*Everything HPAT and Medicine 2012*

Dicksboro_man wrote: »

jeez, thats really good, well done, you've a fair shot at trinity.

my max is only 750 but more like 740 at the mo...

Thanks Good Luck! My last exam was today - Biology - and it did NOT go well, so i'm a little in panic mode in case I bombed it!

Dicksboro_man wrote: »

jeez, thats really good, well done, you've a fair shot at trinity.

my max is only 750 but more like 740 at the mo...

With 740 it will be enough to get you a place somewhere hopefully..... confident?

hollingr wrote: »

@paralysis: biology today?? I think you're getting mixed up




ah thanks, I'm in already as a mature student this year, pretty much guaranteed.. but I hope I can get in as an undergraduate and save myself €27,000+ over the 5 years!!

Nah - A-levels, I had biology (OCR F214), well, yesterday now!

I know people currently in RCSI/UCD, and also some that recently finished. What would you like to know?

Does anyone know what date cao offers are out on?

Are CAO offers out the same day as LC results?

1. Is the social life in UCD better than in RCSI. ie. Is one college more fun than the other? People in RCSi argue that RCSI small campus makes it more intimate, but why do you hear so often about the lack of fun in RCSI...... rumours usually start for a reason.
Is there more chance I lose contact with my school friends in RSCI than in UCD?
I understand how the social life in UCD would be better for the first couple of years (greater diversity of courses and more irish students) but will this really matter after 3rd med when the only people you see are from med and most of your time is spent off campus?
The 'Irish Society' in RCSI is worrying. Is it not weird to be in the middle of Dublin in a foreign university?
Supposedly, RCSI is quite divided in terms of cultures, ie. irish stick with irish. It is argued this is no longer the case after 3rd med, but surely you mix better with people in the 'western world' because of more similarities.

2. Should the new students centre in UCD draw me there? Will I use it often enough for it to matter, will I use it at all after 3rd med when the work load builds.

3. The campus in RCSI is quite small. Does this mean there are noticeably less academic facilities in RCSI an comparison to UCD? However does this really matter if I will only attend lectures there and most of a students life is spent studying in an apartment or in beaumont. Or are the academic facilities in UCD an advantage?

4. The main RCSI sports facilities are in Dardistown. I can only imagine this is inconvenient. Is the proximity of the sports facilities in UCD an advantage for UCD in terms of sports. RCSI also has a lot fewer societies I could see myself joining eg. Association of Norwegian Students Abroad. Is this a reason to choose UCD (more societies)?

5. My mam went to UCD and says you are treated quite impersonally there.Apparently, the lecturers and doctors there are quite harsh compared to those in the smaller, friendlier RCSI. Has it changed?

6. My mam also says there was less clinical orientated training in UCD. The students of RCSI spend more time in the hospital around patients, becoming more 'clinically polished' as a result. She says although you get the same standard of degree in both places, RCSI grads leave college with a more developed 'bedside manner'.

7. Is there any difference between Vincents/The matter and Beaumont in terms of teaching hospital quality?

8. (Probably Question for graduates) I hear post-grad training in RCSI is the best in Ireland and is the best thing about the college academically. Is it true it's near impossible to get onto the BST "Basic Surgical Training" programme or into any other post-grad position in RCSI without going there?

9. (Personal question) My dad is a surgeon in Beaumont who sometimes lectures and examines med students in RCSI. I this a reason for me to got to RCSI? ie. Will this be in any way helpful to me? Could you ask your friends bout the experience of anyone they know in RCSI in a similar position. Thanks

10. ( Prob for grads again) I hear the competition for SHO places is sick. Are contacts in medicine useful in getting into jobs/positions. Will my dad's contacts (work colleagues, professor of surg, Dean of college) be in any way beneficial in this respect?

Thanks hollingr for your time and the help. It's much appreciated.

Sunny!! wrote: »

does anyone know the fees for graduate entry to medicine roughly?

Have a look at the college sites where all the fees are supplied - had a quick look at Cork Uni - its 13k per year for Grad Entry Fees there - i suspect the rest are similar enough.

do people know would it be easy to get a loan? i plan on doing physio or dentistry going getting work maybe and going back to do med?

DeadEight wrote: »

The loans are starting to disappear. Unless you have a parent/friend willing to co-sign a loan you may have no chance of getting a loan. GEM is €60k+ in fees alone. There are no student supports like the Student Grant, so you also need to fund rent, food etc. from your own resources.

It looks like the first batch of GEM students are not paying back the loans. They just don't earn enough to make serious repayments. The banks are not going to lend money unless they think they will get it back, and right now they are not getting it back.

To go down the route you are talking about is risky, and expensive. Why not go back around the HPAT/LC route? You would still graduate earlier than the GEM route.

I have no problem doing the hpat and lc again:) but its the stigma attached to it is worrying me. I done it the first time and was way off, my hpat was an improvement this year but a bit short, and my lc is about 530 so not great, but the third time:(, i do want it though!

I've heard premed in UCD/NUIG is worth it (make strong friendships, get to know new university better, settle into uni life, bit of a break after LC before intensity of Med hits)

Is this the case for RCSI? Any help appreciated.

Just wondering because I know someone in RCSI who said all the irish students are offered to skip premed and usually do. She said the foreiners at RCSI take it to learn way around Dublin, improve their english, or get a better foundation in science that they are lacking from home.

Are there many Irish who take the 6 year course out of the 39 Irish in the college?

DrShredded wrote: »

As far as I know, it's impossible to skip premed in UCD this year without a science degree or couple of years in uni already. Is it true the competition for medicine is now so great that premed cant be skipped in UCD by any Leaving Certs......even with 2 A1's in 2 sciences.

It seems to suggest this in the UCD prospectus anyway.

Is it like this in RCSI aswell?

This has been the case in UCD for the last two years.

Paralysis wrote: »

yellow hen wrote: »

This has been the case in UCD for the last two years.

Do you know about 3A*s in 3 science A levels possibly?

Unfortunately access will still only be granted to the 6yr programme. Third level experience is mandatory. It would be worth trying to talk to people who did premed last year to see off they found it beneficial. Starting into the 5yr programme can be tough.

DrShredded wrote: »

Do people who do premed slightly regret being a year behind where they could be?

Would it not be annoying to know some people your age are SHO's while your an intern / consultants while your a registrar?

In a career where continuous education and professional development is essential, I would hardly think that is an important point. Plus, medicine takes students of all ages and you will be an intern and SHO with graduate entry students so age really isnt going to matter.

back to back wrote: »

after studying the no. of places available, no.who sat the hpat,the number of places reserved for mature students,hear applicants,those who sat the hpat last year,who lc points have increased by 25 points .the candidates who sat A-levels , i have calculated that the cut-off point will be 742 points for nuig this august . but that in 2013 the minimum will drop again depending on the hpat scores next february.
DOES ANYONE AGREE???

I find this highly unlikely - that would be an increase of 14 points, and even when the HPAT scores have increased since the previous year point's haven't jumped up 14. Realistically the max points will increase is 7 or 8, and that would only be if the 25 extra points for maths had a very significant effect and/or the calibre of applicants increased dramatically!