General Practice and Primary Care
UCD General Practice is led by (opens in a new window)Professor Walter Cullen and supported by an excellent faculty of Lecturers in General Practice as well as highly enthusiastic and motivated adjunct faculty that makes up Ireland’s largest network of Primary Care physicians.
The School has long recognised the pivotal role of General Practice in the provision of healthcare and in health promotion. Our team contribute heavily to the Medicine programme as well providing Graduate Taught programmes and high quality research.
Forensic and Legal
Led by Dr Cliona McGovern, UCD Forensic & Legal Medicine is a specialist team with expertise in medical law, medical ethics, professional regulation, fitness to practise issues, death investigations, and research ethics. The subject provides modules to undergraduate students in medicine, radiography, physiotherapy and occasional elective modules available to all students across the university. It also provides graduate courses for diverse groups of healthcare professionals and other practitioners as they engage as risk managers, medical and legal practitioners, witnesses, expert witnesses for the courts, and healthcare administrators.
Led by Professor Walter Cullen, UCD Academic General Practice is supported by an excellent faculty of lecturers and a network of highly enthusiastic and motivated tutors. We are extremely proud of our team's expertise and dedication, and we are always delighted to hear from GPs who are interested in joining our network.
How can I get involved in teaching?
Our educational programmes are fundamentally about people. High calibre students, supported by expert staff, develop the knowledge, skills and professional attitudes necessary to become caring, competent and compassionate clinicians. Here are two ways in which you can get involved!
- Hosting Placements: Hosting students at your Practice is an ideal place to start for GP’s that are new to formal education of students, and for existing educators to introduce students to practice at an early stage. If new to education, the lead GP supervisor will be provided with training to support the students learning appropriately.
- Tutoring on campus: The GP tutor plays an important role in teaching, integrating knowledge & practice, and evaluating students. GP tutors act as models of good professional behaviour, accessible mentors and should enjoy engaging students in learning. The UCD School of Medicine aims to support academic staff to be inspiring and empowered subject experts who base their educational content on professional graduate attributes and demonstrate these skills in clinical practice.
What are the benefits?
- CPD-approved “Clinical Network Tutor meetings”- online / in-person. In addition, placement supervision can be self-recorded by doctors in their ePortfolios under the “work-based learning” category. Under the ICGP requirements, doctors should log a minimum of 15 CPD credits in this category.
- Hosting placements – an honorarium is provided for facilitating placements
- Tutoring on campus - Tutors will be set up as hourly paid staff
- Becoming involved in our teaching and/or research significantly strengthens one’s application to the UCD School of Medicine Clinical Pathway Scheme, which, with ongoing commitment, allows for UCD Adjunct staff benefits.
- The UCD School of Medicine will support your role by inviting you to GP tutor social meetings for our affiliated GP network practices and offering support from our academic team
| Module |
Focus |
GP Tutor involvement |
| Introduction to General Practice (preclinical) |
An introduction to health systems and the central role of primary care. Fundamentals of confidentiality and consent, professionalism & ethics, history taking and communication skills. |
Small group teaching on campus Tuesday & Wednesday afternoons (Autumn) |
| Advanced General Practice & Professionalism (transition to clinical) |
The development of basic clinical skills in communication, history taking and clinical examinations. This includes a four-day placement with a GP. |
Small group teaching on campus Tuesday & Thursday mornings (Spring) And/or… Clinical placements (Spring) |
| Medicine in the Community (clinical) |
To further student understanding of medicine as it is practiced, and healthcare as it is delivered, in the community. This includes a two-week long General Practice placement. |
Clinical placements (Summer & Autumn) |
We would be delighted to hear from General Practitioners interested in joining our UCD GP Teaching Network.
For further information, please contact gp.admin@ucd.ie or call (01) 716 6645, and we will be happy to link you with one of our experienced Academic GPs for a conversation.
Testimonials from GPs!
“They are very enthusiastic, and it is lovely to help them transfer their book knowledge to real life scenarios. In return, they are almost invariably very grateful.”
“They bring variety and teaching raises standards for everyone.“
“It’s refreshing and challenging in the questions and knowledge students seek - it’s very enjoyable passing knowledge on.”
“The students learn so much from us, each other but also time spent with GP registrars, practice Nurses and admin.”
Student Feedback!
“The best placement I have been on! So much hands on experience with everything!”
“I really enjoyed this placement and would consider a career in GP because of it!”
“Excellent educators and very nice people. They gave me plenty opportunities to see patients, present back and discuss management. This was the best week of placement I have ever had and would recommend to anyone.”
Primary Care Graduate Taught Programmes
Concussion: An Overview for Amateur Sports - Micro-credential
Primary Care (Mental Health) - Professional Certificate
Primary Care (Orthopaedics & Musculoskeletal Medicine) - MSc
Primary Care (Orthopaedics & Musculoskeletal Medicine) - Graduate Diploma
Primary Care (Orthopaedics & Musculoskeletal Medicine) - Graduate Certificate
Forensic & Legal Graduate Taught Programmes
Medico-Legal Aspects of Healthcare - Professional Certificate
A key priority of our team is to conduct rigorous and impactful research. Our programme of work is overseen by a project steering group which includes members of the UCD / Ireland East Hospital Group Academic Health Sciences Steering Committee and other relevant stakeholder agencies and is conducted within a robust clinical and scientific framework.
For more information please visit our Research page.
ACTIVEAID: Access to Care and Employment for Trans and Intersex Individuals – Creating Conditions for Equality
Programme duration: 01/11/2024 - 31/10/2026
Creating Conditions for Equality:
- UCD participates as a partner in the ACTIVEAID project, which aims to promote inclusive access to health care services and employment opportunities for trans and intersex individuals. The project is funded under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme of the European Union and runs for 24 months, starting in November 2024.
- ACTIVEAID is carried out by a consortium of eight partner organizations from five European countries(Spain, Greece, Lithuania, Ireland, and Cyprus) and is coordinated by SOMOS LGTB+ de Aragón (Spain).
- Trans and intersex individuals face significant barriers in accessing health care and employment due to societal stigma, discrimination, and lack of inclusive policies. The ACTIVEAID project seeks to address these challenges by implementing a comprehensive approach consisting of six interconnected work packages.
- The initiative includes a needs assessment through focus group discussions with trans and intersex individuals, health professionals, and employers, ensuring that interventions are evidence-based and tailored to actual needs.
- The project will develop and implement training programs for health care professionals and employers, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to provide inclusive services and work environments.
- Policy dialogue will be fostered through roundtables and workshops, bringing together policymakers, labour market representatives, and health care professionals to promote the adoption of inclusive policies.
Coordination:
SOMOS LGTB+ de Aragón, Spain
Partner Organisations:
- University College Dublin, Ireland
- Prolepsis Institute, Greece
- Lietuvos Geju Lyga (LGL), Lithuania
- SocialInnov, Greece
- WiseFour Innovation and Development Organisation, Cyprus
- Solidaridad Sin Fronteras (SSF), Spain
- Instituto Ikigai, Spain
ACTIVEAID Newsletter - May 1 2025
Contact Information:
UCD School of Medicine
| Prof Walter Cullen |
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| Mr John Broughan |
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| Dr Geoff McCombe |
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| Mr Nandakumar Ravichandran |
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| Dr Nia Clendennen |
SocialMedia:
Instagram - (opens in a new window)@activeaid__