Matriculation requirements for medicine

BarnhallBull

Hi guys, sorry if there's a thread in here about medicine already, if there is I couldn't find it...

Anywho, I did the Leaving Cert last year ('08) and I had medicine in UCD as my first choice on the CAO, I didn't quite get the points so i'm now mid-way through my first year of a biomedical science degree in NUIM.
With the introduction of the HPAT test this year, i've decided to apply for medicine again and hopefully my leaving cert points plus my results from the test will be enough to get me a place.

The reason I didn't apply for Trinity in the first place is that chemistry was listed as a matriculation requirement, or maybe it was 2 science subjects, not quite sure, but I only did biology so that discounted me. With the degree i'm doing at the moment, i'll have a year's chemistry done in university by the time the CAO offers come out, would it be worth my while e-mailing someone in Trinity to see if that qualifies me? If so, who would be the best person/people to contact?

Any help would be much appreciated:)

CJTobin

Your best bet is to contact the admissions office, you can reach them by e-mail here:

admissions@tcd.ie

You may as well get in touch with them to find out, let us know if you get an answer, and good luck!

BarnhallBull

Thanks for the reply:)

CJTobin

No prob, be sure to let us know how it works out for you.

CursedSkeptic

If you didn't get the points you probably are not able for the course tbh

scruttocks

Don't mind CursedSkeptic.

CursedSkeptic

scruttocks wrote: »

Don't mind CursedSkeptic.

What? I am right, if you can't handle the leaving you can't handle a medical degree

scruttocks

That's certainly not true in all cases, and definitely not helpful in this thread which was opened purely for the purpose of information. Clearly OP wants to do medicine, has considered it under the advice of people who know his/her academic strengths far better than you do, and is just asking for our wisdom.

Furthermore, I'd imagine that your assertion is for the purposes of intellectual self-aggrandisement far more than concern for the individual in question.

CursedSkeptic

scruttocks wrote: »

That's certainly not true in all cases, and definitely not helpful in this thread which was opened purely for the purpose of information. Clearly OP wants to do medicine, has considered it under the advice of people who know his/her academic strengths far better than you do, and is just asking for our wisdom.

Furthermore, I'd imagine that your assertion is for the purposes of intellectual self-aggrandisement far more than concern for the individual in question.

I am merely offering my opinion, I have no other point of view. I cannot see how this is intellectual self-aggrandisement?

scruttocks

The blindness of self-deception.

CursedSkeptic

scruttocks wrote: »

The blindness of self-deception.

I could say the same about you. Perhaps you too have a problem with me being gay

scruttocks

Can't imagine where you got that from. If you perceived a personal insult I apologise, it was not my intention. I don't think there's much else to say on the matter anyway. Good luck with the admissions office, OP

CursedSkeptic

scruttocks wrote: »

Can't imagine where you got that from. If you perceived a personal insult I apologise, it was not my intention. I don't think there's much else to say on the matter anyway. Good luck with the admissions office, OP

Well good. Maybe next time you will think twice before insulting a member of the gay community...

Gileadi

To be fair CursedSkeptic, there really isn't a direct link between a LC result and your intelligence,isn't that the whole reason behind the new routes of getting into medicine? I don't know what you hope to achieve posting in a condescending tone either.

Also LC chemistry (and the LC as a whole) is more based on recite recite recite than overall understanding, I'm guessing the chemistry component of the OP's current course would be of much more practical use than an A1 in the LC with no depth of understanding.

Back on topic, the Admissions Office would be able to give a straight answer as was mentioned above.

Crash

CursedSkeptic is obviously a troll people, if that last post doesn't give it away I don't know what it'll take.

As for if you can't handle the leaving you can't handle medicine, then what the hell is the justification for the HPAT other than to prove that completely wrong?

Boston

CursedSkeptic wrote: »

I could say the same about you. Perhaps you too have a problem with me being gay

Die in a fire.

Crash

Boston you bastard, I just came up with the best one line response I possible could think of, but it would potentially vindicate CursedSkeptics anti-gay theory, GODDAMN YOU!

Either that or just come across as wonderfully homophobic and mean :P

BarnhallBull

I e-mailed the admissions office and was told that I don't meet the matriculation rewuirements unfortunately:(

If you didn't get the points you probably are not able for the course tbh

As regards that, I am confident that I have the ability to do medicine, I had major surgery 3 months before the Leaving Cert which meant I was unable to attend school from then on, but I still managed to achieve the points I did. As another poster (who was far more helpful by the way) pointed out, this is one of the reasons for the change in entry to medicine. As most people are aware, the fundamental flaw with the Leaving Cert system is that sometimes, as in my case, circumstances make it impossible for a person to achieve their potential in the exam.

Unfortunately I definitely won't be studying medicine in Trinity College next year, I may not achieve the required score in the HPAT test to study medicine anywhere, but I certainly hope I do, and I believe I'll make a good job of it if I do

Crash

Hard luck mate - best of luck with the HPAT and the other med schools however.

BarnhallBull

Thanks, I had a feeling that would be the case but I thought i'd chance my arm anyway! Not being able to study in TCD just cuts down on the number of places available to me which is a pain:(

I really wish I hadn'y gone to a school which didn't offer chemistry at leaving cert...

ApeXaviour

BarnhallBull wrote: »

I e-mailed the admissions office and was told that I don't meet the matriculation requirements unfortunately:(

The admissions office are just reading from the rule book, they don't have the wherewithal to make exceptions, that'd be up to the school of Medicine.

You have 10 spaces on your CAO, and there're less than 10 medicine courses in this country. If you want to, I'd still put trinity as your first choice. Worst case scenario you will remain unaffected. And if you do happen to get the points you can appeal to the school of medicine who will be more qualified to make that assessment. It's no guarantee, and you will need to have a transcript as proof that you passed your first year chemistry exam.

There is some precedence for this. I know a boy who passed 1st year science in UCD, then took a year out to redo the LC. He got into Human Genetics here in trinity and after an interview the department allowed him to enter directly into 2nd year.

CursedSkeptic wrote: »

I could say the same about you. Perhaps you too have a problem with me being gay

CursedSkeptic wrote: »

Well good. Maybe next time you will think twice before insulting a member of the gay community...

I'm afraid being a member of the muppet community earns you a month ban.

scruttocks

ApeXaviour wrote: »

I'm afraid being a member of the muppet community earns you a month ban.

FACE!

BarnhallBull

Thanks ApeXaviour, that's really helpful!

Good idea about leaving it as my first choice, like you said if I don't get it, it won't have any influence on my chances of getting in anywhere else:) Also a good Idea about talking to the Medicine department directly, as you said they're better qualified to make judgements on individual cases. I get my first semester results next week so hopefully I'll have a nice high chemistry mark to show them...:p

oogyoop

This department tend to be quite sticky, but well-intentioned.

A friendly and useful contact is Fedelma McNamara - she won't be able to answer your inquiry herself but will definitely refer it to an appropriate and qualified person for you.

Her email address is fmcnamar@tcd.ie

Good luck!