Medicine?

2skinny

So i've always wanted to do medicine but according to my mock resluts i've to go up another 60 points to be in with a fighting chance!! so i was wondering if anyone has any advice on alternate routes into medicine or is it just a one way trip?

M450

How much effort did you put into the mocks? I think I managed about 100pts on top of what I got in the mocks...

I suppose the popular attitude that the mocks are marked harder than the real deal is fairly true considering it's your own teacher who's doing the marking and they want you to keep putting in the effort.

ApeXaviour

Best alternate option is repeating the LC with subjects you think you'll do better in. For example, if you're good at physics and maths but crap at Irish and French, then drop them for applied maths and, say chemistry.

Having a friend who got 570 in the LC and has tried multiple "alternate routes" (6 years later and he has a masters in medicinal genetics or something now) I would recommend stopping after repeating the LC or changing your ideas of what you want for yourself. Medicine is not the be all and end all.

paperclip

Undergrad in biomedical sciences, postgrad in the UK.
I find that docs who go that way tend to be nicer, more rounded people.... just my 2c. (This coming from someone with a 'doc family')

woodchuck

I know a few people who did 4 years of natural science in Trinity and are now doing medicine as mature students (another 4 years). They specialised in physiology or neuroscience (neuroscience is arguably better for getting accepted to medicine because it includes some anatomy lectures and practicals that are done along with the med students).

ApeXaviour

You need a lot of €€€ to do graduate entry medicine I believe though. The government won't pay your fees for a second degree right? At least, this is what I'm told precluded my friend from taking that particular option.

Also repeating the LC plus med takes 6 years (I believe med is now a 5 year course right?). Doing two degrees will take 8 and be insanely more expensive. If you really must do medicine, it's far preferable to get in straight from the LC.

snorlax

I think it's cheaper in the UK and it's only four years in some colleges for the post grad entry. But then there;s living expenses too.

nedward

I went up 60 points from my mock the first time I did it, went up 80 second time round. You should expect to go up about 60 points anyway-a grade per subject

2skinny

M450 wrote: »

How much effort did you put into the mocks? I think I managed about 100pts on top of what I got in the mocks...

I suppose the popular attitude that the mocks are marked harder than the real deal is fairly true considering it's your own teacher who's doing the marking and they want you to keep putting in the effort.

Well to be honest i did little to no work coming up to the mocks (not from my own chioce but rather from medical advice which has just cleared up recently) Its taken 6 months but i'm finally back on track and i'm seriously worried that it wont be possible to catch back up in. Though if you managed to go up a further 100 points, that offers a lot of hope. From what i've heard both from here and from others it appears that getting the points is by far the easiest/cheapest option. So that leaves me with a lot of work or repeating. Has anyone here repeated?? Would it be worth it i the long run if it means i get a coures i really want?

paperclip

2skinny wrote: »

Has anyone here repeated?? Would it be worth it i the long run if it means i get a coures i really want?

Only you can decide that. I know it sounds like a cop out thing to say, but aims in life are different for everyone- what works for one person may sound like being thrown into a bottomless pit full of snakes to another. How badly do you want to do medicine? WHY do you want to do it? Is there really nothing else that would fulfil your wishes?

M450

Well look at it this way... you can put bucket loadsa effort into it now, apply for the course you want, and see what happens...

From what you said about bein out for 6 months I'd say you'll have no problem jumping up 60 pts...

And if in the end you dont get it... then make the decision whether to go with your next option or repeat the LC. For now concentate on the studies and take the exams in your stride.

AlanSparrowhawk

Graduate entry into medicine in UL, RCSI and some other universities (not TCD) are part sponsored by the Irish governement. The surplus is provided by a loan interest loan which everyone accepted into the courses can get.

Still, repeat the leaving cert to get enough points first time round will still save you huge amounts of money.

Awayindahils

Radiation Therapy and then a 3/4 year course in the UK in which you qualify as an oncologist.

Kwekubo

Awayindahils wrote: »

Radiation Therapy and then a 3/4 year course in the UK in which you qualify as an oncologist.

I'm pretty sure the sort of course you're referring to is the normal graduate-entry medical programme mentioned above; you have to have the standard MB before you can be a doctor of any sort, and would still have to go through the normal stages to reach consultant oncologist level.

emmanuels-baby

i've a friend who plans on doing a post grad in med...he's already saving up for it and he's only in his 1st year undergrad.. gonna cost him 50k altogether..
i'm sure you will go up in points in the actual L.C., my points went up by 120...
also, isn't medicine being changed to an interview/points admission?? i thinks that's being brought in this year...
fair play mary hanifan!!

Kwekubo

emmanuels-baby wrote: »

also, isn't medicine being changed to an interview/points admission?? i thinks that's being brought in this year...

The extra admissions test (not an interview) is coming for those applying for entry in 2009 - Indo article.