Medicine abroad?

JDOC1996

Hey,
Basically I'm an 18 year old guy, who's just finished his leaving cert this year. I feel as though my LC went quite well but unfortunately my HPAT just wasn't good enough so right now I'm considering my options have been quite drawn to the idea of medicine in Europe or the UK.
I've done my research and I will be applying to most EU universities.
How difficult is it to get into these EU courses?
I've been looking at applying to Italy, Hungary, the Czech republic and Poland. Which of these would be the best with regards to employability?

Taco Chips

You should just repeat the HPAT tbh. It's easy to go up a lot of points with the right tactics in the HPAT and experience has been shown to be highly beneficial. Even if you took a year out to work, repeated the HPAT and reapplied in 2015 it would be worth it. I know a lot of people who've been in your position and considered studying medicine abroad e.g, Eastern Europe etc... a few have gone ahead and tried it but they've all dropped out after a few weeks/months. For a variety of different reasons. It would be worth it to try again of Ireland.

kmul

With regards to the above poster, I know Irish doctors and vets with degrees from eastern European countries who speak very happily of their time there. I applied to Riga Stradins Medical College in Latvia and will be attending there this September. The great thing about them is they don't expect you to learn Latvian, like many other Eastern European colleges so with their native lanuage eg Carol Davila Medical Uni have a Romanian language exam at the end of 2nd year-if you don't pass you do not get to go on to third year! Riga's deadline for September entry is over but if you contact the Uni they might have places left? If they don't they also have a February start, similar to Pleven in Bulgaria. Masaryk Uni also has places left, they advertised in todays Independent, their admission test will be held the end of August in Dublin. Italy has its own admission test (the IMAT? something like that) which the deadline is over for so I'm afraid you are too late for that for this year. How difficult is to get into the course...depends on each University,most deadlines are over though with the exceptions of Croatia, Masaryk, University of Belgrade, a few in Romania and the February start colleges, like Riga and Pleven, so you might not be able to get a place for this September. Some have grade requirements and some have admission tests you need to get a certain percentage in. Eg Pleven want Bs or above while Masaryk wants above 60 percent in the entrance exams (which are quite difficult, look at the samples.) while Riga depended on your Leaving Cert Results, personal statement and references from your teachers. As long as your Uni is accredited here your degree is viable and with regards to employabilty, you are as 'employable' as you make yourself- I intend to gain work experience in Irish hospitals when I am on my holidays at home so I will have Irish references on my CV and to volunteer, etc so that I can get a job in 6 years when I graduate.

Sorry for such a long reply but 1) I know its tough to find people to talk to about applying abroad and 2) Studying med/vetinary/etc abroad gets a bad rep because people sometimes think if you can't get it here you don't deserve it-completely untrue, I missed out by 3 points for med here. It is an amazing opportunity and if you are able to finance it etc then I say go for it. If you need any info at all feel free to PM me and best of luck with med

miissjuly

JDOC1996 wrote: »

Hey,
Basically I'm an 18 year old guy, who's just finished his leaving cert this year. I feel as though my LC went quite well but unfortunately my HPAT just wasn't good enough so right now I'm considering my options have been quite drawn to the idea of medicine in Europe or the UK.
I've done my research and I will be applying to most EU universities.
How difficult is it to get into these EU courses?
I've been looking at applying to Italy, Hungary, the Czech republic and Poland. Which of these would be the best with regards to employability?

We are in the same boat. People say go to European countries to study med it's easy to get in but it's not so easy (well Italy isn't anyway) I know about Italian universities the questions look very easy but it's a tough exam I actually found the HPAT easier. I got an offer from Italy but unfortunately I'm not going there for personal reasons.
Italy is very competitive it attracts many people because of the low fees. The other countries are good too but way too expensive for a working class family. I have friends studying in Hungary and other Eastern European countries and they love it. All of the countries are in the EU so your degree is/or should be recognised in the EU you shouldn't have problem getting a job. Most doctors in Ireland don't have irish degrees they are still working here. Good luck with everything

Abby19

Here is some info regarding eligibility of medical students from colleges outside Ireland (from this year's intern application). If you graduate from a college outside these countries, I believe that their courses are believed to include the intern year, so if you want to come here and work as a doctor then you will have to apply as an SHO. I've cut and pasted some of the relevant sections down below. Not everyone is eligible to apply as an intern in Ireland. Since the expansion of places at both undergraduate and graduate entry levels. Just thought I'd point it out so you are aware if you plan on coming back.

All prospective applicants to Intern posts in the Irish health service commencing 14th July 2014 must meet the following eligibility criteria:
1. Be a graduate / final year student (of whatever nationality) of a Medical School in one of the following EEA countries:
Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Lithuania, United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland), Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Iceland

Applicants from Medical Schools outside the Republic of Ireland:
The NRS will notify eligible applicants who are required to undertake the Intern Employment Eligibility Test (IEET) with further details of the test. Applicants attending the IEET will be required to submit confirmation of their flight details at a later stage.
Failure to attend this test will render your application invalid. Applicants must pass Part 1 of the IEET in order for their application to progress to Part 2 of the test. Should applicants be invited to Part 2, confirmation of flight details will again be required.
Applicants must pass Part 2 of the IEET to be invited to proceed to Stage 2 of the application process. Applicants deemed ineligible on the basis of the results of their IEET will be notified by text and email.
Stage 2 eligible applicants:
• On 28th February 2014, eligible applicants will receive an Application Form for Stage 2, guidelines and the list of available Intern Posts. This will be notified to you by text and email.

Why is there an Intern Employment Eligibility Test (IEET)?:
It is critical that all Interns who work in the Irish health Service have a level of understanding of the environment in which they will be practising so as to assure their ability to provide safe services to patients. In order to ensure that applicants meet the basic knowledge and competence required for eligibility to an Intern post a new test has been introduced for applicants who are applying from Medical Schools outside the Republic of Ireland.
The IEET is a measure of your ability to meet the specific attributes and knowledge required to work as an intern within the Irish Healthcare system. The test will assess such areas as professional practice and patient safety issues in the Irish health service. In addition, it will
determine whether your skills in areas such as communications, ethics and prescribing safety are appropriate to practice as an intern.
Therefore, all applicants to Intern positions in the Irish health service commencing July 2014 must provide the following:

Applicants from Medical Schools OUTSIDE the Republic of Ireland:
(ii) must complete the Intern Employment Eligibility Test. Any applicant who has completed (or will be completing in spring/summer 2014) their medical degree in a Medical School outside the Republic of Ireland, must complete the Intern Employment Eligibility Test.
It is planned that the IEET will be a two part assessment. In both sections of the examination, five competency domains will be examined. Specifically, the examination will assess competency in:
1. Knowledge and application of Irish legal medicine
2. Knowledge and application of national prescribing practices
3. Professional skills relevant to the Irish healthcare setting
4. Communication skills relevant to Irish healthcare
5. Knowledge of national public health and safety issues
The examination will be held in early 2014, with the first and second parts separated by approximately a 4 week period.
The first part will be a written examination in a multiple choice and extended match type format and will be held on 10th January 2014.
Progression to the second part of the examination, an OSCE (observed structured clinical evaluation) type assessment will be dependent on achieving an adequate score in the first, written portion of the exam. It is intended to run a 14 station OSCE exam, with candidates scored on their observed performance. A pass score in all assessed stations must be achieved. This examination will be held on 7th February 2014.
Sample part 1 questions will be made available in the next few weeks, as will a more detailed description of the competencies to be assessed.
Precise details of the location and time of the test will be provided to relevant candidates at a later stage.
Applicants from Medical Schools outside the Republic of Ireland will be required to make a payment of €200, as a contribution towards the cost of providing the test, with their Stage 1 Application Form. Confirmation of this payment must be submitted with Stage 1 Application Form (see Section E of application form). The cost of sitting the test will not be refunded should you be deemed ineligible for other reasons (see eligibility criteria), not attend the test,
fail the test etc. Therefore it is very important that you consider your own individual eligibility before you apply and pay the €200 payment fee for the test.
All costs associated with sitting the test, including travel and related costs shall be borne by the applicant.

Language Requirements
2. IELTS (International English Language Testing System – Academic Test) Certificate with an overall band score of 7.5 and a minimum score of 7.0 in each of the four domains on the academic test.
*Medical students who undertake their medical degree in a country where English is the primary language but who partake in short electives overseas or in Erasmus programmes overseas as a recognised and approved element of their medical degree are not required to submit an IELTS certificate Any applicant who completed part or all of his/her undergraduate training in a country where English is not the primary language spoken by the vast majority of people of that country is
required to provide a satisfactory IELTS certificate regardless of the degree awarding body and regardless of the applicant’s nationality.
The satisfactory IELTS certificate must be scanned and submitted with the Stage 2 Application Form and any applicant who expects to be required to submit the Certificate is advised to undertake the test as early as possible.
An IELTS certificate will be considered valid if it is obtained within the previous two years of the required date of submission to the recruitment officer / employer (i.e. 14th March 2014).
Applicants who are not required to submit an IELTS certificate will be required to demonstrate to their employer their proficiency in the English language within the first three months of employment.
Any intern whom the employer deems not to be proficient in English and who has not been required to submit an IELTS certificate may be required to undertake the IELTS test. In such circumstances, continued employment will be contingent on the minimum standard being reached. Information on IELTS is available at www.ielts.org.

Arthur B

Apparently there is a way to save a year of internship when you study in Poland, as from this year or even a few years back, the 6-year MD programmes are supposed to include the year of internship. Plus, if you sit a national exam in Poland (LEK; through English), you can apply for specialisation in Ireland straight away as the Medical Council recognises the exam. I was told that by a recent graduate from one of the Polish unis who was at the last Medical Poland information event about studying medicine in Poland.

polydactyl

Arthur B wrote: »

Apparently there is a way to save a year of internship when you study in Poland, as from this year or even a few years back, the 6-year MD programmes are supposed to include the year of internship. Plus, if you sit a national exam in Poland (LEK; through English), you can apply for specialisation in Ireland straight away as the Medical Council recognises the exam. I was told that by a recent graduate from one of the Polish unis who was at the last Medical Poland information event about studying medicine in Poland.

By specialisation do you mean apply for an SpR scheme? You will still have to have the mandatory 18m post intern experience regardless of exams.

laserlad2010

Zombie thread returns from the grave!!