Time to get serious about my degree

Justlookin

* This turned out to be much longer than i expected but please read it, it means a lot to me.

I am beginning to realise just how much i want to do medicine. This is not one of those brief moments where you think 'oh my god i would totally love to do that', this is something I’ve been thinking about for a while and though realisation has been annoyingly slow i'm happy because now i'm finally prepared to make full rational decisions about my career and the life i want to lead. That brings me to my problem, I’m already in a degree and i didn’t receive the points needed to get into medicine anyway. Having not needed to work for the points i wanted i didn’t, a laziness that really annoyed my parents who seemed to have recognised my desire for medicine long before i did. This means that now i'm left with 525 points and i’m half way through my first year of a degree that i love but am not 'in love with' if you get my meaning. So that brings me to why am i here on boards? Well i'm here looking for advice on my options.
So far i've signed up to the hpat exam but with only 525 points i've little hope that i'll be able to knock out those who take the full 560 from the leaving cert. Still though im going to try.
Repeating the leaving cert is out, it's too late into the year to know that i'll defiantly get the points max 560 points that the hpat allows and schools in my area dont take repeats and those that do are full. This is ironic as the day of my results my parents signed me up knowing i'd want to repeat and they felt as do i that 525 is not my best.
I've just visited the ucas website and learned that i'm too late to apply in england, though i'm not fully aware how 525 would stand to me in the uk? Any advice on this would greatly be appreciated.
There is always the option of going into medicine after my degree, though this will be four years away and i would like to get started a bit earlier than that.
So are they all my options? Is there any other route i can take? Money is not a massive barrier, banks and my parents are willing to give loans (well with the state of banks now thats debatable but for agruements sake let’s take it as true).
So in essence, i'm 18, 525 leaving cert and cursing my youth combined with my short-sightedness! Are there any other options i can take? Any stones left unturned? Any advice you would give me?

allsaintssue

Hey,
I just thought I'd throw my opinion in for what its worth. I have wanted to do medicine since I was two, (yeah, I know thats arrogant for a toddler!:rolleyes:) and have never actually wavered in this choice, however when the leaving cert came around I knew my chance of getting straight in was out due to my result (probably best if I don't get on my soapbox about the ponts issue now!) Anyways, my sister, also hoping to do medicine (We're triplets hence us doing exams in the same year) and I agreed to put nursing and science degrees on the CAO and do GEM so I am now, for the most part, happily occupied in my 2nd year of general nursing with every intention of folloing it with GEM.
Now I know the above paragraph may seem like slightly aimless rambling but My actual point is that I do think i will be a better doctor for having another degree. I'm 19 now and all going according to plan should be 22 starting GEM and 26 qualified. It may sem now like its lightyears away but I think going into something as heavy as medicine can be a challenge for anyone going straight from school and I think life experience is a necessity for any doctor.
You didn't say what your actual degree is. I mention it because some universities in the UK are picky over what previous degrees are accepted into the GEM programmes, I've enquired to most of the major universities so if you have any questions on that front just ask. Also most UK universities want people who have experience working in the hospital, evidence of volunteer work and proof of outside achievments and interests ..I think I may spend most of my time during my primary degree trying to fulfil this criteria!
The four years should also give you adequate time to properly study and take GAMSAT exams and perhaps offer the oppurtunity for a repeat, should it not go accordingly the first time!
I'm aware that this is turning into a homily of sorts but this is the path I've chosen to take and for me, there are only benefits. But I hope you decide what path is best for you and are succesful in becoming a doctor.
Best of Luck!
Sue:)

Tind777

www.studyhungary.hu

Justlookin

Wow hungary i wouldnt have even thought of looking for a place there, it really looks like a good place and i'll be ringing up the irish representation tomorrow. Thanks so much for the advice. I didnt do biology but i've been reading up on it myself though doing an exam in it in may will require a lot of focus and effort.

Thanks very much allsaintssue for your reply. I'm delighted to hear your enjoying nursing and wish you the best in becoming a doctor afterwards. To answer your question i'm doing a business degree which will be accepted in ireland for grad med but not in many places in England. Hopefully if it comes to it i'll be able to do a post grad in ireland

onetrueone

Justlookin wrote: »

Wow hungary i wouldnt have even thought of looking for a place there, it really looks like a good place and i'll be ringing up the irish representation tomorrow. Thanks so much for the advice. I didnt do biology but i've been reading up on it myself though doing an exam in it in may will require a lot of focus and effort.

Thanks very much allsaintssue for your reply. I'm delighted to hear your enjoying nursing and wish you the best in becoming a doctor afterwards. To answer your question i'm doing a business degree which will be accepted in ireland for grad med but not in many places in England. Hopefully if it comes to it i'll be able to do a post grad in ireland

Yes but look at Hungary with your eyes open

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055445111

Tind, what do you reckon?

eth0_

Tind777 wrote: »

If you can complete a form you can study herewww.studyhungary.hu

Sounds like a medical school I would AVOID.

Bluebell55

Hey, I know its a while since this post went up, but just thought I would add my two cents. Im currently in 3rd year in UCC, and 21. I did my Leaving first in 05 (aged 17) and got 525 points. I had always my mind set on repeating, and didn't realy want to do biomedical engineering- my next choice!! So went back to repeat the ould LC, and decided I would apply to the UK. But every signle place I rang wouldn't take me... They don't really like repeats, because we apparently don't show the same determination as other students..... grr.... and plus it would be unfair as people can't repeat the A levels apparently.

So i really think applying to the UK would be a waste, but to make sure policies haven't changed, you could ring around!!! Its realy unfair as people I know who got under 500 points got to go to the UK.... But in the end I got the points and got Ireland- they are the ones missing out!!!

Your plan to do the GEM is a good one-recommended- plus with that experience you will be very well suited to it... and 26 is still young to be a doctor....

drzhivago

Justlookin wrote: »

Wow hungary i wouldnt have even thought of looking for a place there, it really looks like a good place and i'll be ringing up the irish representation tomorrow. Thanks so much for the advice. I didnt do biology but i've been reading up on it myself though doing an exam in it in may will require a lot of focus and effort.

Thanks very much allsaintssue for your reply. I'm delighted to hear your enjoying nursing and wish you the best in becoming a doctor afterwards. To answer your question i'm doing a business degree which will be accepted in ireland for grad med but not in many places in England. Hopefully if it comes to it i'll be able to do a post grad in ireland

Few things to consider

• do you like the degree you are doing
• if yes you may do well and realise taht you could work in it as a career, in addition if you still want to do medicine you are more likely to get the 2:1 required for GEM
• if you dont like current degree will you get high enough marks for GEM
• how well did hpat go, this is new, dont know much about it can the marks carry to another year
• if you are doinga s cience degree you could consider doing the LC again next year with focus on the science subjects if that is possible (Physics/AppliedPhysics/Maths/Applied Maths/Biology/chemistry).I dont knwo if you need to do matriculaton subjects ach time now (didnt in my day)
• Why do you want to do medicine? Do you want to work in Ireland long term, if so hungary bad idea, difficult to get back from like most other east European countries you would find it difficult to get employment here when you graduate(not because of the degree stabdard but because intern jobs here will be linked to graduating class numbers leaving no space for you and the others in prague etc
• What about Mature entry (different to GEM)
• If money not nig object what about Australia where dgeree recognised and work experience also (big move but for a 40 year career good investment)

Sorry just read you are doing business degree so repeating leaving not great unless you can get points with economics/accountancy/, sorry so far gone from leaving cant remember any other businessy subjects

This will sound bad and I dont mean it the wrong way but you may just have to forget it or redo the leaving, personally if the number of entrants is increasing dramatically which it is over next four years you could plan a long term dual strategy of GEM and also repeat leaving with 3 proper years prep and a lot of grinds. As you get older and into college mode you will find studying is different now than it was for leaving cert. Much easier to prepare for leaving cert actually when you look back now, if you picked 6 subjects and prepared well that would be your best option at success