UCC Medical Students Battle Dragons

16 Mar 2016

The School of Medicine, University College Cork (UCC), has launched a new module called ‘Business Skills in Medicine’ to their undergraduate medical curriculum. It is designed to expose medical students to the business skills required to develop cost-effective practices.

The module reaches its peak at the ‘The Big Pitch’, where student groups are invited to present their final pitch to a “Dragons’ Den” style panel of experts. This year’s expert panel are representatives from the world of business, including individuals from UCC’s School of Economics, IGNITE UCC’s Graduate Business Innovation Programme, CIT and the Bank of Ireland.

Ireland’s Doctors are not immune to the financial challenges facing almost every sector of the economy. In order to overcome these challenges, UCC’s School of Medicine has allowed the introduction of this module, which focuses on developing medical students’ business acumen.

Dr Brad Noel MICGP,FRCPI, Module Facilitator, Medical Education Unit, School of Medicine, UCC states that “Business Skills in Medicine’’ is a new module offered as part of the UCC Undergraduate Medical Student Selected Components (SSC) programme. It is a timely and innovative course which exposes medical students to the considerations of business planning for cutting edge modern services provision.”

As part of the module, students are required to participate in a group project involving the development of a business proposal in a healthcare-related sector. This year’s projects are ‘Creating a Primary Care Centre’ and ‘Creating a Consultants Clinic’.

With ‘Business Skills in Medicine’, UCC is leading the next generation towards modern innovative, cost-effective healthcare of Ireland's patients.

The module is offered in collaboration with the Cork Business Community, the Bank of Ireland, Stratton Partners, UCC School of Business, CIT and UCC Alumni.