Post-Grad Medicine after doing Civil Eng!

kev1

Hi,
I know this is probably very strange but here goes.
I've just finished 3rd year Civil Eng in NUIG and I'm out on placement at the minute... I really dont want to be a Civil Engineer though as I cant see myself doing the job.
I have been really thinking of doing Medicine but I'm not sure if its a realistic option or just a pipe-dream. I got 600 points in my Leaving Cert. and I've got examination scholarships for the first 2-years in Civil Eng. However, I didnt do Biology in the Leaving Cert and only did Physics&Chemistry (combined). So do you reckon I would have to go back and do biology in the Leaving Cert?
What other requirements would I need?

Also, what is the best route I can take? I'm guessing I should finish my Civil Eng degree and try the Graduate route? Where is the best place to do the Graduate course? Queens in Belfast,, UCC??
I've believe there are these GAMSAT entrance exams for the Graduate route, I believe these are v hard exams so would I have a realistic chance of passing these exams given I have done an Eng degree and not a Science deg??

Also, I will be 21 next year, so I would be 26/27 when finishing the post-grad med course.... is this rather old to be just starting as an Intern??

Sorry for the long post but any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Vorsprung

kev1 wrote: »

Also, I will be 21 next year, so I would be 26/27 when finishing the post-grad med course.... is this rather old to be just starting as an Intern??

You should say that to the fella who turned 39 in my Final Med year!

Loads of threads on Gamsats etc if you do a search of the forum.

drzhivago

kev1 wrote: »

Hi,
I know this is probably very strange but here goes.
I've just finished 3rd year Civil Eng in NUIG and I'm out on placement at the minute... I really dont want to be a Civil Engineer though as I cant see myself doing the job.
I have been really thinking of doing Medicine but I'm not sure if its a realistic option or just a pipe-dream. I got 600 points in my Leaving Cert. and I've got examination scholarships for the first 2-years in Civil Eng. However, I didnt do Biology in the Leaving Cert and only did Physics&Chemistry (combined). So do you reckon I would have to go back and do biology in the Leaving Cert?
What other requirements would I need?

Also, what is the best route I can take? I'm guessing I should finish my Civil Eng degree and try the Graduate route? Where is the best place to do the Graduate course? Queens in Belfast,, UCC??
I've believe there are these GAMSAT entrance exams for the Graduate route, I believe these are v hard exams so would I have a realistic chance of passing these exams given I have done an Eng degree and not a Science deg??

Also, I will be 21 next year, so I would be 26/27 when finishing the post-grad med course.... is this rather old to be just starting as an Intern??

Sorry for the long post but any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

BIASED ADVICE

Finish degree
Dont do grad entry do undergrad, still get summer holidays 5-6 yrs in college and not 4, have a chance to use degree to earn over summers to support you in some way at least.
26/27 not old at all
there is no best place, you get a medical degree from all, best place is either for social reasons or practical cash reasons (place to stay, friends to stay with, less travelling)

Eerie

drzhivago wrote: »

BIASED ADVICE

Finish degree
Dont do grad entry do undergrad, still get summer holidays 5-6 yrs in college and not 4, have a chance to use degree to earn over summers to support you in some way at least.
26/27 not old at all
there is no best place, you get a medical degree from all, best place is either for social reasons or practical cash reasons (place to stay, friends to stay with, less travelling)

Don't know if colleges that have grad programmes will still allow you in their undergrad programme if you have a degree already - isn't that the whole point of having 2 programmes!!! You'll probably have to check it out with the individual schools.

Regarding summers in GEP, at RCSI you still have about 10-12 weeks off for summer in graduate programs, only a few weeks less than the undergrads.

26/27 is not old to be an intern! I'll be just turning 27 when I finish too - sure we're still only babies!

flerb22

Eerie wrote: »

Don't know if colleges that have grad programmes will still allow you in their undergrad programme if you have a degree already - isn't that the whole point of having 2 programmes!!!

for trinity at least there is no postgrad course - everyone with a degree allready is in the undergrad course.

kev1

flerb22 wrote: »

for trinity at least there is no postgrad course - everyone with a degree allready is in the undergrad course.

So would I apply for this through the CAO like an undergrad??
What would the story be as regard fees, would I qualify for 'free fees' like a normal undergrad?

---

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far, all good info.. keep it up!

As regards biology, do ye know if I would have to do go back and sit Leaving Cert biology?

Traumadoc

My wife did medicine (undergrad) after engineering, just as well as she cant even change a plug.
Give admissions in RCSI a call.

tech77

kev1 wrote: »

So would I apply for this through the CAO like an undergrad??
What would the story be as regard fees, would I qualify for 'free fees' like a normal undergrad?

---

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far, all good info.. keep it up!

As regards biology, do ye know if I would have to do go back and sit Leaving Cert biology?

I'm fairly sure you'd have to fork out for any years of a med course that are at the same level of the years of the Eng course you already did- ie the first 3 years anyway.
(You can't get fees for doing the same year a second time round, independent of the course AFAIK).

Not sure about the remaining 2 or 3 years- you could get your fees paid for those.
Don't take that as gospel though- ask myth over in the student finances forum- he knows all this stuff.

Also, i don't think biology is compulsory.
Wasn't for me anyway.
Some courses may have it as a requirement- can't see it being though.

blipp

As someone in a grad-med course, I agree with Dr.Zhivago. Do the undergrad med - you have the points. Much easier life than the 4 years compressed. We have 7 weeks off in the summer. No time to get a job, the fees are nasty and the workload is constant. They expect a lot more from the graduates-don't know why-we haven't graduated from medicine! By the way, there are engineering graduates in my class. If you decide to go the graduate route, you sound like someone who would not have a problem with the entrance exam. Personally I think engineering is a great background for medicine.

papajimsmooth

I was in a similar situation and i ended up dropping out of engineering and taking up the six year medicine course. You dont have to have biology you simply need 2 science subjects (physics and chem in your case), im doing it with physics and applied math. The lack of biology isnt really an obstacle to be honest as you will have specific classes dedicated to each piece. Its a completely different ball game compared to engineering and significantly harder and more study intensive. In regards to fees you will have to pay fees for each year you have completed in engineering. So you will need to pay for the first 3 years and then the rest are covered.

DirkVoodoo

I'm an engineering graduate (UCD) and two of my friends have gone on to do postgrad courses in medicine, one in RCSI and the other in UL.

sillymoo

I really dont want to rain on your parade but make sure you research the undergrad option fully. This year the entry requirements for undergrad med changed (to try and make it more accessable and stop people repeating just for the points). Im not too sure on the details but you need the HPAT and also your matiric subjects must be from the one sitting ie. if you want to do med you cant repeat and drop english just to get the points. Just some points to bear in mind.

I dropped out of a course to do undergrad med and dont regret it for what its worth I had to pay for the years of the other course I did but dont have to pay the rest of the years ie. I had to pay until 2nd year.