What are my options now?

JDOC1996

Hey guys.
Basically Im just after finishing my leaving cert and was aspiring to study medicine. Yesterday I got my Hpat results, and I haven't a hope of getting I'm this year. I really don't want to repeat the exam as I'm not sure I can even improve that much on my score. Medicine has always been my dream, but I need to find alternatives now ASAP before the cao change of mind closes next week. At the moment I have dentistry, pharmacy, biomedical science and general science courses on my cao in that respective order. So guys can you please give me some advice? If I get dentistry or pharmacy should I accept them and perhaps go into medicine through the graduate route after that? And if I accept dentistry or pharmacy what are my alternate career options?

Thanks in advance guys.

beardedmaster

I did a Science degree, just finished it this year, and am starting Graduate-Entry Medicine in September, and was in a very similar situation to you 4 years ago.

I would recommend repeating the Leaving Cert, and the HPAT, as crap as that sounds. I missed out the undergrad route by a relatively small margin, but couldn't face the thought of repeating at the time, a decision which I regret not reconsidering. I went for a pure Science degree instead of other choices like Pharmacy/Dentistry/Physio/Radiography and Biomedical Science, which I am glad about, as the material is covered in a different way, and different skills are learned. Also, heavily depending on your choice of Science subject, it could be incredibly relevant to the Medical degree, or even allow you to apply for prior accreditation so you don't have to study the same thing twice in GEM.

The fees for GEM are ridiculous, and there are very poor loan or support systems for students in place. I know it would be really awful for you to go back to 6th year again, but, at least judging from your username, you're 17/18 at the moment, whereas I did the Leaving Cert at 19.

If the thought of doing the HPAT again puts you off, bear in mind that to enter GEM courses, you need to do the GAMSAT, which is much, much worse, I can assure you.

Any of the choices you have down on the CAO would be decent for going into GEM after, even if my preference was Science. And being a Pharmacist or Dentist is a highly sought after profession anyway, so the career options for those are also wide-ranging.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

JDOC1996

beardedmaster wrote: »

I did a Science degree, just finished it this year, and am starting Graduate-Entry Medicine in September, and was in a very similar situation to you 4 years ago.

I would recommend repeating the Leaving Cert, and the HPAT, as crap as that sounds. I missed out the undergrad route by a relatively small margin, but couldn't face the thought of repeating at the time, a decision which I regret not reconsidering. I went for a pure Science degree instead of other choices like Pharmacy/Dentistry/Physio/Radiography and Biomedical Science, which I am glad about, as the material is covered in a different way, and different skills are learned. Also, heavily depending on your choice of Science subject, it could be incredibly relevant to the Medical degree, or even allow you to apply for prior accreditation so you don't have to study the same thing twice in GEM.

The fees for GEM are ridiculous, and there are very poor loan or support systems for students in place. I know it would be really awful for you to go back to 6th year again, but, at least judging from your username, you're 17/18 at the moment, whereas I did the Leaving Cert at 19.

If the thought of doing the HPAT again puts you off, bear in mind that to enter GEM courses, you need to do the GAMSAT, which is much, much worse, I can assure you.

Any of the choices you have down on the CAO would be decent for going into GEM after, even if my preference was Science. And being a Pharmacist or Dentist is a highly sought after profession anyway, so the career options for those are also wide-ranging.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Thanks for the reply.
The thing is that I faired pretty crap in the Hpat, but I feel my leaving went pretty well but doubt I can even improve on my score, even though I had been scoring quite highly in practice exams and things. Would the Hpat and gamsat examine the same sort of aptitude? Yeah, repeating is an option seeing as I'm only 17, I really don't want to though. Is it true as well that medicine is 3 years after dentistry?

beardedmaster

Having done both tests, they are both very different. The only parts that are even slightly similar are Section 1 of each, but even that's a stretch.

The only aptitude, in my opinion, that these tests measure, is your aptitude for taking such tests. And it even isn't a good marker for that, as nervousness, illness and bad luck can ruin even the best possible candidate. Don't beat yourself up for not doing well in the HPAT - it's a ridiculous method of assessment for students, and is by no means a marker for whether or not someone would make a good doctor, or medical student or whatever. I greatly hope that the CAO and Universities reconsider its usage.

As for improving your results - it's very possible to improve, despite the fact that the test is supposedly designed against it. There's all sorts of courses people can do to raise their score, and have worked with some people I know. But I'm sure there's also courses that are a waste of money and are just cash-grabbing.

As for Dentistry into Medicine, the TCD website says

Advanced entry to Medicine is only available to Dental science graduates, who may be considered for entry to the third year of the five year course. Applicants must have an honours Dental degree with a minimum grade of 2:1 and have completed the Membership (MFD/MFDS) or Fellowship (FFD/FDS) examinations of the RCS or equivalent. Research (publications/presentation) or suitable experience would be an advantage.

So yeah, it is only 3 years. Bear in mind that Dental Science in TCD is 5 years too, so that's 8 years in total, which would be the same as a 4-year other degree & 4-year GEM degree. It may take longer than that even, if you need to have done the Membership exams that they're talking about too, but I dunno the details. I think there's something similar for Dentistry into Medicine in UCC too, but again, I dunno the details.

Just Like Heaven

Do the hpat again, don't worry about having done crap. I repeated and went up by about 35 and my friend went up by 60. About 1/3 of the Irish students in my class repeated at least once and there's plenty of people who did 2 years of pharmacy/physio/dentistry before getting in. If you fail to get in next year just repeat it again.

Seriously, when I did the leaving cert and got a crap hpat I thought it was the end of the world, I know exactly how you feel and unfortunately you're not going to realise how small a deal it actually is until you get into medicine.

Personally I went and did biomed and dropped out pretty sharpish, just worked the rest of the year. In retrospect I would have done either physiotherapy (cause in TCD at least you share the anatomy and physiology classes with the first meds, or dentistry cause you take anatomy with the second meds), working wasn't a bad option either and I wish I had considered it properly. Science or biomedical science in nuig is the same as pre med bar one module.

Good luck anyway and keep the chin up, really this is nothing just chill out for a few months and don't think about the CAO then hit the hpat harder next time round.

pc11

JDOC1996 wrote: »

Hey guys.
Basically Im just after finishing my leaving cert and was aspiring to study medicine. Yesterday I got my Hpat results, and I haven't a hope of getting I'm this year. I really don't want to repeat the exam as I'm not sure I can even improve that much on my score. Medicine has always been my dream, but I need to find alternatives now ASAP before the cao change of mind closes next week. At the moment I have dentistry, pharmacy, biomedical science and general science courses on my cao in that respective order. So guys can you please give me some advice? If I get dentistry or pharmacy should I accept them and perhaps go into medicine through the graduate route after that? And if I accept dentistry or pharmacy what are my alternate career options?

Thanks in advance guys.

Look at this degree in TCD:
http://www.medicine.tcd.ie/physiology/undergraduate/human_health_disease/

Quite a few do this and then do GEM. It's quite like a pre-med degree, you share classes with med students, and you're well prepared for GEM then. I never sat the HPAT, but I can say don't be afraid of the GAMSAT, it's really not that bad.


Alternatively, apply for any 3 year degree, get a 2:1 and apply for GEM. Assuming you can still get a good GAMSAT, that's the quickest way. Lots of people do GEM without a science or biology degree, it's totally doable. You can study anything, do something you like.

I wonder if you're really keen on medicine if you might find pharmacy or dentistry boring, to be honest. If you think you would like them, then go for it. But, there's a lot to be said for doing a degree in genetics or biochem or immunology or whatever.

That's all assuming you don't repeat of course. I know you don;t want to hear this, but try to relax, medicine is still very achievable and will always be there for you. There's no rush.

Nocofee

Can you repeat the leaving cert and do medicine in the uk based on new results, granted you take the various aptitude tests? Thanks in advance

JDOC1996

Cheers for the replies guys.
I've decided that if I get dentistry or pharmacy I'll accept them, but if not I'll repeat.
I'm just going to try and not think about it now for the next 46 days.

Just Like Heaven

If it's Medicine you think you're going to end up going into no matter what I'd advise you to take another look at Physiotherapy cause 30 of the 60 credits are the same as first med in TCD at least. And realistically there's a very good chance you will get in on second attempt. Obviously it's completely upto you, I don't know how interested you really are in Pharmacy etc. Just wish I had been told that back when I was doing my LC and didn't get it first time round.

Taco Chips

Pharmacy is very different course to Medicine. Just be aware of that. It is a lot more scientific and less clinical than medicine in the first few years at least. Human Health and Disease in Trinity is a good idea, or physio or even if you entered Science and chose to specialise in physiology or biochem or neuroscience or something.

Nonoperational

The one plus for Pharmacy is the availability of reasonably well paid locum work if you do decide to do med in future.