Galway Program for Biomedical Engineers

On the coast of western Ireland, the BME Galway Summer Program caters towards rising third- and fourth-year students at Tech. It gives you the opportunity to not only take upper level Biomedical Engineering courses, but also to explore your career interests! Galway, Ireland has become a center for biomedical innovation, and countless healthcare companies call western Ireland home, including Medtronic, Abbott, J&J, and Pfizer. The program gives you the opportunity to visit companies and also features numerous guest speakers in the field.

Now I know what you’re thinking - A small town in the middle of Ireland? How fun could that be?

Let me tell you - Galway will surprise you because it surprised me, so keep an open mind! Galway has been named a European Capital of Culture for multiple years in a row - and for good reason. For a small city, Galway feels large, but like home all at once – from global food, rich history, ocean views, and countless summer festivals featuring performers such as Two Door Cinema Club, there’s not much Galway doesn’t have to offer. Check below for some of my favorite things to do and see in this cozy city!

Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see a photo gallery of some of the highlights of my trip!

Galway Bucket List:

1. Jump off of Salthill! It’s freezing, and there are massive jellyfish everywhere, but I can assure you this was my favorite Galway memory!

2. Visit the Saturday market at St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church. From fresh mozzarella, to sushi burritos, to cold-pressed juice, there’s something for everyone! Even better – take your lunch to go and sit on the beach at Galway Bay.

3. Wander through the Latin Quarter and visit shops, pubs, and galleries and listen to street music! Make sure to stop at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop.

you can’t visit Europe without over-indulging – check out some of my favorite places to eat in Galway!

Best Food in Galway:

1. Danny’s. Donuts. – I cannot stress this enough! The friendliest donutman you’ll ever meet and some of the best donuts I have ever eaten! We had them every single weekend we were in Ireland – I’m serious.

2. The Dough Bros – The best pizza. Hands down.

3. If you’re feeling takeout food, stop by Xian Street Food for delicious hand-pulled noodles!

4. It may be cold in Galway, but it’s never too cold for Murphy’s Ice Cream.

5. Warm up with coffee from Coffeewerk + Press, and check out all of the artwork for sale by local artists!

Even though you could keep busy in Ireland for the entire program, it is so easy to also visit mainland Europe on any long weekend!

During my time, I was able to visit almost every city in Ireland, drove the Wild Atlantic Way up Ireland’s west coast, took a Game of Thrones tour in Northern Ireland, and visited so many other places – Amsterdam, Brussels, Munich, Madrid, Granada, and Seville to name a few!

Galway offers so many opportunities to explore, and I think the most important takeaway from the program was that it allowed me to build close friendships within my major. Knowing so many people in your courses makes life at Tech and life in this collaborate, team-driven major so much more enjoyable! For me, this was the highlight of my time in Ireland – going into the program, I did not know a single person, and I left the program with some of my best friends and memories during my time at Tech!