Teaching & Learning

The Department of Psychiatry, University of Galway focuses on delivering high quality education to undergraduate medical students and provides excellent teaching on psychiatry related topics to students across a range of other courses in University of Galway including Psychology, Health Promotion, Occupational Therapy and Podiatry.

Undergraduate

• Programmes: Psychiatry is taught within the undergraduate MB BCh BAO medicine degree and also contributes to postgraduate training (e.g. specialist training and Structured PhD programmes)
• Years: Core psychiatry teaching occurs mainly in Year 4, integrated into modules like Psychiatry and Advanced Clinical Skills, with clinical placements across semesters
• Topics: Covers general adult psychiatry plus subspecialties such as child & adolescent, later life, liaison, learning disability, and rehabilitation psychiatry
• Teaching Methods: Uses a mix of lectures, small-group tutorials, problem-based learning, workshops, clinical placements, shadowing, and self-directed learning
• Student Experience: Strong clinical exposure with placements in hospitals and community settings, multidisciplinary team involvement, research opportunities, and participation in academic competitions

Postgraduate Taught

• Programmes: Psychiatry contributes to Postgraduate Taught (PGT) programmes within the University of Galway, including MSc and professional development courses aligned with mental health and clinical practice
• Discipline Contribution: Delivers specialist teaching in areas such as assessment, diagnosis, and management of mental illness, supporting interdisciplinary learning across medicine, nursing, and allied health fields
• Key Features: Emphasis on evidence-based practice, case-based discussion, and integration of research with clinical teaching to reflect current psychiatric standards
• Learning Experience: Combines lectures, workshops, and clinically relevant assignments, often involving interaction with multidisciplinary teams and real-world case scenarios

Postgraduate Research

• Opportunities: Psychiatry offers PhD and MD pathways at the University of Galway, with projects spanning clinical psychiatry, neuroscience, and mental health services research
• Supervision Areas: Academic staff provide supervision in areas such as mood disorders, psychosis, youth mental health, general psychiatry, and population mental health
• Environment: Students work within a collaborative, multidisciplinary setting, often linked to clinical services and research centres, supporting translational and patient-focused research
• Application Info: See Graduate Studies page or contact psychiatry@universityofgalway.ie