*Everything HPAT and Medicine 2015*

Gallagher1

imsocool chillininda pool wrote: »

@MedHead1995. If you want advice from a Trinity med don't be such a snob. One of the best HPAT's is in Galway, one of the best combined in Cork and sorry to burst the bubble but Trinity/UCD are not all there craiced up to be. I know you said 'or anyone who achieved highly" but in reality - you need all the advice you can get, it's not your time to be picky.
Moving on....

Girl on my course(Galway) got 782, I got 749 and Im know personally of at least 10 others on 748+ so why the need to ask specifically from people who go to Trinity, MedHead1995? Do you think TCD/UCD are better than Galway? Here is a brief rebuttal of that statement. In case you don't know the Henry Hutchinson awards are awarded to students who get the best final examination result in a given area.

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/33991/nui-galway-wins-28-national-university-awards

Fourteen of the twenty-two Dr Henry Hutchinson Stewart Scholarships were awarded to NUI Galway’s School of Medicine.

imsocool chillininda pool wrote: »

4. the ratio of guys to girls has changed dramatically. It used to be 70 percent girls i think, now in 1st med it's about 40%. I think that's the effect of the HPAT. it is quite strange, i was resigned to a majority of girls when it is quite different.

6. Stay in trinity halls – its class. People not here miss out. Make the effort with meeting people

Funny enough in Galway it is at least 70% female in my year anyway.

Agree completely with staying wherever the craic is. You are in First year once. In Trinity stay in Halls I hear nothing but good reviews about the place. If you are in Galway, do premed and stay in Corrib, anyone who disagrees with me is either an unequivocal fool or a hermit. The last few months have been the best of my life without a doubt and I cannot recommend the place enough.

imsocool chillininda pool wrote: »

Secondly, I think it is a marvellous exam. It undoubtedly broadens the range of students taken in - anything from 525+ secured a place (with sensational HPAT).
I can honestly say that there is no student that sat the HPAT (internationals don't sit it) that I would feel uncomfortable putting in front of a patient.

It is a great exam for broadening the pool of applicants. I know of 625ers who are absolute ditzes and 540 point students who are on the level of genius in my eyes. You cannot disagree with something that tries to open Medicine up to those who don't fit the '7A1' mould of the past because it just wasn't fair.

Doctorhopeful

I feel like everyone has gone off on medhead too hard and too fast. We all know that each medical school leaves graduates with the same degree, maybe medhead just knows he won't be going to galway or cork? I'm from dublin and just wasn't able to afford moving away from home so I only looked at ucd and trinity (rcsi is a different story). was I a snob for only finding out about a student's perspective in ucd and trinity and omitting galway and cork? What was the point when I knew myself I would never be heading to nuig or ucc? rather than being snobbish, my decision was essentially the opposite. The situation could be similar for medhead, don't try to perceive an insult that isn't necessarily there.

fwiw, i have friends in every medical school and everyone is enjoying their college (bar the trinity girl who is incredibly stressed out all the time but insistent that she's not in over her head). If you only want to go to college in ucd or trinity don't let others dissuade you.

Theboybang

imsocool chillininda pool wrote: »

I really believe the HPAT & Leaving should be sat in the same year. If you are to succeed in Medicine you need to be able to juggle both - it is massively unfair that some people can enter competitive courses (dentistry, pharmacy & human nutrition and dietetics) and drop them once they achieve the HPAT. It leaves spaces in essential courses and costs the state millions every year The college can't fill the place but there is space in every lecture & lab, and no-one is paying fee's. It's just a pity, and extremely widespread.
Also, affluent parents can pay for their children to repeat or "tri-peat" (i'm not even joking!) in a grind school and then get into Med ahead of some normal person. There needs to be a discouragement to repeat. I think a points reduction for a repeat LC isn't unreasonable.
Also, the people who came straight from LC represent a wide mix of different backgrounds, and wealths. The people who repeated are almost exclusively rich.

What about those of us who missed out medicine last year by very few points and are forced to choose between taking a course that they don't want to study and costing their parents an avoidable fortune, and taking a gap year? I'm taking a gap year and re-taking the HPAT....Instead should we have to do something for the next 4 years and then decide to do GEM at 15k a year.....?!

imsocool chillininda pool

Doctor hopeful - they were asking about HPAT advice.
It had nothing to do with the colleges, so why stipulate TCD UCD. I was just making the point that HPAT advice can come from anywhere.... We all sit the same exam so why would it matter what medical school the person ended up in?

Theboygang, I didn't say anything like that! I said HPAT + LC -- IN THE SAME YEAR.
I personally believe that you - this year - are at a HPAT advantage. You only have one focus... no leaving cert which I think gives you an unfair advantage.
Fair play for not taking up a place in a course you don't want. I'm not saying don't repeat ( I would have repeated) but i do think everyone should have to do both exams the same year - that's all.


I really don't mean to attack anyone - think about it...
If there was a reduction in the number of repeats getting in each year, more first timers (like you) would have gotten in. I think a penalty for repeating would just let the first times in, without waiting a year & repeating (something you need money to do).

drdavies

Hi, does anyone who has done the HPAT have HPAT practice exams they wouldn't mind sharing with me?
I am repeating it again this year
Thanks

FirstDraft1

Currently studying for the LC and for the HPAT with the course that shan't be named! I was filling out my CAO the other day and I currently have UCD as first and NUIG as second. Not sure which to pick. They both offer premed (compulsory and electively, respectively) which means first year won't include too much study! I have heard the pros and cons (however minuscule) of both colleges... Truly caught between a rock and a hard place :P

Gallagher1

FirstDraft1 wrote: »

Currently studying for the LC and for the HPAT with the course that shan't be named! I was filling out my CAO the other day and I currently have UCD as first and NUIG as second. Not sure which to pick. They both offer premed (compulsory and electively, respectively) which means first year won't include too much study! I have heard the pros and cons (however minuscule) of both colleges... Truly caught between a rock and a hard place :P

Go to the college where you get to move out first of all.
If you prefer Galway as a city, go NUIG and vice versa with Dublin because at the end of the day you'll be spending 6 years there so spend it in a city that you enjoy :pac:

(Go Galway;) )

FirstDraft1

Gallagher1 wrote: »

Go to the college where you get to move out first of all.
If you prefer Galway as a city, go NUIG and vice versa with Dublin because at the end of the day you'll be spending 6 years there so spend it in a city that you enjoy :pac:

(Go Galway;) )

Galway is a lovely city I must say :P
Actually how many lectures a week do you guys have at NUIG?

15MrC

FirstDraft1 wrote: »

Currently studying for the LC and for the HPAT with the course that shan't be named! I was filling out my CAO the other day and I currently have UCD as first and NUIG as second. Not sure which to pick. They both offer premed (compulsory and electively, respectively) which means first year won't include too much study! I have heard the pros and cons (however minuscule) of both colleges... Truly caught between a rock and a hard place :P

What pros/cons have you heard about UCD? Current 1st year UCD Med here.

Consonata

15MrC wrote:

What pros/cons have you heard about UCD? Current 1st year UCD Med here.

How are you finding 1st year med? UCD is my No.1 on my cao currently

15MrC

Consonata wrote: »

How are you finding 1st year med? UCD is my No.1 on my cao currently

Definitely glad I had UCD as number 1 on my CAO, honestly really love it here. Granted, a lot of the material covered in first year is general science, physics, chemistry, and biology, with not too much "medical related" stuff, but it's all still important. If you've done physics and chemistry for LC you'll be 100% covered for physics, and I'd say 70% covered for chemistry; there's a lot of new stuff near the end of the semester. If you don't have LC biology, you should be fine, it's all taught from the beginning, and most of the material is new to everyone anyway.

First year might seem like a waste of time to some, but it gives you a great opportunity to settle into university, make new friends, and start with material that isn't too bad, in comparison to what's to come in later years.

I couldn't be happier with my choice. Any other Q's, feel free to ask.

Consonata

15MrC wrote:

I couldn't be happier with my choice. Any other Q's, feel free to ask.

Was there any issues regarding having a life outside of your course apart from around exam time? Or is the workload manageable

Doctorhopeful

Consonata wrote: »

Was there any issues regarding having a life outside of your course apart from around exam time? Or is the workload manageable

also in ucd med.... the course work is more than manageable. went into each exam with almost a pass in every subject due to continual assessment. LEft loads of time for socialising and nights out - medsoc are great for organising events, and so is our class rep. Great first semester all around

Consonata

Doctorhopeful wrote:

also in ucd med.... the course work is more than manageable. went into each exam with almost a pass in every subject due to continual assessment. LEft loads of time for socialising and nights out - medsoc are great for organising events, and so is our class rep. Great first semester all around

Did you do Chemistry for your LC? I'm doing Biology and Physics and I was wondering whether I would be at a disadvantage in Med since there would be alot to catch up on.

Taco Chips

Just to throw in a recommendation for Trinity too. It's an excellent university with a great faculty. The TBSI is a brand new facility with top of the range anatomy, physiology and biochemistry labs. The course is tough, intense (like all med courses) but it will teach you a lot about self directed learning and you will really turn out to be a great doctor at the end of it. There are loads of cutting edge research opportunities to get involved in and there are the annual scholarship exams in second year where you have a chance to win 5 years of totally subsidised fees (including an intercalated masters), free on campus accommodation and free commons (evening meals) every day for 5 years too.

On the social side, Trinity has probably the best uni society scene in Ireland. There are hundreds of sports clubs and socs to get involved in depending on your interests and especially if you want to try new stuff too. Every year tends to be a tight, friendly group and we are a real community here. You definitely will not regret coming to TCD. There is of course the name recognition which is handy if you want to travel abroad too. Best of luck with your HPATs guys.

Gallagher1

Taco Chips wrote: »

Just to throw in a recommendation for Trinity too. It's an excellent university with a great faculty. The TBSI is a brand new facility with top of the range anatomy, physiology and biochemistry labs. The course is tough, intense (like all med courses) but it will teach you a lot about self directed learning and you will really turn out to be a great doctor at the end of it. There are loads of cutting edge research opportunities to get involved in and there are the annual scholarship exams in second year where you have a chance to win 5 years of totally subsidised fees (including an intercalated masters), free on campus accommodation and free commons (evening meals) every day for 5 years too.

On the social side, Trinity has probably the best uni society scene in Ireland. There are hundreds of sports clubs and socs to get involved in depending on your interests and especially if you want to try new stuff too. Every year tends to be a tight, friendly group and we are a real community here. You definitely will not regret coming to TCD. There is of course the name recognition which is handy if you want to travel abroad too. Best of luck with your HPATs guys.

1) It may have excellent facilities but I wouldn't refer to a building that was completed in 2011 as 'Brand new' :pac:

2) Every university in Ireland/The World says the same lol

Taco Chips

Gallagher1 wrote: »

1) It may have excellent facilities but I wouldn't refer to a building that was completed in 2011 as 'Brand new' :pac:

2) Every university in Ireland/The World says the same lol

1) Well pretty new, probably as new as you're going to get anyway

2) Yeah but the scene in Trinity is pretty well established. Has the highest rates of participation among students, most clubs, most diversity and usually cleans up at the annual national awards too. Institutions like the Phil, the Hist, the boat club, the Biosoc, Food & Drink Soc etc... :pac:

FirstDraft1

Guys does anyone know if IoE give a simulated exam during the 2 day course with results and stuff? I can't seem to find the info on their website and I can't get through to them. Thanks (y)