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 Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

and incorporates schools of

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

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 Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate education in a number of healthcare fields. The RCSI achieved Ireland's highest position in the ''

Times Higher Education ''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Ownership TPG Capital acquired TSL 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 Guilds of the City of Dublin were associations of trade and craft practitioners, with regulatory, mutual benefit and shared religious purposes. In their eventual number they were sometimes called the "25 ''minor corporations''", in contrast ...

, 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 A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

, 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 Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

. Guild membership was obtained by a 3-year

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners ...

, 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 A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...

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 Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

, 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 The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

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 A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...

. 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 George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

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 The Rotunda Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal an Rotunda; legally the Hospital for the Relief of Poor Lying-in Women, Dublin) is a maternity hospital on Parnell Street in Dublin, Ireland, now managed by RCSI Hospitals. The eponymous Rotunda in Parnell Squ ...

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 Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

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 Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

) BCh (

Bachelor of Surgery Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

) 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 Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...

(1792–1889).

20th century

During the 1916 Rising, 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 The Irish Citizen Army (), or ICA, was a small paramilitary group of trained trade union volunteers from the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union (ITGWU) established in Dublin for the defence of workers' demonstrations from the Dublin M ...

forces, led by Commandant

Michael Mallin Michael Thomas Christopher Mallin ( ga, Micheál Ó Mealláin; 1 December 1874 – 8 May 1916) was an Irish republican, Socialist and devout Catholic who took an active role in the Easter Rising of 1916. He was a silk weaver, the co-founder wi ...

and

Countess Markievicz Constance Georgine Markievicz ( pl, Markiewicz ; ' Gore-Booth; 4 February 1868 – 15 July 1927), also known as Countess Markievicz and Madame Markievicz, was an Irish politician, revolutionary, nationalist, suffragist, socialist, and the firs ...

. 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 , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

and

Ulster University sco, Ulstèr Universitie , image = Ulster University coat of arms.png , caption = , motto_lang = , mottoeng = , latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae , established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...

Associated hospitals

Since the 1980s

Beaumont Hospital, Dublin Beaumont Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Beaumont) is a large teaching hospital located in Beaumont, Dublin, Ireland. It is managed by RCSI Hospitals - one of the hospital groups established by the Health Service Executive. Its academic partner is th ...

has been the principal centre for medical training. Other affiliated hospitals include teaching hospitals such as

Connolly Hospital The Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown ( ga, Ospidéal Uí Chonghaile Baile Bhlainséir) is a teaching hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland. It is managed by RCSI Hospitals. History The hospital, which was initially established as a t ...

Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital The Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (also known as The Eye and Ear) ( ga, Ospidéal Ríoga Victoria Súl agus Cluas) is a public teaching hospital in Dublin, Ireland. The Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital in Dublin was founded in 1895 and ...

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 * 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 The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

, 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 Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

, 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 Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

the RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus, became the RCSI's "launching pad" in

South-East Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

. 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

, 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 The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain) formerly known as the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI-MUB; Irish: ''Coláiste Ríoga na Máinleá in Éirinn'') is a constituent universi ...

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 Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

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 Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

was founded and currently offers a

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

programme in Healthcare Management. In 2007, the RCSI, in conjunction with Valentia Technologies, the

Dublin Fire Brigade The Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB; ga, Briogáid Dóiteáin Átha Cliath) is the local authority fire service, fire and rescue service and ambulance service for Dublin, Dublin City and the majority of the Greater Dublin Area. It is a branch of Dub ...

(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 Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

, and

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...

. There are also informal agreements with other institutions such as the

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

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 A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

, "Consilio Manuque", was adopted from that of the ''College de St. Cosme'' in Paris, which had been afforded the motto by

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

. 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 *

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 Thomas Joseph Crean 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 Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

, and formerly the British

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...

* 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 (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 The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, 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 World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

* Nada Haffadh,

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...

's first female minister when she was appointed Minister of Health in 2004 * Ravi Kant, professor of surgery,

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

award winner(2016) and vice chancellor of King George's Medical University, Lucknow, India. *

Karl Mullen Dr Karl Daniel Mullen (26 November 1926 – 27 April 2009) was an Irish rugby union player and consultant gynaecologist who captained the Irish rugby team and captained the British Lions on their 1950 tour to Australia and New Zealand. Mulle ...

, Irish

Rugby Union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

player and captain of the

Grand Slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

-winning Irish team in 1948 *

Pat O'Callaghan Patrick "Pat" O'Callaghan (28 January 1906 – 1 December 1991) was an Irish people, Irish Athletics (sport), athlete and Olympic Games, Olympic Olympic Gold Medal, gold medallist. He was the first athlete from Ireland to win an Olympic medal un ...

, 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 Summer Olympics, 1932 Olympic Games *Ian Robertson (Gaelic footballer), Ian Robertson, former star of the Dublin GAA, Dublin gaelic football team *William Stokes (surgeon), 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. *William Wilde, Sir William Wilde, surgeon, author and father of Oscar Wilde *T.G. Wilson, 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 (surgeon), John Hunter (1790) * John Abernethy (surgeon), John Abernethy, Astley Cooper, Antonio Scarpa, Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring (1821) * Georges Cuvier (1831) * Friedrich Tiedemann (1836) * Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, 1st Baronet, Benjamin Collins Brodie (1838) * Richard Owen (1849) * Sir William Bowman, 1st Baronet, William Bowman (1867) * Samuel Haughton (1873) * Hermann von Helmholtz (1881) * Louis Pasteur, Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, Joseph Lister, Thomas Henry Huxley, James Paget, Thomas Spencer Wells (1886) * John Eric Erichsen, Jonathan Hutchinson (1887) * Thomas Heazle Parke (1889) * John Shaw Billings, Hermann Snellen (1892) * Thomas Joseph Crean (1902) * Anthony Traill (college provost), Anthony Traill (1905) * Henri Albert Hartmann, Henri Hartmann, Alfred Keogh, Alfred Henry Keogh, Almroth WAlmoth Edward Wright (1906) * William Macewen (1912) * Berkeley Moynihan, 1st Baron Moynihan, Berkley Moynihan (1913) * Harvey Cushing (1918) * Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, Arthur William Patrick Albert (1919) * William James Mayo, William Mayo and Charles Horace Mayo, Charles Mayo, William Williams Keen (1921) * Baron Webb-Johnson, Alfred Webb-Johnson (1948) * Cecil Wakeley, Cecil Pembrey Grey (1954) * Seán T. O'Kelly (1958) * Benjamin Guinness, 3rd Earl of Iveagh, Benjamin Guinness (1961) * Éamon de Valera, Arthur Porritt, Baron Porritt, Arthur Porritt (1964) * Michael E. DeBakey, Michael Ellis De Bakey (1967) * Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne, Bryan Guinness, Walter Mackenzie (1968) * Denis Parsons Burkitt, Francis Daniels Moore (1973) * Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, Cearbhall O'Dalaigh (1975) * J. Hartwell Harrison, M.D. (1976) * Patrick Hillery (1977) * Robert B. Salter (1978) * John W. Kirklin (1979) * Daoud Hanania (1980) * Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1988) * Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak (1991) * Mahathir bin Mohamad (1991), Prime Minister of Malaysia * Mary Robinson (1994), former President of Ireland * Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah, Emir Shaikh Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifa (1995) * Mother Teresa, Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1995) * Nelson Mandela (1996) * Alfred Cuschieri (1996), professor * Seamus Heaney (1998) * Mary McAleese (1998), former President of Ireland * Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah The Yang Di Pertuan Agong IX (2000) * Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum (2004) * Bertie Ahern (2006), former Taoiseach * Bob Geldof (2007) * Jimmy Carter (2007), former US President

Honorary degrees

The RCSI was granted independent degree-awarding status by the Government of Ireland, Irish government 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: Ara Darzi, Baron Darzi of Denham, 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 * 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 (doctor), Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England and Chief Medical Advisor to the UK Government Department of Health and Social Care; professor * 2019: Garret A. FitzGerald, physician and professor at the 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), 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