Move establishes hospital as educational affiliate of south Dublin university
A new agreement between St John of God Hospital and the UCD School of Medicine will see the psychiatric facility take on the status of ‘University Hospital’ from this week.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed by both institutions, setting out the hospital’s role as an educational affiliate of UCD.
Already long established as a teaching hospital, the agreement formalises St John of God’s work in delivering psychiatry clinical placements for both undergraduate and graduate-entry medical students from the south Dublin university.
As a result of this agreement, the Stillorgan facility will now officially be known as St John of God University Hospital.
“The Memorandum of Understanding represents a pivotal step forward in medical education,” said St John of God’s clinical director Prof Jennifer Hoblyn.
“By partnering with UCD, we hope to continue providing valuable opportunities to students but also support our own model of care at St John of God University Hospital through fresh perspectives and academic collaboration.”
UCD professor of adult psychiatry Brian O’Donoghue added: “This important MOU creates a significant step in bridging academic theory and clinical practice – something we focus on at UCD.
“Through this partnership, our students can immerse themselves in a clinical environment, where they will develop their skills under the guidance of experienced psychiatrists. St John of God University Hospital has several innovative clinical programmes, which will provide a unique experience for UCD medical students.”
St John of God is a not-for-profit, independent acute psychiatric teaching hospital with 180 in-patient beds.
The hospital currently provides specialist services in substance misuse, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, psychiatry of later life and adolescent disorders.
The MOU between St John of God University Hospital and UCD establishes a comprehensive clinical education programme where students will engage in eight structured rotational placements at the hospital between April and November.
These placements are designed to develop the students’ clinical skills, allowing them to take psychiatric histories, attend ward rounds and clinics and build an understanding of common acute and chronic mental health presentations within inpatient and community settings.
Beyond the clinical placements, this agreement includes robust quality assurance frameworks to ensure educational excellence. Students will participate in detailed placement feedback, adhere clearly to professional conduct standards and benefit from the expertise of the consultant psychiatrists at the Hospital who are involved in teaching as adjunct academic staff at UCD.
As well as UCD, St John of God is affiliated with Dublin City University for postgraduate education and the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Irish College of Psychiatrists for postgraduate training in psychiatry.
