GEM Offers 2009

Boethius

Hi all,

Thought it might be an idea to have somewhere to discuss CAO offers that are out tomorrow.
Could be a case of delight or dismay but might be reassuring if you miss out in the first round to see what scores got in and such.

Personally I'm hoping for RCSI followed by UCD and am hopeful that a 62 will get me a place without the need for anymore waiting.

Best of luck to all anyway and if you don't get what you want first round, there's always the chance of a few
not taking their places?:)

eagle_&_bear

Best of luck!!

Hope you're happily rewarded for all your work. Well done on the 62.

Any words of insight/wisdom in relation to the gamsats? There's a GAMSAT (Dublin 2010) thread, if you have any insight, we'd be thrilled to hear about it

Congrats and best of luck again

haemfire

Also, it would be cool if people siad what their background was, advice on the gammy ect, and also people who didnt get an offer could also share their opinions and tips,

Boethius

eagle_&_bear wrote: »

Any words of insight/wisdom in relation to the gamsats? There's a GAMSAT (Dublin 2010) thread, if you have any insight, we'd be thrilled to hear about it

Not sure I'm the person to be asking for wisdom, actually I am sure i'm not the person to be asking.;)

I did it in London last September for UCAS without any preparation and did only slightly worse than my effort in March after a couple of months of good solid work.

It's pretty fickle and its all down to understanding and having the ability to adapt to different questions, i'll think some more and try and draw up a list of suggestions....

ebbinghaus

are they posting the offers on cao website in the morn?

cngrats with 62.. you should fly it..

im on 57.. think ill be waiting for round 11

etymon

hi all

got an offer for UL on a 57 - not accepting - might give you some idea where the cutoffs are at.

best of luck all
please send me some UCD karma in the next rounds!!

edit : UL was my 3rd choice if that makes any difference!

finty

RCSI here I come, back to sleep now

Boethius

Looks like I'll be joining you finty, something very nice about clicking that accept button.......

chanste

Well offers are supposedly out today (at 6.00am). Can anyone tell me what points were needed, seen as how I (as expected) got offered nothing with my 56.

Is it possible to defer a place if you get an offer?

etymon

here are the cutoffs - everything is up about 3 points
http://www2.cao.ie/points/GraduateMedicine2009-Round-0.pdf

BobbyOLeary

Accepted my offer for UCD this morning after I got up. Great feeling!

I did the GAMSAT back in March while I was in the middle of my final term of my 4 year Physiology degree in UCD. Scored 72 overall. Gonna have some weekend now!

Alpha1.2

Got RCSI with 61, quite pleased but wouldnt have been upset with UCD or UL (I know the UL course very well, my gf is in there and besides some planning foibles its a great course)

See you there Boethius & Finty

MaryRose77

etymon wrote: »

here are the cutoffs - everything is up about 3 points
http://www2.cao.ie/points/GraduateMedicine2009-Round-0.pdf

That's bad news. I won't be applying to medicine for 2 years yet and it looks like I'm going to need at least a 64-65 to get into UCC if the points keep increasing like that from year to year, and we have to assume they will. You're mad not to take the offer in UL.

eagle_&_bear

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!!!

VERY VERY WELL DONE!!!!

etymon

might be mad, but for the sake of one year I may as well try for Dublin. would save a lot of money etc. Got a 57 on about 6 weeks study and no science background so hopefully with 7 months hard work I can kick up the GAMSAT score... even if only a couple to points to get UL again, I would take it then.

haemfire

etymon you could try the gamsat uk in september, tbh i think you will get into ucd or rcsi in the 2nd round:D

etymon

thanks haemfire. I am away for the next month on hols and just wouldn't be able to study (think noisy train across asia full of people) so I did think of it but twould be a waste of 350 odd quid TBH. Going to do some serious study and get some science grinds from September.
And if I don't get it next year I'll keep trying as long as my age begins with 2... or 3!

haemfire

thats a good plan, i have a 2.1 in science and was looking at some of the practice questions in S1 today and think I might be doing the same!!! what material did you use for the gamsat? and how many hours a day did you study in those six weeks?

GradMed

Congratulations everyone and good luck Etymon

ebbinghaus

Has anyone who was offered UL looked into on campus accomodation? or will it be full at this stage??

Alpha1.2

Accom will not be full - Leaving cert still to get places.

My gf who is UL 3rd year med advises you to ask when you apply to be put with other med students - usually they do group you but some get stuck with random post grads

The accom is nice there, pretty much all are relatively new. In order of best to worst.....
Dromroe is really nice
Cappagh villa is nice
Thomond is nice but bit far
Kilmurray - Oldest one but still nice, right next to tennis courts
Plassey - Stay away with 10million foot barge pole (packed with 1st years and horrible)

totsy

Hey I got 57 in the GAMSATS but didn't get offered a place anywhere. I've found out where I am on the waiting list of all the colleges I applied to and the only one I am likely to be offered a place in is UL. I'm not sure what to do now....I'm just worried if I leave accomodation and everything till the 17th I will be at risk of losing out on a good place? also not sure what to do bout the loan etc. Any advice anyone could give who be great.:)

haemfire

totsy wrote: »

Hey I got 57 in the GAMSATS but didn't get offered a place anywhere. I've found out where I am on the waiting list of all the colleges I applied to and the only one I am likely to be offered a place in is UL. I'm not sure what to do now....I'm just worried if I leave accomodation and everything till the 17th I will be at risk of losing out on a good place? also not sure what to do bout the loan etc. Any advice anyone could give who be great.:)

well theres no point in organising accommodation if you dont have an offer, besides many LC students have plenty of time to organise accommodation with the same time frame as you, you could contact the banks at UL which offer these financial packages and explain your situation to them

Alpha1.2

What haemfire said. In any case, it prob wont fill up even so. Like I said, they mainly put undergrad 18yr olds all together in Plassey and most other is for post grads - over 50% of the college is postgrads. Basically what I'm saying is -don't worry about it.

As for the loan, that can wait until you have a place confirmed. the college suggests a bank and gives you all the details (in UL i think its ulster bank) But you are free to shop around to other banks, nearly all big ones now offer GradMed specific loans.

totsy

Brilliant, thanks. Just don't wanna feel unprepared if by any chance I get an offer.

Congrats to everyone who got their offers!

Echani

Congrats everyone, see a few of you in RCSI this September

chanste

totsy wrote: »

Hey I got 57 in the GAMSATS but didn't get offered a place anywhere. I've found out where I am on the waiting list of all the colleges I applied to and the only one I am likely to be offered a place in is UL. I'm not sure what to do now....I'm just worried if I leave accomodation and everything till the 17th I will be at risk of losing out on a good place? also not sure what to do bout the loan etc. Any advice anyone could give who be great.:)

Hi Totsy, who did you call to find out where you were on the waiting list? I'm getting told to wait until next offers are out when I call CAO. I got 56 so I know I'm not likely to be offered anything but I'm hoping against hope that UL might drop enough.

Also does anyone know what the points were last year in round zero? I just want to know how much I can expect them to drop by.

sooty too

Hi All,
I have been offered a place in UL (my score is 58). Really wanted UCD or RCSI as I am from Dublin, but it seems a long way off points wise. Is it worth repeating GAMSAT to aim for Dub next year, or should I cut my losses and go with UL? Bit worried about the extra expense of living away from home for 4 years with no income. Any advice greatly appreciated....

eagle_&_bear

hiya,

well I'm doing gamsat next yr so my thoughts are a little circular at the moment but..I suppose you should ask yourself did you perform to your very best in that test (I'm making the assumption that you sat March 2009).

If the answer is 'yes' then you would have a valid argument of cutting ''your losses'' and taking UL but bare in mind you've managed to attain a place most people dream about and alot didnt get a place so you are in a very unique position. Plus, what if the points levels are raised next yr and you again score the same mark... and miss a place...

I dont see UL as cutting your losses (but that my opinion and at the moment its worth jack sh!t) but.... ask yourself could you do better in the next one? and what if you get the same and miss out?

but i hear you about no income for 4yrs!! its already on my mind! so i know what you're thinking but be very real about the placement. You've gotten in! you've passed and been awarded a place. Don't give it up too lightly but also follow your heart

haemfire

my advice would be to resit the gamsat in september in the uk and if necessary, give another go in march if you need to, if getting ucd/ rcsi means you wont have living expences of €10,000 + for 4 years plus you would be repaying a loan half the size of the one you would have to take out if you accepted UL a year is not a very long time, on a side note you could also try applying to the uk with a gamsat result of 60 + and relavent work experience where the fees are £3500. Also you could save more money for grad med by workin for a year

totsy

chanste wrote: »

Hi Totsy, who did you call to find out where you were on the waiting list? I'm getting told to wait until next offers are out when I call CAO. I got 56 so I know I'm not likely to be offered anything but I'm hoping against hope that UL might drop enough.

Also does anyone know what the points were last year in round zero? I just want to know how much I can expect them to drop by.

Hi chanste
I got in contact with Anne Hickey in UL. She couldn't tell me exactly where I was on the list but she could tell me if I was likely to be offered a place in the next round. I hope this helps.

Alpha1.2

Well....
Got my offer letter from RCSI...
Turns out I need full academic transcript (the one I just sent to CAO, which they checked) and certified Gamsat score (I dont know how it is certified, you just print it off the website).
Rang them up, and yes, both are needed. Rang my college, they said there is no way that transcript will be ready by then. Fun.

Edit: Its good to know people in admin, crisis averted

Boethius

Alpha1.2 wrote: »

Well....
Got my offer letter from RCSI...
Turns out I need full academic transcript (the one I just sent to CAO, which they checked) and certified Gamsat score (I dont know how it is certified, you just print it off the website).
Rang them up, and yes, both are needed. Rang my college, they said there is no way that transcript will be ready by then. Fun.

Edit: Its good to know people in admin, crisis averted

Ya I was puzzled a bit by this too, its fair enough that they want an academic record at some stage but to make your acceptance conditional is a bit harsh. Don't see what the rush is because as you said they checked the transcripts with the CAO. I happen to have a copy but good luck to anyone that doesn't trying to get them in two weeks.

Alpha1.2

Ok, now for the loan.

Called AIB, they are offering 25k pa at an interest rate of;
apr 1.22% Variable
margin 1.2% Static
funding .5% Static

For a total of 2.92% (of which 1.22% is variable/1.7 static)

Ringing ulster bank and BOI now.....

Edit:
Apparently Ulster bank not doing gradmed loan package anymore.....
No one in BOI was able to talk to me, someone is calling me back....

Svalbard

Alpha1.2 wrote: »

My gf who is UL 3rd year med advises you to ask when you apply to be put with other med students - usually they do group you but some get stuck with random post grads

Why on earth!?!?!?!?!?

chanste

Alpha1.2 wrote: »

Apparently Ulster bank not doing gradmed loan package anymore.....
No one in BOI was able to talk to me, someone is calling me back....

Damn, I hope this isn't a sign of the times. It would be just my luck to actually GET an offer, but not be able to afford to take it cos can't get loan. In my case I'd be asking them to absorb a loan I currently have too :-( Need about €110k altogether and I'm wondering if there are any banks out there that would lend to me as part of grad med package or otherwise.

Alpha1.2

OK, here's the deal;
FINALLY got through to the right guy at BOI
If anyone wants to talk to him his name is Chen and his direct line is 01-6634221, you may need to leave a message and he will get back to you (lame)

He quoted me a rate of 6.3 variable while in college and then 8.3 variable once I graduate, which is a LOT more than what AIB is offering, rang them back to double check - 2.883% of which 1.7% is static i.e. will never go below 1.7%. Both said the variable rate will be influenced by the market so AIB seems the better option, but don't take my words as the word of God.

eagle_&_bear

at those rates, its AIB all the way!

thanks for posting Alpha... its good to see where figures are at

mylastparadigm

people are saying the points are going up... 1st round last year for rcsi was 62. so that's down one.
maybe i'm wrong. can anyone explain it to me.


looks like AIB all the way. what are boi at?

chanste

If there are 55 EU places in UL this year (as I was told when I called them), I wonder how many of the 55 offers already out will be refused. It would probably take nearly all of them for the points to go down to 56 (my points) wouldn't it?

eagle_&_bear

chanste wrote: »

If there are 55 EU places in UL this year (as I was told when I called them), I wonder how many of the 55 offers already out will be refused. It would probably take nearly all of them for the points to go down to 56 (my points) wouldn't it?

I suppose it depends on where you applied to? Any word yet?

Best of luck

Boethius

chanste wrote: »

If there are 55 EU places in UL this year (as I was told when I called them), I wonder how many of the 55 offers already out will be refused. It would probably take nearly all of them for the points to go down to 56 (my points) wouldn't it?

Luckily, it's not quite as bad as that. In theory, if everyone had in order RSCI, UCD, UCC and then UL on their CAO forms then two people not accepting their places on each course could create 8 new places in UL. Problem is that everyone didn't have that preference and its impossible to predict what people will do in fairness especially as the course is quite financially burdensome, but I would be a little surprised if it went to the stage where all 56's got in but who knows?

imported_guy

Boethius wrote: »

Luckily, it's not quite as bad as that. In theory, if everyone had in order RSCI, UCD, UCC and then UL on their CAO forms then two people not accepting their places on each course could create 8 new places in UL. Problem is that everyone didn't have that preference and its impossible to predict what people will do in fairness especially as the course is quite financially burdensome, but I would be a little surprised if it went to the stage where all 56's got in but who knows?

thats not how cao works im afraid

round 1 offers go out
all UL positions get filled (no one drops out)

but not all in RSCI UCD UCC are filled (because of the drop outs), how will that creat positions in UL, in round 2? all the positions got filled in round 1

finty

imported_guy wrote: »

thats not how cao works im afraid

round 1 offers go out
all UL positions get filled (no one drops out)

but not all in RSCI UCD UCC are filled (because of the drop outs), how will that creat positions in UL, in round 2? all the positions got filled in round 1

If someone had there cao in order

RCSI
UCD
UCC
UL

gets 57 and was offered UL in round 1, accepted it.

then someone else who got offered ucc declined it, this place in ucc would then be offered to the next person on the list. probably someone who has already accepted a place in UL like the person i described above.

They accept the place in UCC thus creating a place in UL. This place is then offered to the next person on the list.


hope it makes some sense, thats my understanding anyway!

thats why they tell you to accept the place even if you are waiting for an offer higher on your list in the next round.

imported_guy

finty wrote: »

If someone had there cao in order

RCSI
UCD
UCC
UL

gets 57 and was offered UL in round 1, accepted it.

then someone else who got offered ucc declined it, this place in ucc would then be offered to the next person on the list. probably someone who has already accepted a place in UL like the person i described above.

They accept the place in UCC thus creating a place in UL. This place is then offered to the next person on the list.


hope it makes some sense, thats my understanding anyway!

thats why they tell you to accept the place even if you are waiting for an offer higher on your list in the next round.

if offers are sent out to every one who put down UL, and no one declined, thats it full stop, UL will not show up in round 2

but if offers got refused for UCC/RCSI, their points will go down depending on how many drop out, but you wont be going in UL unless some one who got offered UL declines it.

hope my elaboration was better and didnt confuse anyone :P

EDIT sorry im stupid

if u accept UL, you wont get offered UCC, even if everyone else drops out of UCC :P, you can decline UL first time around, to see if other people decline UCC, and then u might get UCC, but then u might loose both spots.

finty

imported_guy wrote: »

EDIT sorry im stupid

if u accept UL, you wont get offered UCC, even if everyone else drops out of UCC :P, you can decline UL first time around, to see if other people decline UCC, and then u might get UCC, but then u might loose both spots.

You are seriously mistaken on this point. From page 18 of the CAO handbook:

"If you are being offered a place in a course which is not your first preference, you may subsequently be offered a place in a course of higher preference if such a place becomes available. This applies whether or not the earlier offer has been accepted. "

You dont have to change your acceptance but the course higher on your list will be offered to you

imported_guy

finty wrote: »

You are seriously mistaken on this point. From page 18 of the CAO handbook:

"If you are being offered a place in a course which is not your first preference, you may subsequently be offered a place in a course of higher preference if such a place becomes available. This applies whether or not the earlier offer has been accepted. "

You dont have to change your acceptance but the course higher on your list will be offered to you

my bad, but when i did my leaving cert a while back thats what i was told, if you accepted, than thats it you wont be offered anything in round 2 :O

Carsinian Thau

imported_guy wrote: »

my bad, but when i did my leaving cert a while back thats what i was told, if you accepted, than thats it you wont be offered anything in round 2 :O

Who told you that?

If it wasn't a career guidance counsellor, I wouldn't listen. Very very few students in Ireland seem to actually understand the CAO system.

Boethius

Thanks for explaining that Finty, thought I was going to have to write another nonsensical hypothetical post which isn't a strong point :P

finty

Boethius wrote: »

Thanks for explaining that Finty, thought I was going to have to write another nonsensical hypothetical post which isn't a strong point :P

I'll see you in RCSI, just paid my deposit today......


why did nobody mention capitation fees, IT fees and the other one whose name escapes me? :mad:

Boethius

finty wrote: »

I'll see you in RCSI, just paid my deposit today......

why did nobody mention capitation fees, IT fees and the other one whose name escapes me? :mad:

Ya sorted mine today too so not much else to do now but wait. I had a sneaking suspicion that capitation fees would show up alright.
Same as any undergrad degree but still hard to swallow . Suppose you do get a laptop from the IT fees which is reasonable enough
(well I could do with an upgrade anyway), but the last one was a bit random, was it NUI fees or something?