Representatives from RCSI travelled to Penang, Malaysia recently to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Penang Medical College (PMC).

They also attended the undergraduate conferring ceremony at the College which took place on Sunday, 2 July.

Approximately 120 students were conferred with Degrees of Bachelor of Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics (MB, BCh and BAO) at the ceremony and guests included Professor Gerald O’Sullivan, President of RCSI; Dr Garret FitzGerald, Chancellor of the National University of Ireland (NUI); Professor Kevin O'Malley, President of RCSI-Medical University of Bahrain (MUB); Mr Michael Horgan, RCSI CEO; His Excellence Mr Eugene Hutchinson, Irish Ambassador to Malaysia; The Honourable Chief Minister of Penang, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon; and Professor William Powderly, Head of the School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin (UCD).

PMC represents a unique partnership in medical education between the Penang State Government, RCSI and UCD. With an initial student intake of just 14 when it was established a decade ago, this number has now risen almost ten-fold to 120. Based on the concept of twinning, students spend their pre-clinical years in RCSI or UCD, in Dublin and return to Malaysia for clinical training.

Commenting on the tenth anniversary, RCSI President Professor Gerald O’Sullivan said, “The Medical College has gone from strength-to-strength since its establishment. Its success is testament to what can be achieved through a mixture of dedication, hard work and collaboration.”