Medical Education to Embrace the Creative Arts

The NUI Galway Medical Orchestra was last night (Monday, 15 October) officially launched as a Special Study Module at the Clinical Science Institute on the grounds of University Hospital Galway.

The Medical Orchestra at NUI Galway has been in existence for over a year and it has already established itself as a very positive initiative with a number of high profile public performances. The orchestra is open to students across the Schools of Medicine, Nursing & Midwifery and Health Sciences and students may select the orchestra to attain academic credit or simply participate for their personal satisfaction, enjoyment and development.

Speaking at the launch, Professor Fidelma Dunne, Head of School of Medicine at NUI Galway, said: “This is once again a great initiative for NUI Galway which supports our holistic approach towards medical education and our contribution to the wider community. I am very confident that this will be a very popular SSM and look forward to the musical outputs and enjoyment over time.”

Musical Director for the medical orchestra is well known musician, composerand arranger,Carl Hession.

Orchestra producer,Mary Mc Partlan, said: “The Medical Orchestra brings very new and important dimensions and opportunities for the students at NUI Galway to engage with the creative arts, including access to academic modules where they can experience the creative arts process at a deeper level and obtain credits in first and second year programmes. The School of Medicine at NUI Galway has broken new ground by offering formal academic credit to medical students who choose to join the Orchestra as a Special Study Module (SSM).”

The special study module, which will be optional for students of the Schools of Medicine, Nursing & Midwifery and Health Sciences, will also include a "From the Heart" guest speaker, usually a consultant medical practitioner, giving a half hour reflection based on their own personal experience on the impact of creativity and the importance of music in their work and life.

Dr Gerard Flaherty, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Medicine and Medical Education at NUI Galway and Director of the Special Study Module programme, commented: “We are delighted to recognise the importance of the creative arts in the professional maturation of student doctors by granting academic credit to their involvement in the very successful Medical Orchestra. I am very hopeful that prospective medical students will regard this initiative as yet another valid reason why they should choose to study at NUI Galway, where due attention is given to the holistic development of students’ potential. We live in an era where ever greater value is appropriately being placed on the demonstration of professional skills and attitudes amongst healthcare workers, including teamwork, time management, integrity and communication skills, all of which can be acquired in an Orchestra setting.”

The medical orchestra will give two concerts - on Saturday, November 24 at Sligo General Hospital and Sunday, November 25 at Mayo General Hospital which will take place in the GMIT St Frances’s Hall, in the grounds of the hospital in Castlebar and also Hume Hall on the grounds of IT in Sligo. Called the Maureen Woods Memorial Concerts, the primary aim is to perform for the staff and patients of both hospitals and invite guest musicians from each academy to join the NUI Galway medical orchestra.

ENDS