[gpt3]Summarize this content to 100 words:
The ROI Faculty RCGP Spring Meeting is a very energetic and pleasant event, and this years, hosted by Professor Andrew Murphy at University of Galway, was no exception
Among other things, it’s a clear signal that the worst of winter is past, and long summer evenings are just around the corner.
Chaired and facilitated by ROI Republic of Ireland Faculty Provost Dr Ide De Largy, the first part of the programme included the All Island of Ireland Undergraduate Clinical Case Presentation Competition (CCPC), with teams from Ulster University and Trinity College Dublin competing in the final.
In his welcoming comments, Prof Andrew Murphy observed that even though clinical cases were arguably not highly regarded, in fact they can be singularly useful, and he made reference to the first identification of the clotting risk arising from the OCP as a striking instance where it was case reports from general practice which first identified this.
The CCPC has been run by the ROI Faculty for six years, with the support of University Departments of General Practice and Undergraduate Societies for General Practice, in all of the eight medical schools on the island of Ireland.
The format includes teams of two undergraduates, with one briefly presenting a case, their colleague presenting a focused literature review, and both taking questions from a very enthusiastic audience. The adjudicators in this instance included Professor Ray O’Connor (UL) and Dr Sheila Loughman (UCD).
In a very tightly contested final, the team from Ulster University (Ms Ellen Montgomery and Mr Brendan Crummey) won by a whisker, with a case demonstrating the differences in care evident between a poorly resourced and highly resourced setting, and the case discussion revolved closely around the Inverse Care Law.
Silver medalists Trinity College Dublin (Ms Melanie Smith and Ms Elizabeth McQuaid) presented a case demonstrating the impact of GP care in obesity, and the case discussion explored moving points and barriers to progress in GP management of obesity in the practice setting, and in the selective availability of GLP 1 Agonists.
While the CCPC runs from January to March, with individual college competitions in January, semifinals in February, and the all-island final in March, it is good to consider it at any point, and to encourage any medical undergraduates encountering an interesting or challenging case to work it up in the course of the year, with a view to presenting in January 2026.
Future of General Practice undoubtedly in great hands…
L-R: Ms Elizabeth McQuaid and Melanie Smith from TCD, Faculty Provost Ide De Largy, together with Ms Ellen Montgomery and Mr Brendan Crummey from Ulster University
Ten things every GP should know about ADHD
Dr Sarah Carthy, GP at Rahona Family Practice and founder of ADHD Doc reflected on her experience and interest in ADHD, including the establishment of ADHD Doc, as a GP Special Interest Service which was clearly of relevance and interest to growing numbers of her patients considering ADHD as a diagnosis.
Faculty Provost Dr Ide De Largy
She described the establishment of a team of several participating GPs, with input from two psychiatry colleagues, and counselling support.
‘The initial evaluation includes a two-hour structured consultation, and this feels significantly different from the much shorter GP consultations we are mostly used to.’ Among the ten things that every GP should know about ADHD, firstly it is a condition which is very underdiagnosed and undertreated, even still.
Dr Carthy described it as the ‘Type 2 diabetes of psychiatry,’ a concept originally elaborated by Dr Russell Barkley. Challenges to diagnosis include available time and expertise, together with the need for a deeper understanding of how people with ADHD are frequently very bright and creative, and develop complex and effective ways of compensating for their condition, all of which can make diagnosis more challenging.
Another of the ‘Top Ten Things’ is that ADHD is ‘as heritable as height,’ emphasising the importance of taking a family history and interpreting it, particularly for older generations even less likely to be diagnosed correctly than the current generation. Others of the top 10 things…. Assessment is a good thing…..AND…… medication works! And still on that top 10 list is to be aware that cyclical changes in female hormones (we mean PMT) absolutely impact psychological function and distress secondary to an underlying diagnosis of ADHD.
Speaker Dr Sarah Carthy ADHD Doctor
University of Galway Department of General Practice establishing new Graduate Entry Medical Program for Remote & Rural Medicine
The final speaker included Dr Robert Scully, just recently appointed professor of Rural and Remote Medicine at University of Galway and working from Prof Andrew Murphy’s Department. A key task for Professor Scully is the rapid establishment of a new graduate entry medical programme as part of a regional strategy to reduce the health inequity experienced by rural communities in the northwest. Having completed GP training in Edinburgh, Robert completed fellowships in academic general practice at Edinburgh, and in acute rural care (NHS Education for Scotland), which fellowship was based on the Isle of Skye.
He acquired extensive experience as Deputy Director of the Scottish graduate entry medical programme at St Andrews School of Medicine from 2017 to 2022. He noted that during the last 75 years, whilst there has been on average a 50 per cent increase in numbers of GPs, there has been an over 400 per cent increase in number of specialists.
In his presentation he also reflected on an analysis based on UK data regarding motivation of GPs about working in general practice, and he also closely referred to the report of Professor Val Wass, which emphasised the importance of general practice, and how it is perceived in undergraduate schools of medicine, all of which are important background factors which require to be understood and acted upon in order to address the workforce crisis, and particularly so in the context of remote and rural community care.
Speaker Prof Robert Scully, Department of General Practice at University of Galway
The meeting concluded with the award of medals to the teams from Ulster University and Trinity College Dublin, together with comments on the case presentations, and a strong enjoinder to consider having them published in due course.
In his concluding comments, Dr O’Shea reminded those attending to bear in mind both the CCPC for 2026, and also the Sheperd Essay Medal Competition, particularly relevant for all medical undergraduates, with the shepherd essay also being relevant to GP Trainees, and both of which have been supported by the ROI Faculty RCGP, primarily with a view to providing well supported opportunities for younger colleagues with an interest in general practice to develop and stimulate that interest, inspire their older colleagues in so doing, and possibly succeed with either competition.
In her concluding comments, Faculty Provost Dr DeLargy thanked those attending, all involved in the organisation of a very enjoyable and productive meeting, and she also commented on the particular value and atmosphere of what was very traditional and invigorating in person event. 
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