Gamsat 2012

lonelywanderer · 19-07-2012 12:58PM

EngDoc wrote: »

Well, I think that's the exact round 0 offers from last year (not all applicants offered places).

Of course, as a cynic, I'm sure UCD points will go up and I'd be stuck with the choice of waiting another year or packing my bag for 'the country'! :P

I'm in the exact same position. On 59 and it's UCD or bust I think. Don't think I can afford fees and rent (in cork)

Was down in BOI at the montrose beside UCD the other day talking to Carmel and she's going to get back to me about the terms of the loan as soon as she knows. Soo apprehensive about offers now... If it's 60 I'll cry.

cliona88 · 19-07-2012 02:08PM

lonelywanderer wrote: »

EngDoc wrote: »

Well, I think that's the exact round 0 offers from last year (not all applicants offered places).

Of course, as a cynic, I'm sure UCD points will go up and I'd be stuck with the choice of waiting another year or packing my bag for 'the country'! :P

I'm in the exact same position. On 59 and it's UCD or bust I think. Don't think I can afford fees and rent (in cork)

Was down in BOI at the montrose beside UCD the other day talking to Carmel and she's going to get back to me about the terms of the loan as soon as she knows. Soo apprehensive about offers now... If it's 60 I'll cry.

Would you not take the full boi loan if they were offering it?

lonelywanderer · 19-07-2012 04:16PM

cliona88 wrote: »

Would you not take the full boi loan if they were offering it?

I would, yeah. But I'm not too optimistic about it being more than the 54k.

BarnhallBull · 21-07-2012 01:36PM

Everyone had the email from the CAO saying the institutions have reviewed applications and deemed us eligible to compete based on GAMSAT scores? Bit of a relief, kept thinking there had to be something i'd forgotten to do somewhere along the way!

12 days and counting, ugh!

cliona88 · 21-07-2012 02:06PM

no i didn't get an email..

dmccormack01 · 21-07-2012 02:33PM

yep i didnt send in my docs by the feb deadline as i didnt think i would get in anywhere with my 2 months study, so sent them in and was a relief when i got that email that they accepted them for the july deadline!

im packing in the gamsat study now

and just going to take where ever i get when the offers come out!

cliona88 · 21-07-2012 03:13PM

dmccormack01 wrote: »

yep i didnt send in my docs by the feb deadline as i didnt think i would get in anywhere with my 2 months study, so sent them in and was a relief when i got that email that they accepted them for the july deadline!

im packing in the gamsat study now and just going to take where ever i get when the offers come out!

When did you receive the email? I've gotten a few but none in the last week!

BarnhallBull · 21-07-2012 03:16PM

cliona88 wrote: »

no i didn't get an email..

Maybe I shouldn't have said anything!

By the sounds of dmccormack's post, those who had degree results available would have submitted them a good while ago and would have received a similar e-mail much earlier in the year? I only finished my degree a few weeks ago and sent the transcript off at the beginning of this month, that's probably why I got one last week.

dmccormack01 · 21-07-2012 03:38PM

cliona88 wrote: »

When did you receive the email? I've gotten a few but none in the last week!

friday evening, as barna said i think it was only for people who sent their documents in for the july 15th deadline so i wouldn't worry!

edit: if your documents weren't in order from the previous deadline they would have already contacted you!

CAOMAN · 22-07-2012 09:00AM

Last Friday evening, tHe CAO sent e-mails to all those applicanst that the institutions deemed eligible based on their 2:1 or better degree.

At the same time they sent an e-mail to all those that they deemed inelligible and they outlined the reasons .If you were deemed inelligible, then you can contact the institutions to determine why. Do NOT Contact CAO

If you wish to appeal thier decision, you must do so in writing by next Thursday at 5:15 p.m. Write Graduate Medicine Appeal on the top of the letter.

No appeal will be accepted after that time.

You need to include the documents that wre missing beforehand with your appeal.

CAO also sent e-mails to applicants back in April that were successful in their eligibility at that time and they did not send any e-mail this time to them.

Hope this clears up a few things.

If you did not receive an e-mail, you can contact the institutions for their decision.

cliona88 · 22-07-2012 03:01PM

Thanks for clearing that up!

dmccormack01 · 24-07-2012 08:40AM

Any body else think they will be heading to UL in sept?? think ive decided to go this year so would be interested in getting in touch with ppl! cheers

Palo Alto · 24-07-2012 08:48AM

Quick question, anyone know the UCC Term dates for GEM this year? Can't seem to find any details online, I'm guessing it'll start Monday 3rd Sept as I heard they start quite early? Thanks!

BarnhallBull · 24-07-2012 09:42AM

dmccormack01 wrote: »

Any body else think they will be heading to UL in sept?? think ive decided to go this year so would be interested in getting in touch with ppl! cheers

I'll let you know in just over a week

I'm hoping 57 will be enough for UCC but it's so hard to know what points will do after last year, whether it was an anomaly or whether it's the new standard based on reduced applicants or whatever other reason. Either way, if I get any offer i'll be accepting it, I won't be resitting to avoid UL or anything so hopefully 57 will be at least enough for an offer somewhere! I'll PM you next week if I get UL if you like.

BarnhallBull · 24-07-2012 09:44AM

Palo Alto wrote: »

Quick question, anyone know the UCC Term dates for GEM this year? Can't seem to find any details online, I'm guessing it'll start Monday 3rd Sept as I heard they start quite early? Thanks!

Looks like the 3rd alright if i'm reading this correctly, 2nd page of the link...

http://www.ucc.ie/en/registration/dates-procedures/TermDates20112012/TeachingDates_2012-13_.pdf

dmccormack01 · 24-07-2012 09:58AM

BarnhallBull wrote: »

I'll let you know in just over a week I'm hoping 57 will be enough for UCC but it's so hard to know what points will do after last year, whether it was an anomaly or whether it's the new standard based on reduced applicants or whatever other reason. Either way, if I get any offer i'll be accepting it, I won't be resitting to avoid UL or anything so hopefully 57 will be at least enough for an offer somewhere! I'll PM you next week if I get UL if you like.

im on the same as you but have UL down ahead of UCC, so im hopeful of getting an offer! Wish they would release these bloody offers so i can pack in my job!

BarnhallBull · 24-07-2012 10:06AM

Yeah the waiting really is a killer, I seriously hope they don't **** around with the "from 6am" bit of the offers, can'y face sitting in front of the laptop pressing F5 repeatedly until the offer finally appears at midday.

Or worse, ringing the CAO indignantly wanting to know why there's still no offer being shown, only to be told the points have gone through the roof and my score was too low

Eimz_T · 24-07-2012 11:08AM

Palo Alto wrote: »

Quick question, anyone know the UCC Term dates for GEM this year? Can't seem to find any details online, I'm guessing it'll start Monday 3rd Sept as I heard they start quite early? Thanks!

3rd of September with Orientation for non north americans on the 31st of August. Not sure about the Christmas Break but exams are before christmas.

Palo Alto · 24-07-2012 11:48AM

Oh ok that's cool, so I'd be looking to get moved down by 30 August at latest I guess?

Karlheinz1987 · 24-07-2012 12:38PM

dmccormack01 wrote: »

Any body else think they will be heading to UL in sept?? think ive decided to go this year so would be interested in getting in touch with ppl! cheers

Hopefully will be in UL in September man. Have you looked into accommodation? Know when the orientation starts? Was hoping to squeeze some cheeky tomato throwing in over at LaTomatina at the end of August!

dmccormack01 · 24-07-2012 12:50PM

Karlheinz1987 wrote: »

Hopefully will be in UL in September man. Have you looked into accommodation? Know when the orientation starts? Was hoping to squeeze some cheeky tomato throwing in over at LaTomatina at the end of August!

I had a quick look on daft, accom is really cheap down there...like €200 a month for a pretty decent house near the uni (half the price you pay in halls), so after offers im gona get on the daft hunt and see who would be up for a house share!

orientation week is sept 3rd and then starting on the 7th, so knock yourself out with the tomato fest! haha once i get an offer, a flight and a week of alcohol abuse is getting booked!

raftni · 24-07-2012 01:47PM

guys I just finished first year in UL.

there's a lot of people talking about scores and stuff. the course is the hardest thing I have ever undertaken in my life. i didn't get a particularly good gamsat score and for non science students the course is next to impossible.

25 people failed first year, and four more had to get i grades because they were too stressed to sit exams.

in second year 15 people failed and 1 got an i grade.

all those people have to sit repeats in august and if they fail they'll have to pay twenty five thousand euros to repeat the year.

just something to consider.

raftni · 24-07-2012 01:49PM

that's 29 from 120 in first year and 16 from 90 in second year!
a high proportion really.

Eimz_T · 24-07-2012 01:55PM

So who here is hoping to go to UCC?

dmccormack01 · 24-07-2012 01:55PM

that seems like an insanely high proportion! do you know how many of them are non-science grads? i better start studying now! :eek:

Karlheinz1987 · 24-07-2012 02:03PM

How many exams did you have at Christmas & Summer ? What did most struggle with?

raftni · 24-07-2012 02:11PM

we get three exams at christmas and four at summer.

knowledge of health and illness (KHI) is a module divided into three papers, emq, saq and anatomy spotter. that module encompasses all pre-clinical medical science - path,histo,pharm,micro etc etc.

we sit those three papers at christmas and summer.

then you get OSCE exam at summer to make that the fourth exam.

of the people who failed 99% of them failed the KHI module. everyone passes the OCSE exam (and if you don't you have no one to blame but yourself as the testable material is directly taught to you). the scope of the PBL process and the LOs means that stuff is examined that you didn't even know you had to know. this is a big problem for the school and there doesn't appear to be any method of addressing this coming in the near future. arguably, the low gamsat score means there are some students getting average gamsat scores, with no academic pedigree behind them, and then these people are not intellectually competent for the heavy workload and material covered in the course. there's a multitude of reasons, those are the two predominant ones.

it's expected that a good chunk of the first year repeaters (at least ten) and a lesser chunk of the second year repeaters (2 or 3) will fail the repeat exams in august and have to repeat the entire year or else drop out of the course and go back to their former careers. one person in our class was repeating first year and has now failed it for the second time!!!

dmccormack01 · 24-07-2012 02:13PM

Is there any material you could recommend we could start studying now, so we could hit the ground running when we started??

Flange/Flanders · 24-07-2012 02:15PM

Hmm, I got this email reply from a current first year student in UL....

"I did study physiology in XXX prior to the course, but I have been in PBL from week 1 with non-science students, and I can honestly say that it is NO major advantage having science as a background, especially after the first case (the ear), following which there is a lot of embryology, which NO science course covers. It is all about the work you are prepared to put in, and, after the Christmas exams, EVERYONE is on a level playing field, even if you compare anatomy phd students to commerce graduates. It is just about following the weekly learning objectives and covering the basics. There is plenty of support if you need it, especially from upper years in terms of notes, resources and tips.

There are some advantages to having done science, but in the PBL setting, everyone has an input, regardless of your background, you will definitely be able to contribute. Don't worry."

ULbound · 24-07-2012 04:24PM

Hi guys
I've just finished 1st yr in UL and just thought I'd share my experience with you.

I have to say I love the UL pbl approach I found that you retained the info so much easier than from lectures. In first term we had some we'd with 7 lectures which made me very happy that I didn't do a lecture course!! I found that with pbl you make much more use of your time.
one of the best things about UL is that you get to know your class very well and there is always someone around who can help when you get stuck on something! Also the 2nd yrs where a great help to us. And we have plenty of nights out!
You get to know you pbl and clinical skills tutors very well and they are also a great source of help.

Don't get me wrong it's a tough course. But I don't think it's any tougher than the other GEM! If you want to be a doctor and are determined you can do it!

There's a Facebook group for incoming first year that you should check out if your interested in Ul

For those non-science ppl don't be afraid of Ul! There is plenty of help to get u up to speed on the science you need. I'd recommend if you have some spare time just read a bit about the cell and cell division as this was the most notably area of weakest for the first term.

Gamsat 2012

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