what age are people here doing the gamsat

shadowcomplex

I would be 36 if I passed, starting a 4 year medical degree at this age is probably too old and I haven't decided to do it yet, I just want to get a feel for the average age of people here doing it

chanste

shadowcomplex wrote: »

I would be 36 if I passed, starting a 4 year medical degree at this age is probably too old and I haven't decided to do it yet, I just want to get a feel for the average age of people here doing it

I would not let your age hold you back. I was 29 myself starting and there are people on the course that are a fair bit older than me too. No one else cares, and you will still have 25-30 years in a great career as compared with 25-30 years wondering if you could have or should have done it. I'm not suggesting you make the decision to pack in your current job and go into medicine, but just don't let age be a reason why you don't do it.

chips365

I agree, go for it! Age is only a number and if you go for it and decide it's not for you well at least then you'll be happy knowing you tried it rather than wondering "what if" down the line!

I'm 26 and going for it myself next March. I met a woman who is 39 and going into 2nd year GEM and she had an undergrad in Commerce.

51533823

shadowcomplex wrote: »

I would be 36 if I passed, starting a 4 year medical degree at this age is probably too old and I haven't decided to do it yet, I just want to get a feel for the average age of people here doing it

We have many in their 30's in our course if that helps.

Its easy for us on the forum to tell you not to let age hold you back but only you can decide if it's right for you and your family.

Best of luck!

ericm84

51533823 wrote: »

Its easy for us on the forum to tell you not to let age hold you back but only you can decide if it's right for you and your family.

Well I'm 30 (for another few weeks anyway!).......have spoken to a number of people on and fininshed GEM courses and they have people of all ages in their classes. Also, they all say age doesn't matter once your working.

But this point above is important, and its something I'm thinking a lot about. It's easy for people here to say it doesn't matter etc but it's really up to you and your circumstances as to whether or not you keep pursuing this.

Good luck with your decision

FairytaleGirl

Im almost 25 applying for 2013 entry so il be almost 26 when/if i start!

shadowcomplex

The thing is im actually 34, but I dont have an honours degree so I cant sit the GAMSAT yet.Im mulling over doing my honours degree parttime over 2 years then sitting GAMSAT when im 36

Do you have to be fairly bright to pass the GAMSAT or would any person with half a brain pass it if they did some preparation for it?,im working as a QC analyst at the moment and did science in college so I probably have some advantage

I heard financing is a bit of an issue at the moment, how bad is it?

lonelywanderer

shadowcomplex wrote: »

The thing is im actually 34, but I dont have an honours degree so I cant sit the GAMSAT yet.Im mulling over doing my honours degree parttime over 2 years then sitting GAMSAT when im 36

Do you have to be fairly bright to pass the GAMSAT or would any person with half a brain pass it if they did some preparation for it?,im working as a QC analyst at the moment and did science in college so I probably have some advantage

I heard financing is a bit of an issue at the moment, how bad is it?

Obviously depends on the person but I did 2 and a half months worth of study and did it 'for the experience' in London (I was planning on doing it in Dublin 6 months later) last year and got 59. I did do very well in the essay writing section which helped my relatively poor science score but still I wouldn't say I'd worked that hard to be honest, and I'd say go for it. In my opinion it's ten times as difficult to get 570+ points* in the Leaving Cert than it is to get a 2.1 in a degree and achieve a successful score in the GAMSAT.

I don't think your age is all that important but it depends hugely on your financial/family situation. If you have savings and can pay for half or more of the course I'd go for it. If you have barely any savings and/or a family (or are planning one soon) it might not be the best idea given that you'd be 40 by the time you qualify and you'd have 10 years paying off a loan as well as your early 40s at least living on quite a modest net salary.

As for financing it is definitely tougher than it was in previous years. I'm an Irish citizen and only BOI are offering loans (fees only!) so I've one chance to get it and if I don't I'm left with getting a loan with an interest rate which is basically unaffordable (9% with repayments starting immediately vs. 4% with 4 year moratorium and 7.5% thereafter). It will be interesting to see what happens this year, if lots of people are refused loans and can't take their places I think the whole program will become unfeasible and it may be scrapped. On top of that the fees have been rising by 1000 or so year on year so that's another issue.

I've probably provided you with more issues than answers there but it is a big decision to make either way. Best of luck with it I hope whatever you choose to do turns out well!

*I know this has changed but this was the case when I (and I'm assuming most of us) did the Leaving!

laursbee

shadowcomplex wrote: »

I would be 36 if I passed, starting a 4 year medical degree at this age is probably too old and I haven't decided to do it yet, I just want to get a feel for the average age of people here doing it

I'm 35 and sitting Gamsat in London this Sept as a trial run, I then plan to sit it again in March 2013 in Dublin....Ive wanted to do medicine since I was 17. If there is anything Ive learned in the past 18 years is, AGE is only a number.
I'll be 40 in July 2017 starting my internship if I get in next year to college:-)
Wow, that will be some birthday present!

Ive never been this scared, but if its something you want to do, as NIKE say "Go for it"

lonelywanderer

Maybe that's what it was back in the olden days, but it's "Just Do It!" these days :P

daRobot

Look, I think you are better off being 'older' and in a job you love than continue with something you don't. Or at least that's the best way I can put it, after a long day of Gamsat prep work! Follow your heart and I hope to see you do well should you decide to sit the Gamsat !

pc11

Anyone doing GAMSAT over 40?

eire_245

27, feel old going back to college and everyone thinks im crazy when i tell them, also being a peasant student again isnt too appealing!

But on the plus ive gotten to do 2 years travelling, have another profession to fall back on if it turns out its not for me and didnt spend my early 20`s missing out on every weekend and social event while doing 80 hour shifts as a junior doctor!

So there is some definite positives of going back as a mature student!

chanste

Was looking through this thread again and it got me thinking about whether or not there was an age which I would think should be a cut off for entry to medicine, and honestly the answer is no. Thinking back to when I started the course I remember that the very first week was more interesting than anything else I had done before (I'm sure some people would disagree).

My point is, don't make the mistake of comparing your age to someone elses. The people on the course will be supportive and nobody cares what age you are. If you're prone to getting wrapped up in how long it will be before you will be a consultant or Registrar etc, just try and enjoy the actual field your getting into which as I say above can be done from the 1st week in medical school.

Note: I do think that like anything else being younger will give you the advantage of being more energetic, less likely to have other commitments etc. But for someone who is motivated to get past these issues, they shouldn't present a significant problem.

Traderdc

Just wanted to check something with you guys, I am also interested in sitting gamsat but I know that in order to be eligible to sit the exam you need a 2.1 degree. Unfortunately I have a 2.2 from mu undergrad law degree so I thought that this excluded me from sitting gamsat. Shadow Complex mentioned that he did not have an honours degree and was condsidering doing a degree part time so that he could sit the gamsat.

Is it possible to do a second degree, get a 2.1 and then sit gamsat?

EngDoc

Traderdc wrote: »

Just wanted to check something with you guys, I am also interested in sitting gamsat but I know that in order to be eligible to sit the exam you need a 2.1 degree. Unfortunately I have a 2.2 from mu undergrad law degree so I thought that this excluded me from sitting gamsat. Shadow Complex mentioned that he did not have an honours degree and was condsidering doing a degree part time so that he could sit the gamsat.

Is it possible to do a second degree, get a 2.1 and then sit gamsat?

Bad news I'm afraid...

As far as I know, anyone can sit the gamsat exam...it's the CAO/UNIs that insist on your 2.1 primary degree. It needs to be in your first level 8 degree, so doing another degree and scoring 1/2.1 ain't gonna help you out.

Your options are- apply as a regular undergrad. Your LC points and HPAT exam score will decide if you get a place. If you're old enough, you could also apply as a mature student.

I think there are a handful of UNIs in the UK that don't insist on the 2.1 degree. They generally seem to have higher Gamsat scores though and interviews etc would be required.

Traderdc

Thanks EngDoc - that is what I though, just wanted to be sure. I am 32 and in a long term relationship so heading off to UK to study isn't really an option. I must say I think its a silly rule to have the 2.1 stipulation to sit the gamsat. In law for example, anybody with a primary degree can apply to sit the entrance exams for blackhall place/Kings Inns and entry is selected based on those entrance exams. It would be much fairer to allow any primary degree holders to sit the gamsat and then choose based on that. There could be several reasons why somebody didn't get the 2.1 in their first degree. It seems silly that this should preclude them from even sitting the gamsat.

EngDoc

Traderdc wrote: »

Thanks EngDoc - that is what I though, just wanted to be sure. I am 32 and in a long term relationship so heading off to UK to study isn't really an option. I must say I think its a silly rule to have the 2.1 stipulation to sit the gamsat. In law for example, anybody with a primary degree can apply to sit the entrance exams for blackhall place/Kings Inns and entry is selected based on those entrance exams. It would be much fairer to allow any primary degree holders to sit the gamsat and then choose based on that. There could be several reasons why somebody didn't get the 2.1 in their first degree. It seems silly that this should preclude them from even sitting the gamsat.

I couldn't agree with you more! Also in a similar enough position to yourself when it comes to moving to another country. I'm a bit younger at 29 but I'm also starting to feel my age! :P

How did you do in the LC back in the day? Might be an option for you and the HPAT exam is a LOT handier than the Gamsat!

Traderdc

EngDoc wrote: »

I couldn't agree with you more! Also in a similar enough position to yourself when it comes to moving to another country. I'm a bit younger at 29 but I'm also starting to feel my age! :P

How did you do in the LC back in the day? Might be an option for you and the HPAT exam is a LOT handier than the Gamsat!

Got 465 back in the day so that's not going to cut it I reckon even with an excellent HPAT, guess I could repeat the LC as an external candidate but would be much easier if they just allowed degree holders to sit GAMSAT. I wonder who decided on the 2.1 stipulation? I presume it was the Higher Education Authority (HEA), might be worth lobbying them to change the rules

EngDoc

Traderdc wrote: »

Got 465 back in the day so that's not going to cut it I reckon even with an excellent HPAT, guess I could repeat the LC as an external candidate but would be much easier if they just allowed degree holders to sit GAMSAT. I wonder who decided on the 2.1 stipulation? I presume it was the Higher Education Authority (HEA), might be worth lobbying them to change the rules

I heard that in the beginning RCSI wanted the minimum to be set at a 2.2, that it was the other UNIs who pushed for a 2.1. Not sure how accurate that is though.

If undergrad/mature entry ain't workin' out for you, then I think that's pretty much all the options exhausted I'm afraid.

As for lobbying them to change the rules, I guess you've got nothing to lose. I wouldn't hold out much hope though. Plenty of people on here have tried their best to address a number of different problems with grad med. Rising fees/no access to grants or support form the dept of social protection/changing loan criteria etc.

In the end, as far as I know, we achieved nothing. It's a sorry state of affairs imo. At the moment, an underwriter in BOI is effectively deciding if I'll be able to do the course.

Hope you get something sorted out...living in the Uk for a few years (assuming you got an offer) might not be too bad. You'd sure as heck get more support over there.

caroline1111

How did you do in the LC back in the day? Might be an option for you and the HPAT exam is a LOT handier than the Gamsat!

Interested to hear why you think the HPAT is alot easier than the gamsat???? (sorry, tried to let it slide but couldn't resist asking!)

Jammyc

caroline1111 wrote: »

Interested to hear why you think the HPAT is alot easier than the gamsat???? (sorry, tried to let it slide but couldn't resist asking!)

Because it doesn't test your knowledge of college level Sciences, nor does it require you to write to in depth and conclusive essays in 1 hour. The layout of the exam itself is also far friendlier than the GAMSAT, it just seems like much less of an ordeal.

By nature of the test itself, the GAMSAT is more challenging. It is designed to assess a graduate or near graduates ability whereas the HPAT is designed to examine a school leavers ability.

EngDoc

caroline1111 wrote: »

Interested to hear why you think the HPAT is alot easier than the gamsat???? (sorry, tried to let it slide but couldn't resist asking!)

Sorry...hope you didn't take offense. If you think the hpat is more difficult/same then I guess it depends on the individual.

When I mentioned it was handier, I suppose I was thinking of the longer exam time for the gamsat. It was about 5.5 hours in one day if I remember right. Also...they say you should have Uni level phys/org chem, a-level physics etc etc. So, depending on your background...there might be a lot more prep study you'd have to take.

Heck...I dunno. With the competition for places I suppose all extrance exams are gonna be a pain in the a$$.

caroline1111

Ye I suppose I was just thinking more in terms of the fact that for the hpat someone with say 550 points needs to get at least the 85th percentile to get into the lowest points course while you only need to get in the high fifties percentile in the gamsat. Just at the end of the day its irrelevent the lay out of the exam and its difficulty as long as you do less bad then half the other people who did the exam as theres no cut off.
Ye fair enough its completely different in that it tests your knowledge there and then, its just that when people say that they learned up to leaving cert level physics and spent a few weeks reading organic chem for dummies and got in easily and stuff you begin to wonder! But then they could be just saying they didn't do much work I suppose...
Engdoc no offence taken at all, im just interested in peoples opinions on hpat vs gamsat

Jammyc

caroline1111 wrote: »

Ye I suppose I was just thinking more in terms of the fact that for the hpat someone with say 550 points needs to get at least the 85th percentile to get into the lowest points course while you only need to get in the high fifties percentile in the gamsat. Just at the end of the day its irrelevent the lay out of the exam and its difficulty as long as you do less bad then half the other people who did the exam as theres no cut off.
Ye fair enough its completely different in that it tests your knowledge there and then, its just that when people say that they learned up to leaving cert level physics and spent a few weeks reading organic chem for dummies and got in easily and stuff you begin to wonder! But then they could be just saying they didn't do much work I suppose...
Engdoc no offence taken at all, im just interested in peoples opinions on hpat vs gamsat

Yeah, I get you. Getting into Med and Graduate Entry Med are both challenges in themselves. As standalone exams though, I'd be inclined to think that the GAMSAT is more difficult than the HPAT, though I've not sat the HPAT.

caroline1111

Ye fair enough and in fairness I've never seen an actual Gamsat exam paper (they seem to be hard to come by) so I can only go on what other people have said.
Certain people would be more suited to one test over the other I suppose. The bad thing about the HPAT aswell is that I know certain people who have 560+ points and have done months and months hpat prep and repeated it 3 times and still are just off getting in as the competition is so fierce.

EngDoc

caroline1111 wrote: »

Ye I suppose I was just thinking more in terms of the fact that for the hpat someone with say 550 points needs to get at least the 85th percentile to get into the lowest points course while you only need to get in the high fifties percentile in the gamsat. Just at the end of the day its irrelevent the lay out of the exam and its difficulty as long as you do less bad then half the other people who did the exam as theres no cut off.
Ye fair enough its completely different in that it tests your knowledge there and then, its just that when people say that they learned up to leaving cert level physics and spent a few weeks reading organic chem for dummies and got in easily and stuff you begin to wonder! But then they could be just saying they didn't do much work I suppose...
Engdoc no offence taken at all, im just interested in peoples opinions on hpat vs gamsat

Well...I'm not exactly a fan of the Gamsat myself, I don't think a lot of people here are. I was one of the people that did spend a good while going through all the science subjects for a few months, I guess I was lucky to have the time.

On the day...I found my prep for the science section very little help at all. I hadn't sat the exam before but I got the impression they really went off on a tangent this year. I figured that a lot of people were in the same boat. So, it wasn't a matter of taking my time and working through to a solution. It was more to do with educated guesses/odds of correct answers etc.

What helped me out was a pretty decent score in the first section. I didn't really try to study for this at all. I read quite a bit...guess that helped.
Ended up bang on the 85th percentile. Think it was more down to exam technique than knowing the material.

So yeah, I don't exactly think it's a great tool for picking future docs. If it was replaced by the hpat next year you'd have no complaints from me. Just my opinion...probably out on my own here! :P

lonelywanderer

I've done both the HPAT and the GAMSAT and for me personally the GAMSAT is much much more difficult in terms of the exam on the day and the preparation you need to do for it. Having said that, and as Caroline pointed out, it's a much more competitive route for entry so it doesn't make that much difference in the end I suppose.

Also, strangely enough I finished in the 65th percentile in both :pac:

Woodie321

Traderdc wrote: »

Just wanted to check something with you guys, I am also interested in sitting gamsat but I know that in order to be eligible to sit the exam you need a 2.1 degree. Unfortunately I have a 2.2 from mu undergrad law degree so I thought that this excluded me from sitting gamsat. Shadow Complex mentioned that he did not have an honours degree and was condsidering doing a degree part time so that he could sit the gamsat.

Is it possible to do a second degree, get a 2.1 and then sit gamsat?

Hi there... I could be wrong but I really dont think I am. But please correct me. I may have good news for you. A friend of mine got a 2:2 in his first degree. He did another degree (law) and received a 2:1 as a second degree which he worked in for years. He sat the GAMSAT as is now going into his second year of GEM. So, unless the others here who have said that the 2:1 has to be in your first degree are 100% sure of this.... Id ring the admissions office at the specific university and find out first hand from them. Im not disagreeing with anyone here. Im just stating what my friend has done. And he def only got a 2:2 in his first degree... and then his 2:1 in a completely unrelated second degree. Hope this helps.

DeadEight

The entry requirements state that the 2:1 must be in your first level 8 degree. There seems to be three options here:

1. Your friends first degree was Level 7. His law degree was his first honours degree as a result.
2. Your friend did not tell CAO or the medical school about his first degree, and they had no means to check if you already had a degree.
3. The document below is wrong.

http://www2.cao.ie/downloads/documents/GraduateEntryMedicine2012.pdf

benchppress

As far as i know, they never check if your degree is your first one or not.

I think it would be a very long and expensive route to take, a third degree, but if you could do a 3 year level 8 in some mickey mouse thing like accounting or HR in NCI for a few grand i'd do it.