Do mature students have to take the HPAT?

weird

Are mature students who wish to do an undergraduate course in medicine required to take the HPAT?

Laydee

I looked into it before & all the colleges require HPAT.
I got in touch with HPAT & they won't take mature students, you need to have done the leaving cert too.

So I've resigned myself to the fact that if I want to do medicine it will be through GEM.

Let me know if you find out some other way because i would love to know.

psycho-hope

yep you have to do it even if your applying as a mature student one of the girls i work with has just gone back to do medicine as a mature student

Laydee

But HPAT won't take students without a leaving cert number.
I never sat my LC so I'd need to apply through GEM.

If you have sat your LC before then you should be fine.

weird

Agreed having to take the HPAT sucks but you could always just sit your leaving cert?

If you're dedicated it's something you'll have to do.

http://www.nightcourses.com/leaving_cert-adult-education-options/index.html

Laydee

I think I'd rather do a degree & apply through GEM.
My degree is in the health sector also so maybe helping people that way will have the same satisfaction, if not there's always GEM.

medic_1

I'm gutted... Don't know how I didn't see it before now?!

I must have the LC to apply to sit HPAT... After years of putting it off I was finally ready to apply and now this?!

I'm totally GUTTED...

Laydee

Your options are...
1) go back & sit the LC.
2) do another degree & apply through GEM

The LC route would be 2 years minimum, you'd need to pass HPAT & get enough points so you could end up applying the year after too.

The GEM route would take 3 years minimum, degrees from UK are 3 years & you could do one in Belfast. If you were staying in Ireland, it would be 4 years.

If you want it bad enough, you will get there one day...what's meant for you will not pass you by

medic_1

Thanks Laydee

I'm looking into the LC now... Any recommendations where to do it?

I have a hDip and MSc, would that suffice for the GEM route?

Laydee

Is there a local VEC college near you? they usually do the LC.

I am not sure if Msc & HDip are suficient. I would assume that the masters degree would be. According to the RCSI website the requirements are:

Applicants must have completed or expect to complete by the summer 2009 an honours degree (level 8) with a minimum grade second class honours (2.1). The degree can be in any discipline and all applicants will be required to submit a current GAMSAT score. Candidates are eligible to apply on the basis of meeting the academic requirements of holding a 2.1 level 8 degree, places are awarded via the CAO on the basis of GAMSAT scores, i.e the candidate with the highest score gets the first offer, the second highest score gets the second offer and so on until all places are filled.

You might have more luck in this section: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1274

There's others there applying for GEM, they would know more about this than I would.