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
• Full equivalence to the existing 5 year programme, with the same degree (MB BCh BAO) award

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.

GEM- Rural and Connected Health Graduate Attributes:

1. Graduates will be knowledgeable, safe, effective, practitioners and will demonstrate proficiency in all clinical skills and particularly those relevant to rural and community healthcare settings, including diagnosis, treatment, and management of conditions commonly encountered in these environments. (Scholarship, Patient safety and Quality of Care, Clinical Skills)
2. Graduates will be effective communicators who work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals, community stakeholders, and support services to provide comprehensive and integrated care and who are aware of the importance of interdisciplinary working for healthcare delivery.

(Relating to patients Communication and Interpersonal Skills, Collaboration and Teamwork)

3. Graduates will possess a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities associated with delivering healthcare in rural and underserved areas, including issues related to access, resource allocation, and population health. (Scholarship, Relating to Patients, Communication and Interpersonal Skills)
4. Graduates will be sensitive to the cultural, social and economic factors that influence health and health seeking behaviours and be aware of the importance of health promotion and prevention. (Collaboration and Teamwork, Patient safety and Quality of Care)
5. Graduates will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to advocate for resource allocation for their patients and to take on leadership roles in their communities and within healthcare organisations

(Management, Collaboration and Teamwork and Professionalism)

6. Graduates will demonstrate professionalism, adaptability and resilience in both their patient and self-management recognising the importance of lifelong learning and professional development (Relating to patients, Management [including self management])

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 regular early clinical learning, including one day per week in practice, to relate their case-based learning to real care settings.

Year 2: Distributed regional learning
 From Year 2, students are distributed across community and health-service settings in the West and North-West. Students should be prepared to live and study outside Galway city.

Students will learn in community, primary care and regional hospital settings, supported by clinical teachers and mentors. This distributed model allows students to understand how healthcare is delivered across rural, regional and underserved communities.

Year 3: Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship
 Students undertake a 38-week Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship. Students, ideally working in pairs, join a hub general practice or integrated care setting and become supervised members of the healthcare team.

Approximately half of the week is spent in primary care. The remainder includes hospital-based clinical learning, weekly small-group tutorials, remote lectures, asynchronous learning, private study and project work.

The patient becomes the unit of learning. Students follow patients across different stages of care and develop an understanding of continuity between primary, community and secondary care.

Year 4: Clinical rotations and Student Selected Components
 Students undertake mandatory clinical rotations and Student Selected Components in distributed regional hospital and general practice settings.

Mandatory rotations include:

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

Student Selected Components may include Rural General Practice, Public Health, Integrated Care and Healthcare Policy, Medical Technology and Connected Health, Emergency Medicine, medical or surgical specialties, and an International Elective.

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, integrated care and regional hospital settings across the West and North-West of Ireland.

This network is supported by the University’s established Medical Academies in Donegal, Sligo, Mayo and Ballinasloe. Placement locations will depend on the requirements of the programme, 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 the Irish Medical Council accreditation process.

Updates will be provided here as the process progresses.

Last updated: 28 October 2026

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

Applicants must hold a minimum Second Class Honours Grade 2 (2H2), or equivalent, in their first NFQ Level 8 honours bachelor’s degree and must be eligible for EU fee status.

Applicants must hold a valid GAMSAT result, apply through CAO by the relevant deadline and submit the documentation required to establish eligibility.

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.

Final Admissions Score
The final admissions score comprises up to 5% for previous academic attainment, 55% for GAMSAT and 40% for the Multiple Mini Interview.

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

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

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

• Graduate Entry Medicine - Rural and Connected Health
• Central Applications Office
• GAMSAT information and registration
• University of Galway student fees
• National Framework of Qualifications