So the HPAT screwed us over....applying abroad now an option??

funkylana

Hey so i'm about 95% certain i didn't get medicine after those spirit-crushing HPAT results came out today, so now applications abroad are my top priority. Anybody else doing the same? Any good universities abroad for medicine that you could inform me about?? i need all the information i can get at this point; theres nothing else i want to do besides medicine, so right now i don't care where i end up as long as it puts me on my desired career path.
So far i've looked at universities in Malaysia, Slovakia, Hungary, the UAE, and I'm going to be making applications to some of these places in the next few days.
Anybody got any ideas where else i should be looking?
Thanks.

bythewoods

Really sorry to hear that

The HPAT is made of lose.
LOSE.

I'm pretty sure for the UK Unis you have to do an exam similar to the HPAT, plus it's a bit late to apply.

My career guidance teacher was pimping Budapest to me a few months ago though.
Although she kept calling it "Boob-a-pest"...
But yeah, mgihtn't be a bad one to check out.

amacachi

Would you have gotten in under the old system do you reckon? Or are you just venting at the HPAT because it's easy to?

If I were you I'd go the postgrad route here, but that's just me.

spurious

Hopefully those considering medicine will be ready to cope when things don't go as planned.

There is A L W A Y S another way to get where you want.

drrkpd

Look if you study abroad you still have to work as a doctor for a year (called an intern) when you get paid but you MUST do this. With all the competition from Irish graduates unless you want to LIVE PERMANENTLY in that country what chance do you think you have against them??
There ARE other options-you can repeat the hpat, you can repeat the Leaving Cert and the hpat or you can get a degree and then apply for graduate training . The UK is an option but you must apply before September and they are not interested in repeat marks -just your first time. I genuinely would not panic and run off to another country-it really is not a good long-term move. Think about this very carefully and ask them where are their graduates working???
( Sorry to SHOUT but these are very important points).

funkylana

amacachi wrote: »

Would you have gotten in under the old system do you reckon? Or are you just venting at the HPAT because it's easy to?

If I were you I'd go the postgrad route here, but that's just me.

No I definitely think I would have got in on the old system; learning things off and working my arse off isn't a problem for me. But with my HPAT scores even if i got 600 i don't think i would have got in, seeing as generally people think that you're only safe if you get 720+.
Screwed me over big time- you don't know how disappointed i was when i saw my results; couldn't believe it.:(

As for the postgrad route, people would be surprised that i'm not taking it seeing as i'm fairly young (won't be 17 until the end of october) but i personally think that i would just be wasting 2years of my life, seeing as the course will be about 4 years, and graduate medicine will be 4 years...it just seems a long time to me.

amacachi

funkylana wrote: »

No I definitely think I would have got in on the old system; learning things off and working my arse off isn't a problem for me. But with my HPAT scores even if i got 600 i don't think i would have got in, seeing as generally people think that you're only safe if you get 720+.
Screwed me over big time- you don't know how disappointed i was when i saw my results; couldn't believe it.:(

As for the postgrad route, people would be surprised that i'm not taking it seeing as i'm fairly young (won't be 17 until the end of october) but i personally think that i would just be wasting 2years of my life, seeing as the course will be about 4 years, and graduate medicine will be 4 years...it just seems a long time to me.

Well personally I'd sooner "waste" two years of my life than pay thousands and thousands of quid, but that's just me.

funkylana

drrkpd wrote: »

Look if you study abroad you still have to work as a doctor for a year (called an intern) when you get paid but you MUST do this. With all the competition from Irish graduates unless you want to LIVE PERMANENTLY in that country what chance do you think you have against them??
There ARE other options-you can repeat the hpat, you can repeat the Leaving Cert and the hpat or you can get a degree and then apply for graduate training . The UK is an option but you must apply before September and they are not interested in repeat marks -just your first time. I genuinely would not panic and run off to another country-it really is not a good long-term move. Think about this very carefully and ask them where are their graduates working???
( Sorry to SHOUT but these are very important points).

There would only be a problem about competing with Irish graduates if I did medicine OUTSIDE of europe- and not to sound snobby or anything, but I know because my dad is a doctor, and because he did his medicine degree in Egypt. However even so, he's a very successful doctor here. But at the same time it's only become more recent where irish/EU graduates are given first preference to non-european graduates, and thats why i'm prioritising european universities first.
And anyway, i don't even want to live in Ireland or work here very long, so it wouldn't be TOO much of an annoyance for me.

Theres no point repeating the HPAT because theres no way i can improve myself- it's all about an innate capability; which kind of peeves me off because i sincerely believe i'd be a great doctor. And there would be no point repeating the leaving cert because its not going to be the main reason for my pitfall. And don't get me wrong, I still believe the introduction of the HPAT was a very good idea and brings about a much fairer system, but that doesn't mean it doesn't put me in a crappier situation that i would have been in if i did the LC last year.

And if i applied for the UK next year it would be a big gamble because it would be an uncertainty about getting accepted- i could just end up wasting a year, and i'm not willing to take risks right now.

However, i seriously appreciate everything you have said, and i definitely will take them into account; so thank you!

funkylana

amacachi wrote: »

Well personally I'd sooner "waste" two years of my life than pay thousands and thousands of quid, but that's just me.

That's where people have their misconceptions- it's about 5 grand per year for most schools in eastern europe, and the fact that the cost of living is ridiculously low over there, you wouldn't be paying that much more in the long run at all. Believe me, i don't want to just throw away my parents' hard earned cash, so i'm not going for america or canada or any of those places where its like 50 grand a year- i respect my parents way too much for that.

hpat 123

i had 2 pay abt 7000 eur any way hr in ireland as um an eu student....now dat d hpat blew off my chances um kinda hapy 2 escape the massiv recession n high cost of livin in ireland...m off to cheap collejes in east....wid cheap accomodation n evrythin....evn tho its not as hi fi as here but as long as i get 2 study idk

D.R cowboy

bythewoods wrote: »

Really sorry to hear that

The HPAT is made of lose.
LOSE.

I'm pretty sure for the UK Unis you have to do an exam similar to the HPAT, plus it's a bit late to apply.

My career guidance teacher was pimping Budapest to me a few months ago though.
Although she kept calling it "Boob-a-pest"...
But yeah, mgihtn't be a bad one to check out.

Hey I now a guy in Budapest studying for medicine he is in his second year its 4 years over there

There is the language barrier , and also the cost 13 000
per year so if you have the money and the will its a good idea


Also the year goes from Sept- July so its tough

Hopes this helps

funkylana

D.R cowboy wrote: »

Hey I now a guy in Budapest studying for medicine he is in his second year its 4 years over there

There is the language barrier , and also the cost 13 000
per year so if you have the money and the will its a good idea


Also the year goes from Sept- July so its tough

Hopes this helps

checked out medical schools in hungary, and all their entrance exams include physics, which i don't do so its a bit of a balls. same goes for the medical schools in the czech republic, and theres no hope of me going through a whole physics course in like 3 weeks.

slovakia seems to be at the top of the list right now...

Piste

hpat 123 wrote: »

i had 2 pay abt 7000 eur any way hr in ireland as um an eu student....now dat d hpat blew off my chances um kinda hapy 2 escape the massiv recession n high cost of livin in ireland...m off to cheap collejes in east....wid cheap accomodation n evrythin....evn tho its not as hi fi as here but as long as i get 2 study idk

I have already warned you about using text speak, I will ban you if you keep ignoring my warnings.

2Scoops

funkylana wrote: »

slovakia seems to be at the top of the list right now...

You're only 16 years old. You will do better on the HPAT with a bit more experience under your belt. It doesn't exactly measure innate capability; it can be prepared for. Innate capability can change anyway, certainly from mid to late teens. What I'm trying to say is rushing to Eastern Europe seems a bit extreme and may come back to haunt you. Consider your options.

funkylana

2Scoops wrote: »

You're only 16 years old. You will do better on the HPAT with a bit more experience under your belt. It doesn't exactly measure innate capability; it can be prepared for. Innate capability can change anyway, certainly from mid to late teens. What I'm trying to say is rushing to Eastern Europe seems a bit extreme and may come back to haunt you. Consider your options.

well i could still do the hpat next year even if i do end up in university elsewhere, and if i do well the second time round i could come back and skip pre-med(or try, anyway)- but i just don't think preparation can bring me up in the hpat by a substantial amount. my options are kind of blurry right now, so i'm just trying to figure out what i really think is best. But im still going to try to get information from people i know who have studied/are studying medicine in eastern europe and see what the outcome has been for them.
but thanks, i appreciate the advice!:)

ncallananbud

Hey i am a mature student and have applied for medicine and received my hpat results, well disaster thats all i can say, score 106. im ashamed to even say it.
I received a interview for UCC and they say im on a waiting list, can anybody guide or reassure me that possibly have a chance in getting medicine,im in a heap thinking of it. Also waiting to hear from UCD, is there any mature students in the same boat or can answer any of these queries.
Thanks

Baby-R-22

hey i got 151. i really don't know what i'll get in the leaving tho because our Pres were really screwed up>>Long story! do ye think i still have a chance though? how many points do ye think i'd need with it? haven't been talking to my friends who took the test coz I think we're all gutted. was reading one of those LC webjournals and the girl was crying over getting 93%+she was repeating the Leaving, doing it in a grind school. i mean seriously??why worry over that??
anyway i'm panicking over the change of mind form+want peoples' opinions..am i really fudged or is there still a chance of getting in?? thanks guys.X

Baby-R-22

Baby-R-22 wrote: »

am i really fudged or is there still a chance of getting in?? thanks guys.X

Well, yah, there's always a chance: don't go changing your CAO too much just in case. But, in my view, you'd want at least a combined score of 720 (maybe 710) to be in with a shot.

Baby-R-22

thanks x

reindeerarmy

I got 240 in the HPAT but i won't get 480 in the leaving, i might get 420 (I really hate the current irish system and my school didn't help) but all is not lost. I had the dream of being a sports doctor so what i'm doing is sports science and then the graduate entry, this will make me even more qualified as a sports specific doctor provided i make it through. We're the same age so don't be worrying about wasting 2 years, life is all about experiences and the next few years should be the best of your life. I'd be more worried about wasting the most important years of your life in a foreign country not knowing anyone and not knowing the language, you'd have your degree but nothing else.
My advice is if you know what you want out of medicine (i.e if you want to be a pediatrition do child psychology or something for 4 years and then do medicine) don't have tunnel vision if you like take a year out, get a job, have the craic. I did minimal study for the HPAT but i'm just good at them things, i know people that brought up their score by doing countless aptitude tests because they all follow a similar structure, so you could take a year to prepare for them.
Thats only my opinion you can agree or disagree all i know is that if all else fails i'm goin doin arts(History, Philosophy,Politics,English) and i'm going to have the time of my life:cool:. Keep it real and only do things worth remembering on your death bed

ALincoln

reindeerarmy wrote: »

I got 270 in the HPAT but i won't get 480 in the leaving, i might get 420 (I really hate the current irish system and my school didn't help) but all is not lost. I had the dream of being a sports doctor so what i'm doing is sports science and then the graduate entry, this will make me even more qualified as a sports specific doctor provided i make it through. We're the same age so don't be worrying about wasting 2 years, life is all about experiences and the next few years should be the best of your life. I'd be more worried about wasting the most important years of your life in a foreign country not knowing anyone and not knowing the language, you'd have your degree but nothing else.
My advice is if you know what you want out of medicine (i.e if you want to be a pediatrition do child psychology or something for 4 years and then do medicine) don't have tunnel vision if you like take a year out, get a job, have the craic. I did minimal study for the HPAT but i'm just good at them things, i know people that brought up their score by doing countless aptitude tests because they all follow a similar structure, so you could take a year to prepare for them.
Thats only my opinion you can agree or disagree all i know is that if all else fails i'm goin doin arts(History, Philosophy,Politics,English) and i'm going to have the time of my life:cool:. Keep it real and only do things worth remembering on your death bed

Hmm...are you sure you got 270? That would put you above the highest known mark in Ireland and therefore in the 101% percentile...which is impossivle. Did you mean 170? That's still a good mark but would need well over 500 points unfortunately. grad entry is a hard but worthwile if you want it kind of approach.

Baby-R-22

reindeerarmy wrote: »

Keep it real and only do things worth remembering on your death bed

i love it:) so little optimism in this thread lately.:)X

Anthony16

reindeerarmy wrote: »

I got 240 in the HPAT but i won't get 480 in the leaving, i might get 420 (I really hate the current irish system and my school didn't help) but all is not lost. I had the dream of being a sports doctor so what i'm doing is sports science and then the graduate entry, this will make me even more qualified as a sports specific doctor provided i make it through. We're the same age so don't be worrying about wasting 2 years, life is all about experiences and the next few years should be the best of your life. I'd be more worried about wasting the most important years of your life in a foreign country not knowing anyone and not knowing the language, you'd have your degree but nothing else.
My advice is if you know what you want out of medicine (i.e if you want to be a pediatrition do child psychology or something for 4 years and then do medicine) don't have tunnel vision if you like take a year out, get a job, have the craic. I did minimal study for the HPAT but i'm just good at them things, i know people that brought up their score by doing countless aptitude tests because they all follow a similar structure, so you could take a year to prepare for them.
Thats only my opinion you can agree or disagree all i know is that if all else fails i'm goin doin arts(History, Philosophy,Politics,English) and i'm going to have the time of my life:cool:. Keep it real and only do things worth remembering on your death bed

Could u tell me what it takes to become a sports doctor as info on the net is quite scarce.Thanks

i'm a smiler

Anthony16 wrote: »

Could u tell me what it takes to become a sports doctor as info on the net is quite scarce.Thanks

You need a degree in medicine first of all and then you specialise later on in sports medicine (i.e a postgraduate degree). That would be after your intern year though. Hope that helps.However it can be very difficult to get a job as a sports doctor. Most sports doctors have it as a "on the side" career and many are gps.

Anthony16

i'm a smiler wrote: »

You need a degree in medicine first of all and then you specialise later on in sports medicine (i.e a postgraduate degree). That would be after your intern year though. Hope that helps.However it can be very difficult to get a job as a sports doctor. Most sports doctors have it as a "on the side" career and many are gps.

Thanks for replying.Do u know if it wud be easier to get a job as a sports doctor abroad than in ireland as we dont have as many professional sports.I hav no idea wat to do career wise so any help is greatly appreciated

Larianne

spurious wrote: »

Hopefully those considering medicine will be ready to cope when things don't go as planned.

There is A L W A Y S another way to get where you want.

This is definitely true! I would try to find out as much information as possible whether it is going down the postgrad route or applying to the UK. To be honest, I wouldn't look any further than there. What with language barriers and different cultures - studying a degree in medicine is hard enough without extra worry!

The closing date for med with UCAS is October so if you are thinking about going down that route I strongly recommend getting some work experience in a hospital, doctor's surgery or nursing home now! The unis there won't look at your application if there is no work experience. Doing voluntary work would also be a plus. There is many examples of personal statements on the interview which may help you prepare your application.

As far as I know, there is only the Ulster HPAT. There is none for entry to med in the UK.

i'm a smiler

Anthony16 wrote: »

Thanks for replying.Do u know if it wud be easier to get a job as a sports doctor abroad than in ireland as we dont have as many professional sports.I hav no idea wat to do career wise so any help is greatly appreciated

Well, I've just done my lc so I wouldn't know for definite. But it would make sense that there would be more jobs as a sports doctor in other countries. In Ireland, I personally know two sports doctors, one who was with the kilkenny hurling team and another who was involved with the irish olympic athletic squad. Both of them are gps by nature but got into to the sports side of things after a while in their career. I think networking is a big aspect to getting such a job in Ireland. Also, I think if you did a degree in medicine you would probably change your mind. Medicine is so broad, i don't think its necessarily wise to focus on just one speciality before you even begin the undergrad. But, if you know you want to be a doctor, do medicine. Think about the sports side later. You'll have plenty of time!However, if it is just the sports side that really facinates you, then you could do a degree in sports science in ul or dcu. I know one guy who is working in the australian olympic institute of sport after just qualifying in ul.There are plenty of opportunities out there. You've just got to grab the one that best suits you! Best of luck!