Our student series continues as Laois students have their say about their respective college and courses.
This week we have another Medicine student in Davin Dunne from Portlaoise who is studying Medicine in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) in Dublin.
What are you studying?
I am studying Direct Entry Medicine (DEM).
Where are you studying?
I am studying DEM at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.
Why did you choose to study what you chose?
My interest in Medicine has been strong since my formative years, mainly as a result of my involvement in the CTYI Programme at DCU. During my time in the programme, I partook in many courses, but it was those of Medicine and Neuroscience that intrigued me the most for how they consistently challenged me.
As I grew older and wiser to the world around me, I sought to study Medicine not only for how it challenged me, but for how I could also reduce the suffering of those in pain through the knowledge I would gain.
If you weren’t studying this course what would you have done?
Firstly, I would have repeated the HPAT as that was the only true challenge standing in my way to studying Medicine as the HPAT is quite a formidable exam.
As for other courses that I had in mind, Pharmacy, and Biological and Biomedical Sciences were two possible courses I was prepared to do as I had an interest in the former, and the latter would be a longer route into Medicine through Graduate Entry.
What are your plans when you finish College?
Truthfully, it is quite early to say I have a plan mapped out, but the general goal is to enter into the fields of neuroscience or psychiatry as they interest me the most.
Do you think you would like to stay local, or perhaps move away?
Local is home, it’s where friends, family and my community are, so it will always be welcoming and comforting, but that doesn’t mean I’m opposed to moving away as new bonds can always be formed.
France has always interested me, Canada much the same, mainly for their languages and atmospheres.
Would you like to move home after college?
I currently commute to college by train so I currently live at home, although I do see that changing as my college years go on.
As far as I know, any placements during college and my intern year will likely force me to live far from home. After that, I’ll have to see what opportunities open to me which dictate where I’ll live.
What’s the hardest thing about your course?
Arguably, the hardest thing about Medicine is that you are human. Studying and learning information isn’t so difficult if you love the course, and plus, you’re only given what you’re expected to handle based on what you’ve been capable of before (i.e. Leaving Certificate).
The human element is the most difficult part of medicine. All that you learn, all that you are shown, you must remember you do this for the people that live with these conditions.
Every slideshow you study and practical you perform is for the betterment of those you are destined to treat, to lessen their suffering, and if it is not for this, then it is purposeless.
This is the most difficult part of medicine as students tend to forget their purpose. In the flurry of exams, deadlines and assessments, you can easily begin to question the point of what you do, in turn losing your passion as the monotony of flashcards and endless revision begins to bore you to death.
However, behind every exam and question, there is a patient relying on your success.
What’s your typical college routine?
A typical day involves me waking up at 6am and getting the 6:47am train to Dublin Heuston. Usually, I get into college around 8:30am after taking the 145 bus to Kildare Street.
Lectures start at 9am, so I’d meet up with my friends before then. Occasionally, there are some practicals and tutorials mixed in randomly throughout the week, and they’re always warmly welcomed.
Lectures tend to end around 3pm or 4pm, sometimes going as far as 5pm, but those days are rare and tend to start later than 9am.
After lectures are done for the day, I either study alone or in a study group and run through anything we weren’t clear on from the lectures that day.
In the evening, there’s usually something going on around College Hall or in the sports gym, so I’d check out what’s happening there before heading home on any of the 6 or 7 o’clock trains.
What’s your favourite part of the course?
My favourite part of the course is anatomy. In year 1, we studied the limbs and chest region which had me enthralled the whole time, and performing dissections in the anatomy room on cadavers was excellent for my understanding of these anatomical regions.
In year 2, we will be doing the anatomy of the brain, so I personally find myself waiting in great anticipation for that.
What advice would you give to anyone considering choosing to study in the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland?
I believe it is the best college to study Medicine at. Despite its small size compared to all other colleges in Ireland that offer Medicine, the expertise of the lecturers cannot be understated and the tools given to you to succeed are in enormous supply.
The student body is a very tight knit collective in which its diversity is endless due to RCSI’s large international community.
RCSI being located just south of Grafton Street is an excellent bonus too. It feels much more personal and interactive than many other courses I’ve heard of, mainly due to the lesser student numbers compared to the larger colleges of Ireland.
SEE ALSO – This is what I’m studying: David Moore (Medicine)
