i want to become a Doctor...

DanOB

hey peeps!

right well im 15 and ive jst got back my junior Cert results which basically where 7 honors 2 passes and 1 fail, thats without studying at all... for the leaving cert im doing all higher level subjects as i want to become a doctor...

ive spoken to one certain doctor and he predicts that due to an increase in spaces that within the next few years points for medicine will significantly drop...

any feedback?

damnyanks

They added spaces this year and the points didnt drop. Aim for 600points

spurious

The best of luck with it.

Do not make the mistake of thinking the Junior Cert. is a good guide as to how you will do in the Leaving. They are entirely different exams, with an entirely different rationale behind them.

You will need to be doing all subjects at higher level and be aiming for 600 points.

It's not a job I would personally wish on anyone, but if that's what you want to do, go for it.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

chump

Make sure to do as much easy subjects as possible - even if you do them out of school. I know some ppl who did subjects out of school and got top marks in them.

Try doing things like Accounting, Ap. Maths, Classics - and check out the stats form the LC for highest percentage HL a1's!!!

Also your JC results sounds fairly weak. Tis quite easy to get top top grades in the JC doing little or no work.

Lorax

I say go for it, we need more doctors in the world.

Kojak

chump wrote:

Make sure to do as much easy subjects as possible - even if you do them out of school. I know some ppl who did subjects out of school and got top marks in them.

Try doing things like Accounting, Ap. Maths, Classics - and check out the stats form the LC for highest percentage HL a1's!!!

Also your JC results sounds fairly weak. Tis quite easy to get top top grades in the JC doing little or no work.

I wouldn't think the picking of easy subjects is a good idea. For one anyone who wants to study medicine in this country has to do 2 of the following subjects (at higher level) Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Physics/Chemistry. If he/she was to pick the easy subjects, as you call them, they could end up doing 8 or even 9 subjects in order to get the points and have the minimum requirements with the subjects I have already mentioned.

I would agree that the Junior Cert results wouldn't be a good guide (i.e. if you got B's in the Junior it doesn't automatically mean that you will get B's in the Leaving). A rule of thumb I was told when I started fourth year is that if you got B's in the Junior, on average with the same amount of work, these would normally turn into C's. In my case, and for many of my friends, that principle held true.

I'm not a doctor nor would I wish to be one but I'd say go for it - what can happen but you don't get it. It will mean a lot of very hard work and as someone said earlier you would want to be aiming for the top points, i.e. 600 or very close to it.

chump

Kojak wrote:

I wouldn't think the picking of easy subjects is a good idea. For one anyone who wants to study medicine in this country has to do 2 of the following subjects (at higher level) Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Physics/Chemistry. If he/she was to pick the easy subjects, as you call them, they could end up doing 8 or even 9 subjects in order to get the points and have the minimum requirements with the subjects I have already mentioned.

I would agree that the Junior Cert results wouldn't be a good guide (i.e. if you got B's in the Junior it doesn't automatically mean that you will get B's in the Leaving). A rule of thumb I was told when I started fourth year is that if you got B's in the Junior, on average with the same amount of work, these would normally turn into C's. In my case, and for many of my friends, that principle held true.

I'm not a doctor nor would I wish to be one but I'd say go for it - what can happen but you don't get it. It will mean a lot of very hard work and as someone said earlier you would want to be aiming for the top points, i.e. 600 or very close to it.

Not necessarily true about the 2 science subjects - yes for the 5year med courses... but from the RoyalCollegeSUrgeons requirements

Six Year Programme - A minimum of six subjects in the Leaving Certificate Examination, which must include Irish, English, Mathematics, a second language * (* page 12 of the NUI Matriculation requirements) and a science subject from the group Physics, Chemistry, Physics/Chemistry, or Biology.

Also most people do 7 subjects, usually 1 ordinary level - irish or maths.
That gives the option to do 2 'easy'(er) subjects. These 2 will probably make or break your chance to get in.

Running Bing

Also be prepared to repeat. The vast majority of people who get medicine dont get it on their first go. Some even repeat twice. As for subjects do a bit of research and choose what your good at yourself. For me geography, history and business were very handy as i felt that if you put in the work(which if your going for medicine you most likely will) they are handy to get good marks in. Having said that im sure their are many who found these subjects terrible. Its very personal so dont listen to people too much who tell you subjects are easy. I couldnt believe chump recommended ap. maths as an easy subject:eek:

Aoife-FM104

Not trying to be too negative, but the majority of people who study medicine hate it. My brothers girlfriend is a Doctor, the majority of her class have left the medicine world.

It's absolutely not a glamourous job! If anything, it's extremely depressing and tiring.

If it's money / stability you want, become an accountant!!

DanOB

Aoife-FM104 wrote:

Not trying to be too negative, but the majority of people who study medicine hate it. My brothers girlfriend is a Doctor, the majority of her class have left the medicine world.

It's absolutely not a glamourous job! If anything, it's extremely depressing and tiring.

If it's money / stability you want, become an accountant!!

lol ive allways had an interest in medical thingys, wanted to be a doctor since as far back as i can remember, just now that im in 4th year its really starting to dawn on me how am i going to get those 600 points...

thanks for the advice tho

Aoife-FM104

Well, you can always do the science degree route - get a science degree and then move into medicine.

It's very common...

nesf

daveirl wrote:

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Much higher risk though. If you are aiming for 600 points with less than 7 honours subjects that you are confident of pulling an A1 out of, I'd say you were setting yourself up for a fall most likely. The odds of one exam out of the 6 going "horrbily wrong" (B1 rather than A1) are relatively high depending on your subject choice.

MonkeyWrench

I'd say keep you options open as you may have different interests by the time leaving cert comes around. Keep the study up and try to get the maximum amount of points in the leaving. As posted before by a few people the life of a doctor is nowhere near as glamourous as some people think. I went out with a doctor for 2 years and she hated her job because of the way they are treated and the long hours. The money is great but if you don't have the time to enjoy it well then whats the point. I have made alot of friends who are doctors over the last few years and the majority of them don't like their job and wished they had done something else in college. I think the best thing to do would be to speak to a few younger doctors in hospital if they have the time and get some feedback from them before making you desision on the CAO form...

Jeremy27

I have always wanted to be a Doctor. I a little bit shy which I know I will have to overcome and I will. This is a really delicate question and one which I have never dared to approach verbally, but feel a little easier on this site. The problem is this, I am a 16 year old male and worry about having to examine a female. I would be so embarrassed if I became aroused. When you first have to do an internal, is the female awake and is arousal a problem when you have to learn this procedure or do you use dummies as in rescusitation techniques. I would be really grateful for any help, thank you

eth0_

I think the chances of you getting a boner are slim, it's not a sexual situation, there'll be other doctors and students around you if you happen to be picked to do an exam during your obs/gynae rotation.

Also, you're 16 now, you're overflowing with hormones. By the time you would be near a real patient you'll be 22/23 and will be much more 'in control'.

Yes the woman is awake when you do an internal exam.

RainyDay

DanOB wrote:

lol ive allways had an interest in medical thingys, wanted to be a doctor since as far back as i can remember, just now that im in 4th year its really starting to dawn on me how am i going to get those 600 points...

No offence, but you are really going to need a huge amount of motivation to survive 7 gruelling years of med school, plus a few years of 80-hour weeks as a junior doctor, plus a few years on 6-month contracts sucking up to the consultant to make sure you get a good reference etc etc. Are you really, really sure that this is what you want to do? Have you ever spoken to a real-life doctor or med student about what their lives are like? Do the research before you make any final decisions.

wiggzie

DanOB wrote:

hey peeps!

right well im 15 and ive jst got back my junior Cert results which basically where 7 honors 2 passes and 1 fail, thats without studying at all... for the leaving cert im doing all higher level subjects as i want to become a doctor...

ive spoken to one certain doctor and he predicts that due to an increase in spaces that within the next few years points for medicine will significantly drop...

any feedback?

forget it - from what you've said you don't have what it takes.

Pythia

From experience, the kind of people who got into medicine in my school were people who got all A's and B's in the Junior Cert.
If you didn't do very well in your Junior Cert then you'd really have to put a huge amount of effort in to get the 600-odd points needed to get into medicine.
If you're not all that academically inclined or driven you're going to have huge trouble.