Medicine

Neil3030

Currently in 6th year and thinking of putting this down as No. 1 on my CAO. However ive noticed that it is a 6 year course and i havn't done either biology or chemistry at LC level. Will this make the course too difficult to grasp? The entry requirements are just "1 labarotory science subject" along with maths, english, irish, another language and one more recognised subject.

Does anybody here do medicine and can offer me any help?

Molly

Erm afaik Chemistry is a requirement for medicine ...

Neil3030

No i had a look at the UCD prospectus. In TCD you need it alright.

ceewa

apparantly the chemistry is tough, i'm surprised it isn't a requirement for ucd cos u need chem to do vetrinary and vets and med students do the same chem in first year.

eth0_

I don't think you should just put medicine down just because you're thinking about it, most people who apply are people who have been aiming toward medicine for many years, and most will have more than one science subject.

I would say it'll be very difficult without prior chemistry experience, from what two people I know doing pre-med in TCD have told me.

eth0_

Originally posted by Neil3030
No i had a look at the UCD prospectus. In TCD you need it alright.

Urm, look again:

Recommended
Subject: Chemistry
(From 2003 Chemistry is essential for admission to
the five-year course).

seamus

Ummm....I dunno about the requirements, but Medicine in UCD (in fact anywhere) is very demanding. You have a week of very full days, and in the first two years, lots of your time is spent dashing between Belfield and Earlsfort Terrace. I know a friend of mine missed lunch many days, because the only time they had to get from Belfield to town was at lunchtime.

The Government is looking at removing Medicine from the CAO, and requiring a Science degree before you can go on and do it. Sounds like a mixed blessing imo -
On one hand, lots of pressure will be removed from people trying to score the full 600, and Science applications will rise. But, I can forsee far too many Science applications, as people say "I'd like to be a Doctor, but sure even if I don't I'll have a Science degree", and pushing up the points. Plus it would increase the length of the Medicine course to unbearable lengths - You could get a DSc. in less time.

Winning Hand

Am a second year med student in UCC, which translates as a third year student in the other universities in the country which run a 6 yr programme.

UCC abolished first year viewing it as a waste of time, the medical content was minimal, basically a rehash of LC chem, biology & physics. After doing so they changed the requirements to Chemistry plus one other lab subject (I got in on Physics). The Chemistry is an absolute requirement due to one third of first year consisting of biochemistry. The important thing to know is that Biology is not necessary, from talking to those who havent done any biology they have said they found it hard but manageable.
Just make sure that you want to do medicine 100% before you enter the programme, save you time and money if you can find out sooner rather than later whether or not you are up to it.