RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) is, this week, welcoming 455 new students to the College to study Medicine, Physiotherapy and Pharmacy during Orientation Week 2013 which began on Monday, 30 September.

This year's undergraduate intake of 373 medical students, 50 pharmacy students and 32 physiotherapy students came from Ireland and a host of other countries across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI gave an opening address on the first morning, welcoming the new students to RCSI. Further welcome speeches were delivered by Philip Curtis, Associate Director of Admissions and Student Services and Dr Orna Tighe, Vice Dean for Student Affairs. Students were then introduced to academic and administrative staff of the College, as well as other aspects of student life at RCSI such as the Student Union, Clubs and Societies and library services in the College.

A special reception for staff, students and their families was held on Monday evening where Professor Cathal Kelly, CEO/Registrar, RCSI gave an overview of the College in the O'Flanagan Lecture Theatre, followed by a unique perspective on RCSI and some of its distinguished graduates, presented by Professor Clive Lee, Head of the Department of Anatomy. The President's Reception was then held in the College Hall and Boardroom, where new students and their families got the opportunity to meet with RCSI academics and staff.

The 2013 Buddy Programme got underway with second and third year pharmacy, physiotherapy and medical students volunteering to act as ‘buddies' for the new students this year. The Buddies provide an invaluable resource in the form of friendly, knowledgeable and experienced students, who welcome the new students to RCSI for the first time and provide them with first-hand knowledge about the college, the courses, extra-curricular activities and student life in Dublin.

On Tuesday evening, 1 October, the Annual Undergraduate Prize-Giving Ceremony held in conjunction with a White Coat Ceremony will be held in the Exam Hall. The White Coat Ceremony is a welcome event for new undergraduate students which symbolises the professional nature of the careers on which they are about to embark. The evening also comprises of an awards ceremony for students from Foundation Year through to Senior Cycle in RCSI who achieved excellence to date, together with some short presentations by students, the Dean and members of Faculty.

The week-long orientation doesn't end there as later in the week the students have the Fresher's Festival on Wednesday in Dardistown; sign-up day for the Clubs and Societies on Thursday to look forward to and, finally, a ballad session on Friday. The week's activities and events are being organised by various departments across the College including Admissions, Student Services, Student Academic and Regulatory Affairs (SARA), and staff from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences as well as the Student's Union.