Pictured from l-r are Prof. Ruairi Brugha, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health in RCSI; Mr. Cathal Magee, CEO of the HSE; Dr. David Weakliam, Chairman of the Irish Forum for Global Health; Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng, Minister for Health, Lesotho; Dr. Vincent ONeill, Director of Policy Planning and Effectiveness, Irish Aid ; Minister of State for Trade and Development, Joe Costello TD (centre)

Minister Costello said: "Improving healthcare is one of the greatest challenges facing the developing world today. Building functioning health care systems is a key objective of our aid programme. Irish Aid supports our partners in the developing world to strengthen their own healthcare systems, so that improvements will be sustainable over the long-term. Irelands commitment to global health is further strengthened today with our decision to join the European ESTHER Alliance. Ireland‘s membership of this European network will facilitate twinning between Irish hospitals and those in developing countries so that we may share experience, best practice and expertise."

The Global Health Workforce Alliance (GHWA) has reported that a billion people in 57 countries worldwide face a daily struggle to access basic healthcare due to health workforce shortages and uneven distribution of health workers within countries. Sub-Saharan Africa bears 25% of the global burden of disease, but only has 3% of the worlds health workers.

Pictured is Yvonne Chaka Chaka, South Africa Singer, UNICEF and Roll Back Malaria Ambassador and UN Envoy for Africa

Dr. David Weakliam, Chairman of the Irish Forum for Global Health said ‘Health workers are the cornerstone of every countrys health system. Without them, life-saving vaccines and drugs would not be delivered safely and effectively.

"A more effective response is needed to address the critical shortage of skilled health personnel in low income countries. This requires the attention of all organisations seeking to address the health needs of these countries, with coordinated support for responses aligned to each countries national health plans and priorities," Dr. Weakliam continued.

"Over the last decade, international donors and organisations have significantly increased funding for drugs, vaccines and other interventions to combat diseases of the poor. But despite the establishment of the Global Health Workforce Alliance in 2006, investment in the workforce to deliver these life saving interventions has been inadequate. Dr. Weakliam continued. "Bilateral and multilateral donors as well as Global Health Initiatives need to support health systems strengthening and increase funding for initiatives to improve the health workforce".

Speaking at the conference, Prof. Ruairi Brugha, Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health in RCSI said "All countries should fully implement the WHO Global Code of Practice on International Recruitment of Health Personnel. Ireland is making many positive contributions to global health and to building health workforce capacity, especially in Africa. However, given Irelands dependency on foreign trained doctors and nurses over the past decade in particular, there is an onus on health service policy makers, planners and professional bodies to commit to self-sufficiency as a policy objective and to move away from excessive dependence on foreign trained health professionals. This requires good management and retention of the existing workforce to prevent the large outflow of migrant and Irish educated health workers from Ireland."

Pictured from l-r are Joe Costello TD Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is greeted by Dr. David Weakliam, HSE with Prof. Cathal Kelly, CEO RCSI,

More than 60 presentations will be given at the conference on topics such as responding to ‘Current challenges in the Human Resources for Health Crisis, ‘Strengthening the health workforce to respond to HIV and other major diseases, ‘Strengthening and supporting the health workforce and ‘Innovative approaches and ICT solutions.

Key speakers at the conference include Dr Mubashar Sheikh, Executive Director, Global Health Workforce Alliance; Dr. Mphu Ramatlapeng, Minister for Health, Lesotho; Prof Eilis McGovern, President of RCSI; Dr. Vincent ONeill, Director of Policy Planning and Effectiveness, Irish Aid; Mr Cathal Magee, CEO, Health Service Executive; Ms Sheila Dickson, President of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, South African singer and UNICEF Ambassador.

Further information and a copy of the abstract book is available at http://www.globalhealth.ie/

The Taoiseach said the development was a welcome move towards bringing Irish pharmacy education and training in line with international best practice. "I strongly welcome the new pharmacy model which will help to position Ireland at the forefront internationally of pharmacy innovation and education. I also applaud the successful efforts of the PSI and its partners in the pharmacy sector in bringing a prestigious event like the international pharmaceutical congress to Ireland in 2013, something that will be a notable boost to the national economy next year."

The PSI President, Paul Fahey said the framework was the next stage in the PSI Councils programme of reform in pharmacy education and training. "The Irish Institute of Pharmacy will be an essential platform for the future development of the profession. It will ensure that developments and expansions in pharmacy practice and services in Ireland are underpinned by appropriate CPD, training and the international evidence base. It will support the evolving requirements of the Irish health service and will ensure patient needs drive practice development."

Mr Fahey continued: "Additionally, the National Forum for Pharmacy Education and Accreditation has a specific mandate but one with very far-reaching potential for health care in this country and for the delivery of healthcare education. It provides an opportunity to engage with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that in the future the pharmacy profession can meet the needs of patients, industry, communities and pharmacists themselves."

The role of the new Irish Institute of Pharmacy will be to oversee the management and delivery of continuing professional development (CPD) for pharmacists in Ireland, which is now mandatory under The Pharmacy Act 2007, and put in place a quality assurance system around CPD. The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) has been awarded a four year contract to establish and operate the new Irish Institute of Pharmacy on behalf of the PSI.

The National Forum for Pharmacy Education and Accreditation aims to deliver a five year integrated Masters degree across the three schools of pharmacy in Ireland, producing more clinically focused pharmacists who will be positioned to play a critical role in the delivery of future integrated health care services in Ireland, as well as enhancing their career opportunities in all areas of practice including the pharmaceutical industry.

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) congress will be held at the Convention Centre Dublin in 2013 and is set to bring 3,000 delegates to Dublin and is likely to be worth as much as €10 million in revenue to Ireland.

Also speaking at the event in Dublin Castle were Chair of the new National Forum, Marian Shanley, President of the RCSI, Professor Eilis McGovern, PSI Registrar, Dr Ambrose McLoughlin with the Minister for Primary Care, Róisín Shortall TD also in attendance. FIP Secretary-General and CEO, Ton Hoek was also at the event.

Prof. Conor O Keane (Clinical Director, MMUH), Prof. Hannah McGee (Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI), Mr Ciaran Meegan (Head Of Pharmacy Services, MMUH) and Prof. Paul Gallagher (Head Of The School Of Pharmacy, RCSI).

Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and Professor Paul Gallagher, Head of the School of Pharmacy, RCSI joined Mr. Brian Conlan, CEO and Mr. Ciaran Meegan, Head of Pharmacy Services, MMUH at the signing ceremony and unveiling of a commemorative plaque in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital today.

Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI in her remarks at the signing stated: "RCSIs undergraduate pharmacy students will, as a consequence of this MOU receive structured-placement based pharmacy education at MMUH which will facilitate greater contextualisation of their clinical knowledge". Professor Paul Gallagher welcomed Mr. Meegan and his colleagues as honorary appointees of RCSI Faculty and commented "that their extensive clinical experience and expertise will greatly enhance the preparedness of our students for professional practice". RCSI graduates approximately 55 students and 200 Pharmacy interns annually.

Mr. Brian Conlon, CEO of the MMUH said "This exciting collaboration between our Pharmacy Department and the School of Pharmacy, RCSI is the first strategic partnership of its kind in the Republic of Ireland. This partnership will ensure that pharmacy students will be exposed to the hospital as a workplace and a professionally collaborative environment. But most importantly, students will experience firsthand where patients, by the use of complex drug combinations and novel pharmaceutical treatments have their lives saved and enhanced. They will learn not to think of patients in the abstract but as people who need our help and advice and most particularly our expertise and care."

Mr. Ciaran Meegan, Head of Pharmacy Services, MMUH said, ""This exciting collaboration will mark a new chapter in the education of pharmacy students and the conduct of pharmacy practice research in the State. As well as this, all opportunities to conduct collaborative research between the RCSI and MMUH, with the view to improving patient journeys and outcomes will also be exploited."

Ms Maria Creed (Drug Safety Facilitator, MMUH), Ms Jennifer Brown (Clinical Pharmacy Services Manager, MMUH), Prof. Hannah McGee (Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI), Prof. Paul Gallagher (Head Of The School Of Pharmacy, RCSI), Ms Patricia Ging (Transplant / Pulmonary Hypertension Pharmacist, MMUH) and Mr Ciaran Meegan (Head Of Pharmacy Services, MMUH).

RCSI is one of 15 partner institutions from eight countries to receive almost €6 million funding from the European Union FP7 programme to investigate this genetic basis of responses to antiepileptic drugs as part of the EpiPGX Consortium.

Dr. Norman Delanty, Consultant Neurologist and RCSI clinical lead said "In Europe, several antiepileptic drugs are available for prescription for people with epilepsy, but the evidence guiding the choice of drug for an individual patient is very limited. Doctors often have to try out several drugs before finding the appropriate one for their patient, which can take some time and can have a negative impact on the patients life until their epilepsy stabilises."

Dr Gianpiero Cavalleri, Biomedical Research Lecturer, who will lead the RCSI genetics team involved said: "We are looking to identify genetic changes that predict those that might respond very well to a particular drug, or those that might have an adverse reaction to another drug. By understanding these genetic predictors, doctors can prescribe the safest and most effective drug for a patient."

37,000 people in Ireland have epilepsy and worldwide it is estimated that 50 million have epilepsy with six million of these living in Europe. (Source: Brainwave - The Irish Epilepsy Association)

The newly funded research consortium is coordinated by University College Londons Institute of Neurology and includes partner institutions in Belgium, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

This latest funding award strengthens RCSIs position as leading centre for epilepsy genetics research and follows on their participation in a $25 million grant awarded by the US National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke in 2011 for a worldwide study looking at the genetic basis of epilepsy

The evening began with presentations from Professor Marie Guidon, Head of School; Aileen Barrett, Practice Education Coordinator; and Celeste Golden, Deputy Admissions Officer, which provided attendees with a detailed overview of the 3 year BSc Physiotherapy programme open to graduate entrants, as well as an insight into student life at RCSI.

A lively Q & A session followed with staff and RCSI students: Tim Ahern (Final Year Physiotherapy student) and Jennifer Horgan (Physiotherapy graduate2011). The evening concluded with a guided tour of teaching and research facilities in the School of Physiotherapy and a brief college wide tour, led by Dr. Helen French.

Pictured with Open Evening attendees are (front row, l-r) Tim Ahern, Final Year Physiotherapy student; Professor Marie Guidon, Head of School of Physiotherapy; Jennifer Horgan, Physiotherapy Graduate; Dr. Helen French, Lecturer in Physiotherapy; attendee, Aileen Barrett, Physiotherapy Practice Education Coordinator; attendee and Louise Keating, Lecturer in Physiotherapy

As part of the programme, students will witness a live operation, attend interactive lectures, gain hands-on training in clinical skills as well as practical experience in medicine and scientific tutorials. Topics that will be covered include human anatomy, cardiology, psychiatry, trauma and orthopaedics.

Pictured are Transition Year students

Leading medical professionals from RCSI and Beaumont Hospital will deliver the programme, including Professor Marie Cassidy, State Pathologist and Head of Forensic Medicine, RCSI who will give a lecture on Forensic Medicine.

Pictured are Transition Year students Melissa Nolan and Orla Curtin

Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI said “The TY Mini Med programme is a great opportunity for students to gain insight into the world of medicine, science and research. This is the 5th year of the programme and demand for the programme outweighs the number of places available. The participation of leading medical professionals from RCSI and Beaumont Hospital, the use of innovative technology and the practical sessions helps make the learning experience interesting for students as well as providing them with experience of what it is like to train as a medical professional.”

Pictured are Transition Year students; Melissa Nolan, Orla Curtin, Mark Milner and Ruth Kearney

Dr. Aoife Egan, Endocrinology SpR (right) instructs participants on measuring blood pressure levels.

The event was opened by Professor Seamus Sreenan, Director of the GEP, who welcomed the attendees and introduced the day’s participants. This was followed by a series of short talks regarding the programme, RCSI facilities, the structure and style of the curriculum as well as details of the application process, which were given by Prof Sreenan and Ms Céleste Golden, Deputy Admissions Officer, RCSI.

The theme for the day was diabetes and Dr. John McDermott, Consultant Endocrinologist at Connolly Hospital introduced a patient with diabetes to the attendees in the style of the "case of the week", a weekly clinical case that is presented each Monday during the first two years of the programme and which informs the teaching for the week. The case was followed by a series of small group interactive sessions.

Dr. Ana Rakovac Tisdall, Clinical Tutor, introduces participants to measuring blood sugar levels.

Dr. Aoife Egan, Endocrinology SpR and Dr. Ana Rakovac Tisdall, Clinical Tutor introduced the prospective students to Diagnostic Investigations, which provided an introduction to basic clinical skills with an emphasis on diabetes including measuring blood sugar and blood pressure levels.

Other break-out sessions included an introduction to how the RCSI Virtual Learning Environment Moodle supports learning in the programme, delivered by Mr. Eric Clarke, Lecturer in Health Informatics at RCSI; a session focusing on the importance of good communication skills to clinical practice, given by Dr Mahmood Al Saeed, GEP Clinical Tutor; and attendees had the opportunity to meet students already in the GEP programme.

GEP participants were introduced to basic clinical skills relevant to diabetes.

The GEP Open Day concluded with a question and answer session where the attendees had the opportunity to address their questions regarding the process of application for the programme and about medicine as a career.

The RCSI GEP programme is the number one such programme in Ireland, consistently admitting students with the highest Graduate Medical Schools Admission Test score and in 2011, as in 2010, all students admitted had indicated that RCSI was their first preference. The annual Open Days have undoubtedly contributed to the success of the programme which was recognised in 2010 by unconditional accreditation by the Irish Medical Council to 2013.

GEP Clinical Staff and Students who contributed to the Open Day.

The evaluation of the event was extremely positive and some of the feedback comments were:

“Very informative and well organised. Interaction with Medical Students was very beneficial”

“I really enjoyed the diagnostic investigation and how the day was based around “meet the patient".

“An excellent Open Day, informative, very enjoyable”.

“It was a very good and informative day. The parallel sessions were very good”.

“The GEP Open Day was an excellent introduction to what to expect at RCSI. I cant see how you could improve on this as I really enjoyed the day and look forward hopefully to coming back here as a student”.

Pictured (l-r) are Professor Ivan Perry, Professor John Browne, Professor Jon Nicoll, Professor Hannah McGee (Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI), Dr Steve Thomas, Professor Charles Normand and Dr Anne Hickey (Head of Department of Psychology, RCSI)

Professor Nicholl discussed the relationship between distance to hospital and patient mortality in emergencies. Attendees at the lecture included those involved in the formulation of Irish policy on A&E configuration.

Professor Jon Nicholl delivering his keynote lecture

The talk was the keynote lecture at the External Advisory Group meeting for the HRB PhD Scholars Programme in Health Services Research. The programme is a joint initiative of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork and is funded by the Health Research Board in Ireland.

Pictured (l-r) are Ms Laura Phelan, Dr Sally Doherty and Dr Angela Brunstein.

Pictured (l-r) are Dr Steve Thomas and Professor Jon Glasby.

Pictured (l-r) are Dr Davida De La Harpe, Ms Niaimh O Rourke and Ms Louise Mullen.

A new ‘Centre for Systems Medicine’ launched at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), aims to employ mathematical and statistical models in combination with large-scale data gathering to develop novel systems biology tools to predict treatment responses in patients with conditions such as colorectal cancer, brain tumours, melanoma, stroke, neurodegenerative disorders and diabetes. The centre also aims to develop new prognostic tools for more ‘targeted’ treatments for these patients, and aims to inform clinical decision making and improve patient care.

Pictured (l-r) at the launch were (back row) Dr. David Hughes; Professor Jochen Prehn, Head of Department of Physiology and Medical Physics; Professor John Kelly, Director of Research, RCSI; Prof. Pierre Laurent-Puig; Dr. Markus Rehm (front row) Dr. Marine Kleiman; Dr. Heinrich Huber; Dr. Caoimhin Concannon; Dr. Brona Murphy; and Professor William Gallagher.

The centre is being established in order to provide a dedicated translational research centre within the College. Translational or ‘bench to bedside’ research focuses on developing research discoveries made in the laboratory into point-of-care treatments for patients. The centre will provide a wide range of core facilities to researchers and will work with clinical collaborators at Beaumont Hospital, Queens University Belfast, the Mater Hospital, Paris Descartes University Medical School, and the University Clinics Frankfurt.

This centre is being established by Professor Jochen Prehn, Chair, Head of Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, RCSI. The centre is located on the 2nd and 4th Floor in York House, York Street and is part of the RCSI Research Institute.
The Centre for Systems Medicine is supported through funding from national and international funding bodies, including Science Foundation Ireland, Health Research Board, National Biophotonics Imaging Platform Ireland, European Commission Seventh Framework Programme 7, Higher Education Authority and Enterprise Ireland.

For further information on the Centre for Systems Medicine visit: www.systemsmedicineireland.ie

Mikaela Forde (17) a 6th Year student from Yeats College, Galway viewing some x-rays at the RCSI Open Day

During the day-long event, Leaving Certificate and A Level students will get the opportunity to meet with RCSI staff, students and graduates, to give them an idea of what it is like to study medicine, pharmacy and physiotherapy and take up careers in these areas. A series of talks will be held on the range of courses available at RSCI and how to apply to RCSI through the CAO system. An exhibition will be hosted by faculties and staff, who will be on hand to answer any questions the students may have.

Eimear OReilly(16); and Erica Hughes(17) both 6th Year students from Loreto College in Navan, Co Meath with a skeleton at the RCSI Open Day

Information will also be available on the wide choice of clubs and societies available in RCSI as well as information on student accommodation, library and sports facilities. Other highlights of the day will include a student panel discussion, whereby current students will give their perspectives on studying at RCSI. Students will also hear about the experiences of junior doctors, who have recently graduated from RCSI.

Students viewing a 3D video at the RCSI Open Day

Philip Curtis, Head of Admissions at RCSI said "The annual Open Day provides second level students with a great opportunity to get a sense of life, both academic and social at RCSI. With talks from staff, current students and graduates, students are able to get a real sense of what life as a medical, physiotherapy or pharmacy student is really like."

RCSI is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving human health through education, research and service. Founded in 1784, originally to train surgeons, today it provides extensive education and training in the healthcare professions at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. The RCSI operates the largest Medical School in Ireland, also providing undergraduate courses in pharmacy and physiotherapy. The College provides an extensive range of postgraduate training and education programmes in the medical sciences, surgery, medical and nursing specialties, international health, tropical medicine and leadership. The RCSI Research Institute is one of Irelands foremost research centres.