In 2021, a new chapter unfolded when Ulster University Derry~Londonderry made history by opening the doors of a newly refurbished building to welcome the very first students to its new School of Medicine.
The first cohort to enter the first graduate-entry medical school in Northern Ireland is made up of students with a wide range of related and non-scientific/healthcare backgrounds, from politics to investment banking, radiography, management consultancy, optometry, forensic science, nursing and even a previous lecturer in Irish at Ulster University.
Not only are they from a wide demographic group but geographically they hail from nearby: Derry and Letterkenny; to further afield: Belfast, Dublin, Galway; and even halfway across the world: the Gold Coast, Australia.
Meet the students
Sorcha Hill took up a place on the programme following an undergraduate degree in French and Irish. She said:
“As students in the first cohort, we’ve been warmly welcomed everywhere we’ve gone, even thinking back to four years ago when so many of the cohort relocated to Derry. We were so welcomed both in the community and in healthcare settings, whether that was in GP surgeries or Altnagelvin itself.
“It has been a really enjoyable four years. We’re ready now and most of us will be moving into the local trusts, where hopefully the teams are eagerly awaiting our arrival. I was fortunate to be placed in the Royal in Belfast for my first year and then I will be back in Altnagelvin for my second year as a doctor. I know it is a priority for a lot of us to return to the trust that so warmly welcomed us during our training. Derry has made a huge impact on each and every one of us.”
Seamus McFlynn, previously a teacher, shared his experience of helping increase the number of medical professionals within the NHS:
“One of the points about this particular course at Ulster is that there was GP placement from week six of the course, so from a very early stage we were exposed to the challenges facing the NHS. But our GP tutors in first year, and our clinical tutors throughout have been very encouraging by saying these challenges aren’t insurmountable. Yes, there is a lot needed, but with the right people and the right attitude, things can be turned around. I know it’s only the start, but it’s a good start.”
Kyle Adair spent many years in his chosen industry before taking up his place to study medicine at Ulster University:
"My original undergraduate degree was the BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) course at the University of Glasgow. I worked for eighteen years before returning to study, and will be working in Antrim Area Hospital on graduating. I would like to specialise in emergency, and my favourite part of my degree here at Ulster University was my GP placement in Clough and Dundrum with Dr Alex Greer."
The future of healthcare in NI
Of cohort graduating in June 2025, 84% have, so far, accepted a place on the NI foundation programme, where they will continue their journey in medical settings across the country, aiming to meet future long-term workforce needs in the healthcare system in Northern Ireland and fulfil commitments made under the New Decade, New Approach deal.
It was always hoped that the graduate-entry programme would ensure a steady pipeline of medical professionals in Northern Ireland. The degree programme itself, which allows graduating doctors to receive their primary medical qualification, is assured by the General Medical Council. Upon graduating, the doctors will hold an MBBS degree, which enables them work as medical practitioners in the UK. Their graduation will take place on 30 June at the Millenium Forum, in Derry~Londonderry.
