The Interviewers..

Michael Murphy is Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health and Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, at University College, Cork. Since assuming leadership in 2000 he has overseen a programme of expansion and diversification, increasing the number of professional degree programmes from two (Medicine and Dentistry) to six (Nursing, Pharmacy, Speech Therapy and Occupational therapy), which will provide education, training and research opportunities for almost 3,000 students at steady state. The associated capital investment programme, the largest since the foundation of the faculty in 1845, exceeds Euros 100 million.

A 1976 graduate of the Medical School at UCC, Prof. Murphy undertook specialist training in Internal Medicine at University College, Dublin, and in Clinical Pharmacology at The Royal Postgraduate Medical School (now within Imperial College) and Hammersmith Hospital, London. During eight years at The University of Chicago he held faculty appointments in the Depts. of Medicine, Pharmacological and Physiological Sciences. He was chairman of Clinical Pharmacology from 1989-92.

Prof. Murphy has authored over 100 publications on therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular risk factors and disease, and has led several large international clinical trials. He has held office in many international and domestic professional organizations, government and industrial advisory panels. A past chairman of the Health Research Board of Ireland, he has recently been appointed to the Board of the Irish Health Service Executive.

• Prof Murphy was "the S" (refer to my previous post) who did all the talkings and questioning during my interview. He was so friendly and he made me feel comfortable throughout the interview.
  

Shaun McCann graduated in Medicine from University College Dublin in 1970. Following postgraduate training in Dublin and The University of Minnesota, USA, he was appointed as a Lecturer in Haematology at The University of Dublin, Trinity College in 1978. In 1983 he was appointed as Consultant Haematologist in St James’s Hospital, Dublin and in 1995 was appointed as George Gabriel Stokes Professor of Haematology in The University of Dublin, Trinity College. He was appointed as National Medical Director of The Blood Transfusion Service Board by invitation of The Minister for Health and Children for 18 months in 1995 and subsequently became a Board Member.

He carried out the first successful stem cell transplant for leukaemia in Ireland in 1984 and has since been Director of the National Unit which has performed over 800 stem cell transplants. He was the first president of The Haematology Association of Ireland and is a member of a number of Working Parties of The European Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Group. He has been an active researcher into the diagnosis and treatment of haematological malignancies, aplastic anaemia and all aspects of stem cell transplantation. He is the author of over 130 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and numerous book chapters. He has a longstanding interest in undergraduate teaching and is the author of a text book in Haematology, Case-Based Haematology in 2005.

• Frankly, i'm hoping I would be selected to go to Trinity Coll. Dublin. Perhaps because more Malaysians are in Dublin. Prof McCann didnt talk much during the interview as he was busy jotting down points and notes while I was answering the Qs. Of course I made more eye contacts with Mr Murphy instead of him because I was answering to Prof Murphy's questions..Had I know Prof McCann is from TCD, I would talk to him more and ask questions about TCD to ensure my chance to enter TCD is higher..
  

Dublin- wayyy up there..and Cork- wayyyy down there..
Anywayyyyyss, whether it's Dublin or Cork, I just hope I could fly 7000 miles awayyy from Malaysia and complete my DDS with flying colours..



My IELTS is postponed to 23rd of February because the teacher forgot to register us for the test. LOL..Since IUMC will be considering the IELTS result before they would come up with the list of successful applicants, I really need to work hard to nail it! ONE down TWO more to go baby...ahak ahaks...