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UL President Professor Shane Kilcommins, Professor Deirdre McGrath, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences UL, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD, Professor Colum Dunne, Head of School of Medicine, UL, Professor Ann Ledwith Interim Provost and Deputy President UL. 

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless TD has today launched University of Limerick’s new Direct Entry Medicine programme, the first new direct entry undergraduate medicine programme established in Ireland in over 170 years.

Building on the success of UL’s existing Graduate Entry Medicine programme, the new six-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery has welcomed its first intake of 30 students this semester.

Minister Lawless said: “Today’s launch is a landmark moment for medical education in Ireland. As the first new direct entry undergraduate medicine programme established in this country since 1854, it reflects both the ambition of University of Limerick and our commitment to building the healthcare workforce Ireland needs for the future.

“For the students starting this journey, it is the beginning of an exciting and rewarding career path. This programme creates a new opportunity for talented young people to pursue medicine while helping to strengthen healthcare services for future generations.

“I congratulate everyone involved in bringing this programme to life and wish the inaugural class every success.”

UL President Professor Shane Kilcommins said that the new course underscores the University’s pivotal role in advancing education and healthcare in the region.

“Innovation in education has been at the heart of University of Limerick since our earliest days, and this new Direct Entry Medicine programme is a powerful expression of that tradition. The establishment of Ireland’s first new direct entry medical degree in well over a century and a half demonstrates UL’s capacity to lead, innovate and deliver in areas of strategic national importance.

“Together with our Graduate Entry Medicine programme, and our broad ecosystem of health sciences programmes, this initiative further cements UL’s position as a centre of excellence in health professional education. This is further recognition of UL’s leadership in medical education and a significant investment in Ireland’s future healthcare needs,” Professor Kilcommins added.

Professor Deirdre McGrath, Executive Dean of UL’s Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, said: “The launch of Direct Entry Medicine marks another important milestone in UL’s contribution to healthcare education in Ireland. It reflects our longstanding commitment to creating opportunities for students and strengthening the healthcare workforce across the Mid-West.

“It is also a powerful reflection of how far we have come as a region and an important investment in the future health and wellbeing of our communities for generations to come.

“As someone who had to leave Limerick to study medicine because that opportunity did not exist here at the time, it is particularly meaningful to see young people from this region now able to begin that journey closer to home and, in time, make their own contribution to the high-quality healthcare across the Mid-West and beyond.”

The programme was developed in collaboration with Government, Higher Education Authority, the HSE and the Medical Council.

Key features of UL’s Direct Entry Medicine programme include problem-based learning and the use of electronic cadavers, simulation technologies and advanced models to support anatomy and clinical skills. The programme is structured in three stages across six years:

• Stage 1: Foundation in Medicine, where students develop their core knowledge of anatomy, biochemistry and biomedical science, as well as essential communication and professional skills to be a great doctor
• Stage 2: Students learn to apply the science to clinical practice, with an early exposure to patient care
• Stage 3: The final stage prepares students for future practice, focusing on clinical placements and developing skills to improve patient and population health

Welcoming the new students at the launch, Professor Colum Dunne, Head of UL’s School of Medicine, said: “Today’s launch of the Direct Entry Medicine programme reflects the evolution of the UL School of Medicine and the contribution that UL makes to Irish society, including our internationally recognised Graduate Entry Medicine programme and our pioneering programmes in Paramedic Studies, Biomedical Science, and our master’s in public health.

“These achievements have benefited from the vision, support and partnership of the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. Their commitment to expanding healthcare education has enabled us to develop new pathways for talented students and to address the healthcare needs of our communities.

“Direct Entry Medicine is the latest expression of our ambition and philosophy of innovation. We will continue to deliver programmes and opportunities that respond to the needs of society, strengthen the healthcare workforce, and extend the impact of Irish medical education and research internationally.

“Today, we celebrate a new chapter of medical education in Ireland, but we do so with a focus firmly on the future and with a determination to continue building a pioneering and brave School of Medicine that serves Ireland and contributes meaningfully to global health.”