What will I study?

Graduate Entry Medicine - Rural and Connected Health is delivered over four years in two phases: a Foundation Phase (Years 1-2) and a Clinical Phase (Years 3-4). Each year comprises a 60-credit (ECTS) module, totalling 240 ECTS on graduation.

Phase 1 - Foundation (Years 1 and 2)

Year 1 is based in Galway city, giving students access to anatomy and physiology laboratories, University facilities, student support services, and the wider University of Galway community. Teaching is built around week-long patient scenarios using case-based learning (CBL). Each case contextualises foundational medical sciences within a real clinical presentation - for example, a case of sore throat leads into examination of the head  and neck, relevant anatomy, microbiology, pharmacology, and related public health issues. Cases become progressively more complex and clinically focused as the year advances, grouping around body systems including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, psychiatric, and musculoskeletal medicine. .

Year 2 introduces a further series of  patient scenarios following the same weekly CBL structure. Teaching is distributed across the region and students should be prepared to live and study outside Galway city during this year. Semester 1 continues the systems-based approach, covering endocrinology, renal, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics. Semester 2 focuses on integration - frailty, multimorbidity, and palliative medicine.

During phase 1, students will also be exposed to the vibrant med tech sector in Galway, with a view to completing a research, innovation or quality improvement project.

Phase 2 - Clinical (Years 3 and 4)

Year 3 is delivered as a Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) - a model with a strong international evidence base.. Students join a GP or integrated care hub for an extended year (38 weeks, starting from early August), following patients through their illness journeys as full team members. Approximately half the week is spent in primary care; the remainder in hospital placements, small group tutorials, remote lectures, asynchronous content, and private study. The patient becomes the unit of learning, and you learn in the same way as qualified doctors do.

Year 4 is a comprises clinical rotations, based in distributed regional settings outside Galway city. Mandatory rotations (each four weeks) cover General Medicine, General Surgery, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and an Intern Preparation for Practice module. Students also complete two Student Selected Components (each four weeks) with options such as Rural Medicine , Public Health, Medical Technology and Connected Health, Emergency Medicine, and International Elective.

• Ireland’s first graduate-entry medical programme in the West of Ireland, designed to widen participation into medical careers
• Co-designed with the HSE, explicitly guided by the principle of social accountability in medical education, targeting workforce deficits in the Irish health system and aligned to National Health Service reform ie Sláintecare
• Clinically immersive from Year 1 - no traditional pre-clinical/clinical divide
• Case-based learning linked to the HSE National Clinical Presentation Database
• Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship in Year 3 - patients, not rotations, are the unit of learning
• Clinical placements in community and regional settings from Year 1, with significant exposure outside Galway city in Years 2-4
• Integrated connected and digital health training throughout the programme, with access to a world-leading digital and connected health ecosystem
• Student Selected Components in Year 4 including international elective options
• Interprofessional education central to programme design
• Small cohort with high staff-to-student contact and clinical mentorship from Year 1
• Four-year graduate-entry medical programme leading to the MB BCh BAO, subject to accreditation by the Irish Medical Council.

Graduates of Graduate Entry Medicine - Rural and Connected Health will be awarded the MB BCh BAO, the same medical degree awarded through the University of Galway five-year direct-entry medicine programme.

Subject to successful accreditation of the programme by the Irish Medical Council, graduates will be eligible to apply for internship in the Irish health service and to seek registration with the Irish Medical Council.

The programme is designed to prepare graduates for medical careers across primary, integrated and secondary care, with particular experience of rural and regional healthcare settings. Graduates may pursue any medical career pathway. Following internship, graduates may pursue specialist training through the relevant postgraduate medical training bodies in Ireland.

 

Clinical placement is central to Graduate Entry Medicine – Rural and Connected Health throughout all four years of the programme.

Year 1: Early clinical learning

Students undertake early clinical learning, enabling them to relate their case-based learning to real healthcare settings.

Year 2: Distributed regional learning

Students undertake distributed clinical learning across community and health-service settings in the West and North-West. Students should be prepared to undertake periods of study and clinical placement outside Galway city.Students will learn across community, primary care and regional healthcare settings, gaining experience of healthcare delivery across rural, regional and underserved communities.

Year 3: Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship

Students undertake a 38-week Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) in General Practice.Students follow patients and clinical presentations across primary and secondary care, gaining exposure to different specialties through a generalist model and developing an understanding of continuity of care.

Year 4: Clinical rotations and Student Selected Components

Students undertake six mandatory four-week clinical rotations and two four-week Student Selected Components.

Mandatory rotations are:

• General Medicine – 4 weeks
• General Surgery – 4 weeks
• Paediatrics – 4 weeks
• Psychiatry – 4 weeks
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology – 4 weeks
• Intern Preparation for Practice – 4 weeks

Students also undertake two Student Selected Components, each four weeks. Options include:

• Rural General Practice
• Public Health
• International Elective
• Integrated Care
• Medical Technology & Connected Health
• Medical Specialty
• Surgical Specialty
• Anaesthetics and Intensive Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Retrieval Medicine / Pre-Hospital Care

International elective opportunities are subject to programme requirements, placement availability, University approval and any applicable travel, insurance, health, visa or regulatory requirements.

Medical Academies and Regional Clinical Settings

Clinical learning will be delivered through a distributed network of community, primary care and regional healthcare settings across the West and North-West of Ireland.

The programme includes significant clinical exposure outside Galway city, particularly in Years 2–4. This distributed approach is supported by the University’s Medical Academies in Donegal, Sligo, Mayo and Ballinasloe. Placement locations will depend on programme requirements, available clinical capacity and individual placement allocation.

Further information is available below:

• Donegal Medical Academy
• Sligo Medical Academy
• Mayo Medical Academy
• Ballinasloe Medical Academy

 

Graduate Entry Medicine – Rural and Connected Health is currently progressing through accreditation by the Irish Medical Council, the statutory body responsible for regulating medical education in Ireland.

Eligibility for internship and registration is subject to successful accreditation.

Programme Director: Professor Robert Scully
Professor of Rural and Remote Medicine | General Practitioner

Clinical Lead: Professor Michelle Canavan | Consultant Geriatrician and Consultant Stroke Physician at Galway University Hospitals (University Hospital Galway)

Senior Lecturer: Dr Alanna Stanley | Senior Lecturer in Anatomy and Radiology

Teaching on GEM Rural and Connected Health is delivered through a range of methods designed to reflect the realities of clinical practice and to develop the knowledge, clinical skills, and professional attributes of a modern doctor.

Phase 1 (Years 1-2) teaching is built around case-based learning, with each week structured around a clinical case, clearly defined learning outcomes, lectures, anatomy and physiology labs, clinical skills sessions, clinical mentorship,  and a plenary consolidation session. Students work in small groups supported by a clinical mentor throughout.

Phase 2 (Years 3-4) teaching takes place in clinical settings, where students attend in pairs, supplemented by weekly small group tutorials, remote lectures, asynchronous content, and private study.

Assessment

Assessment contributes to the degree award as follows:

Year 1: 20% of degree award (40% knowledge, 40% clinical, 20% professionalism)

Year 2: 20% of degree award (40% knowledge, 40% clinical, 20% professionalism)

Year 3: 30% of degree award (common assessment with Year 4 of the five-year programme)

Year 4: 30% of degree award (common assessment with Year 5 of the five-year programme)

To progress to the next year, students must pass all assessed components - written examinations, portfolio, and OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination). Progression is also subject to satisfactory professionalism and attendance (minimum 80% of compulsory components required).

Postgraduate Open Evening- In Person

Date: Tuesday, 10th November 2026, from 4pm, University of Galway

Programme Director, Prof Robert Scully, will be presenting on GEM Rural and Connected Health Programme.

Details and Registration: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/postgraduate-open-day/

Online Information Webinar - Graduate Entry Medicine - Rural and Connected Health (GY506)

Date: Wednesday, 18th November 2026, 7pm (Irish time)

Members of the GEM academic team will present on the programme.

Register here: https://universityofgalway-ie.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PSFDmJatTniHx94qDBY1-w#/registration

 

These sessions will provide an overview of the programme including, entry requirements, application process, key dates, and what to expect as a GEM student.

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Course queries: gem@universityofgalway.ie 
Fees queries and EU fee-status assessments: fees@universityofgalway.ie 

Programme Director: Professor Robert Scully
Professor of Rural and Remote Medicine | General Practitioner: robert.scully@universityofgalway.ie 

Senior Lecturer: Dr Alanna Stanley: alanna.stanley@universityofgalway.ie 

What qualification will I receive?
Graduates will be awarded the MB BCh BAO, the same medical degree awarded through the University of Galway five-year direct-entry medicine programme.

What is the minimum academic requirement?
Applicants must hold a minimum Second Class Honours Grade 2 (2H2), or equivalent, in their first NFQ Level 8 honours bachelor’s degree. Applicants presenting a qualification below a 2H2 are not eligible.

Do I need a science degree to apply?
No. An eligible NFQ Level 8 honours bachelor’s degree may be in any discipline.

How do I apply?
Eligible EU-fee-status applicants apply through CAO and must also meet the published GAMSAT, documentation and selection requirements.

Will I have to attend an interview?
Yes. Applicants shortlisted in accordance with the published selection process must attend and complete the compulsory in-person Multiple Mini Interview at University of Galway.

Where can I find the full application requirements?
Please consult the Graduate Entry Medicine Guidelines for CAO Applicants for detailed eligibility criteria, documentation requirements, deadlines, scoring, offers and appeals.

CAO website: www.cao.ie

• Subject to medical council approval
• Applicants must hold a minimum Second Class Honours Grade 2 (2H2), or equivalent, in their first NFQ Level 8 honours bachelor’s degree. Applicants presenting a qualification below a 2H2 are not eligible.
• The degree award and final classification must be formally approved and ratified by the awarding institution, and the required evidence must be received by CAO by 17:00 on 1st July 2027. Applicants whose graduation ceremony takes place after this date may still be eligible where the award and final classification have been formally approved and ratified by the deadline. Provisional results are not accepted.
• Applicants must hold a valid GAMSAT result from September 2025, March 2026, September 2026 or March 2027.
• Applicants must apply through CAO by 17:00 on 1st February 2027, or by the late application deadline of 1 May 2027.

Shortlisting to Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)

Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements will be ranked according to their GAMSAT score. The University will determine the number of applicants to be invited to the Multiple Mini Interview based on the number of eligible applicants, the distribution of GAMSAT scores, interview capacity and other operational requirements for the admissions cycle. Invitations to interview will be issued to the highest-ranked applicants in accordance with this process. 

Attendance at and completion of the in-person Multiple Mini Interview is compulsory. The interview will take place at University of Galway on one designated date between 14th and 30th June 2027. Shortlisted applicants will be notified of the exact date by email at least three weeks in advance. Alternative interview dates cannot be offered.

Final Admissions Score
The final admissions score comprises:

• Up to 5% for previous academic attainment
• 55% for GAMSAT
• 40% for the Multiple Mini Interview

Academic scoring breakdown:

• 5% – First-class honours Level 8 degree
• 5% – Second Class Honours Grade 1 (2H1) Level 8 degree
• 5% – Second Class Honours Grade 2 (2H2) Level 8 degree plus a completed Level 9 and/or Level 10 award
• 2.5% – 2H2 Level 8 degree only
• Below 2H2 – Ineligible

The maximum score available for previous academic attainment is 5%. Applicants submitting a Level 9 or Level 10 award for consideration must ensure that evidence of the completed and ratified award is received by CAO by 17:00 on 1st July 2027.

Applicant Information
Applicants are responsible for monitoring their email, including junk or spam folders, for communications from CAO and University of Galway.

Supporting Documentation Deadlines

• Applicants who graduated before 2027: 17:00 on 15th March 2027
• Applicants graduating in 2027: 17:00 on 1st July 2027

Full Application Guidance
Please refer to the Graduate Entry Medicine Guidelines for CAO Applicants for complete information on eligibility, GAMSAT, supporting documentation, fee status, key dates, shortlisting, interviews, scoring, offers and appeals.

CAO website: www.cao.ie

Course Type	Year	EU Tuition	Student Contribution	Non-EU Tuition	Levy	Total Fee	Total EU Fee	Total Non-EU Fee

Applicants competing for a CAO place must be eligible for EU fee status. If you now live, or have previously lived, outside the EU, EEA or UK, you should contact the University of Galway Fees Office before applying to confirm your fee status.

 

International (Non-EU) Applicants

If you are from outside the EU/EFTA/UK, apply through the University’s approved application partner for your region. Visit our International Applicant Pathways page for details of the relevant regional agents, entry requirements and application process.

Find Out More / Useful Links

• Central Applications Office
• GAMSAT information and registration
• University of Galway student fees
• National Framework of Qualifications
• International Applications – https://www.universityofgalway.ie/courses/how-to-apply/#International-Applications