The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a medical professional and educational institution, which is also known as RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland's first private university. It was established in 1784 as the national body for the surgical branch of medicine in Ireland, with a role in supervision of training, and as of 2021 provides a broad range of medical education in multiple countries. RCSI's main campus is situated on

St. Stephen's Green St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by Lo ...

and York Street in central Dublin and incorporates schools of medicine,

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...

and nursing. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate education in a number of healthcare fields. The RCSI achieved Ireland's highest position in the '' Times Higher Education'' (''THE'') University Impact Rankings 2021, coming joint second in the world for ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’ from a total of 871 institutions. THE University Impact Rankings recognise universities around the world for their social and economic impact based on the United Nations' 17

Sustainable Development Goals The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked objectives designed to serve as a "shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future".United Nations (2017) R ...

(SDGs).

History

Background and foundation

Since medieval times, the practice of surgery in Dublin was licensed by one of the Guilds of the City of Dublin, the

Barber-Surgeons The barber surgeon, one of the most common European medical practitioners of the Middle Ages, was generally charged with caring for soldiers during and after battle. In this era, surgery was seldom conducted by physicians, but instead by barbers ...

' Guild, also known at times as ''the Guild of St.

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...

''. The guild chapel was in Christchurch. Guild membership was obtained by a 3-year apprenticeship, followed by 2 years as a journeyman. In fact the College of Surgeons maintained a mandatory period of apprenticeship to become a qualified surgeon until 1828. In 1446, the Barber-Surgeons' guild was incorporated by a royal decree of Henry VI, becoming the first medical corporation in Britain or Ireland. In 1765

Sylvester O'Halloran Sylvester O'Halloran (31 December 1728 – 11 August 1807) was an Irish surgeon with an abiding interest in Gaelic poetry and history. For most of his life he lived and practised in Limerick, and was later elected a member of the Royal Iri ...

, a surgeon from Limerick, proposed a College of Surgeons along the lines of the College de St. Cosme in Paris, which had been regulating French surgeons since it had been created by Royal Charter by

Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the d ...

in 1255, to train and regulate surgeons.The ''Proposals for the Advancement of Surgery in Ireland'' The Dublin Society of Surgeons was founded in 1780 at the Elephant public house on Essex Street (now Parliament Street). Trinity did not teach surgery as a subject until 1851, so Ireland was entirely without a school focused on surgery. To have a separate organization focused on providing standardised surgical education became one of the goals of the society and they lobbied for a Royal Charter, in 1781 presenting the

Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ...

a petition to be incorporated separately from the barbers. The awaited

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...

was granted by King George III on 11 February 1784. The governing body, including the first President, Samuel Croker-King, and William Dease, first professor of surgery, met in the boardroom of the Rotunda Hospital for the first time on 2 March.

Non-discrimination

Admission or employment was not subject to discrimination on sectarian grounds. Two of the RCSI's leading founders, Sylvester O'Halloran and William Dease, as well as 11 of its first 57 presidents, were Catholics. The college also recognized the medical qualifications given by the

Catholic University Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical univ ...

from 1856, which gave legitimacy to their diplomas.

18th and 19th centuries

The first candidate for examination was John Birch, in August 1784.

The RCSI's first location, at the corner of York Street, was acquired in September 1805, with additional land at Glover's Alley bought in 1809. The site was previously an abandoned

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

burial ground A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

. The Duke of Bedford laid the first stone of the new building on St. Patrick's Day, 1806 and building reached completion in March 1810. As of 2021, this remains the primary location of the institution. A supplemental charter was granted by Queen Victoria in 1844, dividing medical graduates into

Licentiates A licentiate (abbreviated Lic.) is an academic degree present in many countries, representing different educational levels. It may be similar to a master's degree when issued by pontifical universities and other universities in Europe, Latin A ...

and Fellows. Initially, physicians were trained alongside surgeons. In 1886 these two disciplines were merged, and the medical school began operation. As a result of this historical legacy, graduates of medicine still receive Licentiate diplomas from the two Royal Colleges as well as now being awarded MB ( Bachelor of Medicine) BCh ( Bachelor of Surgery) and BAO ( Bachelor of the Art of Obstetrics) degrees by the

National University of Ireland The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called ''university college, constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under t ...

. Now defunct subjects formerly taught include: Logic (1852–1862), Military Surgery (1851–1860) and botany (1792–1889).

20th century

During the

1916 Rising The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...

, the main college building on

St Stephen's Green St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by L ...

was occupied by Irish Citizen Army forces, led by Commandant Michael Mallin and Countess Markievicz. After surrendering, both were tried and sentenced to death. Mallin was executed while Markievicz's sentence was commuted due to her gender. The subject Hygiene or Political Medicine (1841–1921) was retired, and its Chair united with Medical Jurisprudence. The RCSI became the first medical institution of learning to offer a 4-year graduate entry programme for medicine in Ireland.

21st century

During the period 2014 – 2018, RCSI affiliated researchers collaborated with over 2,100 international academic and industry institutions producing over 2,900 co-authored publications. The university's field-weighted citation impact is twice the world average and scores in the top decile internationally in the ''

Times Higher Education World University Ranking The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'' (often referred to as the THE Rankings) is an annual publication of university rankings by the ''Times Higher Education'' (THE) magazine. The publisher had collaborated with Quacquarelli ...

'' (2020). In December 2019, the RCSI was authorised as a university, becoming the ninth in Ireland, following a change in legislation, and an application by the college. The long-sought change in status was complicated by the RCSI's status as a private body but eventually a standard process was created and the college met the conditions set out in it, and following ministerial approval, the change was endorsed by votes in both houses of the

Oireachtas The Oireachtas (, ), sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the Bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of: *The President of Ireland *The bicameralism, two houses of the Oireachtas ...

. This also made it the eleventh university on the island of Ireland, including The Queen's University of Belfast and Ulster University.

Associated hospitals

Since the 1980s Beaumont Hospital, Dublin has been the principal centre for medical training. Other affiliated hospitals include teaching hospitals such as Connolly Hospital, Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital,

St. Joseph's Hospital, Dublin St. Joseph's Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Naomh Seosamh) is a hospital in Raheny, on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland. It is used as a rehabilitation hospital for patients of the Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. History The hospital was founded in Ed ...

and University Hospital Waterford.

Academic structure

The institution has a structure of ''Faculties'' and ''Schools'', some parts of which focus more on undergraduate studies, some more on post-graduate and continuing professional education. The lead faculty is the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, with Schools as follows: * School of Medicine (largest medical school in Ireland; 5- or 6-year undergraduate programme, 4-year Graduate Entry Programme (GEM)) * Schools of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences (undergraduate, including MPharm, and post-graduate, education) * School of Physiotherapy (undergraduate and graduate-entry, and post-graduate, education) * School of Nursing & Midwifery (largest post-graduate nursing education provider in Ireland) * School of Postgraduate Studies (three Masters streams, MD and PhD studies) and two other units: * Institute of Leadership * Centre for Positive Psychology and Health The other faculties are: * Faculty of Radiologists (catering to radiologists and radiation oncologists) *

Faculty of Dentistry A dental school (school of dental medicine, school of dentistry, dental college) is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches dental medicine to prospective dentists and potentially other dental auxiliaries ...

* Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery * Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine, operated jointly with the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland Education is delivered using a structure of departments working across faculties and schools.

Research and innovation

RCSI is home to numerous healthcare research collaborations and centres. The university's research is focused on improving human health through "translational" research: clinical, laboratory-based and health service research informed by societal and global health challenges, and on improved diagnostics, therapeutics and devices; healthcare delivery issues; policy and clinical practice and enhancement of the quality of education of healthcare professionals. Strategic research themes include: * Biomaterials and regenerative medicine * Cancer * Neurological and psychiatric disorders * Population health * Health service issues * Surgical science and practice * Vascular biology

Admissions and values

RCSI is a culturally diverse, international organisation with alumni presence in almost every country in the world. More than 3,800 students representing 60 nations are typically enrolled in its Medicine (1,800), Pharmacy (200) and Physiotherapy (100) programmes. RCSI claims to have educated more than 26,000 alumni. It states that it values innovation, excellence, independence, academic freedom, diversity, tolerance and community and that it champions a patient-centric approach to its activities and endeavours. RCSI is the largest Irish medical school.

Student life

The Students' Union (SU) is an annually elected body, consisting of 8 officers. The SU is the institution's bridge between faculty and the student body and is invited to most meetings, ensuring that student voices are heard on a variety of topics. The SU works closely with the Student Council, which consists of class representatives from all classes at RCSI. Students at RCSI are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities that promote service in the community and cultural awareness. 80% of the student population is from outside the European Union, with a significant portion coming from North America, the Middle East and Asia. The Biological Society (BioSoc) is the official student society of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and claims to be the oldest student medical society in the world. The RCSI International Night and the Chocolate Ball (amongst many others) are their main annual events. RCSI has a sports ground in Dardistown in Dublin's northern suburbs.

International aspects and operations

The RCSI is active in medically-related sectors of education in multiple locations. During the South African Apartheid, for example, the RCSI provided medical education to those that were discriminated against. More than 60 countries from each continent are represented in the RCSI student body. In Malaysia the RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus, became the RCSI's "launching pad" in South-East Asia. Established in 1995, medical students may choose to complete their pre-clinical studies at either UCD or RCSI in Dublin, before continuing the clinical aspect of their degree in Penang. Also in Malaysia, Perdana University Royal College of Surgeon in Ireland (PU-RCSI) was established in 2011, aiming to host up to 100 students per year on its 5-year undergraduate medical programme, the first cohort to graduate in 2016. RCSI-Bahrain is a fully-owned constituent university of the RCSI, the first cohort of its students commencing medical studies in October 2004. Graduates are entitled to a Degree of Bachelor of Medicine, NUI, Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of Obstetrics MB, BCh, BAO (NUI, RCSI) degrees. In 2006, the Medical University of Bahrain established a new School of Nursing which took its first cohort of students in September 2006. Since 2009, students can also obtain the degrees conferred upon RCSI graduates from the

. In 2005, RCSI Dubai was founded and currently offers a master's programme in Healthcare Management. In 2007, the RCSI, in conjunction with Valentia Technologies, the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB), and Ireland's Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC), launched a unique training initiative with the Emergency Medical Services Dubai Training Institute. The aim is to better patient care and improve response times within Dubai's emergency ambulance services. For students at the home institution of the RCSI, options may be taken abroad as a result of collaborative agreements with other medical schools around the world. In 2007, these medical schools included Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Tufts University. There are also informal agreements with other institutions such as the Johns Hopkins University and

Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...

Motto and colours

The RCSI motto, "Consilio Manuque", was adopted from that of the ''College de St. Cosme'' in Paris, which had been afforded the motto by Louis XIV. It was originally "Consiloque Manuque", his personal motto.

Notable alumni

* Professor Abraham Colles of Anatomy, the first person to characterise the injury that was later on known as

Colles' fracture A Colles' fracture is a type of fracture of the distal forearm in which the broken end of the radius is bent backwards. Symptoms may include pain, swelling, deformity, and bruising. Complications may include damage to the median nerve. It typi ...

Felipe Contepomi Felipe Contepomi (born 20 August 1977) is an Argentine rugby coach who is currently the backs coach at Leinster Rugby. He was a rugby union footballer who played fly-half or centre; his last club was Club Newman, in the first division of the U ...

, former Argentina rugby union international. *

Surgeon Captain A naval surgeon, or less commonly ship's doctor, is the person responsible for the health of the ship's company aboard a warship. The term appears often in reference to Royal Navy's medical personnel during the Age of Sail. Ancient uses Speciali ...

Thomas Joseph Crean Major Dr. Thomas Joseph Crean, (19 April 1873 – 25 March 1923) was an Irish rugby union player, British Army soldier and doctor. During the Second Boer War, while serving with the Imperial Light Horse, he was awarded the Victoria Cross. In 1 ...

VC DSO (1873 to 1923), who later achieved the rank of

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. * Baron Darzi of Denham, Professor of Surgery, Imperial College London, and formerly the British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health * Sir

Alexander Dempsey Sir Alexander Dempsey, M.D. Royal Society of Medicine, FRSM, Justice of the Peace, JP (born 1852, Ballymoney, County Antrim — died 1920) was an Ireland, Irish physician, hospital administrator and magistrate. Educated at St Malachy's College ...

, M.D. FRSM, JP, physician, hospital administrator and magistrate. *

Emily Winifred Dickson Emily Winifred Dickson (13 July 1866 – 19 January 1944) was an Irish medical doctor who was the first female fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She was also the first female fellow of any of the Royal Colleges of Surgery in ...

(13 July 1866 – 1944), the first woman Fellow of any Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland or Great Britain * Patrick Dignan, major general, director of army surgery, British Army, between 1973 and 1978. * Sir Ian Fraser (1901-1999), president of the college and president of the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

, who introduced the widespread use of penicillin into military hospitals during the Second World War *

Nada Haffadh Nada Haffadh was Bahrain's first female cabinet minister when she was appointed Minister of Health in 2004, serving in the position until September 2007. Previously she served in Bahrain's upper house of parliament, the Consultative Council. Bi ...

, Bahrain's first female minister when she was appointed Minister of Health in 2004 * Ravi Kant, professor of surgery, Padma Shri award winner(2016) and vice chancellor of King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India. * Karl Mullen, Irish Rugby Union player and captain of the Grand Slam-winning Irish team in 1948 * Pat O'Callaghan, Irish gold medallist at both the

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

and

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

Olympic Games * Ian Robertson, former star of the Dublin gaelic football team * Sir William Stokes, knighted for his contribution in the field of surgery. * Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, first Malaysian to be awarded the MacNaughton-Jones gold medal for Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1977; a MP, the first president of the Malaysian People's Justice Party, the first female Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister and wife to current Malaysia’s 10th prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim. *

Sir William Wilde Sir William Robert Wills Wilde FRCSI (March 1815 – 19 April 1876) was an Irish oto-ophthalmologic surgeon and the author of significant works on medicine, archaeology and folklore, particularly concerning his native Ireland. He was the fath ...

, surgeon, author and father of

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

T.G. Wilson Thomas George Wilson FRCSI FRCSE FRCS FACS FRSM MRIA HRHA (1 July 1901 – 6 November 1969) was an eminent Anglo-Irish surgeon and medical administrator specialising in otorhinolaryngology, a field to which he made significant contributions ...

, President of the RCSI (1958–61), author, founder of the Journal of the College (1963)

Notable honorary fellows

* Benjamin Bell (1784) * Percivall Pott (1788, posthumous) * John Hunter (1790) * John Abernethy, Astley Cooper, Antonio Scarpa, Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring (1821) *

Georges Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French natural history, naturalist and zoology, zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier ...

(1831) *

Friedrich Tiedemann Friedrich Tiedemann Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS HFRSE (23 August 178122 January 1861) was a German anatomist and physiologist. He was an expert on the anatomy of the brain. Tiedemann spent most of his life as professor of anatomy and physi ...

(1836) *

Benjamin Collins Brodie Benjamin Collins Brodie may refer to: *Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Baronet (1783–1862), English physiologist and surgeon *Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 2nd Baronet Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 2nd Baronet FRS (5 February 181724 Novembe ...

(1838) *

Richard Owen Sir Richard Owen (20 July 1804 – 18 December 1892) was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and paleontologist. Owen is generally considered to have been an outstanding naturalist with a remarkable gift for interpreting fossils. Owe ...

(1849) *

William Bowman William, Willie, Will, Bill, or Billy Bowman may refer to: Sportspeople * Bill Bowman (baseball) (1867–1944), American baseball player for the Chicago Colts * William Bowman (fencer) (1881–1947), American Olympic fencer * Bill Bowman (American ...

(1867) * Samuel Haughton (1873) * Hermann von Helmholtz (1881) *

Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, the latter of which was named afte ...

, Joseph Lister, Thomas Henry Huxley, James Paget,

Thomas Spencer Wells Sir Thomas Spencer Wells, 1st Baronet (3 February 181831 January 1897) was surgeon to Queen Victoria, a medical professor and president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Early life He was born at St Albans, Hertfordshire and receive ...

(1886) * John Eric Erichsen, Jonathan Hutchinson (1887) *

Thomas Heazle Parke Thomas Heazle Parke (1857–1893) was an Irish physician, British Army officer and author who was known for his work as a doctor on the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. Early life Parke was born on 27 November 1857 at Clogher House in Kilmor ...

(1889) *

John Shaw Billings John Shaw Billings (April 12, 1838 – March 11, 1913) was an American librarian, building designer, and surgeon. However, he is best known as the modernizer of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office of the Army. His work with Andrew Carn ...

Hermann Snellen Herman Snellen (February 19, 1834 – January 18, 1908) was a Dutch ophthalmologist who introduced the Snellen chart to study visual acuity (1862). He took over directorship of the Netherlands Hospital for Eye Patients (Nederlandsch Gasthuis voo ...

(1892) *

(1902) * Anthony Traill (1905) * Henri Hartmann, Alfred Henry Keogh, Almoth Edward Wright (1906) *

William Macewen Sir William Macewen, (; 22 June 1848 – 22 March 1924) was a Scottish surgeon. He was a pioneer in modern brain surgery, considered the ''father of neurosurgery'' and contributed to the development of bone graft surgery, the surgical treat ...

(1912) * Berkley Moynihan (1913) *

Harvey Cushing Harvey Williams Cushing (April 8, 1869 – October 7, 1939) was an American neurosurgeon, pathologist, writer, and draftsman. A pioneer of brain surgery, he was the first exclusive neurosurgeon and the first person to describe Cushing's disease. ...

(1918) * Arthur William Patrick Albert (1919) * William Mayo and Charles Mayo, William Williams Keen (1921) * Alfred Webb-Johnson (1948) * Cecil Pembrey Grey (1954) *

Seán T. O'Kelly Seán Thomas O'Kelly ( ga, Seán Tomás Ó Ceallaigh; 25 August 1882 – 23 November 1966), originally John T. O'Kelly, was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the second president of Ireland from June 1945 to June 1959. He also serve ...

(1958) *

Benjamin Guinness Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, 1st Baronet (1 November 1798 – 19 May 1868) was an Irish brewer and philanthropist. Brewer Born in Dublin, he was the third son of the second Arthur Guinness (1768–1855), and his wife Anne Lee, and a grandson of ...

(1961) * Éamon de Valera,

Arthur Porritt Colonel Arthur Espie Porritt, Baron Porritt, (10 August 1900 – 1 January 1994) was a New Zealand physician, military surgeon, statesman and athlete. He won a bronze medal at the 1924 Summer Olympics in the 100 m sprint. He served as the ...

(1964) * Michael Ellis De Bakey (1967) *

Bryan Guinness Bryan Walter Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne, (27 October 1905 – 6 July 1992) was an heir to part of the Guinness family brewing fortune, and a lawyer, poet and novelist. He was briefly married to Diana Mitford. Early life He was born to W ...

Walter Mackenzie Walter Campbell Mackenzie (August 17, 1909December 15, 1978) was a Canadian surgeon and academic. Born in Glace Bay, Cape Breton, Mackenzie received his BSc in 1927 and MD in 1932 from Dalhousie University and was honoured as one of two Malcolm ...

(1968) *

Denis Parsons Burkitt Denis Parsons Burkitt, MD, FRCS(Ed), FRS (28 February 1911 – 23 March 1993) was an Irish surgeon who made significant advances in health, such as the etiology of a pediatric cancer, now called Burkitt's lymphoma, and the finding that rat ...

Francis Daniels Moore Francis Daniels Moore (April 17, 1913, in Evanston, Illinois – November 24, 2001, in Westwood, Massachusetts) was an American surgeon who was a pioneer in numerous experimental surgical treatments. Among his many achievements, he refined burn-t ...

(1973) * Cearbhall O'Dalaigh (1975) *

J. Hartwell Harrison, M.D. John Hartwell Harrison (February 16, 1909January 20, 1984) was an American urologic surgeon, professor, and author. He performed the first human organ removal for transplant to another. This was a pivotal undertaking as a member of the medical ...

(1976) * Patrick Hillery (1977) *

Robert B. Salter Robert Bruce Salter (December 15, 1924 – May 10, 2010) was a Canadian surgeon and a pioneer in the field of pediatric orthopaedic surgery. Born in Stratford, Ontario, he graduated in medicine from the University of Toronto in 1947, worked for ...

(1978) *

John W. Kirklin John Webster Kirklin (April 5, 1917 – April 21, 2004) was an American cardiothoracic surgeon, general surgeon, prolific author and medical educator who is best remembered for refining John Heysham Gibbon, John Gibbon's cardiopulmonary bypass, h ...

(1979) *

Daoud Hanania Daoud Anastas Hanania ( ar, داود حنانيا) (born 1934 in Jerusalem) is a Jordanian heart surgeon. Hanania is a former Lieutenant General in the Jordanian Armed Forces and former Senator in the Jordanian Parliament. Family background and e ...

(1980) * Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1988) *

Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-lah ( Jawi: ; 19 April 1928 – 28 May 2014) was the 34th Sultan of Perak and served as the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1989 to 25 ...

(1991) * Mahathir bin Mohamad (1991), Prime Minister of Malaysia * Mary Robinson (1994), former President of Ireland * Emir Shaikh Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifa (1995) * Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1995) *

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

(1996) * Alfred Cuschieri (1996), professor * Seamus Heaney (1998) * Mary McAleese (1998), former President of Ireland * Sultan Azlan Shah The Yang Di Pertuan Agong IX (2000) * Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum (2004) * Bertie Ahern (2006), former Taoiseach *

Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (; born 5 October 1951) is an Irish singer-songwriter, and political activist. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s as lead singer of the Rock music in Ireland, Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, who achieved ...

(2007) * Jimmy Carter (2007), former US President

Honorary degrees

The RCSI was granted independent degree-awarding status by the

Irish government The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...

in 2010, which also allowed the then college, now university, to award honorary degrees. Among others, the following individuals have received honorary doctorates from the RCSI. * 2011: Mary McAleese, President of Ireland (1997–2011) * 2013: The Baron Darzi of Denham, FRCSI, surgeon and former British health minister * 2014: Abraham Verghese - Doctor of Science, professor at

Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine is the medical school of Stanford University and is located in Stanford, California. It traces its roots to the Medical Department of the University of the Pacific, founded in San Francisco in 1858. This ...

* 2016: Nezam H. Afdhal, Chief of Hepatology and Director of the Liver Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Boston and Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; RCSI Class of 1981 * 2017: Bennet Omalu, forensic pathologist/neuropathologist, Chief Medical Examiner for San Joaquin County, California, and Clinical Professor of Medical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California at Davis * 2018: Barbara Murphy, Murray M. Rosenberg Professor of Medicine, Dean for Clinical Integration and Population Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York; RCSI Class of 1989 * 2018: Siddhartha Mukherjee, Associate Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Centre, New York * 2019: Sally Davies,

Chief Medical Officer for England In the United Kingdom, a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is the most senior government advisor on matter relating to health. There are four CMOs in the United Kingdom who are appointed to advise their respective governments: * His Majesty's Governm ...

and Chief Medical Advisor to the UK Government Department of Health and Social Care; professor * 2019:

Garret A. FitzGerald Garret Adare FitzGerald is an Irish physician. He is professor of in translational medicine and Therapeutics and chair of the department of pharmacology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania.Perelman School of Medicine of the University of PennsylvaniaRCSI celebrates graduates at summer conferring ceremonies
- website of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland * 2020: Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of '' The Lancet'' * 2021: Martin Seligman, Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology and Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania; founder of Positive Psychology as a field of scientific study