Noor Al-Humaidhi

MA Medical Law and Ethics

Enrolling on the MA Medical Law and Ethics was quite a leap of faith for me. I graduated from medical school in Ireland in 2006 and began my training at a tertiary referral centre in Dublin shortly thereafter. Working extremely long hours in a busy hospital, it was difficult to think clearly about what I wanted to do with my career, let alone where my next few hours of sleep would come from. That is why I decided to take some time to explore my options and try something different. As I had done some research in the intensive care unit and seen so many legal and ethically challenging situations, I felt that I wanted to explore these issues further.

It was a simple internet search that brought this course to my attention. As soon as learned more about it, I knew this was exactly what I was looking for. I applied and was delighted to be accepted on the course commencing in the autumn of 2007. Prior to the start of the course we were sent some reading material to prepare. I found the reading initially quite daunting as I had really only ever done science and maths and the reading on ethics and law was a completely different challenge, to say the least.

My apprehension could not have been more unfounded. As soon as I arrived on the course I was made to feel welcome and included. All the teaching staff took the time to explain the intricacies of the law that I did not understand and were always interested in my thoughts and opinions. The course was set up as a series of seminars, so we were not just lectured but encouraged to prepare background reading and engage in discussion. I found this particularly stimulating as I was exposed to the thoughts and opinions of other students in the class from a huge range of cultural and professional backgrounds.

The teaching staff are of the highest calibre, and also from very diverse backgrounds. They were not only interested in my work on the course but were also eager to get to know the students personally. We often had social evenings where they were not only happy to discuss dissertation topics etc but also eager to impart advice about possible career plans. The course has been a wonderful opportunity for me to examine the day-to-day duties of a doctor in a completely different light.

Make no mistake, the course is intensive and requires quite a large amount of background reading, but it delivers in equal measure. It has enriched my knowledge and opened my eyes to a wide range of possible career opportunities. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the medical field as it forces you to question and re-examine issues that you may have thought were simple and straight forward.