Gamsat 2012

lelouchan

EngDoc wrote: »

Thanks for the advice Chanste!

Don't worry, had no intention of buying any of the books right now, just in the process of trying to get a general budget together of what everything will cost me. The cost of everything is scaring the crap out of me to be honest.

Still haven't clicked on the big CAO accept button yet. Gonna pop into a few banks next Tuesday and see what they'll offer me.

Smart. I clicked like an eejit. I'm still hopeful. Are you including a part time job in your calculation? Checked out the booklist. Looks like 3 months rent,

Reality_Check1

EngDoc wrote: »

For any UCD heads out there...a quick question:

I was having a look at the 'GEM Central' website and came across the Stage 1 book list. Jeepers...that's some amount of books, I'd say buying those would cost an absolute fortune.

Back in my old engineering college days, I think I only ever bought one or two books over the entire four years. Everything was available in the library. Is this the same in UCD? Can we just use the library copies or are we expected to shell out a few hundred quid on buying text books?

For those of you coming to UCD our libraries are very very good. Any book I ever wanted was there. Now there are a few that I bought to have for myself because they can be used over the 4 years. My stance on books is but them if you will use them long term avoid if you only need them for 1 semester. This is my book collection at the moment

Clinically Orientated Anatomy
Netters anatomy flashcards
I also have a Netters Atlas but I'll probably sell that
Rang and Dale Pharmachology
Robbins Pathological Basis of Disease

the 2 best books I have

tally and o connor clinical examination
first aid for the USMLE step 1

spotsanddots

Has anyone heard from their college yet? (Specifically UL) I'm terrified I'll get an email saying " whoops sorry you didn't actually get in, our bad" I think I'm still finding it hard to believe that I got a place

legallyblondex

spotsanddots wrote: »

Has anyone heard from their college yet? (Specifically UL) I'm terrified I'll get an email saying " whoops sorry you didn't actually get in, our bad" I think I'm still finding it hard to believe that I got a place

no i would say an orientation pack will come after the 9th when places have been accepted!yea it still feels pretty surreal

PeadarGalway

Reality_Check1 wrote: »

For those of you coming to UCD our libraries are very very good. Any book I ever wanted was there. Now there are a few that I bought to have for myself because they can be used over the 4 years. My stance on books is but them if you will use them long term avoid if you only need them for 1 semester. This is my book collection at the moment

Clinically Orientated Anatomy
Netters anatomy flashcards
I also have a Netters Atlas but I'll probably sell that
Rang and Dale Pharmachology
Robbins Pathological Basis of Disease

the 2 best books I have

tally and o connor clinical examination
first aid for the USMLE step 1

Where's the best place to get medical books - just looked up talley and o Connor and it was nearly 100 euro???? :eek:

chanste

PeadarGalway wrote: »

Where's the best place to get medical books - just looked up talley and o Connor and it was nearly 100 euro???? :eek:

€72.99 on www.bookdepository.co.uk
I've ordered a few things from them before and they are very good.

EngDoc

lelouchan wrote: »

Smart. I clicked like an eejit. I'm still hopeful. Are you including a part time job in your calculation? Checked out the booklist. Looks like 3 months rent,

Well...I'm not including a part time job for year 1. Luckily, I've squirreled away enough cash over the past year or two of working to cover fees and living expenses for the first year.

If I was really lucky, some well paid contract work might be available next summer. This is all pie in the sky though. The decision will hinge on what the banks say next week!

Biologic

PeadarGalway wrote: »

Where's the best place to get medical books - just looked up talley and o Connor and it was nearly 100 euro???? :eek:

I wouldn't get it just yet Peadar. I never bothered with it and still managed to do well in the clinical stuff. The tutorials you get are good, and RCSI will have PDFs uploaded with a more succinct version of what you need to know. If you find yourself wanting to go beyond the RCSI notes then you can always drop the cash for it then.
If I could go back, the only 2 books I'd buy are USMLE First Aid for first year, and Pathoma for second year. An anatomy text is crucial for first year but I'd borrow one from the library. That way when you get cadaver fat on it, it's not your problem.

PeadarGalway

Biologic wrote: »

I wouldn't get it just yet Peadar. I never bothered with it and still managed to do well in the clinical stuff. The tutorials you get are good, and RCSI will have PDFs uploaded with a more succinct version of what you need to know. If you find yourself wanting to go beyond the RCSI notes then you can always drop the cash for it then.
If I could go back, the only 2 books I'd buy are USMLE First Aid for first year, and Pathoma for second year. An anatomy text is crucial for first year but I'd borrow one from the library. That way when you get cadaver fat on it, it's not your problem.

Don't worry, I won't be rushing out to buy it! I'm just pricing bits and pieces and trying to figure out how much I might need to spend. Thanks for the advice, as per usual its extremely helpful

Heard a story from a mate in UCD about an over eager student, an open mouth and some flying cadaver fat.... yum

Palo Alto

PeadarGalway wrote: »

Don't worry, I won't be rushing out to buy it! I'm just pricing bits and pieces and trying to figure out how much I might need to spend. Thanks for the advice, as per usual its extremely helpful

Heard a story from a mate in UCD about an over eager student, an open mouth and some flying cadaver fat.... yum

Now that's good eatin'!

eyescreamcone

PeadarGalway wrote: »

Biologic wrote: »

I wouldn't get it just yet Peadar. I never bothered with it and still managed to do well in the clinical stuff. The tutorials you get are good, and RCSI will have PDFs uploaded with a more succinct version of what you need to know. If you find yourself wanting to go beyond the RCSI notes then you can always drop the cash for it then.
If I could go back, the only 2 books I'd buy are USMLE First Aid for first year, and Pathoma for second year. An anatomy text is crucial for first year but I'd borrow one from the library. That way when you get cadaver fat on it, it's not your problem.

Don't worry, I won't be rushing out to buy it! I'm just pricing bits and pieces and trying to figure out how much I might need to spend. Thanks for the advice, as per usual its extremely helpful

Heard a story from a mate in UCD about an over eager student, an open mouth and some flying cadaver fat.... yum

I bet it tasted... deadly
Best of luck to all those starting their courses soon!

meradoodle

Thanks for the advice on books. I think I might wait as well:) I don't think that I could study using just a PDF version but most books seem to be available online. I thought I might download them and figure out what I like the most and buy those. I noticed one of the atlas says it is good for pre-reading? What do people think about this? Guess I have to try to find time for this along with sorting out my flat, saying goodbye to all my friends in London, etc

Anyone from UCD looking for a flatmate? Travelling to Dublin on Monday to try and find a place to live... It all seems to be happening so fast.

Reality_Check1

meradoodle wrote: »

Thanks for the advice on books. I think I might wait as well:) I don't think that I could study using just a PDF version but most books seem to be available online. I thought I might download them and figure out what I like the most and buy those. I noticed one of the atlas says it is good for pre-reading? What do people think about this? Guess I have to try to find time for this along with sorting out my flat, saying goodbye to all my friends in London, etc

Anyone from UCD looking for a flatmate? Travelling to Dublin on Monday to try and find a place to live... It all seems to be happening so fast.

Atlas' are a bit strange. I personally dont find them the most useful but that is not to say others dont. You'll find that you will spend a lot of time learning anatomy yourself because the lectures and cadaver labs go by very fast. Also you will find that the cadavers never have things as neatly displayed as an atlas

I found flash cards to be a pretty good way of learning anatomy because it forced you to try and remember the different body parts from where they were situated (answers are on the back) but like I said everyone is different.

One thing I will say is that an atlas alone is probably not sufficient for learning anatomy because you need to learn about body parts and their function where as an atlas will only give you a general location

ul hopefull

meradoodle wrote: »

Thanks for the advice on books. I think I might wait as well:) I don't think that I could study using just a PDF version but most books seem to be available online. I thought I might download them and figure out what I like the most and buy those. I noticed one of the atlas says it is good for pre-reading? What do people think about this? Guess I have to try to find time for this along with sorting out my flat, saying goodbye to all my friends in London, etc

Anyone from UCD looking for a flatmate? Travelling to Dublin on Monday to try and find a place to live... It all seems to be happening so fast.

ya i would be intetested to know aswel what people think of pre reading. is there any book that it would be worth going through before starting

shaz84

I would have thought Kumar and Clarke's for a clinical perspective as it is core reading for most medicine degrees. Also perhaps books on physiology and a biochem book as these are foundation topics

SpiderP

To be honest, I'd advise against doing any pre-reading. As sensible as it might seem, you're going to be doing enough reading over the next 4 years, and I'd say any fellow GEM students reading this would agree you need the time you have off to charge/recharge the batteries. Even though the year will fly by (I'm currently heading into third year and quite honestly can't believe how quickly the last two years have gone) it'll be long and draining at times and you don't want to burn out before it's over!! You should also use the time you have off/away from the books to spend with your family and soon to be "non-medicine" friends as such opportunities will become much rarer over the course of the academic year no matter how hard you try.

The first term will seem like the most hectic, no matter what pre reading you've done. Plus, without any proper guidance ie what's expected of you from the curriculum being taught/examined, there would probably be a tendency to feel, unnecessarily, a bit overwhelmed/swamped by the sheer volume of information that you will come across in Kumar and Clarke etc.

Someone gave some very apt advice on here a while back about medicine being easy to pass but difficult to do well in. This is very succinct. Don't be freaked by it or put it on a pedestal. Like anything else you won't pass if you do nothing, but if you work consistently throughout the year you'll find you'll do well. Just leave it until you've actually started!!

51533823

ul hopefull wrote: »

ya i would be intetested to know aswel what people think of pre reading. is there any book that it would be worth going through before starting

Nope. Just relax. No matter what background you come from there is plenty of time to read during the semester. You'll never work so hard in your life.

Enjoy your last few weeks from freedom until xmas

lonelywanderer

Can some of the current UCD Gems enlighten me as to the term dates...

Are we the same as the one on the site, i.e. off from the 21st of December to the 18th of January this coming term?

Trying to sort out a trip abroad...

ericm84

A glimpse of our potential future working lives...............

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2012/0807/1224321615326.html

Palo Alto

Still beats being a solicitor for me!

Bring it on.

j.mcdrmd

Palo Alto wrote: »

Still beats being a solicitor for me!

Bring it on.

I respectfully ask that you read the Irish Times Article again and think about it a bit more. I am asking this because I don't think that patients would appreciate the "bring it on' attitude in your post.

Imagine that you are a patient, would you be happy to be treated by a doctor who had already worked:-

a. 12 hours
b. 24 hours
c. 36 hours
d. 48 hours
e. 56 hours+

I don't think that working 12 hours without at least 1 x 1 hour break and 2 x 30 minute breaks is acceptable, unless it is in exceptional circumstances. Beyond that I don't think it is fair to expect anyone to perform at an acceptable level and anything less is not good enough.

Imagine that you are a doctor, would you be happy with not having a clue what you will be paid each month? I would imagine that AIB withdrew the loan because they saw exactly what NCHDs are being paid as salaries are paid into bank accounts. Do you think the stress of that situation would not impact patient care?

Biologic

j.mcdrmd wrote: »

I respectfully ask that you read the Irish Times Article again and think about it a bit more. I am asking this because I don't think that patients would appreciate the "bring it on' attitude in your post.

Imagine that you are a patient, would you be happy to be treated by a doctor who had already worked:-

a. 12 hours
b. 24 hours
c. 36 hours
d. 48 hours
e. 56 hours+

I don't think that working 12 hours without at least 1 x 1 hour break and 2 x 30 minute breaks is acceptable, unless it is in exceptional circumstances. Beyond that I don't think it is fair to expect anyone to perform at an acceptable level and anything less is not good enough.

Imagine that you are a doctor, would you be happy with not having a clue what you will be paid each month? I would imagine that AIB withdrew the loan because they saw exactly what NCHDs are being paid as salaries are paid into bank accounts. Do you think the stress of that situation would not impact patient care?

Ah give it a rest. He didn't mean anything by the post.

eire_245

Imagine trying to get the teachers, or any other public sector workers to work that amount of overtime un-paid! hahaha The country would be up in flames!

Its also exactly why full loans are gone for good, the days of earning 150k in overtime are well and truly gone! :mad:

Gordonia

[QUOTE=Its also exactly why full loans are gone for good, the days of earning 150k in overtime are well and truly gone! :mad:[/QUOTE]

Are the full loans definitely gone so yeah? What are people going to do? I know if it was me there's no chance I could do the course without the loan, but I remember when I was in AIB Castletroy last year they told me there were only 49 loans from the class (of 90 Irish students). Some people obviously have alternative means available to them (ie savings or 'Bank of Mom and Dad', as I heard someone say last year), and I know some banks are doing fees only, but I'd imagine it counts a lot of people out, no?

eire_245

Gordonia wrote: »

Are the full loans definitely gone so yeah? What are people going to do? I know if it was me there's no chance I could do the course without the loan, but I remember when I was in AIB Castletroy last year they told me there were only 49 loans from the class (of 90 Irish students). Some people obviously have alternative means available to them (ie savings or 'Bank of Mom and Dad', as I heard someone say last year), and I know some banks are doing fees only, but I'd imagine it counts a lot of people out, no?

AIB have pulled the plug altogether, BOI are 100% fees only and UB are only offering fees at the moment too (but a decision regarding living expenses is still to be made, not looking good though)

Its a case of waiting a year and saving or giving up on med altogether....guess theres always going to be people with family to fund them! Cant really knock it as id jump at it if someone offered to pay for me!

Quite sad really, its going to be a case of buying your way into whatever medical school you want....not exactly open and accessible to all!

CiMaster

Gordonia wrote: »

Are the full loans definitely gone so yeah? What are people going to do? I know if it was me there's no chance I could do the course without the loan, but I remember when I was in AIB Castletroy last year they told me there were only 49 loans from the class (of 90 Irish students). Some people obviously have alternative means available to them (ie savings or 'Bank of Mom and Dad', as I heard someone say last year), and I know some banks are doing fees only, but I'd imagine it counts a lot of people out, no?

I will be one of the irish not applying for a loan. I got offered a place last year but decided to take an extra year to save my fees. I now have two years fees saved and enough extra so i dont have to work the first year. My parents said they will help me out with year three and i plan on getting a loan for year four.

I dont agree that it rules people out. Yes it makes it more difficult, but if you want something bad enough, you'll find away, it just might take a bit longer.

Joe2011

CiMaster wrote: »

I will be one of the irish not applying for a loan. I got offered a place last year but decided to take an extra year to save my fees. I now have two years fees saved and enough extra so i dont have to work the first year. My parents said they will help me out with year three and i plan on getting a loan for year four.

I dont agree that it rules people out. Yes it makes it more difficult, but if you want something bad enough, you'll find away, it just might take a bit longer.

Out of interest, were you able to defer last year, or did you have to reapply this year?

Sarah1379

Gordonia wrote: »

Are the full loans definitely gone so yeah? What are people going to do? I know if it was me there's no chance I could do the course without the loan, but I remember when I was in AIB Castletroy last year they told me there were only 49 loans from the class (of 90 Irish students). Some people obviously have alternative means available to them (ie savings or 'Bank of Mom and Dad', as I heard someone say last year), and I know some banks are doing fees only, but I'd imagine it counts a lot of people out, no?

I just applied for a 25000 per year loan with AIB. The interest is high but if you have any savings it’s manageable. Dunno if I’m gonna get it now but I have a strong guarantor and good repayment history. So we’ll see. I didn’t go through the UCD branch, and they were very helpful and had a positive attitude so I’m hopeful.

So it may be worth giving them a go, even though they’re not officially giving the full gradmed loan package anymore, they still do graduate student loans. The interest is higher, sure, but aside from getting two loans from two banks, it is so far the best option for me as I need living expenses covered.

lelouchan

Sarah1379 wrote: »

Gordonia wrote: »

Are the full loans definitely gone so yeah? What are people going to do? I know if it was me there's no chance I could do the course without the loan, but I remember when I was in AIB Castletroy last year they told me there were only 49 loans from the class (of 90 Irish students). Some people obviously have alternative means available to them (ie savings or 'Bank of Mom and Dad', as I heard someone say last year), and I know some banks are doing fees only, but I'd imagine it counts a lot of people out, no?

I just applied for a 25000 per year loan with AIB. The interest is high but if you have any savings it’s manageable. Dunno if I’m gonna get it now but I have a strong guarantor and good repayment history. So we’ll see. I didn’t go through the UCD branch, and they were very helpful and had a positive attitude so I’m hopeful.

So it may be worth giving them a go, even though they’re not officially giving the full gradmed loan package anymore, they still do graduate student loans. The interest is higher, sure, but aside from getting two loans from two banks, it is so far the best option for me as I need living expenses covered.

What interest rate are AIB offering you?

Sarah1379

lelouchan wrote: »

What interest rate are AIB offering you?

It’s high, like I said, about 8.5% - repayments year one work out about 180 a month and obviously increase from there. Still best option for me though!

They need some sort of invoice with fees though - do you know when the colleges send that out? After the 9th?