Review Report
School of Medicine, Bachelor of Medicine (MB), Surgery (BCh) and Obstetrics (BAO)
Programme
29 May 2015
Reviewers
Professor Alistair Warren, Professor of Biomedical Science Education and Director of Learning and
Teaching, Faculty of Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England (Chair); Ms.
Kate O’Connell, Deputy Director / Registrar, Shannon College of Hotel Management, Shannon, Co.
Clare, Ireland; Professor Gary Mires, Dean of Medical Education and Professor of Obstetrics, School
of Medicine, the University of Dundee, Scotland; Mr. Daragh Moneley, Consultant Vascular Surgeon,
Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland; Professor Donncha O’Connell, Head of the School of Law, NUI
Galway, Ireland; Mr. Gerry McAleavey, Athrú Consultancy, Dublin, Ireland (Coordinator).
Key Strengths:
The School:
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Is recognised for maintaining a consistent output of high quality graduates with global reach and
impact.
Provides an excellent / “good practice”, systems based, multi-disciplinary programme.
Has extremely dedicated and committed staff.
Has reinforced its highly regarded historical achievements through a number of initiatives taken
by the newly appointed leadership aimed at enhancing the operation of the School and
addressing the significant emerging challenges.
Is recognised and acknowledged as being centrally important to the continued success of both
the University and Region.
Has managed the unforeseen temporary increase in student numbers effectively to date and has
ongoing plans to address remaining issues.
Has an aspiration to maintain a global reach and impact, while retaining a personalised high
quality student experience that encourages graduates to return to the Region.
Key Recommendations
Strategic Focus:
The School should:
1. Develop a Vision and Strategy in line with the newly published University Strategic Plan – Vision
2020.
2. Urgently appoint both a Programme Director for the Bachelor of Medicine (MB), Surgery (BCh)
and Obstetrics (BAO) degree programme (academic post) and a School Manager (senior
administrative post).
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3. Continue to review the Administration Support with particular emphasis on organisation,
numbers and competencies and implement changes in a timely manner.
4. Develop opportunities provided by the College structure to enhance overall performance in the
School, including inter-professional learning, resource optimisation etc.
5. Further develop Student Feedback and Evaluation in line with the recent Quality Review of
Student Feedback Mechanisms (October, 2013) and apply the University “good practice”
approach through utilising and adopting, as appropriate, the expertise of CELT.
6. Put in place a framework to improve communications to staff and students both horizontally and
vertically.
7. Working with the College, develop an approach that ensures there is appropriate transparency
in respect of issues impacting the School so as to enable and foster a good understanding and
appreciation among all relevant stakeholders.
8. Seek to introduce the resourcing model used in the Academies for Clinical Teachers on all clinical
sites using appropriate contracts and incentives.
9. Work with the University to develop appropriate reward, recognition and promotion procedures
for Teaching and Scholarship.
10. Working with the University, ensure that maintaining the quality of future graduates is a key
objective when considering the appropriate number and ratio of EU to non-EU students.
Programme Focus:
The School should:
11. Develop a stronger sense of the NUI Galway School of Medicine graduate attributes for the
benefit of current and former students, employers and the Region.
12. Continue to develop strategies to ensure that graduates are well prepared for internship and
life-long learning including:
a. Use of simulation;
b. Junior internship;
c. Early patient contact during Year 1;
d. Building on the success of the summer research projects by embedding these into the
curriculum via SSC’s;
e. Development of a procedure to better prepare students for the experience of learning
outside the main city campus prior to their transitioning to the Academies e.g prior
meetings with Academy Deans etc.;
13. Review, in consultation with the University, its policy and practice in respect of capping the
marking of repeat examinations.
14. Build on current initiatives to enhance integration in the curriculum and integrate assessment in
line with delivery.
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15. Establish a formal and robust “Fitness to practice” policy in line with best practice (e.g. GMC Medical Students: Professional Values and Fitness to Practice) independent of the University
disciplinary and appeals processes.
16. Continue to develop student engagement initiatives e.g. involvement with curriculum
development.
Comments on Review Process:
The Review process was:
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Extremely well facilitated and responsive to the needs of the Review team.
Underpinned by a clear, comprehensive and focussed Self-Assessment report along with
associated documentation, but would have benefited from the inclusion of specific / dedicated
student input to the self-assessment process and subsequent report.
Reinforced by the forthright and open engagement by staff and students with reviewers.
Constrained, to a degree, by an extremely tight timeline covering a very wide scope of
interactions with and input from stakeholders.
Characterised by a difficultly in desegregating interdependent Programme and Strategic issues.
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Action Plan
School of Medicine, Bachelor of Medicine (MB), Surgery (BCh) and Obstetrics (BAO)
Programme
Action Plan Meeting held on 7th July in the A113, Anderson Boardroom.
Present
From the Unit: Dr Sean Dinneen (Head of School), Professor John Morrison (Chair of SelfAssessment Group, Dr Martina Ní Chúlain (Director of Strategic Development)
From the Review Team: Professor Donncha O’Connell
From the Quality Office: Professor David O’Sullivan (Director of Quality), Ms Maureen
Linnane
This Action Plan has been agreed by Reviewers, the School and the Dean in response to the Review
Report for the above named review. Further details on some actions are available in the Review
Report. This Action Plan together with the Review Report is available on the University’s public
website.
Actions for the School and University Management
1. The School will develop a Vision and Strategy in line with the newly published University
Strategic Plan – Vision 2020 and develop opportunities provided by the College structure to
enhance overall performance to include inter-professional learning and resource optimisation.
[Responsible: Head of School & Director of Strategic Development; Due: 01/01/2016]
2. The School will urgently appoint both a Programme Director for the Bachelor of Medicine (MB),
Surgery (BCh) and Obstetrics (BAO) degree programme (academic post) and a School Manager
(senior administrative post).
[Responsible: Head of School; Due: 31/10/2015]
3. The School will continue to review the Administration Support with particular emphasis on
organisation, numbers and competencies and implement changes in a timely manner.
[Responsible: Dean & Director of Strategic Development; Due: 01/09/2015]
4. The Programme Director will further develop Student Feedback and Evaluation in line with the
recent Quality Review of Student Feedback Mechanisms (October, 2013) and apply the
University “good practice” approach through utilising and adopting, as appropriate, the
expertise of CELT.
[Responsible: Programme Director; Due: 01/09/2015]
5. The Programme Director will put in place a framework to improve communications to staff and
students both horizontally and vertically.
[Responsible: Programme Director; Due: 01/05/2016]
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6. The School will work with the College to develop an approach that ensures there is appropriate
transparency in respect of issues impacting the School so as to enable and foster a good
understanding and appreciation among all relevant stakeholders.
[Responsible: Head of School; Due: 01/05/2016]
7. The College will seek to introduce the resourcing model used in the Academies for Clinical
Teachers on all clinical sites using appropriate contracts and incentives.
[Responsible: Director of Strategic Development; Due: 01/05/2016]
8. The College will work with the University to develop appropriate reward, recognition and
promotion procedures for Teaching and Scholarship.
[Responsible: Director of Strategic Development; Due: 01/05/2016]
9. The University will work with the School to ensure that maintaining the quality of future
graduates is a key objective when considering the appropriate number and ratio of EU to non-EU
students.
[Responsible: Registrar and Deputy President & Head of School; Due: 01/05/2016]
Programme Focus:
10. The Programme Director will develop a stronger sense of the NUI Galway School of Medicine
graduate attributes for the benefit of current and former students, employers and the Region.
[Responsible: Programme Director; Due: 01/05/2016]
11. The Programme Director will continue to develop strategies to ensure that graduates are well
prepared for internship and life-long learning including:
a. Use of simulation
b. Junior internship
c. Early patient contact during Year 1
d. Building on the success of the summer research projects by embedding these into the
curriculum via SSC’s
e. Development of a procedure to better prepare students for the experience of learning
outside the main city campus prior to their transitioning to the Academies e.g. prior
meetings with Academy Deans etc.
[Responsible: Programme Director; Due: 01/05/2016]
12. The School will review, in consultation with the University, its policy and practice in respect of
capping the marking of repeat examinations.
[Responsible: Head of School; Due: 01/05/2016]
13. The School will build on current initiatives, to enhance integration in the curriculum and to
integrate assessment in line with delivery.
[Responsible: Programme Director; Due: 01/05/2016]
14. The School will work with the University to progress towards the establishment of a formal and
robust “Fitness to practice” policy in line with best practice, independent of the University
disciplinary and appeals processes.
[Responsible: Programme Director; Due: 01/05/2016]
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15. The Programme Director will continue to develop student engagement initiatives e.g.
involvement with curriculum development.
[Responsible: Programme Director; Due: 01/05/2016]
Approved by:
Head of School, Dr Sean Dinneen
Dean, Professor Timothy O’Brien
Director of Quality, Professor David O’Sullivan
Date: 8 July 2015
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