Aislinn Joy

Dr. Aislinn Joy, Senior Lecturer in Medical Education, was first appointed to University College Cork (UCC) as Lecturer in Medical Education in 2007.

Prior to this, after graduating from UCC Medicine in 1995, she worked mainly in tertiary hospital-based acute clinical care (Surgery and Emergency Medicine) for 10 years. During this time, she also trained as an Irish Heart Foundation simulation-based ACLS instructor and became medical director for Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) courses for another 10 years.

She has a PhD in Education for her research on how to support synchronous collaborative learning during distance simulations for health professions' education. Other research interests include: innovating teaching and learning pedagogies (all contexts); interprofessional Learning (IPL); human factors ergonomics for patient safety education & surgical practice; and themes within the medical humanities. Dr. Joy is currently supervising three PhD students in these areas. Her interest in the medical humanities (e.g. History of Medicine) has also led her to pursue an MA in Gaelic Literature and Culture at UCC, with a dissertation on the Materia Medica of Tadhg Ó Cuinn (c.1415).

Current leadership roles include that of Vice Dean and Chairperson of School of Medicine (SoM) Graduate Studies, Programme Co-Director of the Masters (MCh) in Surgical Science, Year 2 Lead/Coordinator for the Undergraduate Direct Entry to Medicine (DEM) Programme, MEU Lead for Interprofessional Learning (IPL). Her Case Study of Good Practice, which detailed the curricular development of IPL at the School of Medicine, was commended by a UCC Quality Review panel in 2024. Dr. Joy is also an active member of School and College of Medicine and Health (COMH) committees, as well as Academic Council and its sub-committees. Dr. Joy sits on programme accreditation/external assessor panels nationally (for the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland 2014-2019, and Medical Council Ireland currently). Reports from such programme accreditations in which she has been involved are available to read in the public domain.

• Interprofessional learning (face-to-face/ online/ simulation-based/ workplace-based)
• Human factors and patient safety in health professions' education
• Innovating teaching & learning pedgaogy with digital education and students as partners
• Preparedness for clinical practice from medical school to internship
• Communication skills in healthcare and health professions' education
• Patients' experiences of illness, healthcare, and health professions' education

Programmes Coordinated 2025/2026:

PG Taught programme: Programme Co-Director MCh in Surgical Science 

Year 2 Coordinator for the Undergraduate Medicine Programme CK701

Postgraduate Modules Coordinated 2025/2026:

MX6007: Surgical Metabolism

MX6006: Professional Development in Surgery 2

Undergraduate Modules Coordinated 2025/2026:

CP2001: Clinical Science & Practice 2

CP2004:Clinical Science & Practice (for Dental Graduates)

MX1009: History of Medicine

Other modules taught and/or assessed 2025/2026:

MH6027: Dissertation in Health Professions' Education

SY6001: Essentials in Surgery 1

SY6005: Essentials in Clincal Surgery 1

MX4092: Research Project

Also: CP1010/GM1010/CP3003/GM2013/CP3005/GM2015

Current MH6027 Masters in Health Professions' Education student:

Name: Colm Hannon Institution: UCC Masters In Health Professions' Education. Title: Leigheas Trí Ghaeilge (Medicine through Irish) – Exploring Medical Students’ Perspectives

Completed Supervision of MSc in Health Professions' Education:

Year of Masters Dissertation completion: 2025; Name: Ciara Broderick Farrell; Institution: UCC Masters In Health Professions' Education. Title: Facilitators and Barriers to Active Participation during Neonatal Interprofessional Simulation-Based Team Training

Year of Masters Dissertation completion: 2024; Name: Nicola Kearney Institution: UCC Masters In Health Professions' Education. Title: Evaluating the preparedness of newly qualified doctors for dermatological practice.