeons in East,Central and Southern AfricaCollaboration Programme

In July 2007, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) & Collegeof Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA) signed aMemorandum of Understanding to improve the standards of surgicalcare, education, training and examinations in COSECSA countries andinitiated a collaboration programme (the Programme).

It was within the context of two key factors that the Programmestructure was developed:

• The lack of health workers is partly responsible for low socialindicators in sub Saharan Africa and results in a significantproportion of the population not obtaining medical care fromtrained personnel. Tackling the deficit of healthcare workers is apriority of governments in the region.

• Surgery’s contribution to the global disease burden is significant,with much of the global burden being caused by conditions thatcan be treated with surgery. Until recently the role of surgery as ahealth strategy in developing countries had been under-appreciated because surgery has been considered to beunaffordable in low-income countries. This has now changed andsurgical care is now considered critical in the tacking of the healthcare deficit in the region.

The Programme’s goal is to increase the provision of quality, essentialsurgical and emergency care in the COSECSA mandate region,particularly at district level. The goal will help to achieve the UN MDGsin child and maternal health and contribute to relevant national healthpriorities.

The Programme’s objectives are to:

1. Improve and expand COSECSA’s education, training and assessmentprogrammes for trainee surgeons.

2. Work with ECSA-HC countries to improve essential surgical andemergency programmes for medical doctors providing surgical care.

3. Support the surgical training of other healthcare workers in ECSA-HCcountries where such training is undertaken.

4. To strengthen COSECSA’s healthcare mandate and recognitionnationally, regionally and internationally.

In January 2008, Irish Aid granted start up funding and RCSI provided stafftime and resources (curricula, education tools, skills training, examinations,accreditation and quality assurance processes) to initiate and pilot theProgramme. Having completed a successful development phase in year 1,the Programme has now entered its second year of activities.

The Programme is COSESCA led, RCSI facilitated and it is about genuinepartnership not imitation or dependency.

RCSI / COSECSA Collaboration ProgrammeMr Roger DugganRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland,121 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland

Tel: +353 1 402 2262Mobile: +353 86 234 2389Email: rogerduggan@rcsi.ie

48 • Fleam

Class of 2006After graduation, ShivaniGupta moved to Boston, MAwhere she completed hersurgical internship at BethIsrael Deaconess MedicalCenter, a teaching-hospitalfor Harvard University.Subsequently, she moved to New York City and startedher residency in diagnostic radiology at St Vincent'sCatholic Medical Center, a teaching-hospital for NewYork Medical College. She is currently a PGY4 residentand was recently appointed Chief Resident for theupcoming 2010 academic year. During her residency,she has presented various posters at national meetingsincluding the RSNA, ARRS and ASNR and has severalresearch projects in progress. After completion of herresidency in June of 2011, Shivani intends to pursue afellowship. Together with colleagues at MassachusettsGeneral Hospital and UMDNJ, Shivani has published acasebook titled ‘Musculoskeletal Trauma Simplified: ACasebook to Aid Diagnosis and Management’. Thisbook features approximately 60 musculoskeletaltrauma cases in a question-and-answer format. Itemphasizes important fractures that medical studentsand junior interns and SHO's across all specialitiesshould be well familiar with. It provides a simpleapproach to the clinical and radiological work-up forvarious fractures, followed by a standard managementplan. This book can be purchased directly from thepublisher by visiting www.tfmpublishing.com, ordirectly off websites such as Amazon(www.amazon.co.uk). Alternatively, you can alsophone Nikki Bramhill on +44 1952 510061 or email herat nikki@tfmpublishing.com to purchase copies.

Class of 2005Congratulations to Tonje Bohlin and her husband StianMoldvaer Larsen on the birth of their baby daughterSofie, who was born March 7, 2009.

Class of 2004Bernadette (04) and Avind Rampersad (03)have bothstarted a Pediatric ICU Fellowships at Rainow Babiesand Children’s in Cleveland, Ohio. They have a one yearold daughter.

Ciaran Goojha and Niamh Tallon have much tocelebrate during 2009 as they welcomed theirdaughter, Amelia Ann Goojha, on September 19, 2009.Ciaran also completed his post graduate training andbecame certified in Obstetrics and Gynaecology withthe Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons ofCanada. He is now completing a fellowship inMinimally Invasive Gynaecology. Niamh is on maternityleave, but will be completing her postgraduate trainingin Obstetrics and Gynaecology next year.

Class of 2003Neal Morgan is practising psychiatry in Nova Scotia,Canada, where he has just purchased a house so hisplans are to stay there for some time!

Paul Dhillon, Surgical Intern Beaumont Hospital;Grainne Baignall, President Rotary Club of DublinCentral; Walter Felman, Chair SACH Great Britain andIreland; Ruth Zakh, Deputy Head of Mission, IsraeliEmbassy in Ireland; Farasat Kazmi, President Students’Union RCSI.

Pictured with Helena’s parents Dr. Tony and FrancesO’Dwyer. (Photograph courtesy of www.rogerkenny.ie)

Class of 2009

Paul Dhillon brought the “Save a Child’s HeartPhotography Exhibition” to RCSI in October 2009. It followed his medical elective in Israel. Theexhibition was opened by Ruth Zakh, Deputy Headof Mission, Israeli Embassy in Ireland.

Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) is an Israeli-basedinternational humanitarian project, whose mission isto improve the quality of paediatric cardiac care forchildren from developing countries who suffer fromheart disease and to create centres of competence inthese countries. SACH is totally dedicated to the ideathat every child deserves the best medical treatmentavailable, regardless of the child's nationality,religion, colour, gender or financial situation.

The Rotary Club of Dublin Central, who sponsoredthe exhibition in part, is a local part of the world’sfirst service club organization. Rotary Internationalhas more that 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubsworldwide. Rotary Club members volunteer to worklocally, regionally, and internationally to combathunger, improve health and sanitation, provideeducation and job training, promote peace, anderadicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.The Rotary Club President, Grainne Baignall, was oneof the special guest speakers. The exhibition is aseries of 42 photos taken at various stages of achild’s journey through the different stages of lifesaving cardiac surgery. A short film was also shown,Betty’s Story, which tells the story of one child’svoyage through the program. Mr. Walter Felman,Chair of Save a Child’s Heart in the UK and Ireland,also attended and gave a brief talk to the audienceabout his experiences fundraising and seeing theorganization in action.

Class of 2007Anil Ratnam with hiswife Elena at theirwedding in KualaLumpur. Anil is currentlyworking at IpswichGeneral Hospital inQueensland, Australia.

class notes...Class of 2001Adnan Sadiq has completed his fellowships and nowis Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and CriticalCare at Washington University in St. Louis, US

Class of 2000It is with regret that we inform you of the tragicpassing of Khalil Atchia who died in July 2009 in a carcrash in Mauritius. Khalil’s brothers are also graduatesof RCSI – Ibrahim in 2000 and Mohamed in 1997. Ourthoughts and prayers are with Ibrahim, Mohamed,Jane (Khalil’s financee) and their family. Jane hasbeen in contact and would like Khalil’s classmates tosend her photographs of his time in College as she iscompiling an album. Jane can be contacted at JaneScanlon janescanlon01@hotmail.com

Kevin Enright has moved to Sydney where he is afellow in emergency medicine at The Children'sHospital at Westmead.

Zayuah Mat Sulaiman is working as ananaesthesiologist in Kuala Lipis, Malaysia.

Class of 1997Helena O'Dwyer and Paul Harper married in Howth,Co.Dublin on October 3rd, 2009. Helena is anoncological radiologist based at BC Cancer Agency,Vancouver, British Columbia since 2006, following twoyears fellowship training at Vancouver GeneralHospital. Paul and Helena met in Whistler and areavid skiers and cold water divers.

Alan Moss was appointedAssistant Professor ofMedicine at Harvard MedicalSchool. His wife Aoife (TCD'00) was appointed AssociateMedical Director of Tolerx, abiotechnology company inCambridge, MA, and theyhave two sons, Cian (4) andCillian (2).

Class of 1995

Fleam • 49

class notes...Hamzaini Abdul Hamid is completing a fellowship inpaediatric radiology at Hospital for Sick Children,Toronto, Canada.

Vida Hamilton was appointed consultant anaesthetistat Waterford Regional Hospital.

Kholod Qasem spent from 1997 – 2002 obtaining herFRCP(C)in dermatology. She then spent two years atMcGill University, Montreal completing a clinicalfellowship in photobiology, cutaneous laser surgery &cosmetic dermatology. In 2003, she was at theUniversity of Ottawa, Canada, where she obtained herAmerican Boards in dermatology, specialising in lasersurgery. Kholod current position is Head of PigmentLaser Unit in the Department of Dermatology, Sabahhospital, Kuwait.

Tengku Intan Norleen Tengku Sharif, has beenappointed as a Hospital Director in Kuala Lipis,Malaysia. Previously she has been working in severalgeneral and district government hospital in thecountry mainly in the field of Anaesthesia andIntensive Care. She is involved in administrative dutiesnow but also does training and clinical research at herhospital and state level. Tengku sends her regards tofriends and colleagues fromthe College.

Class of 1994Nicole Farrell was conferredwith her MCh/Master inSurgery (UCD) on 7thDecember 2009.

Class of 1990 and 1988Jacintha Sayed (90) andher husband Ronan More-O’Farrell (88) picturedwith their son CaolanKamal (after hisgrandfather Mr KamalSayed) at his christening.Caolan is their first childborn on 14th March 2009.

Class of 1993Darach Crimmins was appointed consultant paediatricneurosurgeon at Temple Street Children’s Hospital,Dublin.

Class of 1989Nadeem Moghal currently manages and leads the

regional paediatric nephrology service in Newcastle,

UK. He also leads his speciality nationally on service

issues e.g. quality indicators and performance. Nadeem

received his MBA in June 2009 and is a visiting lecturer

at Newcastle University Business School. In September

2009, he commenced a Fellowship at the NHS Institute

of Innovation and Improvement at the University of

Warwick, stepping out of clinical work for a year. He

says that “none of this of course would have been

possible without my personal chief executive, Gertrud

Buerstedde, also an alumni (‘89) and who is a general

practitioner with expertise in substance misuse and

mother to three children”.

Barbara Murphy trained as a transplant nephrologist

and Immunologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital,

Harvard Medical School, Boston. She then joined the

faculty of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, as

Mdical Director of the Renal Transplant Program in

1997. She was made Chief of the Division of

Nephrology in 2003, and in 2004 she was named the

Irene and Dr. Arthur Fishberg Professor of Medicine.

Barbara was elected President of the American Society

of Transplantation 2008-2009. She is an NIH funded

investigator and is part of the NIH Consortium for

Genomics in Transplantation.

Nurul Khasri Mohd Nor was appointed consultant

histopathologist at Midland Regional Hospital,

Tullamore, Co Offaly in April 2009.

Class of 1988Donal Buggy was appointed Professor of Clinical

Anaesthesia at the School of Medicine & Medical

Science, University College Dublin. This is a Personal

Chair, an acknowledgement of past and ongoing

research and teaching achievement and activity, rather

than a formal contract with the University. He continues

as Consultant in Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine

at The Mater University Hospital Dublin, where he was

appointed since returning from the UK in 2001. Among

his current research interests is the potential role of

anaesthesia during primary cancer surgery on

recurrence and metastases. Donal regularly rejoins

many colleagues at the RCSI as Final Med and Irish

College of Anaesthetists examiner. Married to Nora

with four children now ranging from 15 to 8 years,

they live in Glasnevin on Dublin’s Northside.

Class of 1987After graduating Sam Coulter-Smith commenced his

initial training in obstetrics and gynaecology at the

Rotunda Hospital. He then moved to the UK where he

completed his MRCOG and obtained further experience

and training in the Hammersmith Hospital, Kings

College Hospital, London, and the Royal Free Hospital in

Hampstead.

While in the UK he did his clinical research in the area

of Familial Ovarian Cancer Screening and Trans-Vaginal

Ultrasound. He returned to the Rotunda Hospital as

Assistant Master in 1996 and rotated between theRotunda and the National Maternity Hospital as aSenior Registrar until 2002. He was appointed as aConsultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist to theRotunda Hospital in late 2002 and during his time as aconsultant at the Rotunda he has further developedthe Diabetic Clinic, the DOVE Clinic for InfectiousDiseases in Pregnancy and the Ovarian Screening Unit.

He was elected as Master of the Rotunda during 2008and took up the position in January 2009. He has awide range of interests in general obstetrics and ingynaecology retains a special interest in familialovarian cancer screening and also pelvic floor surgery.He also has a teaching commitment at undergraduateand postgraduate level. He has been appointed asClinical Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology atTrinity College Dublin and Associate Professor inObstetrics and Gynaecology at RCSI. He is a memberof the Executive Council of the Institute of Obstetricsand Gynaecologists and sits on a number of nationalcommittees. He is also a member of the Women’sHealth Council.

Daniel Briscoe was appointed Chairman of theDepartment of Ophthalmology at the Emek Medical

Center, Afula, Israel. Thehospital is affiliated to theMedical School of theTechnion University in Haifa.Daniel qualified as ageneral ophthalmologist atSoroka Hospital in BeerSheba, and in addition wastrained in ophthalmic

ultrasound at Johns Hopkins, USA. Daniel subspecialised in oculoplastic and orbital surgery at theRoyal Manchester Eye Hospital between 1996 and1997 and on his return to Israel was appointed headof Oculoplastic and Orbital surgery at Meir MedicalCenter Kfar Saba, until 2009.

Daniel runs one of the largest oculoplastic and orbitalsurgery services in Israel and has performedthousands of operations. He is active bothacademically and internationally, and is presentlyChairman of the Israeli Society of Oculoplastic andReconstructive Surgery (twice elected), Vice Presidentof the European Ophthalmic Oncology Group, Chair ofOculoplastics and International Council Member of theInternational Ocular Inflammation Society, amongothers. In 2008 Danielwas made Visiting Professor atthe University of Sao Paulo, working and performingsurgery in the hospital of the Ribeiro on Preto MedicalSchool. He has trained doctors in Oculoplastic andOrbital Surgery both from Israel, the PalestinianAuthority, and overseas including Greece, Turkey,South America, and China.

David Goldstein is married to Elizabeth VanDenKerkof.They met on Christmas eve in the recovery roomwhen his headache required a pain tablet! They havetwo children, Martin 15 and Rachel 12 as well as twostandard poodles, Jake and Anna. David and Elizabethlive on The Thousand Islands Waterway half way

50 • Fleam

Fleam • 51

class notes...between Montreal and Toronto in Kingston, Ontario.They are both on the academic staff at QueensMedical/Nursing Schools. David is an Anesthesiologistand Liz is a nurse with a Doctorate in Public Health.Last year they took a year off and went on sabbaticalin Aberdeen, Scotland, where Liz worked with thepain research unit at Aberdeen, and David travelled toSweden to study patient safety and Martin and Rachelwere home schooled. David is currently completing aMasters Degree in Human Factors and System Safetyfrom Lund University, Lund, Sweden. The focus of hisresearch is the role hospital board members, CEOs andmanagement play in corporate support for a safeculture. Liz is studying patients who develop postsurgical chronic pain.

Class of 1986Marilyn Anazonwu has been married Chuks Osanife('85) for 22 years and they have three children Chloe,Genevieve and Chidi who are all studying in England.The girls are in university, whilst their son Chidi thelast born, is currently in his final year of secondaryschool and applying for entry into medical school nextacademic year. A few years ago, Chuks and Marilynrelocated to Lagos, Nigeria having worked in Englandsince they graduated from RCSI. Marilyn is a consultantfamily physician with special interest in cardiology andcare of the elderly, at Reddington MultispecialistHospital in Lagos. Chuks is an orthopaedic surgeonwith a private practice where he carries out prostheticlimbs fittings for those in need of such appliances.

Ramesh Mootoo left London after 15 years to take upa post in November 2009 at Gloucester Royal Hospital.For the past 10 years, Ramesh has worked atHomerton University Hospital as consultant inrheumatology and general medicine. There he set upa Connective Tissue Disease Clinic which was his areaof special interest and he has been an undergraduatetutor to students from The Royal London and StBartholomew’s Hospitals. In his new post Ramesh willbe concentrating on rheumatology only and he sayshe is “looking forward to a country life!”

Class of 1985Ayo Shohibare, carried out the first ever paediatrickidney transplant on a child at St Nicholas Hospital,Lagos, Nigeria. The operation involved collaborationwith the UK Charity Transplant Links. Ayo says that“paediatrickidneypatients getthe leastattentionamongstthose withkidney failurewhich gives rise to inadequate and sub optimaltreatment. Transplant Links are helping us to build alocal team that will work at our hospital and withother teaching hospitals in Nigeria to offer paediatrickidney transplant services that will say many preciouslives.”

Class of 1984

Tony McMullen with Veronica, Vincent and Grace...the lights of his life!

Dave Turineck passed his FACEP re-certification as aBoard Certified Emergency Medicine Specialist in theUnited States. Dave is Assistant Professor of MedicineMcMaster University Canada and Chief of Staff, andChair of Emergency Medicine at the Greater NiagaraGeneral Hospital, Niagara Falls, Canada. He isphysician lead with Canadas' First EmergencyPhysician lead TPa Stroke Center, at Greater NiagaraGeneral Hospital and has presented his findings atthe 2nd Canadian Stroke Consortium Conference inOttawa (2006), Canada and was accepted as aCanadian Model of TPa stroke care. He has alsopublished reference re-evaluation onDecontamination of Mass Casualties – RevaluatingExisting Dogma.

Ray Travers was appointed medical director ofLighthouse Healthcare, an independent UKhealthcare group specialising in forensic mentalhealth (learning disabilities)in early 2009.

Class of 1982Karthikesan Vaithilingam lives in Croydon, Londonwith his wife Carmel. He works as a GP in the NHSwith special interests in Urgent Care andDermatology. He has recently received his MSc inDermatology from University of London andFellowship of the College of Family Practitioners(South Africa ). His son Niall Vaithilingamcommenced his 5 year Medicine programme at RCSIon 28th September 2009.

Class of 1981David Knight tells us that his daughter Jessica born inThe Rotunda during his final Med year was marriedin July 2009 at dawn on the beach in Kittery, Maine.She is a 4th grade teacher; she and her husband,Jared Beers, live in Waterville, Maine.

It is with sadness that we inform you of the passingof Rory O’Connor on 11th December 2009. Rory issurvived by his wife Siobhan and his children Annaand David. Rory was consultant obstetrician andgynecologist at Galway University Hospital and hadserved as Chairperson of the Institute of Obstetricsand Gynaecology. Rory will be remembered for hispassion and commitment to practice, his kindness to

patients and as a greatmentor to trainees, whofound inspiration in hiswisdom. Above all Rorywas a great family man,who dwelt in the joys ofhis friends, cricket and agood port and was oneof life’s true gentlemen.Our thoughts andprayers are with themat this sad time.

Class of 1978Deirdre Golden was appointed Adjunct Faculty atWayne State University Law School and The Universityof Michigan, School of Public Health in the JD/MPHProgram. Two of her courses, Advanced Mediation inHealth Care, and Negotiation in Health Care aredesigned for a combined class of medical students,law students and public health masters inadministration students. Deirdre was accepted intoLoyola University Law School, Chicago for a Doctoratein Laws at their Beazley Institute of Health Law andPolicy, and was elected Vice Chair of Physician Issuesfor the American Bar Association’s Health Law Section.She travels from Michigan to Chicago once a monthand back and forth from Washington, Philadelphia,Boston and San Francisco, teaching, mediating, andmeeting and finds it very exciting!

Class of 1977

Malaysian doctor, Harry Ratnam has lived in the city ofIpswich, Queensland, Australia and served itscommunity there for more than 35 years. Inrecognition of his outstanding work with thecommunity, he has had a 18 hectare park in RedbankPlains dedicated to his name, to celebrate hisprofessionalism, dedication, loyalty and compassion tothe Ipswich community.

Class of 1976Charles Bonner tells us that his son, Charles graduatedfrom the United States Merchant Marine Academy inJune 2009 and is currently completing his Navyfreeserve training. He will then be employed as aThird Mate on a liquefied natural gas tanker ship. Hisdaughter, Kristina, is a senior at Virginia Tech and isinterested in pursuing a career in the medical field,either a physician or a nurse practitioner. Charles andhis wife Tina continue living and practicing physicalmedicine in Richmond, Virginia.

52 • Fleam

class notes...

Catherine, Suzanne (George’s daughter), George,Patricia, Jennifer, David, Pamela, Howard, Damien (sonof Keith Mangal (’73) and Evan (Pamela’s eldest son)

Class of 1971 and 1974Pamela Mangal and George Morris were delighted toannounce their off-springs David and Jennifer werejoined together in matrimony on Saturday 12thSeptember 2009 in Stephen’s Green, Dublin. ThoughGeorge and Pamela never met in college, it wasdelightful to see that their off-spring met in the 1990’s.

mismanagement. Recently Noble had a rewardingtime in Trinidad where a solo exhibition of hispaintings were well received. Now he spends histime looking after his allotment (vegetables etc) andcaring for his wife who has recovered from a fairlysevere brain haemorrhage. Noble is looking forwardvery much to the 40 year reunion in 2010.

Tore Gutteberg pictured in Malawi where he says thatthere “is a tremendous demand for knowledge aboutinfectious diseases.” Tore is interested is creating anRCSI for infectious diseases and medical microbiologynetwork. Anyone interested should contact Tore byemail tore.gutteberg@unn.no or lsherwin@rcsi.ie

Hajra Meer graduated in November 2009 as a lawyer.She says “I must have been mad to have done it, butit’s a great feeling now that I have finished. This yearI am doing the Masters in Law (LLM) and then I willtake a break -famous last words!”

Class of 1966Noel Daly father of AdrianDaly (Class of 96) passedaway on 13th September. ToAdrian and his family weoffer our deepest sympathyon their great loss.

Rafik Gardee has over thirtyyears experience of working as a general practitioner,a Consultant in Public Health Medicine, MedicalDirector of Primary Health Care Unit and as theFounding Director for the National Resource Centrefor Ethnic Minority Health in Scotland. He is a formersenior public health sector specialist who hasinterfaced with both developing and developedcommunities in Africa, United Kingdom (Scotland)and Canada. He is now the honorary visitingProfessor in International Health at Queen MargaretUniversity, Edinburgh, and, an honorary seniorlecturer at the University of Glasgow.

He is also a non-executive director of Glasgow AntiRacist Alliance that is focussed on helping toeliminate racial discrimination and promoting thehuman rights of visible minorities.

Before joining as a non-executive director on theBoards of INVTS Solutions and Welltime Ltd, Rafik hadjust launched his consultancy work with a specialinterest in international health, community research,cross sectoral and interorganisational relationshipsand infra structure support for integrated health andsocial care services at primary care level.

Rafik has specialised in public health through theDiploma in Public Health Medicine (awarded theOppenheimer Trust Fellowship) and as a Fellow of theFaculty of Public Health Medicine of UK and a Memberof a similar faculty in Ireland. He was awarded an MBEfor his work in equality and diversity within health careservices in Scotland.

Over the past 33 years,Kelvin Hun Yu Loh hasdeveloped one of thefastest growing hospitals inthe northern region ofPenang – Loh Guan LyeSpecialist Centre. He sayshe is fortunate to have ateam of dynamic and seasoned staff who continuallyfocus on improving efficiency, service and quality andto ensure that healthcare is accessible to everyresident in his region. He adds that “our strength anddetermination is to provide the best healthcare to ourcommunity”.

Kelvin tells us that heis moving forward intothe next chapter, asthey have justcompleted Phase III oftheir hospitalexpansion projectadding 60,000 sq feetto the hospital, withan addition of 10 new floors. The improved facility willmake it possible to adopt new technology andtreatment protocols, as well as provide anenvironment to attract highly qualified healthcareprofessions.

The new facility includes a new Cancer TreatmentCentre with the latest technology, the PET-CT Scannerand Radiotherapy (Varian Clinac iX Accelerator System)for early cancer detection, staging and management ofcancer care.

Dr. Loh says that “all these achievements do nothappen by themselves. They take time, hardwork andgood leadership. The fruition of those could not withour patients, friends and ourdedicated employees whohelped us realise this dream.”

Class of 1965David Barnes says “Hi to all his friends from the Classof ‘65. Some of us are in our 70’s and refusing toretire.” David believes that locum tenens is a greatway to help others, to work and to semi-retire. He likestwo or three weeks of assignment and the surprisewill be that he couldbe based in Montana,California or the VirginIslands. He has recentlyreturned from Maineand he continues torecommend marathonrunning and as youseem some sailing!

Sharp eyed readers of the Irish Times Travel section afew months ago may have noticed that James Mooreand his wife Dympna (UCD ’73) run a Bed & Breakfastestablishment (aisling-bostonbb.com) which they said isone of the best places to stay in Boston Massachusetts.Yes it is the same James Moore who graduated n 1971,and no he does not do any of the cooking. He continuesto practice as a Gastroenterologist in Boston, andDympna still practices Law, but the Bed & Breakfastoccupies their free time. They are always delighted tosee old friends from Dublin and needless to say there isa very special rate for RCSI graduates! Email JamesMoore at jimboduxbury@hotmail.com

Class of 1970Noble Beharry has definitely retired from the HealthService. His last posting was a consultant in psychiatryin Coventry. He says he is still finding it difficult tocome to terms with the untimely death of his eldestson Damian which unfortunately was due to

Class of 1974Gulam Karim tells us that he is working as a HealthEconomics and Management Consultant in SouthAfrica. He would like to hear from his colleagues fromthe Class of 1974 and can be contacted by email atgulam.karim@mac.com

It is with deep sadness that we learn of the tragicpassing of Rick Nuttall’s son Andrew. Andrew wasaged 30 and was serving in the Canadian Military. Hewas posted to Afghanistan as a Lieutenant and wastragically killed on Christmas Eve in the line of duty.For Rick and his wife Jane it is a tragedy we cannotimagine. Our prayers and thoughts are with them,may he rest in peace.

Class of 1973Imiya Iriyagole is semi retired and has decided toestablish a new business venture of a specialisedguest house promoting a healthy lifestyle in Wirral,England. Anyone interested in becoming involvedshould contact Imiya on her mobile +44 7595020266or email: sinha28@btinternet.com

Fleam • 53

class notes...Class of 1964It is with regret that we learn of the passing of AidanRedmond in 2008. Our thoughts are with his wife Kayand family.

Class of 1963Professor Thomas J. McDonald retired from hisOtolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery practice onJanuary 1, 2007, after a 39 year career at Mayo Clinic.Retirement is wonderful, and he and his wife, Mary(they are in their 44th year of marriage) are enjoyingtheir 5 grandchildren, and another grandson is due toarrive in November, 2009.

Class of 1962John V Coyle has beenhonoured by theMassachusetts Medical Societywith its Committee ChairService Award, an honourrecognising exceptionalleadership and service to theSociety. John was honoured forhis service as Chair of the Committee on AccreditationReview, a position he held since 2006. He wasformerly an assistant clinical professor of medicine atTufts University School of Medicine and a clinicalinstructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr.Coyle served as chief of medicine at Quigleymemorial Hospital in Chelsea for nearly 20 years, andhe was responsible for the development andimplementation of the teaching programme formedical students and residents from Tufts MedicalSchool and St Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton, wherehe was a consultant from 1972until 2004. Dr. Coylewas instrumental in the Massachusetts MedicalSociety attaining a six-year accreditation term for itsrecognised accreditation program, the highest levelawarded by the Accreditation Council for ContinuingMedical Education. Dr. Coyle tell us that he is stillinvolved with Massachusetts Medical Society and “is

His book “Open Wounds” is coming along nicely andhe anticipates this will be published in 2010. It covershis life story and dwells significantly on life in Irelandin the late 1950’s and 1960’s, his wonderful years inmedical school at the Royal College, his experience inViet Nam, and training and the subsequent greatcareer at Mayo Clinic.

The “rock” in his life, Mary McDonald, his wife, and heare both very well, enjoying life and retirement andalways manage to attend the Charter Day Dinner inFebruary of each year.

looking forward to the medical students from RCSIcoming to the Boston Marathon in April 2010.” Dr.Coyle sits on the Board of Governors for the BostonAthletic Association and Boston Marathon.

Class of 1959Noel Hershfield is still in practice and a Chair has beenendowed in his honour which is called “NoelHershfield Chair in Therapeutic Endoscopy”, at theUniversity of Calgary.

It is with regret that we learn of the passing ofPandora Moorhead in November 2008. Our thoughtsare with her family.

Class of 1956It is with regret that we learn of the passing of WandaBincer in June 2008 Our thoughts are with herhusband Adam and family.

Jerzy Szeps was born on May 1, 1926 in Lodz, Poland,to parents Dr. Joseph and Mary Szeps. He attendedpublic school in Poland, and high school in England.He enlisted in the Polish Army in the Middle East, andgraduated from the cadet-officer school and in 1944.He was then transferred to the Royal Air Force wherehe was trained as a pilot and served until 1947.

Jerzy attended UniversityCollege, Nottingham, Englandbefore he joined RCSI in1950. He completed aSurgery and Pathologyresidency at The Sisters ofCharity and The MayerMemorial hospitals, Buffalo,in 1958. From 1962 to 1965,he received further post-graduate training inOphthalmology at Queen's University, Canada, workingout of Kingston General and Hotel Dieu hospitals. Hethen moved to Chatham-Kent in 1958 and began hisfamily practice in Bothwell. In 1965, he established anophthalmology practice in Chatham, which hemaintained until his retirement in 1999.

During his medical career, Jerzy held the position ofChairman of Medical Staff at the Public GeneralHospital and St. Joseph's Hospital. He served as theChief of Ophthalmology at both Chatham hospitals. Hewas also President of the Kent County Medical Societyin 1972. In 1997, to recognize his service anddedication to the local community and medicalprofession, Jerzy was honoured with the Glen SawyerService award.

His hobbies include chess, tennis, and bridge. Inaddition, he is a member of the Royal CanadianLegion, the Rotary Club, and the Free Masonry. He hastwo children: Paul Szeps of Chatham, and AngelaSzeps of Toronto. Jerzy currently resides in Baden,Ontario.

Class of 1955Henry Wadsworth Beaumont passed away on April 23,2009 at the age of 80 years.

Henry leaves to mourn hiswife Sharon, childrenTimothy, Sally, Katherine,Elizabeth Raleigh, Martha,Paul and step son Richardand grandchildren Chrystine,Emma, Harry, Peggy, Anna,Nicolas, Ian, Alex, Madisonand Macaulay.

Henry was the second child of the family born nearBarnsley, North Yorkshire England. His early childhoodyears were spent growing up at Kirkburton, Yorkshire,attending Anglican Church School and elementaryschool at Milnesbridge. At age 11 he attendedHuddersfield College Boys Grammar School untilgraduation, where he excelled at academia, wascaptain of swimming for three years as well as enjoyedsoccer, cricket, rugby and bridge. In all his years ofgrowing up he always knew he wanted to be a doctor.He did one year at University of Sheffield, beforejoining the army shortly before the end of the war andwas posted in Egypt. On his return he enrolled in RCSI.

He held a rotating internship at St. Charles Hospital,Toledo Ohio. He returned to the UK, as a generalpractitioner in Romford where he became disillusionedwith the National Health Service and moved toConception Bay, Newfoundland where he stayed fortwo years before moving the Family to Lac du Bonnet.Manitoba, Canada in 1960. Henry remained there andwas the first doctor at the new Pinawa Hospital in1965. He then built a home in Pinawa and raised hisbrood there. Henry’s greatest times were held at hisoffices in Lac du Bonnet and Pinawa where he alwayssaid he was privileged to have so many wonderfulpatients and friends. He was the consummate countrydoctor and looked after two and three generations offamilies. He did it all, he made the house calls, workedthe long hours, and was on call many long hours at thePinawa Hospital. Henry had a great sense of humour,loved to tell a good joke and loved to hear one. Henryalso liked to swap his gardening stories but somehowthe garden always had too many weeds. His last yearsof practice were done at Lac du Bonnet Regional HealthCenter where the staff became some of Henry andSharon’s best friends.

Henry retired from medicine in 1995 and went to hismedical reunion in Dublin that year and when hereturned he still did a few locums, in Fisher Branch,Leaf Rapids, McGregor and Selkirk, until he finallyfinished his last locum in 2000.

Henry loved to travel and he and Sharon made manytrips to Mexico, England, Hawaii, Madeira, Australia, allparts of Canada and the U.S.

Henry was a great father and even took his childrenwith him when he took a job in Saudi Arabia. They allremember it as a high time in their life. As a resultthey all like to travel as well. Henry helped all hischildren through University and they all have manymemories of what a great Dad he was.

The last few years of Henry’s life have been riddledwith the complications from Diabetes and it had not

54 • Fleam

class notes...been an easy time for him. It was a very difficult timefor his family to watch the one they loved so muchslowly loose a battle with a chronic disease. May herest in peace.

Class of 1954We are very sorry to learn that Nicholaas De Wetpassed away in South Africa.

Class of 1953

firstly at St.Ann’s Hospital Dublin and then at OurLady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, and St.Laurence’s (Richmond) Hospital. He diligently servedin these hospital and also the Bon Secours, MountCarmel and the Blackrock Clinic over his careerextending over 38 years.

He took the Diploma in anaesthetics at RCSI in 1954and he subsequently became a Fellow of the Facultyof Anaesthetists. When the new College ofAnaesthetists was founded in 1998 he became aFellow. In the opinion of his peers in the professionTom was an excellent anaesthetist, calm, competentand likeable. He was also greatly favoured andappreciated by the many patients who came underhis care.

There was however another side to Tom, who wasably partnered by his loving wife Rosemary for some46 years. They had five children: Nicholas (GP),Katherine (RIP, Journalist) Jonathan (Craftsman)Stephen (Entrepreneur) and Richard (Solicitor) andfive grandchildren.

Tom’s outside interests were many and varied. Heindulged in sailing, and was a lifelong member ofthe Royal Irish Yacht Club. His passion however wasfor vintage motor cars. He was an expert at restoringthose cars he acquired such as a 1929 ArmstrongSiddely Tourer, a 1926 Armstrong Siddely Shooting

Brake and his cherished 1959 Bristol 406. Heparticipated in seven Gordon Bennett Rallies! He wasmember of Miltown Golf Club, and last but not least aformidable chess player.

He retired from Public Work in 1994 to devotehimself to his family and hobbies.

Everything went well until 2004 when he developedhis final illness which caused a paralysis of his lowerlimbs. He and Rosemary battled bravely with thisnear total disablement for four long years. Then inthe midst of his problems fate dealt a further blow -his beloved and beautiful daughter Katherine fellfatally ill and predeceased him in February 2008.

Tom died on 25th August 2008 and judging by theoverflow congregation at his funeral in St. Patrick’sChurch Monkstown, he was mourned and sadlymissed by a host of friends, colleagues and formerpatients who all wanted to pay their respects to him.Dublin has lost an anaesthetist of high standing inthe community. Rosemary and the family have lost adevoted and loving father figure.

Class of 1946It is with regret that we learn of the passing ofCharles Heffernan who died in his sleep on January 6th 2009. Our thoughts are with his wife Joy and family.

Francis”Foss” Daly died peacefully at his daughter’shome on June 4th, 2009, just three days after his 80thbirthday. He was preceded in death by his beloved wifeGeraldine (“Geri”) Leonore Daly. He is survived by hissiblings Dr. Brendan Daly (UCD, living in San Diego), Dr.Margaret Daly-Murphy (UCD, living in Los Angeles andhis brother Noel, (RCSI, ’66) sadly passed away inSeptember 2009. Foss was a devoted father to Dr.Francis Thomas Daly jr (Harrisbug, PA), Brian PatrickDaly (Olney, MD) and Dr. Linda Marie Daly-O’Neill(Marshfield, WI – Class of 1991) and father-in-law toDarken Daly and Dr. Diarmuid “Dermot” O’Neill (RCSI,’87). He adored his four grandchildren Jared EamonnDaly, Brianna Kathryn Daly, Finn Morgan O’Neill andNiav Keeva O’Neill.

Foss was born near Ferbane, Co Offaly. His sister, Gret,did not want him cutting turf and farming for the restof his life, so she insisted he study hard. With her helphe was accepted at RCSI and after graduating he brieflyworked in England, before heading to the States. Mostof his medical career was spent working at Hopkins’affiliated hospitals in Baltimore, Marlyland. There hewas board certified in the specialities of internalmedicine, cardiology and geriatric medicine. Fossinstilled the importance of education in his children andgrandchildren. Despite living most of his life abroad, heremained proud of his Irish heritage. Foss had hoped tosee an united Ireland in his lifetime. He will be sorelymissed.

Class of 1951Tom (Barry) Breen died on the 25th August 2008, aged79years. He was born in Cork, his father was a doctor inthe Army Medical Service, reaching the rank of Lt. Col.before retirement. The family moved to Dublin in theearly thirties, and Tom was sent to school at ColaisteMhuire at first and then moved to Belvedere College.Tom juggled between Medicine and Engineering as acareer. Medicine won and he entered RCSI.

He interned at the Richmond Hospital, and thendecided to train in the new specialty of anaesthesia. Hetrained in Dublin and Manchester for three years andthe returned to take up a consultant anesthetist post

Peter McLean in the foreword to ADublin Anatomist, Tom Garry 1884-1963 refers to Garry as aneccentric but genial genius. Thisbiography (1984) by nephew Dr.John D Garry offers much insightinto the life of one of Dublin’sgreatest medical characters.

It also includes a reprint of a 1918article by Garry Some AnatomyRoom Reflections, his AnatomicalDescriptions and Mnemonics and Ahayfield where the River Fergusflows.

Both Garry and his mnemonics are memorable. Hewas born the year RCSI celebrated its first centenaryand taught anatomy there for half of its secondcentury. As Peter McLean writes ‘many surgeons inIreland and in far distant lands owe their Fellowshipand career to the “Primary Grind” held at 33 YorkStreet – an unpleasant tenement where Tom lived,studied, taught and died.’

The Garrys are a third generation medical family, withDr. John D Garry and six others graduating fromRCSI. Dr. Garry donated books that once belonged toTom Garry in 1968 and deposited further volumes inspring 2008. Among these were publications byGerald T Garry, EJR Evatt and jointly by Tom Garryand AK Henry. An introduction to the study ofembryology for medicals by Evatt & Erskine, ownedby Tom Garry is heavily annotated in his hand.

Memorabilia of Tom Garry donated to RCSI by Dr.John D Garry have been framed and placed on display

in the Anatomy Department. Abiographical piece, a photographof Garry as a young man and theCarmichael medal awarded himby RCSI in 1927 all keep alive hisabiding memory within RCSI.

According to Clive Lee,Professor of Anatomy, RCSI,“Tom Garry is a legend in RCSI.This morning we were teachingthe abdomen and his descriptionof the spleen as measuring 1 by3 by 5 inches, weighing 7ounces, lying parallel to 9, 10and 11 ribs and having Gastric,

Renal, Intestinal and Pancreatic (GRIP) surfaceswas being widely quoted in the Anatomy Room.The presence of some North American studentshelped us translate from imperial to metric units.Over coffee with the Surgeon Prosectors, his fourRs for suicide – rope, razor, roof and ravine – werealso discussed as well as his pithy comments onSmith and Smythe!

The great tradition of anatomy teaching in theCollege began with Abraham Colles and Tom Garrywas the keeper of the flame for more than half acentury. We are lucky that some of Tom’s pupils arestill teaching with us so that his wisdom is beingpassed on to the current generation. It is highlyappropriate that he be commemorated by aResearch Studentship in Anatomy.” Any graduatewho is interested in supporting the Tom GarryResearch Fund in Anatomy should contactlsherwin@rcsi.ie

Tom Garry 1884-1963 Tutor and Prosector in Anatomy RCSI

High Tech Hospital,First Class Healthcare

The Hermitage Medical Clinic provides a full range of

medical and surgical care across a broad spectrum of

specialities. We offer top quality healthcare with access

to over 100 leading consultants.

Hospital facilities include 126 beds including 8 ICU beds, 25

day-beds and 7 operating theatres.Our diagnostic facilities

include 64-slice CT, MRI, PET/CT, Nuclear Medicine (SPECT

CT), Mammography, Ultrasound, X-ray and Fluoroscopy.

Our Cardiology Investigations Department is equipped with

the latest diagnostic equipment, non invasive cardiac imag-

ing and a Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory.

The Hermitage Medical Clinic has first class Consultant ex-

pertise in the areas of Medical, Surgical & Radiation Oncol-

ogy. The Radiotherapy Unit has 2 state of the art identically

matched Linear Accelerators.

Our Emergency Department is a rapid access service

provided by Consultants in Emergency Medicine.Patients

presenting with a broad range of conditions including Car-

diology, General Surgery, Medical, Orthopaedic and Urology

will be seen in the first instance by a Consultant in Emer-

gency Medicine.

Access for all

Agreements with Ireland’s health insurers: VHI, Quinn

Healthcare and Hibernian Health ensures the broadest range

of patient cover. The hospital is open to members of other

health schemes including ESB, Garda Medical Aid, Prison

Officers Association, the Defence Forces and participates in

the National Treatment Purchase Fund.We offer full cover

to all insurance plans e.g. VHI Plan B, C, D & E and their

equivalent.

The Hermitage Medical Clinic

Old Lucan Road, Dublin 20

Telephone (01) 645 9000

www.hermitageclinic.ie

Accredited by Joint Commission International