* Everything HPAT and Medicine for 2011 *

stainluss

When it says 'Number' on the bottom, what do you fill in?

I assumed the number on your passport or driver's license, but maybe you should contact them to confirm

Calum196

I know this got moved into the careers section last year, but seeing as the forum is getting littered with random threads about the HPAT it might be time to consolidate it all in one thread again.....

Sure I'll be having another go at it this year..., after some better preparation.

IHeartChemistry

These Prep courses arent worth the money you spend on em cos to be perfectly honest the questions they give you in these courses are NOTHING like the actual HPAT. Your best bet is to go over the ACER practise test a few times because that is what the actual HPAT is like. My attitude is, you either have the aptitude to do Med round one or you don't. It's hard but its the truth. I know a load of people who did these type of courses (including myself) and were aceing these tests in the class then totally bombed the HPAT because we were overconfident or feeling like this was gonna be easy. Just stick with the ACER stuff. It's your best shot. If not try the GAMSAT in 4 years time Good luck!

God that was one large rant but I feel ripped off by €400 for a prep course :P Just dont want other people to make the mistake of wasting money on them when they arent necessary

Calum196

Well I have a couple friends who incresed 20 to 30 points after doing ****. So I'm going to give that a go.

Are you just repeating the HPAT ?

QueenOfLeon

Calum196 wrote: »

Well I have a couple friends who incresed 20 to 30 points after doing ****. So I'm going to give that a go.

Are you just repeating the HPAT ?

May have just been the fact that they repeated the hpat as it seems a lot of people who did it for the 2nd time (with or without prep course) brought their score up.

kellogscoffey

What are peoples' opinions on the points next year? Up, down, anything? I guess thats the burning question really... :P

theowen

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

May have just been the fact that they repeated the hpat as it seems a lot of people who did it for the 2nd time (with or without prep course) brought their score up.

I think I was the only person to go down...

QueenOfLeon

theowen wrote: »

I think I was the only person to go down...

But you got in, doesn't matter!

Solus01

What do people think the points will be like for medicine next year? Up or Down?

kellogscoffey

Its hard to see them going up yet again.. I mean you'd be talking 600 LC points and 80th percentile then like... Of course, loooads of people said it couldnt go up this year, and it did, so I dunno!

Original_Name

I just don't think it's possible that the points will go up again this year. I think this year will be around the peak of entry points for medicine!

jumpguy

kellogscoffey wrote: »

Its hard to see them going up yet again.. I mean you'd be talking 600 LC points and 80th percentile then like... Of course, loooads of people said it couldnt go up this year, and it did, so I dunno!

Makes no difference, it's how popular the course is, and medicine is apparently on the up. I'd say the points rising very slightly or staying the same would be a good mixture of realism and optimism.

kellogscoffey

jumpguy wrote: »

Makes no difference, it's how popular the course is, and medicine is apparently on the up. I'd say the points rising very slightly or staying the same would be a good mixture of realism and optimism.

Damn... Better get crackin' with the oul HPAT so :P

gaeilgegrinds1

How do ye feel about people moving to schools that have the HEAR programme to get in? I know quite a few who got in on that last year with 540 points and a decent HPAT.

randylonghorn

Why would students move schools?

HEAR applies to certain categories of students from any school.

QueenOfLeon

One of the requirements (or option out of list of requirements) is to be in a deis school.

randylonghorn

Indeed, it's one "tick", but it's not a mandatory one. AFAIR, only one (the first on the list re: family income) is mandatory. HEAR was confined to certain schools in its early (pilot) years, but not any more, as I understand it anyway.

jumpguy

The HPAT this year is being held Saturday, 26th of February 2011. Registration doesn't open until the 3rd of November 2010 and costs 95 Euro. Test centres are in Cork, Dublin, Sligo, Galway and Waterford (no Limerick! How annoying, I'll probs go to Cork for it...)

There's a second practice booklet coming out late September, the website says little about it, I assume it's just a new entire set of questions that can be bought along with the old practice tests. Hopefully it'll be cheaper, but I wouldn't count on it...

partyatmygaff

I'm hoping that TCD and RCSI stay as they were this year or drop (I wish...). Who's going to be doing the UKCAT and applying to UK universities?

clartharlear

http://www.imt.ie/news/uncategorized/2010/02/question-styles-require-a-different-approach-to-hpat.html

HPAT – Special Report Irish Medical Times has partnered with the Institute of Education to bring you a second week of sample questions from the Institute’s HPAT mock materials

kellogscoffey

partyatmygaff wrote: »

I'm hoping that TCD and RCSI stay as they were this year or drop (I wish...). Who's going to be doing the UKCAT and applying to UK universities?

I've done the UKCAT already! Working on my personal statement now for my UCAS application. I'm applying for Scottish Universities anyway, the free fees thing is an incentive in case I dont make it here.

partyatmygaff

kellogscoffey wrote: »

I've done the UKCAT already! Working on my personal statement now for my UCAS application. I'm applying for Scottish Universities anyway, the free fees thing is an incentive in case I dont make it here.

Damn, i'm only gonna be applying tomorrow, shouldn't have left it so late but then again I only began considering the UK a few days ago.

kellogscoffey

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Damn, i'm only gonna be applying tomorrow, shouldn't have left it so late but then again I only began considering the UK a few days ago.

I only decided to try it at the end of the summer, but still havnt done much so you'll be fine! the hardest thing will be doing the UKCAT in time, although if you're applying to Cambridge or Oxford, you've to do the BMAT instead, which is on the 3rd November I think, so you'd have time to book and do that anyway

partyatmygaff

I thought of that and I really would have loved to go to Cambridge but the BMAT is just much too difficult for me at the moment. Looking at the practice papers you need a solid grounding in Bio/Chem/Phys. I'm fine for Chemistry and Biology but haven't done physics since JC. Most of the maths on the BMAT we still haven't covered (Probability for one prominent example). Then again I wouldn't want to go to Cambridge anyway seeing as it needs six A1s and a solid UCAS application and i'd much prefer going to TCD rather than anything else. I'm keeping my UCAS options purely as a standby.

kellogscoffey

Oh I see. I just ran out of courses on the UCAS form, so I decided against Cambridge, although I would have liked the challenge. UCC for me

partyatmygaff

kellogscoffey wrote: »

Oh I see. I just ran out of courses on the UCAS form, so I decided against Cambridge, although I would have liked the challenge. UCC for me

You can only put four medical courses on your UCAS though. I'd be putting Pharmacy in all the remaining slots as that's my second general preference course wise.

kellogscoffey

Yeah I know, I've Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Belfast hopefully i wont be needing them :P

Splicer

partyatmygaff wrote: »

I thought of that and I really would have loved to go to Cambridge but the BMAT is just much too difficult for me at the moment. Looking at the practice papers you need a solid grounding in Bio/Chem/Phys. I'm fine for Chemistry and Biology but haven't done physics since JC. Most of the maths on the BMAT we still haven't covered (Probability for one prominent example). Then again I wouldn't want to go to Cambridge anyway seeing as it needs six A1s and a solid UCAS application and i'd much prefer going to TCD rather than anything else. I'm keeping my UCAS options purely as a standby.

Can I ask something- why are you so set on TCD?

I noticed that points are highest for it consistently.
There must be a reason why people are so drawn to it, so I am just wondering if you can explain. Thanks

partyatmygaff

Splicer wrote: »

Can I ask something- why are you so set on TCD?

I noticed that points are highest for it consistently.
There must be a reason why people are so drawn to it, so I am just wondering if you can explain. Thanks

Most people are drawn in on the supposed "prestige" of Trinity. Personally I really amn't that bothered about prestige. I just want TCD because my home is about five seconds away from the 37 bus which just so happens to have a stop directly outside TCD :pac:

whadabouchasir

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Most people are drawn in on the supposed "prestige" of Trinity. Personally I really amn't that bothered about prestige. I just want TCD because my home is about five seconds away from the 37 bus which just so happens to have a stop directly outside TCD :pac:

As good a reason as I've heard!

randylonghorn

In fairness, given its location, Trinity is very accessible on a daily basis for a lot of people from Dublin and nearby (train, bus, DART).

I'm quite sure that's not the only and probably not even the primary reason for its popularity, but it has to be a big factor for many people all the same.

theowen

randylonghorn wrote: »

In fairness, given its location, Trinity is very accessible on a daily basis for a lot of people from Dublin and nearby (train, bus, DART).

I'm quite sure that's not the only and probably not even the primary reason for its popularity, but it has to be a big factor for many people all the same.

• lack of pre-med
• looks awesome, especially in comparison to UCD
• you can refer to it as Trinners.

Therefore, awesome!

randylonghorn

theowen wrote: »

• lack of pre-med

Get the right results in the right combination of subjects, and that's an option most places.

Besides, many people like to do pre-med, and ease themselves into college gradually. Straight into First Med can be heavy going.

theowen wrote: »

• looks awesome, especially in comparison to UCD

Difficult to argue with, I can happily spend a couple of hours wandering around the old place day-dreaming on a sunny day.

The architecture probably won't make much difference to the quality of your final degree though.

theowen wrote: »

• you can refer to it as Trinners.

That's an *advantage?! :eek:

Though I suppose compared to UC-double-Dcup ...

jumpguy

New HPAT booklet has been released...
http://hpat-ireland-reg.acer.edu.au/index.php?cmd=toBooklets

When's everyone else planning to get crackin' with the HPAT?

Jessibelle

jumpguy wrote: »

New HPAT booklet has been released...
http://hpat-ireland-reg.acer.edu.au/index.php?cmd=toBooklets

When's everyone else planning to get crackin' with the HPAT?

Tomorrow
Seriously though, I'd planned start of October, just because I know with the best of intentions, some stuff will take extra time and eat into my practice time some weekends.

kellogscoffey

jumpguy wrote: »

New HPAT booklet has been released...
http://hpat-ireland-reg.acer.edu.au/index.php?cmd=toBooklets

When's everyone else planning to get crackin' with the HPAT?

Within the next week hopefully!

Fenton1010

I have the first practice book, do i really need the second?

partyatmygaff

Fenton1010 wrote: »

I have the first practice book, do i really need the second?

Well you actually get the first one when you register for the test itself, you should've just bought the second practice book.

kellogscoffey

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Well you actually get the first one when you register for the test itself, you should've just bought the second practice book.

What do you mean? Do they just send you out one anyway?

Chuchoter

Doing a practice run in 5th year...good idea or bad idea? Having 2 runs of the test seems to make all the difference to peoples results.

kellogscoffey

crayolastereo wrote: »

Doing a practice run in 5th year...good idea or bad idea? Having 2 runs of the test seems to make all the difference to peoples results.

Cant do that unfortunately I was gonna try it in 5th year too, but you're only eligible to sit it if you're in your last year of school, i.e Leaving Cert. You can sit it after LC as well though, obviously.

Chuchoter

kellogscoffey wrote: »

Cant do that unfortunately I was gonna try it in 5th year too, but you're only eligible to sit it if you're in your last year of school, i.e Leaving Cert. You can sit it after LC as well though, obviously.

Damn, and here was me thinking I had such a great idea

kellogscoffey

crayolastereo wrote: »

Damn, and here was me thinking I had such a great idea

I know. Don't worry, it just means you'll just nail it first time eh?

jumpguy

Fenton1010 wrote: »

I have the first practice book, do i really need the second?

It's up to yourself really! Do you feel you need another, seperate one? I plan on buying the two just so I'll have two tries to try and get the timing right...

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Well you actually get the first one when you register for the test itself, you should've just bought the second practice book.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but don't you only get the option to buy the practice book when you register? It's not given out for free or anything, it still has to be purchased, right?

crayolastereo wrote: »

Doing a practice run in 5th year...good idea or bad idea? Having 2 runs of the test seems to make all the difference to peoples results.

No you can't unfortunately! It'd be a costly but good thing to do if it was allowed!

Jaafa

Does 540 points + a good Hpat sound like a viable goal to go for?

QueenOfLeon

Jaafa wrote: »

Does 540 points + a good Hpat sound like a viable goal to go for?

Obviously you can't aim for something in the HPAT, or have any real idea of how you're going to do, but with 540 points you'd need a hpat well up in the 180/190s (which is around the 90th percentile). To give yourself a bit of extra leeway aim as high as possible in the LC, getting 550 puts you just as close as those on 600, and imo its something you can work on better than the hpat. Those 10 points (going from 89% to 90% in 1 exam) are much easier than depending on going up that amount in the hpat!

Jaafa

Hmmm...Yes but I'm already stretching it at 540..... oh well. Ill do my best and hope for the best.

lctake2

If you think that 540 is your max then that doesn't put you out of the game for medicine at all. There are so many people that sstill want 600 points and hardly pay any attention to the hpat and that's just silly. My aim, having sat the hpat last year, was about 530 and t would have gotten me in .It's true that unless you've sat the hpat before you can't really 'aim' for anything though. I seriously doubt that the points will go down. the more people that repeat the hpat and go up, the higher the points. i've met 4 or 5 that got in just by repeating the hpat already!

Jaafa

Yeah No way Ill repeat though. Rather go through the graduate route if it comes to that.

partyatmygaff

Jaafa wrote: »

Yeah No way Ill repeat though. Rather go through the graduate route if it comes to that.

The GAMSAT is hardly a cakewalk though to be honest.