Our reputation has been established by the many graduates who have practiced medicine and radiography with distinction in Ireland and across the world since the School's foundation in 1854. We strive to maintain a strong connection with our alumni across the globe with the assistance of the UCD Development & Alumni Relations and the UCD Medical Graduates Association (MGA).
The highlight of our alumni interaction is the annual Alumni Reunion Celebration for Medicine classes who graduated 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20 and 10 years ago. The event comprises a daytime Symposium of alumni talks (CPD lectures) followed by an elegant Gala Dinner in the evening.
The 2023 reunion was a resounding success, bringing together alumni from various graduating classes in a memorable celebration. To learn more about this remarkable event, please click here.
The UCD MGA Alumni Reunion 2024 took place on Friday 10th May, celebrating the MB MCh BAO graduating classes of 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2014.
A Scientific Symposium (CPD lectures) was held in the UCD Health Sciences Centre followed by a Gala Dinner at UCD O'Reilly Hall, Belfield.
We were thrilled to witness the engagement and enthusiasm displayed by attendees throughout the day, demonstrating the strong bond that unites our esteemed alumni community. To relive the memorable moments of the event, please click here.
UCD MGA Alumni Reunion Symposium 2024 |
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Alumni Talks - 20 minute talks each followed by a 5 minute Q&A session (13.15 - 14.45) |
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Speaker |
Class |
Topic |
Time |
Assoc. Prof Mick Molloy President of MGA |
1994 |
Welcome and Introduction |
13.15 – 13.30 |
Retired Chief, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto |
1969 |
Epidemics to Pandemics: A 50 year Odyssey in Critical Care Medicine |
13.30 – 13.55 |
Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases |
2004 |
Research in Global Child Health; Problems and Possibilities |
13.55 – 14.20 |
Captain - Aer Lingus |
1994 |
Is there a doctor on board? |
14.20 – 14.45 |
Coffee break (14.45 – 15.10) |
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Alumni Talks – 20 minute talks each followed by a 5 minute Q&A session (15.10 – 16.00) |
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Speaker |
Class |
Topic |
Time |
Dr Ciarán Humphreys Consultant in Public Health Medicine |
1999 |
Healthy, Wealthy and Wise. A fair chance for health |
15.10 – 15.35 |
Professor of Cardiovascular Therapeutics |
1984 |
How Much Meat & Dairy Should We Eat? The Importance of Transparent Evidence-Based Health Metrics |
15.35 – 16.00 |
UCD School of Medicine and the class of 2004 were delighted to showcase artwork by medical graduate Dr Laura Doherty at the Gala Dinner.
Originally from Co. Longford, Laura studied medicine at UCD from 1998 to 2004, qualifying with an honours degree. She enjoyed her years at UCD and in addition to excelling academically, Laura has an impressive sporting record. She represented both UCD and Longford in ladies Gaelic football, winning an All-Ireland medal with Longford, and 2 O'Connor Cups with UCD. She also enjoyed running, completing numerous half marathons, and the Dublin Marathon. After intern year, she spent a year working in Australia. She returned to Ireland to work in adult medicine for 2 years, when she then decided to apply for GP training.
In 2009, Laura was involved in a serious road traffic accident, in which she was critically injured. She sustained a serious head injury along with other injuries. She had a prolonged ICU and hospital stay and then made huge progress in rehab both in Ireland and the UK. As a result of her injuries, Laura has been unable to return to work as a doctor but has redirected her energy into her talent as an artist. She continues to enrich the lives of others through her art and has raised money for various charities in selling her work. Laura has shown huge courage and determination to overcome so many barriers, and despite this, still retains a great sense of humour. She is also a caring and compassionate person and has participated in several road safety campaigns.
Her work displayed is not for sale and she regrets she doesn't do commissions! We hope you enjoyed her work.
We are always seeking Class Representatives to assist with disseminating reunion information to other class members. If you are interested in volunteering as a representative for your class, please contact mga@ucd.ie.
Please see the list of Class Representatives here.
"Our class were a funny lot. We seemed to rather like each other for the most part.
When it came to organising our (rather ludicrously I felt, I mean how could it be?) 25th class Reunion, the concept of one of us becoming the Class Rep was mooted quietly on our Class WhatsApp group, and in an unlikely moment of humility I acquiesced.
After the event I am exceedingly pleased to advocate for the role of future Class Representatives given my wholly positive position as same in 2023. The rekindling of so many old relationships - which really were not so repressed and lay just under the surface - was a wonderful and unexpected joy. There was a definite experience of regression, as though we were still in those heady Clinical Res years. The reconnection with colleagues via the Reunion, personally and professionally, has been a hugely positive experience and one which I encourage all to embrace.
We, the UCD Medical Alumni are a lucky lot, with an amazing UCD Alumni Team doing all the ground work and organisation.
My only suggestion is that if your year doesn’t already have a graduation year WhatsApp (or similar platform) group is to start one…it will gather moss quickly."