Medicine - Undergraduate Entry
The Medicine curriculum at UCC is rooted in the basic Medical Sciences of Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry, but also places emphasis on clinical instruction. A distinctive feature is small-group, patient-centred teaching, in which students learn the skills of listening and communicating, history-taking and clinical examination.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
5 Years full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
At least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H4 in two subjects and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish.
Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements in the same sitting:
English O6/H7
Irish O6/H7
Maths O6/H7
Other Language O6/H7
Chemistry H4
Physics or Biology H4
Additional Requirements
Students are also required to present for the Admissions Test (HPAT-Ireland), which must be completed in the proposed year of entry to the Medicine programme.
Applicants cannot combine results achieved in different sittings of the Leaving Certificate (or equivalent) for the purpose of meeting the minimum entry requirements for the programme.
Leaving Certificate Points Moderation: Scores above 550 will be rounded upwards to the nearest 5 points and moderated e.g. a score of 562 will be rounded to 565 and will result in a moderated score of 553. For further information on points moderation, please see the Medicine Additional Requirements information.
Applicants who have previously been unsuccessful in any Medicine programme are deemed not to be "in good standing" and will only be considered for admission to UCC’s Medicine programmes on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should include any details of extenuating circumstances along with their application.
Fitness to Practise
This programme is subject to UCC's Fitness to Practise Policy.
Student Garda Vetting
All students on this programme will come into contact with the public and assume positions of trust through educational and training opportunities. To ensure the protection of the public, and to justify public trust and confidence, UCC is committed to ensuring that only suitable candidates are allowed to undertake this programme.
Vetting is carried out by the Admissions Office in UCC under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 (the Acts) once a student has accepted their place on the programme. This involves a police check to establish whether the individual being vetted has had criminal convictions in the past or whether any criminal proceedings are pending. The Garda Siochána provide this information for students who have resided in Ireland for a period of six months or more (including permanent residence).
All students who have resided outside Ireland for a period of six months or more must furnish a Police Clearance Certificate from their country or countries of residence. This certificate should state that the student has had no convictions recorded against them while residing there.
Further information can be found on our Student Garda Vetting page.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
UCC awards the following points to the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme Link Modules:
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 28 points
While Link Modules are counted for point scoring purposes they may not be counted as one of the six subjects to satisfy minimum entry requirements.
Careers / Further progression
Skills and Careers Information
Following successful completion of the Final Medical Examination, and subsequent graduation, Medical graduates are required to complete one year of internship training in order to achieve full registration with the Irish Medical Council. While UCC School of Medicine makes every effort to support students in the search for an internship post, students apply and compete for internship posts in an open jobs market.
In Medicine, the primary degrees MB, BCh, and BAO are only the start of your career, as all branches of Medicine require postgraduate training of 3-7 years after the postgraduation hospital intern year.
Many graduates choose to undertake part of their postgraduate training abroad and all Medical School academic staff are available to provide advice regarding the opportunities available.
Further information
Approximate Available Places 5
Find out about the mature entry requirements at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/undergrad/entryreqs/matureapplicants/
Approximate Available Places Overall 120
Entry 2025
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2025 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2025 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2025 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2025 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2025 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2025 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2025. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2025, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2025 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2025 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2025 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Course Outline
Few fields can compete with Medicine in terms of the wide variety of opportunities available to the graduate. For most doctors, their professional lives are centred on caring for people in the community or in the hospital setting. In this context, doctors are often the centre around which the healthcare of the patient revolves, interacting with all other members of the healthcare team.
However, doctors are also leaders in biomedical research, in the development of new understanding of normal and abnormal bodily function, diagnostic methods and therapies. Doctors are also engaged in the study of patterns of disease in the community; others work in pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, health insurance companies, and in the management of health and safety in the workplace.
The Medicine curriculum at UCC is rooted in the basic Medical Sciences of Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry, but also places emphasis on clinical instruction. A distinctive feature is small-group, patient-centred teaching, in which students learn the skills of listening and communicating, history-taking and clinical examination.
Our School of Medicine curriculum reflects current best practice in medical education and is under constant review and evaluation. The curriculum is further enhanced by a wide range of student-selected modules, from research projects to humanities’ workshops (e.g. Art and Medicine, Creative Writing). Research is a key element of Medicine at UCC, and all our students complete a research project in their final year.
Year 1
Core Modules (All modules 5 credits unless otherwise stated)
HC1002 Person, Culture, and Society I
CP1080 Clinical Science and Practice I (Semester 1)
CP1090 Clinical Science and Practice I (Semester 2)
FM1010 Foundations of Medicine 1 - Introductory Human Biology (15 credits)
FM1020 Foundations of Medicine 2 - Cardiovascular Biology
FM1030 Foundations of Medicine 3 - Respiratory Biology and Metabolism (10 credits)
FM1040 Foundations of Medicine 4 - Gastrointestinal, Nutritional and Metabolic Biology (10 credits)
Electives (choose one 5-credit module)
EH1090 Epidemiology Elective I
FR1106 Threshold French II
HS1094 Spanish Language for First-Year Medical Students (Beginner Level)
IT1171 Italian Language for Medical Students (Beginner Level)
LC0001 Medical English
MX1001 Library Project in Medicine I
MX1006 Student-Directed Special Study Module in Medicine
MX1007 Special Study Module: Advanced Irish Language
MX1009 History of Medicine
UW0092 Science in Society for Medicine (available to MB, BCH, BAO students only)
Dr Deirdre Bennett
medschool@ucc.ie
+353 (0)21 490 1591
http://www.ucc.ie/en/medical/