GAMSAT 2010

Celvapan

Hi all,

I was just reading up about the graduate entry to medicine on the CAO and have been toying with the idea of applying for it this year...I see the closing date is comming up soon.

Only thing is that although I have got a 2.1 Masters degree, I got a 3rd class honours primary degree. Will this rule me out of the application process before i have even started? Also do you have to get a minimum amount of points in the leaving cert to apply? Any info would be greatly appreciated-Thanks

imported_guy

Celvapan wrote: »

Hi all,

I was just reading up about the graduate entry to medicine on the CAO and have been toying with the idea of applying for it this year...I see the closing date is comming up soon.

Only thing is that although I have got a 2.1 Masters degree, I got a 3rd class honours primary degree. Will this rule me out of the application process before i have even started? Also do you have to get a minimum amount of points in the leaving cert to apply? Any info would be greatly appreciated-Thanks

yes it rules you out, you need 2.1 in your first degree for any college in ireland, there are some who accept 2.2 in the UK but since yours is a 3rd class i dont think there is any chance unfortunately, but if you are hell bent on doing medicine look into eastern europe or the west indies, i dont think anyone should be denied education just based on their past results

eagle_&_bear

as entirely unfair as it is, it does rule you out. Its totally crap but it does.

However, there is another avenue for you, the mature student route where your masters would be taken into account but the dates for closing are soon so look into it IMMEDIATELY

Very best of luck mate. The mature student route is the 5 year programme as opposed to a 4 year programme but if your heart is in it, go for it.

I'm not sure if you have to do the HPAT system but if you check all the college websites they'll advise moreso

imported_guy

eagle_&_bear wrote: »

as entirely unfair as it is, it does rule you out. Its totally crap but it does.

However, there is another avenue for you, the mature student route where your masters would be taken into account but the dates for closing are soon so look into it IMMEDIATELY

Very best of luck mate. The mature student route is the 5 year programme as opposed to a 4 year programme but if your heart is in it, go for it.

I'm not sure if you have to do the HPAT system but if you check all the college websites they'll advise moreso

he will need to do the HPAT for it, im pretty sure, another thing is to repeat your LC and do it that way (im pretty sure he can do that as in re apply through the CAO), or else do the LC anyway, if you had a low mark the first time, because for mature entry they do look at LC results AFAIK, they also look for hospital or healthcare related work experience or if your first/2nd degree had something to do with healthcare

Mature students have to do the HPAT afaik.

eagle_&_bear

imported_guy wrote: »

he will need to do the HPAT for it, im pretty sure, another thing is to repeat your LC and do it that way (im pretty sure he can do that as in re apply through the CAO), or else do the LC anyway, if you had a low mark the first time, because for mature entry they do look at LC results AFAIK, they also look for hospital or healthcare related work experience or if your first/2nd degree had something to do with healthcare

If you re-do the LC, and if you get 480 points and do the HPAT you become eligable once you gain good marks in it.

In any event, you are not left without options

NiamhDunk

what are the requirements to apply as a mature student? i have a 2.1 and am currently studying for gamsat, but didnt realise there was another way to gain entry

Jessibelle

NiamhDunk wrote: »

what are the requirements to apply as a mature student? i have a 2.1 and am currently studying for gamsat, but didnt realise there was another way to gain entry

Unfortunately you wouldn't be applicable for undergraduate mature student entry, as you have a 2:1 degree, all applicants that meet the criteria for the GAMSAT must apply through the Graduate Entry route.

NFH

If you get a place in a college in Ireland via the GAMSAT, for exmaple NUIG 2010, is the medicine course different for you. I think in NUIG they do a 7 year program, the first year is pre-med, basically first science, not sure how the next 6 years are arranged. But if you got a place via the GAMSAT how many years would you have to do before you are a doctor and how would they be structured, i.e do you do exams every year, do you get summer holidays etc

eagle_&_bear

NFH wrote: »

how many years would you have to do before you are a doctor and how would they be structured, i.e do you do exams every year, do you get summer holidays etc

Of all the other courses, the graduate programme is 4 years long. (subject to anyone telling me I'm wrong etc)

Graduate Year 1 covers years 1 and 2 in the normal undergrad scheme
Graduate Year 2 covers years 3 and 4 in the normal undergrad scheme
Graduate Year 3 joins with Year 5 of the normal undergrad scheme
Graduate Year 4 joins with Year 6 of the normal undergrad scheme

So you don't lose out per se on any of the interactions and classes and learnings etc

As for the exams, I know rcsi have monthly exams and online ca's as well as semester and end of year exams. I dont know about any of the others but I'd imagine there'd be some cohesion on the exam issue

I'm sure there's more posters on here who know alot more about the other colleges on here

locum-motion

NFH wrote: »

If you get a place in a college in Ireland via the GAMSAT, for exmaple NUIG 2010, is the medicine course different for you. I think in NUIG they do a 7 year program, the first year is pre-med, basically first science, not sure how the next 6 years are arranged. But if you got a place via the GAMSAT how many years would you have to do before you are a doctor and how would they be structured, i.e do you do exams every year, do you get summer holidays etc

According to other posters on this forum, there isn't any Graduate Entry Medicine in NUIG.

eagle_&_bear

locum-motion wrote: »

According to other posters on this forum, there isn't any Graduate Entry Medicine in NUIG.

I had heard at the RCSI open day that NUI G were not going to go ahead with their graduate programme for this coming year due to funding issues. But I didnt want to say incase it had come back on stream but I think its still the case

ORLY?

eagle_&_bear wrote: »

Of all the other courses, the graduate programme is 4 years long. (subject to anyone telling me I'm wrong etc)

Graduate Year 1 covers years 1 and 2 in the normal undergrad scheme
Graduate Year 2 covers years 3 and 4 in the normal undergrad scheme
Graduate Year 3 joins with Year 5 of the normal undergrad scheme
Graduate Year 4 joins with Year 6 of the normal undergrad scheme

So you don't lose out per se on any of the interactions and classes and learnings etc

As for the exams, I know rcsi have monthly exams and online ca's as well as semester and end of year exams. I dont know about any of the others but I'd imagine there'd be some cohesion on the exam issue

I'm sure there's more posters on here who know alot more about the other colleges on here

This wouldn't be exactly how it works. I can only be specific for UL but here goes...Medicine per se is done in 5 years at undergrad level, with some colleges adding a pre-med option (mandatory in some cases for those who don't have certain science subjects in the leaving cert). Now at graduate level the vast majority of people have a science based undergrad degree and those that do not have proven they have sufficient scientific knowledge to do well enough in the GAMSAT. I'd say in our class that out of those without a scientific degree, most would still have done sciences for the leaving cert. As such there is no pre-med equivalent in UL nor is there any need for it at all really. So in UL years 1 and 2 would best equate with years 1 2 and 3 in an undergrad degree. I don't know what the calender is like in undergrad med schools but in UL we go 3 weeks beyond the other undergads at summer and start back earlier each Christmas which over the span of the course would be equivalent to nearly another semester.

imported_guy

ORLY? wrote: »

This wouldn't be exactly how it works. I can only be specific for UL but here goes...Medicine per se is done in 5 years at undergrad level, with some colleges adding a pre-med option (mandatory in some cases for those who don't have certain science subjects in the leaving cert). Now at graduate level the vast majority of people have a science based undergrad degree and those that do not have proven they have sufficient scientific knowledge to do well enough in the GAMSAT. I'd say in our class that out of those without a scientific degree, most would still have done sciences for the leaving cert. As such there is no pre-med equivalent in UL nor is there any need for it at all really. So in UL years 1 and 2 would best equate with years 1 2 and 3 in an undergrad degree. I don't know what the calender is like in undergrad med schools but in UL we go 3 weeks beyond the other undergads at summer and start back earlier each Christmas which over the span of the course would be equivalent to nearly another semester.

this is mostly correct , in galway the undergrad programme was 6 years by default for when i did my LC, they were giving one year exemption to anyone who had done all 3 sciences (and i think minimum req was HC3 in all 3 or something like that), however in UCC/UCD etc the course was 5 years by default there were no exemptions etc for doing all 3 sciences

in UCC for the GEM programme, you do "fast-track" pre clinical years for GEM they are the first 2 years, for undergrad they are the first 3, then for the last 2 clinical years you join the undergrads, im pretty sure this is how its going to be for galway as well, i think its the same case in RCSI and UCD as well

NFH

So is NUIG not doing the GAMSAT graduate course this years?

Is it doing it for 2011?

liberal

Celvapan wrote: »

Hi all,

I was just reading up about the graduate entry to medicine on the CAO and have been toying with the idea of applying for it this year...I see the closing date is comming up soon.

Only thing is that although I have got a 2.1 Masters degree, I got a 3rd class honours primary degree. Will this rule me out of the application process before i have even started? Also do you have to get a minimum amount of points in the leaving cert to apply? Any info would be greatly appreciated-Thanks

yes this unfortunately rules you out

if you want med id advise you to seek a volunteer position in a health care setting, get some good experience and then apply for mature entry to ucg,tcd,ucc,ucd and rcsi for the 5 year undergrad course, if you get to interview stage your work experience could get you in the door

you could also take the gamsat anyway and if you scored well it would look good as part of your application

liberal

Two points id like to make

Mature students dont take the HPAT, nor are their LC results considered, that's why they are different

there is no point in comparing gep with undergrad med, they're completely different

Jessibelle

liberal wrote: »

Mature students dont take the HPAT,

Mature students do have to take the HPAT if they're applying as an undergraduate. All undergraduate admissions have to sit the HPAT. However, mature students are exempt from the points requirements, and are assessed on other factors too such as work experience etc

NiamhDunk

as a general question is it easier to get into medicine via gamsat entry or mature student application?

imported_guy

liberal wrote: »

Two points id like to make

Mature students dont take the HPAT, nor are their LC results considered, that's why they are different

there is no point in comparing gep with undergrad med, they're completely different

how are they different? both lead to the same degree, in atleast in UCC both share common last 2 years, the first 2 in the GEM programme are *slightly* different atleast in UCC difference being that GEM get less summer holidays but i think they cover all the same modules tbh (except the minor (less than 5 credit) choice modules that under grads do GEM people dont do them) core subjects are still there.

imported_guy

NiamhDunk wrote: »

as a general question is it easier to get into medicine via gamsat entry or mature student application?

you cant really compare the 2, if i had to go either way i would choose GAMSAT over mature entry any day, its a year less, (considering you have to be older for mature entry as well than GAMSAT which has no age requirement), id only choose mature entry if i didnt already have a degree, if i already had a degree then i will be paying fees for either choice, might as well pay for a year less

lee_

Hi guys, slightly off topic but does anyone know if there will be a summer off in years three and four of the GEM courses.
I remember reading that years one and two will have summers off?
cheers

vinnylombardi99

NFH wrote: »

So is NUIG not doing the GAMSAT graduate course this years?

Is it doing it for 2011?

I'd say that's unlikely my friend. They cancelled it a year ago due to financial reasons. Can you see things turning around already? It was cancelled until further notice. I believe they intend, eventually, to introduce it. BUt if you want to be sure, ring deirdre in the career guidance office nuig. she is the expert on it as well as being stunningly hot. She is enough of a reason to inquire.

http://drcoxmedschool.blogspot.com/

LoveSick

Hi all,

Just been looking around UCC website, really considering medicine, for a mature application it says you have to take the HPAT and also have to have obtained a C3 H in Chemisntry and C3 H in either Biology or Physics. Is this the case for all colleges I wonder???
Also, does anyone know when is closing date for applications for mature students?

Thank you.

Laydee

Jessibelle wrote: »

Mature students do have to take the HPAT if they're applying as an undergraduate. All undergraduate admissions have to sit the HPAT. However, mature students are exempt from the points requirements, and are assessed on other factors too such as work experience etc

For this reason mature students who don't have their LC cannot apply to undergraduate medicine as you need an LC number for HPAT.