All the buzz of Mini Med Day 2024

Posted on: 11 April 2024

All children in attendance were from DEIS designated schools across the capital and are pupils of 5^th and 6^th class. The event is hosted by TAP (Trinity Access Programmes) in collaboration with the TCD Med Day Committee and the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Trinity’s Professor Luke O’Neill began the morning with an interactive and exciting talk in the School of Medicine about his professional life as an immunologist and the weird and wonderful world of our immune systems. Luke explained how diseases like cancer, asthma and Alzheimers are caused when our immune system goes awry. 

He encouraged the students to consider a career in science and medicine at Trinity College.

"We need you. We want you to make new discoveries," he said.

"All science begins with a question," he continued. " And the job of science is to answer questions."

Following Luke's talk, pupils headed to Unit 18, Macken Street, the community space provided by Trinity College on our Trinity East campus, where the pupils tried on scrubs and lab coats and joined the TCD Med Day Committee student volunteers for a series of interactive, hands-on sessions on CPR training, testing pulse and heart rates, checking vitals, reflexes and x-rays.

Wendy Crampton, Director of Trinity Access Programmes (TAP), said:

"We are immensely grateful to the student volunteers of the Med Day committee and Trinity College staff for collaborating with the Trinity Access Programmes for Mini-Med Day. This event aims to inspire young minds in DEIS primary schools across Dublin, not only by opening doors to future careers in health sciences and medicine, but also by nurturing a spirit of curiosity and possibility.

It is a vital part of our larger Primary Maths and Science education programme which includes 30 workshops and welcomes over 1,000 primary students onto campus.

This partnership exemplifies Trinity's commitment to community education, inclusivity and innovative outreach."

Wendy Crampton, Director of Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) and Professor Luke O'Neill are joined by 5th and 6th year pupils from O’Connell’s Primary, Scoil Chaitriona, Baggot Street, St Anne’s Primary School, Fettercairn, St Laurence O’Toole’s CBS and South City CNS Dublin at Mini Med Day 2024

Professor Luke O’Neill, Chair of Biochemistry, Trinity College Dublin, said:

“I’m delighted to be speaking to primary school students at the ‘Mini Med day’. It’s a great opportunity to get them excited about medicine and science. They are tomorrow’s doctors and we need them, especially given the pace medical science is moving. My aim is to tell them about immunology and medicine in a way that’s fun and hopefully inspiring.”

Trinity’s MedDay Committee is a charitable student-led organisation that is run by Trinity College’s medical students. It raises money for worthy healthcare projects.  Since its foundation in 2002, Trinity Med Day has raised over €900,000 for vital local health services and has become an important day in the calendar of the School of Medicine, getting staff, students and consultants alike involved in the fundraising efforts.

Joy Cloonan, Chairperson of the Med Day Committee said:

“The MedDay Committee have had a fantastically successful year so far, raising €83,500 for projects in Trinity's teaching hospitals.

Working with students with Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) is a highlight for our committee every year. We already collaborate with TAP in running a secondary school version of the day, so we are very excited to extend our partnership with TAP by now inviting primary school pupils into Trinity to show them what life is like as a student doctor.”

The Committee has become a valued partner and collaborator with TAP student events assisting in the organisation of the ‘Secondary School TAP Med Day’ each year. Schools that are attending the event tomorrow are: O’Connell’s Primary, Scoil Chaitriona, Baggot Street, St Anne’s Primary School, Fettercairn, St Laurence O’Toole’s CBS and South City CNS.

• Tags:
• Community
• Health
• Society