going back to be a doctor

slemons

hey, im still in my early 20s here and kind of sick of doing engineering so i was thinking about going back to become a doctor or physio.

I got 545 back in the day and that was doing english and irish which i didnt really like so maybe if i take more maths based subjects i could do better.

I ate up maths, applied maths, physics, chem a1's no prob but stumbled on the languages.

Do you all think it would be worth it? Id still have to pay massive fees and then might not even get in at all? Could any body give me some advice on the whole mature student route and what involved in that?

I wonder is there any way i can pick like 6 maths based subjects? Maybe accounting? Although thats all laws etc and i remember from junior cert i could never get my balance sheets to balance. lol

Oh and in terms of actually doing the leaving cert, can you just apply and then show up on the days and do it? or do you need to be affiliated with a school or something?

advice appreciated?

md99

If it's what you really want to do, then do it.

LC can be very maths oriented if you do it right, Maths, Applied Maths, Accounting, Chemistry, Physics...

You asked about Accounting, DO IT, probably the most guaranteed A1 you'll ever get if you're the right person for it.

If you need these points for Medicine, though, would you hold out for the new medicine aptitute tests in a couple years?

spurious

Re sitting the Leaving - you can't just turn up on the day.
You have to be registered as a candidate and they will assign you a centre if you do not specify which one you would like on your application.

You apply to the State Examinations Commission and pay an appropriate fee.

The closing date is around February, but they will take late entries, along with a late fee.
http://www.examinations.ie/index.php?l=en&mc=ca&sc=ec

sd123

for my lc im doing bio chem phy tec drawing maths app maths. just do these and if you're bothered try ag science. its ridiculously easy if you know anything at all from biology. Did you consider tec drawing?

InFront

slemons wrote:

Do you all think it would be worth it?

If you'd love being a Doctor, yes of course. But you have to love being a Doctor and there are only one catch: you can't know if you would until you actually become one! But if you are convinced you'll love it, do it.

I switched to medicine after beginning another course because I kept regretting that I wouldn't be a medical Doctor. Blank out everybody. Don't do medicine for anybody else, don't do engineering for anybody else. Unless you're married or have children, other people are completely irrelevant, only do what is best for you in this case.

Could any body give me some advice on the whole mature student route and what involved in that?

You've got to be 23, and mature students aren't exactly tripping over each other in the medical schools. Have you considered the graduate route, you can apply with engineering. From what I've heard about Grad Entry though, I'd still choose the Leaving Certificate.

shazzyshaz

theres a guy in my grinds school who did engineering. hes 22 i think now and is repeating the leaving in the hope of getting medicine. Id say go with your gut instinct, whatever you think is best for yourself and what you personally want usually is right. dont listen to anyone else.

GretchenWieners

have you filled out your CAO? 545 would probably get you physio this year, athough you should give the LC a shot! there's a few 20somethings doing the LC that I know. best of luck!

slemons

thanks for the help and advice people.

I've downloaded a lot of exam papers recently and i think i could get back into the swing of maths, phyics, app m, accounting fairly quickly.
I was wondering about what other subjects to chose though.

I have already fullfilled the irish, english, foreign language, 2 science's honour requirement so am i correct in saying that i can choose any six subjects i like after that?

So can i do an LC of the following:
Maths
Applied Maths
Physics
Accounting
tech drawing

Then my last 1 is to be from ag sceince, chem, business, geography, biology .....

Basically i want an LC with as much maths as possible.


I was looking at the ucd med requirements and it said :

Students with the highest Leaving Certificate points who meet the matriculation requirements and who have a minimum of a Higher C3in Leaving Certificate Chemistry.
•Subject Requirements
•Irish
•English
•A third language
•Mathematics
•Laboratory Science subject
•One other recognisedsubjects

I have all these but in different years. Does that matter?
Im getting seriously excited about this.

I will get onto a mate who did much the same a few years ago and see what he thinks. Maybe next year i will go for this.
Thanks for your help...

slemons

one other thing i was wondering about was if i could get previous exam papers re-checked from 2000? At the time i thought it didnt matter as id never be back but there were two in particular that i thought might get me another 20 odd marks.
I know this is a long shot but it would be great.

Rozabeez

AFAIK there's a deadline for re-checks.

spurious

No you can't get old LC papers rechecked - they will have been recycled years ago. The examinations generate a HUGE amount of paper and they keep it no longer than necessary.

I thought your LC subjects had to be all in the one sitting? Maybe they have changed that requirement.

slemons

Na i doubt that they all have to be in one sitting. sure there's lot of people who just repeat say hons maths on its own just to get the pass. Can anyone clarify it for sure?

Lol - after one morning's study i've done enough to get a good B in any of the previous 7 yrs maths paper 1's. Its amazing how quick it all comes back

You can actually see the stuff got easier and easier towards 2004. Its started to get a little harder recently but not much. I dont get how ppl say hons maths is too hard!

anyway next year is my time to put the money where the mouth is i suppose. I hope i still have the balls to follow this through when the time comes.

I only realised that i currently have enough points to get into physio this year in ucd. Only i missed the deadline by 2 days!! I wonder is there any way i can reapply now? Any one know?

Rozabeez

You can apply up til July 1st I think it is, you'll just have to pay more!

spurious

Just checking the UCD site for entry requirements, it says:
To matriculate applicants must attain passes in six subjects (including 2 at minimum HC3) including the grades shown below in the specified subjects. Points are awarded on applicants' best results in not more than six individual subjects taken in the Leaving Certificate examination of any one year.

From: http://www.ucd.ie/horizons/undergrad_app_2006.htm

slemons

Rozabeez wrote:

You can apply up til July 1st I think it is, you'll just have to pay more!

are you sure about this?
I rang the cao office this morning and she said it was just 2 days ago! And so says the online application too
Although i might not have made myself absolutely clear.

Where did you hear about july 1st?
info appreciated!


spurious - thanks for that page but i think that line only refers to points accumulated in 1 year. The subjects them selves can be spread out if you want to? I'll be fulfilling the requirements in one year though (apart from english irish and foreign language)

Rozabeez

the change of mind form runs until then so I assumed the late application did too, but now that you mention it I think that was May 1st.

slemons

sd123 wrote:

for my lc im doing bio chem phy tec drawing maths app maths. just do these and if you're bothered try ag science. its ridiculously easy if you know anything at all from biology. Did you consider tec drawing?

thanks for the tip, i just spotted it now.
I also see you are intending to do medicine - very best of luck with it!

i hadnt really considered tech drawing mainly because im a really crap artist.
Im a good engineer though and have no probs with visualising shapes in 3d etc.

also there's a project with this isnt there? I cant decide whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing for me?
Would you consider tech drawing a banker A for you?

i was thinking about ag science but its on at the same time as applied maths so i presume you can do both. Im def doing app maths though as i ace'd it previously no probs and loved studying for it!

my bro did biology and he found it tough even though he expected it to be easy way back in 1999 so im steering away from that

at the mo its looking like:
maths
applied maths
physics
chemistry
accounting
business or tech drawing (prob business though)

Im searching like crazy all over the house at home for all my old notes. I never thought id be mad enough to consider going back but ....

any way good luck in the exams and i appreciate any help you can give on tech drawing!
thanks

PeterMC

slemons wrote:

thanks for the tip, i just spotted it now.
I also see you are intending to do medicine - very best of luck with it!

i hadnt really considered tech drawing mainly because im a really crap artist.
Im a good engineer though and have no probs with visualising shapes in 3d etc.

also there's a project with this isnt there? I cant decide whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing for me?
Would you consider tech drawing a banker A for you?

i was thinking about ag science but its on at the same time as applied maths so i presume you can do both. Im def doing app maths though as i ace'd it previously no probs and loved studying for it!

my bro did biology and he found it tough even though he expected it to be easy way back in 1999 so im steering away from that

at the mo its looking like:
maths
applied maths
physics
chemistry
accounting
business or tech drawing (prob business though)

Im searching like crazy all over the house at home for all my old notes. I never thought id be mad enough to consider going back but ....

any way good luck in the exams and i appreciate any help you can give on tech drawing!
thanks

Just on a few points you mentioned - I am currently repeating the LC, for medicine as it happens! Took up two new subjects this year - Biology & Business Studies. Biology is interesting and not too hard! The principal recommended I take it up for the initial help it will have for the course & the fact that to try and skip pre-med in some colleges the 3 sciences are required (NUI Galway last year).
Business is more work than Biology, but straightforward enough IMO, with very questions coming up again and again.

You mentioned Ag Sci, and AP Maths - yes you can do them both, you simply sit one after another on the day itself.

The subjects I do, and would recommend to anyone with a maths brain (I was VERY bad at languages!) are:
Maths
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Applied Maths
Accounting
Business Studies (Need some english skills here.)

Deadevil129

You can sit exams over a number of years if you like, but to change your points all of them half to be sat in the same year.

For example, someone who got 400 and needs 500. They have to repeat the entire thing.

Someone who got the points they needed but missed out on a B in Maths, they can repeat just the maths exam and get their course.

If the course you want requires a pass in a foreign language, maths, english and 500 points. As long as you pass the language, maths and english once you'll never have to do them again, but to get the points you need you need to do six subjects together.

It makes sense if you thing about it... Stops people sitting the leaving cert three times and ending up with 1800 points...

slemons

cool man, i got that.
i have all the requirements except the points. All i need now is 585 points and the balls to quit my job...