**HPAT and Medicine 2016**

Arthur B

philipphilip wrote: »

Hi Guys

I know its late in the day but here goes. I sat my HPAT earlier in the year and it didnt go very well and kind of gave up on the idea of studying Medicine. I did my Leaving Cert in June and I feel I proformed very well in it and was wondering there any alternative to studing Medicine that dont depend on the HPAT?, Im open to ideas!!!!

Thanks!!

I know a guy that looked into studying Medicine in Poland, they applied only recently but are aiming to start in September. Dont believe they were looking for a HPAT!

philipphilip

Gamsat and HPAT next year make me lose a whole year and the UK is soooo expensive. I'd rather do it abroad. it's supposed to be cheaper there (not that I care much as I'm not paying;P but still.
Arthur B do you know if you can transfer from Poland and does hpat help there?

Arthur B

philipphilip wrote: »

Gamsat and HPAT next year make me lose a whole year and the UK is soooo expensive. I'd rather do it abroad. it's supposed to be cheaper there (not that I care much as I'm not paying;P but still.
Arthur B do you know if you can transfer from Poland and does hpat help there?

philipphilip if you don't want UK and don't want to loose a year,google medical poland. The guy I know went with them. apparently they run some information event 4th Aug. I'd go and see for yourself.

imho hpat is a local(!) Irish thing so it probably does you little favour outside here, but transfers should be possible as Poland is also in the EU. good luck desperately looking for other options

spurious

I doubt you can transfer from a Polish college (even the great Jagiellonian) to an Irish high demand course, but I'm willing to be proved wrong. Once you're qualified, of course you can do further study wherever you want.

philipphilip

Hi, I'm interested in Poland, not looking at Warsaw though as it seems expensive and difficult to get in. Now looking to study medicine or physio in Bydgoszcz (both through English). I got in touch with their Irish agent in Dublin. They run open days every now and then. Next on 4th Aug

Have you heard about them and Bydgoszcz Collegium Medicum? it seems to be small (the school) and relatively small city too
I'm also wondering if I can transfer back to an Irish uni in 2y time?

Arthur B

spurious wrote: »

I doubt you can transfer from a Polish college (even the great Jagiellonian) to an Irish high demand course, but I'm willing to be proved wrong. Once you're qualified, of course you can do further study wherever you want.

All the programmes are run under the Bologna system, ECTS etc. I know it is left to the uni to decide if they accept transfers but I cannot see any reason for transfers not being possible taking one has good results. Apparently it is possible between Polish universities and I don't think studying medicine through English in Poland is easier than in Ireland. If one looks at OECD rankings, Poland comes second in educatiin, far higher than Ireland (20th).

EaSwe

Hey guys, good luck with the LC and HPAT next year. I'm after doing my LC, and thought I was dead set on doing med but instead I had an epiphany of sorts and will hopefully be studying economics and business. It wasn't a case of being frightened off by the points or not thinking I would get it, I just had been so set on it for a while I never properly questioned whether or not there was anything else I wanted to do. I'm sure for most of you Med is the right choice for what you want to do, but don't be afraid to look in completely separated directions - TBH I think if in 3 weeks time if I were to get Medicine, it'd have been the wrong choice.

Just be willing to broaden your horizons if you've been dead set on Med for a while.. Good Luck guys

spurious

Arthur B wrote: »

All the programmes are run under the Bologna system, ECTS etc. I know it is left to the uni to decide if they accept transfers but I cannot see any reason for transfers not being possible taking one has good results. Apparently it is possible between Polish universities and I don't think studying medicine through English in Poland is easier than in Ireland. If one looks at OECD rankings, Poland comes second in educatiin, far higher than Ireland (20th).

I'm sure it's not easier at all, having studied myself (not medicine!) very briefly in UJ. I just wonder how it would go down with people in an Irish medicine course who perhaps had friends who missed out on entry (HPAT/LC) by a couple of points, to see people who took a different path, with possibly lower LC results get a place after two years. If it's possible to do it, go for it, Poland's a fantastic place and medical students might even pick up some of the language.

Robbiert

Hi guys,
another medical hopeful here. Just wondering, have many of you started your prep already?
I've only just started myself with the ME. Aswell as this, any suggestions on how to balance Hpat prep with LC study?
I do well in my other subjects as I assume most of you do aswell and the prospect of maintaining 6/7 a1s aswell as an extra exam is daunting to say the least. How are you guys planning to weight the Hpat against conventional exams? (eg mocks)

Arthur B

Robbiert, ME?

CookieCat97

I think he might mean Med Entry, they're a HPAT prep course

Consonata

Robbiert wrote: »

I've only just started myself with the ME. Aswell as this, any suggestions on how to balance Hpat prep with LC study?

+1

CookieCat97

I still don't know whether to do a prep course or not, I've researched all the different types of courses that companies provide and they all seem so expensive :eek: I really, really want to be a doctor and I know it's going to be really expensive when I go to college but I don't want to make my parents pay for things that they could get away without paying (if you know what I mean). I literally don't know what to do

Consonata

CookieCat97 wrote: »

I still don't know whether to do a prep course or not, I've researched all the different types of courses that companies provide and they all seem so expensive :eek: I really, really want to be a doctor and I know it's going to be really expensive when I go to college but I don't want to make my parents pay for things that they could get away without paying (if you know what I mean). I literally don't know what to do

I agree, like at a discount M€D€NTRY was at €425 and thats with the group rate. Can anybody say if these courses were worthwhile?

Robbiert

From my limited experience the advantage of ME is the vast amount of material they have from the Umat(Australian Hpat).
I don't know if it's can transform your Hpat score or even if it's worth the price but I can say that the online material is excellent. It is an aptitude test but I don't buy into the whole I got 101st percentile without studying narrative. The more material that you're exposed to the less nervous and more experienced you feel (and are) on test day.
If nothing else that's valuable but I don't know about the 2 day course as of yet. It depends what is worth 600 euro to you but in my eyes, a greater chance of getting into medicine is.

Doctorhopeful

Consonata wrote: »

I agree, like at a discount M€D€NTRY was at €425 and thats with the group rate. Can anybody say if these courses were worthwhile?

Hi, gonna be a bringer of bad news and let people know that two of my friends who religiously used ******** both scored in the 40th percentile. Both did exactly what they were supposed to do and did poorly.

ME guarantees nothing but i do believe it maximises an individual's potential. Someone who would do well naturally will benefit from the practise. However there are ways and means of prctising without spending >€400. Just bear in mind that doing a prep course guarantees nothing

Doctorhopeful

Robbiert wrote: »

From my limited experience the advantage of ME is the vast amount of material they have from the Umat(Australian Hpat).
I don't know if it's can transform your Hpat score or even if it's worth the price but I can say that the online material is excellent. It is an aptitude test but I don't buy into the whole I got 101st percentile without studying narrative. The more material that you're exposed to the less nervous and more experienced you feel (and are) on test day.
If nothing else that's valuable but I don't know about the 2 day course as of yet. It depends what is worth 600 euro to you but in my eyes, a greater chance of getting into medicine is.

I agree that being familiar with the test is important, but that doesn't require spending hundreds of euros and doing a huge amount of sample questions. I did two of acer's sample exams to familiarise myself with the layout and got 98th percentile. At the end of the day, the hpat really is an aptitude test and it's the prep courses who've sold the idea that anyone can improve with extra work. Sure they can maximise potential but if the aptitude isn't there to begin with then unfortunately i don't believe it will ever happen.

philipphilip

hey folks, just to let you know, I've been scratching my head and thinking about me HPAT &LC results over another pint... I'm bleedin' banxjaxed... so think I'm goin to check the event that Medical Poland's running tomorrow at 6pm. Anyone joining? hope i won't be the only English speaker in the room;D

TopCatTom

Ya I've been looking at that event as well, I might as well go down just to see what what they have to say, I'll pm you my number.

Arthur B

TopCatTom wrote: »

Ya, so myself and Phil ended up going to this Medical Poland Open Day.

Didn't real know what to expect, but it was actual a bit of craic, the lads that run the thing were there but there were also successful applicants and actual students there, so they could answer questions from a students point of view. Don't get me wrong, the lads presentations were ok but ya can't beat info direct from the horses month.

In any way, it gave Phil and myself plenty to discuss over a pint (or two) afterwards...

Guys, share a bit! So, are going to study medicine? in Poland? I understand that HPAT is not required there, right? What about LC points and grades?

Ryan97

Thinking of doing medicine and trying to get the Hpat sorted. Does anyone know where I can get practice papers? I haven't taken one yet so I want to give it a go.

alaskayoung

Ryan97 wrote: »

Thinking of doing medicine and trying to get the Hpat sorted. Does anyone know where I can get practice papers? I haven't taken one yet so I want to give it a go.

You can download a full HPAT sample paper from the ACER website for free.

CookieCat97

alaskayoung wrote: »

You can download a full HPAT sample paper from the ACER website for free.

Could you post a link up for this because I can't seem to find it on the site?

alaskayoung

CookieCat97 wrote: »

Could you post a link up for this because I can't seem to find it on the site?

Have you made a HPAT Ireland account? Can't post a link because you have to sign into your own. Sign in, go to the practice material section and the free download of Practice Paper 1 should be available. There are others available for purchase too.

GavD97

alaskayoung wrote: »

I'm sorry but doing 2 hours a night of hpat prep is absolute insanity. Hpat prep companies have sold this idea that everyone is capable of getting a good enough hpat score if they practise enough which is simply not true. I know it sucks that it's not but that's just the way an APTITUDE test works. Why would they support this idea when it earns them no money? Familiarize yourself with the layout, download the official acer practise exams to get your timing right and spend some time looking at lots of different section 3 examples. That's the only section that a bit of practice has been proven to improve your score which is why they decreased its % value of the exam. That said your potential score and the amount of time you spend studying it is not linear. Your ability will still peak at a certain point regardless.
There are people who did the hpat with a lot of prep who got excellent scores but they more than likely would have gotten those scores anyway. People who repeat the hpat do better probably because they have been through it before and know exactly what to expect on the day. What about the people who put a lot of time into prep and get poor scores on the day? They're more numerous but funny enough they're not spoken about because they don't sell prep courses. They're not stupid and the people who do well with no prep aren't genii, the latter simply have a better natural aptitude for the exam.
I don't know why I'm even wasting my time writing this. No one is going to take it on board because no one wants to believe that it's true. Don't psych yourself out on the day, don't obsess about it for months beforehand. If it's meant to happen for you, it will. That is how an aptitude test works. Work hard and focus on the leaving cert. That is a result that is completely in your control.
(And I'm sorry but I don't know why the quoted user is advising you to do what he/she did, to spend a huge amount of your study time preparing for the hpat, when his method didn't even yield a good enough result? Not being rude but that doesn't make sense to me). This is what worked for me. I got 91st % with no prep. It's not a popular idea for obvious reasons, everyone wants to believe that they can make it happen for themselves, but in my opinion it's the truth. To give yourself the best chance of success, focus on the exams you can control.

I was adviced to do what I did by someone who got 98%ile in 2014 hpat. To be fair, the majority of people won't get a high percentile with no prep, like you. I really don't think you understand just how lucky you are. For anyone else reading this, I understand if you think that what I said in my other comment, about doing 2 hours a night in the lead up to the exam isn't a good idea for your leaving cert year, but seriously don't do nothing! It is really an exam that no one can know how they did until results. I'm not starting a fight with this guy, but what he is saying doesn't really make sense. Your odds are slim if you do nothing! Good luck anyway.

alaskayoung

GavD97 wrote: »

I was adviced to do what I did by someone who got 98%ile in 2014 hpat. To be fair, the majority of people won't get a high percentile with no prep, like you. I really don't think you understand just how lucky you are. For anyone else reading this, I understand if you think that what I said in my other comment, about doing 2 hours a night in the lead up to the exam isn't a good idea for your leaving cert year, but seriously don't do nothing! It is really an exam that no one can know how they did until results. I'm not starting a fight with this guy, but what he is saying doesn't really make sense. Your odds are slim if you do nothing! Good luck anyway.

I never said do nothing. I said do the official practice exams to work on your timing and to get accustomed to they layout but after that in my opinion, the benefit of extensive preparation is negligible. If you are going to do well, you will do well regardless of if you fork out on preparation courses and spend hours practicing material. Save your time and money. The only people putting forward the idea that it can be prepared for are the preparation course companies themselves. I wonder why? As many people have said, there are hundreds of students who spend a great deal of time preparing for it and get a poor result. They don't tell you about them do they? They only publicize the people who use their service, get a high mark, even though they probably would have gotten it regardless. The people who say they wouldn't have should have more faith in themselves.
And I'm a girl btw :rolleyes:

Doctorhopeful

alaskayoung wrote: »

do the official practice exams to work on your timing and to get accustomed to they layout but after that in my opinion, the benefit of extensive preparation is negligible.

^this 100%. The people who do the prep courses when they repeat and jump up extra percentiles are mostly people who were stressed/not familiar with the exam the first time around. The idea that they failed the first time because they didn't spend hundreds of euros on a prep course and didn't do hours of prep each night is completely false.

Two of my friends did mędentry and severely underperformed regardless of working on it religiously. I doubt you'll hear about those people because they don't further the agenda of prep courses ie to sell more places and make more money.

For the record I got 98th percentile like your friend and did two acer sample exams the month before. You can choose which one of us you wanna listen to in regards to spending hundreds of euros. Both are anecdotal and neither guarantee what will work for you.

Don't blindly believe you have to do the course to succeed, that's the idea that the prep companies have created.

GavD97

alaskayoung wrote: »

I never said do nothing. I said do the official practice exams to work on your timing and to get accustomed to they layout but after that in my opinion, the benefit of extensive preparation is negligible. If you are going to do well, you will do well regardless of if you fork out on preparation courses and spend hours practicing material. Save your time and money. The only people putting forward the idea that it can be prepared for are the preparation course companies themselves. I wonder why? As many people have said, there are hundreds of students who spend a great deal of time preparing for it and get a poor result. They don't tell you about them do they? They only publicize the people who use their service, get a high mark, even though they probably would have gotten it regardless. The people who say they wouldn't have should have more faith in themselves.
And I'm a girl btw :rolleyes:

I understand what you are saying and it does make sense, but I guess everyone is different! Sorry for arguing with you.. No point in that. I'm just annoyed/upset with my results. Sorry again, and best of luck with points etc

78795

Just thought Id weigh in here - currently doing medicine and I know how scary the whole HPAT thing can be.

I didn't do any prep courses but I did buy the sample papers from acer. To be honest the only thing you can practice is getting used to timing and the style of question. I don't believe in 'HPAT study' but ultimately it is an aptitude test and not something you can necessarily learn. For example, I know plenty of people that spent a whole lot of money on courses like ME etc that didn't get medicine and almost an equal number of people that did no course that did get it.

When it comes to HPAT one thing I feel like I have to stress is that you shouldn't compare your method of preparation with other people. I know a guy that did 2 hours a night for a year and it used to really make me feel awful and like I 'wasn't committed' or 'didn't want it enough' but really its all down to individual learning style.

Finally - read lots. People that have a large vocabulary and that are used to reading are at a huge advantage (or at least thats a pattern that seems to be emerging amongst people I talk to) because sometimes the secret to getting the right answer lies in knowing the tiny differences in the meaning of words. So read a lot and also try to read a couple articles on Logical Fallacies because thats where a lot of people make mistakes with questions (don't assume things that you aren't told etc)

Sorry that was so long

spurious

Reading more is never a bad thing.
Before phones and internet, it was not uncommon for LC students to read one or two novels a week, on top of school work. There would be a school of thought that a person could not be considered truly educated unless they had read many of the literary classics of their language.