I’m currently studying medicine at Trinity College Dublin. Here’s some info on what to expect from 1st year medicine at TCD including the structure of the year and the different modules we cover.
Structure of the Year
The year is divided into two semesters. Semester 1 (Michaelmas term) runs from September to Christmas and Semester 2 (Hilary term) is from January till summer break which usually begins sometime in early May. As well as Christmas and summer break you also get a few weeks off scattered throughout the year (called ‘reading weeks’) that are meant to give you more time to study for exams.
First years have Christmas and summer exams as well as a few assignments and anatomy spotters throughout the year.
Modules
Anatomy
In semester 1 we cover all of upper & lower limb anatomy. This can be quite overwhelming as there’s lots of memorising involved.
Study tip: find/make a table with the origin, insertion, innervation & function of each muscle and you’ll be well covered for exams. Also try to go to anatomy lab and complete the weekly MCQs as much as possible to keep yourself on track. (Don’t worry if you find the weekly MCQs difficult. It’s more important to learn from your mistakes than get them right first time round.)
In semester 2 we learn anatomy of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis (TAP). Personally I found this more interesting than semester 1 anatomy but everyone’s different.
Assessment
We had two slide based spotters and two lab based spotters in first year (one each per semester.) Additionally we had Christmas and summer anatomy exams in the form of MCQs (multiple choice questions).
Note: assessment styles may change from year to year so go by what your lecturers & course coordinators tell you over what I’ve written here.
Physiology
Physiology and anatomy are combined in one module called ‘Human Form and Function.’ You have to pass both anatomy and physiology to pass the module. (So if you do really well in anatomy but fail physiology you’ll still have to repeat both in summer 🙁).
We learn a lot in physiology. There’s neuromuscular junctions, endocrinology, renal and cardiac physiology, the digestive, respiratory and reproductive systems etc. If you need help with physiology I recommend Sherwood’s physiology textbook which you can buy here or find in the Hamilton library. (Most medical textbooks are kept in the Hamilton library – the one near the sports centre). Disclosure: if you buy Sherwood’s from the link provided I will earn a small commission.
Assessment
As well as Christmas & summer exams in physiology part of our grade came from lab work (nothing to stress about, just go to the labs and do the online homework).
Biochemistry
Everybody struggles with biochemistry. It’s a very confusing topic and a big jump from Leaving Cert biology & chemistry. If you need help with biochemistry I definitely recommend the extra tutorials provided by older years (hopefully they have them for you guys!) Youtube videos can also be really helpful.
Assessment
We had to write essays for our Christmas and summer biochemistry exams but there’s been talk of modernising the course so things may have changed.
Ethics
We had several ethics lectures throughout the year as well as ethics tutorials. The tutorials are in small groups and involve discussing scenarios relevant to medical ethics.
Assessment
We had to choose 1 short essay (from a choice of 3) to write about medical ethics. Participation in tutorials also goes towards your grade
Behavioural Science
Similar to ethics, behavioural science had tutorials and lectures (except here the tutorial scenarios were focussed on human behaviour).
Assessment
Participation in tutorials goes towards your grade in addition to a long essay that we wrote in semester 2. My advice would be to break your essay down in chunks and do a bit each week rather than leaving it all till the night before (that’s just too much stress to put on yourself).
Family Case Study
I loved the family case study. It’s our first experience of ‘patient contact.’ Basically we’re all assigned to a particular GP (family doctor) who sends us out in pairs to visit a family with a baby. We ask questions about the baby’s development over 3 visits and record any observations in our logbooks. Some people are luckier than others in terms of the location and enthusiasm of the family but overall it’s usually a very heartwarming experience.
Assessment
Your grade is based on your logbook and participation in discussions with your assigned GP.
Humanities Electives
This module is meant to provide a more holistic approach to medicine. You get to pick one module from several options such as ‘medicine & art,’ ‘medicine & film,’ ‘medicine & equality’ etc.
Assessment
This module is pass/fail and very relaxed. At the end of the module you’ll do a short group presentation on what you learnt from the module. This is not a module to stress over (but you still have to show up to get the grade of course!)
PBL
Stands for ‘Problem Based Learning’. Basically, you’ll have small group tutorials in which you discuss scenarios to do with what you learn in anatomy, physiology or biochemistry. PBL is not meant to test your knowledge or show you up in front of your peers. It’s purpose is to give you a taste of how the material you’re learning in lectures can be applied to real life medicine. Don’t be afraid to shout out “stupid” answers or ask questions. The rest of your group will be so grateful if you participate instead of sitting in awkward silence.
Assessment
This is a pass/fail module based on participation, so again, don’t be afraid of getting things wrong and just speak up.
Conclusion
1st year medicine at Trinity is a busy year full of new experiences and learning curves but it’s also great fun! If you have any questions about medicine at Trinity/in general feel free to comment below!
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