Need advice on going into Medicine (HELP!)

TheOriginalH

Right so, here's the story.



I'm going into 6th year in a few weeks, but I'm not too great in school because I just don't find most of the subjects interesting, so I get bored of the subject and just hate doing the work (hardly did any homework in 5th year, which I regret a bit!). But I'd love to study Medicine at third level. I love Biology and I'm a qualified first aider in the Civil Defence.

I probably won't get anywhere near the ~500 points in the LC needed to get in to a Medicine course and on top of that I don't do a third language, so chances are I won't be able to hop straight into an undergraduate course (unless anyone could tell me how!)

I was reading about a graduate entry pathway on the UCD website for doing Medicine that allows you to do a bachelors degree in any discipline and apply for a shorter, more intense Medicine course (cant post a link to it here as I'm still a new user) and I thought I could do a course in Music in WIT (only ~300 points) and then go on to do this course in Medicine, but I have concerns about that aswell.

That Medicine course is only 4 years long, compared to the 5/6 years in the normal undergraduate course, and the course is fee paying too.



1. Is a 4 year course in Medicine too short? Should I really be doing a longer course?

2. Would I be better off doing a Medicine related course for my first bachelors degree? (If so, what would everyone recommend?)

3. Am I leaving it too late to start studying if I do a non-Health Science course? I'll be 23 by the time I get into a Medicine course with this method (assuming I do actually get into a course!)



All in all, I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed and (very!!) worried about third level and about getting to study Medicine.

Any advice you could offer or advice on any other ways of getting into Medicine would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading

strangeweather

TheOriginalH wrote: »

Right so, here's the story.

1. Is a 4 year course in Medicine too short? Should I really be doing a longer course?

2. Would I be better off doing a Medicine related course for my first bachelors degree? (If so, what would everyone recommend?)

3. Am I leaving it too late to start studying if I do a non-Health Science course? I'll be 23 by the time I get into a Medicine course with this method (assuming I do actually get into a course!)

All in all, I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed and (very!!) worried about third level and about getting to study Medicine.

Any advice you could offer or advice on any other ways of getting into Medicine would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading

1. No it's not too short, you will be working very hard you will not be any different form undergrad students - in UCD/RCSI/UCC graduate entry amalgamate with the undergrad class for their years three and four for clinical rotations- there is no difference in student knowledge.

2. Ideally yes IMO you would be much better off doing a related degree - Biomedical science etc will benefit when you do GAMSAT (the exam to get in to GEM), and in coping with the course when you get in. But I mean you don't have to, people with arts degrees do very well too, it all depends on yourself, but most people who do grad med have science backgrounds.
(for what it's worth I have a non-science degree & just finished year 1 GEMS - I wouldn't change a thing!)

3. I think you mean too old here? At 23 you are not too old!!!!!


If you go into the grad med route you are looking at a massive financial burden, you are looking at roughly 100,000 euro for the four years. At the moment- the banks will lend 60,000, there's no way of knowing what is going to happen in five years time.

You shouldn't feel overwhelmed or worried, if it's really what you want to do work hard and you will eventually get there whatever route you take. You say you won't get the points and 5th year went badly for you. Would you consider repeating 5th year? I know I wouldn't have but think about it in the long run - it's only a year.

TheOriginalH

Repeating LC wouldn't actually be too bad, I could even take on a language if I worked hard enough.
When I think about it, I'd rather repeat than have to pay over 100,000 euros to do Medicine at Post Grad!

Thanks for replying though, it's de-stressed me a bit about the whole thing, lots of people say if you don't do well in the leaving cert you're doomed for life (especially my guidance counsellor!).

Taco Chips

Repeating the Leaving Cert at your stage is a better option than GEM. In fact I would recommend that to anyone doing their LC who falls short for undergrad, repeat and try again. The tuition for GEM is horrible and the repayment burden is overwhelming for a lot of people who went that route.

But you've just finished 5th year! Haven't even done the LC yet so don't write anything off. Get your head down in September, stick your nose in the exam papers and hammer through them. You'll be surprised. Success in the LC can definitely be more attributed to hard work and perseverance than anything else.