This week RCSI welcomed 470 new students to the College to study Medicine, Physiotherapy and Pharmacy at Orientation Week 2014 which ran from 8-11 September.

This year's undergraduate intake of 385 medical students, 55 pharmacy students and 30 physiotherapy students come from Ireland and a host of other countries across Europe, North America, Australia, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. 60 of these students will then go on to study at Penang Medical College (PMC) after completing their pre-clinical programme in Dublin.

Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI greeted the new intake of students with an opening address on Monday, 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 Support and Development. 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 Students' Union, Clubs and Societies and library services within the College.

Later on the Monday 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. This was followed by the special ‘President's Reception’ for students and their families in the College Hall and Boardroom. This event gave new students the opportunity to meet with Mr Declan Magee, President of RCSI and a number of other academics and staff.

The 2014 Buddy Programme also 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.

The White Coat Ceremony is a significant event for our new undergraduate students as it symbolises the professional nature of the careers on which they are about to embark. The evening also comprises of an awards ceremony for over 50 students who achieved excellence to date, together with some short presentations by students and members of Faculty.

This week the new students also received their Apple Mac Book Air 13-inch laptops, provided by the IT Department and got set up on the RCSI network and collect their student cards.

On Tuesday, 9 September, the Annual Undergraduate Prize-Giving Ceremony was held in conjunction with a White Coat Ceremony 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 comprised 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 ceremony was live streamed so that families and friends of students attending the White Coat Ceremony will be able to follow proceedings.

The week-long orientation doesn't end there as this week is also Fresher's Week for the students. There are a number of social events organised for students including sign-up day for the multitude of Clubs & Societies in the College on Wednesday, 10 September; the Fresher's Festival on Thursday in the RCSI sports grounds in Dardistown and then a ballad session on Friday in Dublin's Vicar St venue to close the week, to name but a few. 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.