I’m looking to repeat the Leaving Cert, what are some good schools?

MrMiata

I’m looking at repeating the Leaving Cert at the age of 22.

I’m considering going back to my old school but my sister who is 5 years my junior will be just a year behind me, I’d know a few around that age (5th year + Leaving) because of her so it would be a little odd.

I’m hoping to study medicine.. I need to go from 425 points to 550+ and a HPAT.
I put in no effort the last time and it shows, I ruled out medicine early on so I was just looking to get out and see what else might interest me.. now I want to go back.

I’m based out East, so while I could study in the city it’s not ideal.

I just don’t know what are some good schools beyond Yeats which I doubt I can realistically afford.

I heard St Jarlaths is good, that’s really it.

Any ideas?

gordongekko

Would yeats be an option?

MrMiata

gordongekko wrote: »

Would yeats be an option?

I’d ideally like to avoid forking out for repeating.. I have to pay for first and second year in full since I had those fees paid already.
So if I could keep the cost down that’d be ideal

MrMiata

OSI wrote: »

Don't forget there's mature student entry available for medicine as well which brings the requirement down to a single C in a higher level lab subject.

I’d imagine that’s more competitive than the typical route.

That could be a good option..
I would have one more year working to save up as opposed to spending that year back in school.

xckjoo

You might be better off posting in the County Galway forum if you don't want recommendations for City schools.

When are you thinking of starting?

bobbyss

You would be significantly older than others. How do you feel about that?

Mrs OBumble

Would any secondary school be allowed to enrol you??? What would they charge?

Smegging hell

Personally I'd wait a year and try and enter as a mature student, even though it's more competitive. It's quite a large age gap.

MrMiata

Smegging hell wrote: »

Personally I'd wait a year and try and enter as a mature student, even though it's more competitive. It's quite a large age gap.

I'm looking into it but I think I'm far more likely to get in the typical CAO route rather than mature entry.. I'd be coming up against people who have degrees, masters and years worth of experience why would they choose some lad who has shown zero ability, without any working knowledge or who has even shown a serious interest beyond applying.

I don't think the age gap would necessarily matter, a guy in my school came back to repeat and he did so at 22.

MrMiata

bobbyss wrote: »

You would be significantly older than others. How do you feel about that?

Indifferent.
I felt the same way when I started into a different course at college (and left before fees were due).

I would be there to get the results needed, not for the sake of repeating.

MrMiata

gordongekko wrote: »

Would yeats be an option?

I'm looking at repeating in Yeats (repeat year, really tailoring the course work to getting the most points rather than worrying about timetable clashes and what not..)

So I could/would repeat at Yeats, fork out the fees and commute in and out.
I would hopefully get the points and then work for the next 5 or so years (closer to 4) so I would avail of free fees

"Tuition fees will be paid in respect of eligible students who, having attended but not completed approved courses, are returning following a break of at least five years in order to pursue approved courses at the same level." - Free Fees Initiative.

This way I could set myself up for the best leaving possible..
Hopefully get the points necessary.
Avail of free fees and also afford to live where I got accepted.
I could also take my time with the HPAT granted I got on well enough in my Leaving..

It's a long road but that seems like my only real option.
I could compete a Fetac course and work as a health care assistant in the mean time, it'd give me some somewhat relevant experience and I'd be saving for college.
Beyond going out foreign this seems like the most realistic option.

xckjoo

I'm going to be blunt OP. It doesn't sound like you've put much thought and planning into this beyond the desire to become a doctor. If you're plan is to start this September then you're going to seriously struggle between the workload and lack of planning/direction.

Have you contacted the School of Medicine in the university to see what they recommend? Have you contacted any of the second level schools to see what they offer? Have you talked to SUSI about the fees? FETAC about their courses (notice the common thread here) and how well they'd transfer to studying medicine? You say medicine is the only thing you want to do, but what has lead you to that conclusion? Have you worked in the field at all? Understand that it's more of a way of life than a career. Make no mistake, it'll become your life for a very long time, the workload is huge and it's not as glamorous as it might seem. Very often the working conditions are awful but people stick it out for love of the job. That's a tough ask of yourself unless you're sure.



If this really is what you want to do OP then you need to start owning it beyond googling and posting on boards. Get out and talk to people in the positions that can help you. You need to start looking at this in terms of 5-10 year objectives. If you've no experience working in medicine then get some. Do a FETAC course or find a job in the hospital. Even if it's cleaning floors, you'll see what it's like to work within the system and if you could tolerate it. You seem to be talking about redoing the leaving and then working for 5+ years. Why do that? Why not find work in a related field for 5 years, find out if you like it and then do the study? You will be expected to retain the Leaving Cert info in university so better not to have a 5 year gap. It sounds like you're anxious to get going, probably feeling like you've wasted life since leaving school, but running headlong into this without a plan is just repeating the same mistakes. Taking another year to figure things out isn't a waste, it's laying a foundation and a year is a drop in the ocean in the overall scheme of things. Just focus on your longer term goal of becoming a doctor in ~15years and keep moving towards that.


I'm not posting this to discourage you or tell you you're being foolish, just trying to point you in the right direction. If this has discouraged you though, then medicine isn't for you. Get out of the mindset of education being something you show up for and start making it work for you. Number 1 step is to get talking to anyone and everyone that might be able to help you and offer advice. You should be doing this in life anyway. Educators love talking to motivated students and love talking about their jobs so are almost always open to helping someone figure out their path.

I'd start with SUSI because I'm really not sure you're interpreting that fees thing correctly. A quick call would sort that.


Best of luck with it OP. We always need more motivated doctors

MrMiata

xckjoo wrote: »

I'm going to be blunt OP. It doesn't sound like you've put much thought and planning into this beyond the desire to become a doctor. If you're plan is to start this September then you're going to seriously struggle between the workload and lack of planning/direction.

Have you contacted the School of Medicine in the university to see what they recommend? Have you contacted any of the second level schools to see what they offer? Have you talked to SUSI about the fees? FETAC about their courses (notice the common thread here) and how well they'd transfer to studying medicine? You say medicine is the only thing you want to do, but what has lead you to that conclusion? Have you worked in the field at all? Understand that it's more of a way of life than a career. Make no mistake, it'll become your life for a very long time, the workload is huge and it's not as glamorous as it might seem. Very often the working conditions are awful but people stick it out for love of the job. That's a tough ask of yourself unless you're sure.



If this really is what you want to do OP then you need to start owning it beyond googling and posting on boards. Get out and talk to people in the positions that can help you. You need to start looking at this in terms of 5-10 year objectives. If you've no experience working in medicine then get some. Do a FETAC course or find a job in the hospital. Even if it's cleaning floors, you'll see what it's like to work within the system and if you could tolerate it. You seem to be talking about redoing the leaving and then working for 5+ years. Why do that? Why not find work in a related field for 5 years, find out if you like it and then do the study? You will be expected to retain the Leaving Cert info in university so better not to have a 5 year gap. It sounds like you're anxious to get going, probably feeling like you've wasted life since leaving school, but running headlong into this without a plan is just repeating the same mistakes. Taking another year to figure things out isn't a waste, it's laying a foundation and a year is a drop in the ocean in the overall scheme of things. Just focus on your longer term goal of becoming a doctor in ~15years and keep moving towards that.


I'm not posting this to discourage you or tell you you're being foolish, just trying to point you in the right direction. If this has discouraged you though, then medicine isn't for you. Get out of the mindset of education being something you show up for and start making it work for you. Number 1 step is to get talking to anyone and everyone that might be able to help you and offer advice. You should be doing this in life anyway. Educators love talking to motivated students and love talking about their jobs so are almost always open to helping someone figure out their path.

I'd start with SUSI because I'm really not sure you're interpreting that fees thing correctly. A quick call would sort that.


Best of luck with it OP. We always need more motivated doctors

Thank you.

I have put some thought into it.

Very little transfers over to medicine, it’s really just a get the points and be well above the curve for the HPAT.

My plan currently stands at -
Repeat in a grinds school (8:45am to 8:30pm)
Hopefully getting the points 550 or so plus.
I would then go into a health care support fetac offered by my local secondary school (where I originally sat the Leaving).
So I could then work as a health care assistant, probably in a nursing home.

I would then have a go at the HPAT each year (or so).
So I would continuously work on it as a way to keep my on that wavelength for the time between repeating and college.
Not to mention I would also be giving myself a serious chance at getting into medicine granted I got the 550 or so points to begin with.

The wait would be so I could avail of free fees.
Or else it’s paying 10k a year for 3 years (if it’s the 5 year course and not the more likely 6 year option).
I would/could save over that time frame so I could afford accommodation where it was I got accepted.
That way I’m not limiting myself to just Galway.
I could accept Trinity if the option arose and not worry about the cost of living as much.

I’ve really considered what I’m doing, I would not be repeating the Leaving cert on a whim.
I wouldn’t repeat for anything but medicine, I think that shows where my head is.
I want to be a doctor as much as ever

xckjoo

MrMiata wrote: »

Thank you.

I have put some thought into it.

Very little transfers over to medicine, it’s really just a get the points and be well above the curve for the HPAT.

My plan currently stands at -
Repeat in a grinds school (8:45am to 8:30pm)
Hopefully getting the points 550 or so plus.
I would then go into a health care support fetac offered by my local secondary school (where I originally sat the Leaving).
So I could then work as a health care assistant, probably in a nursing home.

I would then have a go at the HPAT each year (or so).
So I would continuously work on it as a way to keep my on that wavelength for the time between repeating and college.
Not to mention I would also be giving myself a serious chance at getting into medicine granted I got the 550 or so points to begin with.

The wait would be so I could avail of free fees.
Or else it’s paying 10k a year for 3 years (if it’s the 5 year course and not the more likely 6 year option).
I would/could save over that time frame so I could afford accommodation where it was I got accepted.
That way I’m not limiting myself to just Galway.
I could accept Trinity if the option arose and not worry about the cost of living as much.

I’ve really considered what I’m doing, I would not be repeating the Leaving cert on a whim.
I wouldn’t repeat for anything but medicine, I think that shows where my head is.
I want to be a doctor as much as ever

OK. You've a bit more thought put in than it first appeared. But why repeat the LC and then do the FETAC course? Surely it would be better to do that first, get a taste for it and then do repeat the LC next year if it's still what you want to do? It would be good to get some kind of exposure to the field before you start such a big commitment. The LC will be there next year and better to keep the gap between the repeat and first year university shorter rather than longer.
Have you doctors in the family you could talk to? Preferably younger ones that are experiencing the current system. I'd be worried that it's the idea of being a doctor you're in love with. What type of doctor are you thinking of becoming? Are you aware that the GP system is in serious trouble and may not be a viable option by the time you graduate?

And get talking to people. I've never heard of being entitled to a second round of fees after 5 years so start with SUSI. It might just be something I'm not aware of though

MrMiata

xckjoo wrote: »

OK. You've a bit more thought put in than it first appeared. But why repeat the LC and then do the FETAC course? Surely it would be better to do that first, get a taste for it and then do repeat the LC next year if it's still what you want to do? It would be good to get some kind of exposure to the field before you start such a big commitment. The LC will be there next year and better to keep the gap between the repeat and first year university shorter rather than longer.
Have you doctors in the family you could talk to? Preferably younger ones that are experiencing the current system. I'd be worried that it's the idea of being a doctor you're in love with. What type of doctor are you thinking of becoming? Are you aware that the GP system is in serious trouble and may not be a viable option by the time you graduate?

And get talking to people. I've never heard of being entitled to a second round of fees after 5 years so start with SUSI. It might just be something I'm not aware of though

It seems a fetac would count as education..
I would need to be out of any form of secondary schooling for 5 years or more.

I can’t post a link because I’m a new account but it’s on the HEA website under course fees, criteria for determining eligibility, number 7.
(I’m also on mobile so excuse the format!)

My best option may very well be working in a medical devices factor and keeping myself focused on the HPAT.

I could always go into the 6 year program where I would study general science subjects in my first year, that would give me a nice(r) return to education.

I know I want to be a doctor.
I’ve looked at damn near everything else that even remotely interests me.
I’ve thought ‘if I had the points for anything what would I choose?’ And it’s medicine.
I think I’m capable of getting the points.

I want to be a surgeon, neuro in particular really interests me but that’s well on down the line.

There’s number of different instances that have reaffirmed why I want to study medicine - most of which I don’t fancy going into detail on.
My mother and I nearly died at my birth, it was only for emergency surgery that either of us survived.

I had to have an operation on my knee at the age of 13 because they thought I had dislocated it (and had it rectify itself but with ligament damage, ACL mainly) I was in and out of hospitals for months, and on crutches for the better part of 8 months.

I was bitten by a snake while on holidays as a teenager, I was rushed to hospital by a local.

My father was diagnosed with cancer during my leaving cert year, he had an operation to remove it

Each instance reaffirm why I wanted to study medicine.
I’m willing to put in long hours of both work and study, years of financial sacrifice and dealing with death on a daily basis.
I don’t fancy working in an office or a warehouse like I currently am.
Medicine has always appealed to me.

xckjoo

MrMiata wrote: »

It seems a fetac would count as education..
I would need to be out of any form of secondary schooling for 5 years or more.

I can’t post a link because I’m a new account but it’s on the HEA website under course fees, criteria for determining eligibility, number 7.
(I’m also on mobile so excuse the format!)

My best option may very well be working in a medical devices factor and keeping myself focused on the HPAT.

I could always go into the 6 year program where I would study general science subjects in my first year, that would give me a nice(r) return to education.

I know I want to be a doctor.
I’ve looked at damn near everything else that even remotely interests me.
I’ve thought ‘if I had the points for anything what would I choose?’ And it’s medicine.
I think I’m capable of getting the points.

I want to be a surgeon, neuro in particular really interests me but that’s well on down the line.

There’s number of different instances that have reaffirmed why I want to study medicine - most of which I don’t fancy going into detail on.
My mother and I nearly died at my birth, it was only for emergency surgery that either of us survived.

I had to have an operation on my knee at the age of 13 because they thought I had dislocated it (and had it rectify itself but with ligament damage, ACL mainly) I was in and out of hospitals for months, and on crutches for the better part of 8 months.

I was bitten by a snake while on holidays as a teenager, I was rushed to hospital by a local.

My father was diagnosed with cancer during my leaving cert year, he had an operation to remove it

Each instance reaffirm why I wanted to study medicine.
I’m willing to put in long hours of both work and study, years of financial sacrifice and dealing with death on a daily basis.
I don’t fancy working in an office or a warehouse like I currently am.
Medicine has always appealed to me.

Ok but none of that is showing me you know what it takes to be a doctor and still feel the call. It's mainly paperwork and stress from what I see. You seriously need to heed my advise to get out and start talking to people. It will give you a better understanding of what's involved and will start you forming the personal connections you'll need to succeed in a course like medicine. You may even identify a career path that might appeal to you more. "Doctor" is a very general term.

A FETAC course is further education, LC is repeating the level 4 qualification you already have (though hopefully with a better outcome from it). The FETAC course will give you exposure to the area you're supposedly dying to get into, the LC will just be a repeat of the same general subjects you already did.

For the love of god ring SUSI. They decide it you get the grant so just call them and ask them directly. To be blunt, if you can't even be arsed doing that then how can you say that you're serious about pursuing this?

MrMiata

xckjoo wrote: »

Ok but none of that is showing me you know what it takes to be a doctor and still feel the call. It's mainly paperwork and stress from what I see. You seriously need to heed my advise to get out and start talking to people. It will give you a better understanding of what's involved and will start you forming the personal connections you'll need to succeed in a course like medicine. You may even identify a career path that might appeal to you more. "Doctor" is a very general term.

A FETAC course is further education, LC is repeating the level 4 qualification you already have (though hopefully with a better outcome from it). The FETAC course will give you exposure to the area you're supposedly dying to get into, the LC will just be a repeat of the same general subjects you already did.

For the love of god ring SUSI. They decide it you get the grant so just call them and ask them directly. To be blunt, if you can't even be arsed doing that then how can you say that you're serious about pursuing this?

Apologies I’m currently at work and replying whenever there’s a lull.

I’m well aware of what it takes.
A number of my closest friends were med students, a girlfriend of mines older brother is a orthopedic surgeon, I’ve talked with my GP and family friends.

More importantly I know what I’d take to get through studying medicine, there’s plenty of options after the degree.

I will of course be talking to SUSI, but I’m working and getting ready for a wedding later this week.
I just want to get the general gist of it down what the overall plan is.
I will be talking to the guys I know studying med, people I know who’ve repeat/been to yeats.
Career guidance counselors, the principal of yeats.

I would like to do a plc and work as a healthcare assistant but don’t particularly want to further push out returning to college for it.

I know I want to be a doctor, I know what I’m undertaking, I am not going into this willynilly.

Thank you for the sound advice

JustAThought

Why dont you do what half the planet seems to be doing - sign on, do a return to education course in trinity for people who did not do well/disadvantaged/didnt go to.college/first in family to go.to.college etc picking science as the core entry theme and getting it fully funded by the state - then turn it onto applying to study medicine at the end of the year - no points requirement and they will 'help' you with the subjects you never studied or had dreadful results in. And fund it 100% and give you a grant to live on at the same time. The Irish Times ran two cosy articles on two people who did it last year - one a girl with a baby who also campaigned post qualification for a social welfare house and the other a guy from abroad somewhere who was a bit more classy. Can't remember the scheme name but its a specific social welfare thing - after 5 or more years of leaving school you qualify for it - & the fun part is the taxpayer pays and no points required. A guy I know also went back age 30+a few years ago and did it but not in medicine. Its the new gateway to medicine without the points race or having to worry about course payment - you just need to make sure you read the little print for family background in the scheme first and then apply/approach the social welfare officer.

45mhrc7evo1d3n

I know you are focussing on resitting the leaving cert but it might be worth trying to get in as Mature student. In case you are not fully aware of the selection criteria for Mature entry to Medicine at NUI Galway, you can read about it here . 15 Mature applicants are shortlisted to attend a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) on the basis of their HPAT scores. The types of skills tested in the MMI include communication, collaboration and teamwork and ethical reasoning. So entry as a Mature student is not based on your leaving cert results or work experience. You just need to have an Honours Science subject in your leaving cert results in order to be eligible to apply.

xckjoo

MrMiata wrote: »

Apologies I’m currently at work and replying whenever there’s a lull.

I’m well aware of what it takes.
A number of my closest friends were med students, a girlfriend of mines older brother is a orthopedic surgeon, I’ve talked with my GP and family friends.

More importantly I know what I’d take to get through studying medicine, there’s plenty of options after the degree.

I will of course be talking to SUSI, but I’m working and getting ready for a wedding later this week.
I just want to get the general gist of it down what the overall plan is.
I will be talking to the guys I know studying med, people I know who’ve repeat/been to yeats.
Career guidance counselors, the principal of yeats.

I would like to do a plc and work as a healthcare assistant but don’t particularly want to further push out returning to college for it.

I know I want to be a doctor, I know what I’m undertaking, I am not going into this willynilly.

Thank you for the sound advice

Nice one. You seem to be determined and that'll stand to you. I'll leave you with two last pieces of advice. It's the same advice I'd give anyone looking to start a degree with a specific career in mind.
1) start looking at it in the long term. So a year isn't that long a time when you're talking about the lifespan of a career. I don't just mean that in terms of now but as you progress as well. You might think one avenue of medicine appeals and then a year or two down the road realise you can't stand the conditions you'd have to work in. Take your learnings from what you did and migrate to something else. Nothing is wasted if you learn from it.
2) talk to educators. Most of them are dying for student interactions and nobody seems to do it anymore. You'll get contrary ones but most of them will be delighted to see someone showing an interest. It can also open so many doors in terms of internships, recommendations, references etc.

Best of luck with it. Just remember that you're working to an approx 15yr plan and keep working towards that. Allow the details to change a little as you go and learn more about yourself and your career.