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*Everything HPAT and Medicine 2015*

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  • Registered Users Posts: 15 Debzc


    JF77 wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I'm hoping to set up a hpat study group for hpat 2015.

    I'm based in the south dublin area (ucd / donnybrook) so we'd preferably meet up somewhere in that surrounding region.
    Alternatively, i'm in Wicklow town at the weekends so that could work either.

    We'd meet maybe once a week to discuss and work together on questions which we may have found difficulty with.

    If you're interested, please send me a PM as soon as possible.

    Kind regards,

    Jane :)

    PMed you! :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 881 ✭✭✭AtomicKoala


    tammy353 wrote: »
    Unfortunately, yes. I am only doing one science and will have to do pre med!

    If it's Biology you're not doing, you could plausibly teach it to yourself and get a B.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 304 ✭✭leopard trek


    I've decided that I'm going to apply to scotland to study nursing in case that medicine goes belly up. It'd mean a three year degree and then hope that I'd be accepted into a medical degree. Anybody heard of anybody who's done this?


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,297 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    I've decided that I'm going to apply to scotland to study nursing in case that medicine goes belly up. It'd mean a three year degree and then hope that I'd be accepted into a medical degree. Anybody heard of anybody who's done this?

    I don't know about training in Scotland beforehand but every year there are nurses who enter through the graduate path. I would imagine you'd have a much more realistic idea of what hospital-based medicine entailed if you'd trained as a nurse first.

    It might be worth your while posting on the Health Sciences Education and Mature and Non-Traditional Students boards. I think you might get a wider range of answers there, from people who are either doing what you want to to do or know someone who has.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 304 ✭✭leopard trek


    spurious wrote: »
    I don't know about training in Scotland beforehand but every year there are nurses who enter through the graduate path. I would imagine you'd have a much more realistic idea of what hospital-based medicine entailed if you'd trained as a nurse first.

    It might be worth your while posting on the Health Sciences Education and Mature and Non-Traditional Students boards. I think you might get a wider range of answers there, from people who are either doing what you want to to do or know someone who has.

    thanks a mill for your help 😊


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 116 ✭✭LauraaWhelann


    Okay so i just did my first ever whole practice section 2. i got 26/36 (72%) and finished it in 26 mins. ( i rushed it ) is this good/bad? can anyone give me any tips? i know i need to use the whole 45 minutes.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 104 ✭✭Junokevv


    With an LC of 600/610, what percentile in the HPAT would leave you with a good chance of getting medicine?

    Plus are the M-Entry tests of a higher standard then the actual ACER HPAT?


  • Registered Users Posts: 10 Ben134


    So today I sat my first sample paper from the ACER papers (without any previous study) but I haven't done section 3 yet. So far, I got 28/40 in section 1 and 28/36 in section 2, which is about 175-177 points without section 3. Are these tests easier than the actual HPAT?


  • Registered Users Posts: 10 Ben134


    Junokevv wrote: »
    With an LC of 600/610, what percentile in the HPAT would leave you with a good chance of getting medicine?

    Plus are the M-Entry tests of a higher standard then the actual ACER HPAT?

    With 600/610, you get about 560-562 towards the HPAT, so therefore you should be aiming for about 180 points, maybe a bit more (for trinity), which is the same as getting 60% in each of the 3 sections. Maybe 190 depending on how the points change. I think Galway was 721 last year so you'd only need 160 ish if it stays at that

    Section 1 and 2 are both worth twice as much as section 3 (ratio of 2:2:1)

    Calculated as follows :

    ((2xSection1 + 2xSection2 + Section3) /5) x3

    Each section is marked out of 100, however, each question is not worth equal marks. For example, if you get 30/40 in section 1, you might not get 75 out of 100 marks for section 1, which is why it's kind of impossible to mark your own paper


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 276 ✭✭Gallagher1


    Ben134 wrote: »
    So today I sat my first sample paper from the ACER papers (without any previous study) but I haven't done section 3 yet. So far, I got 28/40 in section 1 and 28/36 in section 2, which is about 175-177 points without section 3. Are these tests easier than the actual HPAT?

    I'd say they're an accurate enough representation for section 3 but section 1 and 2 are a lot harder in the real thing. A lot.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 116 ✭✭LauraaWhelann


    Ben134 wrote: »
    With 600/610, you get about 560-562 towards the HPAT, so therefore you should be aiming for about 180 points, maybe a bit more (for trinity), which is the same as getting 60% in each of the 3 sections. Maybe 190 depending on how the points change. I think Galway was 721 last year so you'd only need 160 ish if it stays at that

    Section 1 and 2 are both worth twice as much as section 3 (ratio of 2:2:1)

    Calculated as follows :

    ((2xSection1 + 2xSection2 + Section3) /5) x3

    Each section is marked out of 100, however, each question is not worth equal marks. For example, if you get 30/40 in section 1, you might not get 75 out of 100 marks for section 1, which is why it's kind of impossible to mark your own paper

    if you use that formula, what does it give you? a score in points or percentiles?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 881 ✭✭✭AtomicKoala


    if you use that formula, what does it give you? a score in points or percentiles?

    Points. How on earth could it give you a percentile? :P That's graded against others who have taken the test :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 278 ✭✭yoyojc


    Points. How on earth could it give you a percentile? :P That's graded against others who have taken the test :)

    I can not understand that formula at all..

    Lets so for example I got
    Section 1 - 25/44
    Section 2 - 23/36
    Section 3 - 18/30

    Do I just multiply 25 x 2, 23 x 2, 18 x 2 and then divide by 5 and multiply by 3..

    that doesnt work properly the score is too low? Or is it your percentage..


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,248 ✭✭✭Slow Show


    yoyojc wrote: »
    I can not understand that formula at all..

    Lets so for example I got
    Section 1 - 25/44
    Section 2 - 23/36
    Section 3 - 18/30

    Do I just multiply 25 x 2, 23 x 2, 18 x 2 and then divide by 5 and multiply by 3..

    that doesnt work properly the score is too low? Or is it your percentage..

    Section 1 is worth 40%, section 2 40%, section 3 20%. Things were easier when they were all worth the same. :pac: 40% of 300 is 120 so that's the total possible marks for 1 and 2, and there's 60 marks possible to gain in S3. 25/44 is 57% (rounding up which ACER won't be as kind to!), 57% of 120 is 68.4...S2 is the same concept, 23/36 is 64%, 64% of 120 is 76.8, and then your S3 score is 60%, 60% of 60 is 36. So 68.4 + 76.8 + 36 = 181.2, so 181. That result might as well mean absolutely nothing to you though as it's a widely-held assumption that ACER don't give questions equal weighting, and besides at the end of the day it won't be your score that really matters but your percentile i.e. how you scored relative to everyone else sitting the test.


  • Registered Users Posts: 37 futuremedic19


    I registered and paid for the HPAT and picked Dublin as my city to sit the test, however I can't seem to find where about in Dublin the venue/test centre is. Does anyone know how we find out.

    Thanks in advance :)


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,297 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    I registered and paid for the HPAT and picked Dublin as my city to sit the test, however I can't seem to find where about in Dublin the venue/test centre is. Does anyone know how we find out.

    Thanks in advance :)

    It has been in the RDS at least once and in the College of Surgeons another time. I'm sure they will let you know where to go.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,080 ✭✭✭EoghanIRL


    I only know which buildings ucc use .campus kitchen in Kane building and the Aula maximum .
    Got kampus kitchen last year and hated every minute of it. The tables were so squished , you could barely move . I was in kampus kitchen for college exams this year and it wasn't as bad..they seemed to squish more people in it during the hpat exam.

    I heard that the Aula maximum is by far the better venue to get from several people.


  • Registered Users Posts: 37 futuremedic19


    spurious wrote: »
    It has been in the RDS at least once and in the College of Surgeons another time. I'm sure they will let you know where to go.

    I see, so will all the details of where I need to go etc be on the admissions ticket. And because I picked Dublin does that definitely mean I will be allocated a seat there ?

    When do they send the admissions ticket as I need to book hotels/flights etc.

    Cheers :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,080 ✭✭✭EoghanIRL


    I see, so will all the details of where I need to go etc be on the admissions ticket. And because I picked Dublin does that definitely mean I will be allocated a seat there ?

    When do they send the admissions ticket as I need to book hotels/flights etc.

    Cheers :)

    Yeah wait for the admission ticket . It will tell you everything including your centre .

    I've never heard of someone not getting the region they asked for but that's not to say it can't happen .


  • Registered Users Posts: 37 futuremedic19


    EoghanIRL wrote: »
    Yeah wait for the admission ticket . It will tell you everything including your centre .

    I've never heard of someone not getting the region they asked for but that's not to say it can't happen .

    I just read on the website that they send the ticket 2 weeks before the HPAT.

    Thanks again mate :)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 278 ✭✭yoyojc


    Just wondering is the UCAS application for Medicine in ALL UK Universities closed since October 15th or is there anywhere still accepting applications until January 15th? I'd really appreciate a hand with this..


  • Registered Users Posts: 37 futuremedic19


    yoyojc wrote: »
    Just wondering is the UCAS application for Medicine in ALL UK Universities closed since October 15th or is there anywhere still accepting applications until January 15th? I'd really appreciate a hand with this..

    Hi I'm from the UK and I've applied to 4 Med schools here and of course the 5 in ROI.

    For the UCAS system in the UK this is how it works, for Medicine/Dentistry/Oxbridge ALL must apply by the 15th October deadline.

    For all other courses you can apply in Jan.
    So sorry mate you've missed the deadline for UCAS applications for Medicine 2015 entry.

    The UCAS system for medicine entry in the UK is a lot more complicated than in the ROI. You have to get work experience/Write a personal statement then sit the UKCAT (or BMAT) then have an interview before finally getting an offer if your application is strong enough.

    Please don't hesitate to PM me if you need any help/advice with the UCAS system and it would be a pleasure to help :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 37 futuremedic19


    Does anyone know where I can get more practice material for section 2 (apart from the 3 acer practice tests) ? :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 12 umar3061


    Did anyone do the UKCAT ,I've applied to the UCAS as a plan B. is the UKCAT of any benefit as a means of prep for the HPAT? which is easier?


  • Registered Users Posts: 21 Username6212


    does anyone know what maths skills are required for section 1? what calculations should we be able to do quickly?


  • Registered Users Posts: 34 space_LSA


    well done to all you guys doing Medicine. wish you all the best. ***** congratulations on putting all the effort outside of school that you do, good on you guys.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,343 ✭✭✭Consonata


    Anybody going to the RCSI open day? Looks like it'll be very good.


  • Registered Users Posts: 37 futuremedic19


    umar3061 wrote: »
    Did anyone do the UKCAT ,I've applied to the UCAS as a plan B. is the UKCAT of any benefit as a means of prep for the HPAT? which is easier?

    Hi I've done the ukcat and I'm applying through UCAS as plan A. I wouldn't really say ukcat is much benefit tbh. The abstart reasoning section and the situational judgement help a bit.

    I think hpat is easier. However I'm making that judgement based on the acer practice booklets but people say that the actual HPAT exam is a lot harder.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 304 ✭✭leopard trek


    Just finished my eunicas application. Anybody else doing it?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16 taara


    when doing the pratice test I marked myself out of 110 and got 69/110. How do I calculate the CAO points that I would get? I read one thing that said divide your score by 110 and multiply so that would give me 188pts. And then when reading the HPAT booklet by ACER it said to do this calculation [(2 x Section1 + 2 x Section 2 + 1 x Section 3)/5] x 3 which would give me a score of 67.2 out of 100. Does anyone know how to calculate it?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 304 ✭✭leopard trek


    Pretty sure you can't calculate the score at all, they don't weigh the points for each question until all of the papers have been correct. Almost certain anyhow.


  • Registered Users Posts: 482 ✭✭woopah92


    A bit late to the party this year but after a semester of medicine in a certain college, i'm redoing the HPAT again to try to get my number one choice. I honestly feel slightly crazy for doing it. :L


  • Registered Users Posts: 105 ✭✭TheEdgeofGlory


    woopah92 wrote: »
    A bit late to the party this year but after a semester of medicine in a certain college, i'm redoing the HPAT again to try to get my number one choice. I honestly feel slightly crazy for doing it. :L[/QUOTE

    How'd you find Medicine? :eek:


  • Registered Users Posts: 482 ✭✭woopah92


    woopah92 wrote: »
    A bit late to the party this year but after a semester of medicine in a certain college, i'm redoing the HPAT again to try to get my number one choice. I honestly feel slightly crazy for doing it. :L[/QUOTE

    How'd you find Medicine? :eek:

    Some parts, I absolutely love. Other parts, I love even more. I just am not a fan of my current college I'm in with regards to hospital placements and the social parts too. :pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 105 ✭✭TheEdgeofGlory


    woopah92 wrote: »

    Some parts, I absolutely love. Other parts, I love even more. I just am not a fan of my current college I'm in with regards to hospital placements and the social parts too. :pac:

    I'm sorry to hear that, but no doubt you'll be happier elsewhere?. Fair dudes to you getting into medicine initially though. I'm only in 5th year but it's been my ambition to study medicine for years. School is kinda tough at the moment for numerous reasons but I'm hoping I'll pull through and get it next year!! Good luck with everything!.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 12 CorkonianAnon


    In general, what would be considered an 'average' result and a 'good' result for each section? Like what should the aim mark be in each section for the ACER Practice Tests or anyone doing any other sorts of prep papers? It would be great to hear from anyone who is currently doing medicine . . . What were you getting in each section in the practice papers? And what percentile did you get in the actual thing?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 881 ✭✭✭AtomicKoala


    In general, what would be considered an 'average' result and a 'good' result for each section? Like what should the aim mark be in each section for the ACER Practice Tests or anyone doing any other sorts of prep papers? It would be great to hear from anyone who is currently doing medicine . . . What were you getting in each section in the practice papers? And what percentile did you get in the actual thing?

    You can't really tell what an average result is on it's own - hence why percentiles are so necessary :)

    Anyway, average is no good. In 2014 there was 500 less applicants than 2013, so with 625 you could get a spot in NUIG with maybe 68th percentile. That's the bare minimum. A friend got 95th and missed out due to not getting enough points, and there are people who got high 500s doing dentistry as their HPAT didn't break the 70th percentile.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17 iamtheonewho


    Hi all,
    I've completed my leaving cert last year, got 545 points.
    I was hoping to get into medicine but didn't get in due to a low HPAT score, this year I'm trying again.. I know that realistically I don't have much points for medicine, and I'm average at best at the HPAT even with practice that I'm putting in...
    The thing is, I'd really love to be working in a hospital background and have the ability to help people, also I really like science so I'd love to study something that would lead me to a profession which would combine these things.
    I have no idea what else to put on my CAO after medicine, I would greatly appreciate any advice anyone can give me.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,297 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Hi all,
    I've completed my leaving cert last year, got 545 points.
    I was hoping to get into medicine but didn't get in due to a low HPAT score, this year I'm trying again.. I know that realistically I don't have much points for medicine, and I'm average at best at the HPAT even with practice that I'm putting in...
    The thing is, I'd really love to be working in a hospital background and have the ability to help people, also I really like science so I'd love to study something that would lead me to a profession which would combine these things.
    I have no idea what else to put on my CAO after medicine, I would greatly appreciate any advice anyone can give me.

    Nursing.
    Radiography.
    Physiotherapy.
    Social work.
    etc.


  • Registered Users Posts: 105 ✭✭TheEdgeofGlory


    Hi all,
    I've completed my leaving cert last year, got 545 points.
    I was hoping to get into medicine but didn't get in due to a low HPAT score, this year I'm trying again.. I know that realistically I don't have much points for medicine, and I'm average at best at the HPAT even with practice that I'm putting in...
    The thing is, I'd really love to be working in a hospital background and have the ability to help people, also I really like science so I'd love to study something that would lead me to a profession which would combine these things.
    I have no idea what else to put on my CAO after medicine, I would greatly appreciate any advice anyone can give me.

    Would you consider studying medicine in Europe?. A lot of these courses have considerably lower entry requirements ( with some having entrance tests). I don't know whether your circumstances would permit it obviously but it's something to keep in mind if you're open minded/self sufficient if you're adamant you want to study Medicine.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 45 CAOMAN


    Why not course like Bio-Medical Science courses

    You complete this course, get a 2:1 or better and then apply for Graduate medicine courses.


  • Registered Users Posts: 90 ✭✭Do You Even Squat


    What scores are people generally getting in sections 1,2 and 3 and how many practice exams have you completed so far?


  • Registered Users Posts: 23 AngloIrishMan


    Are the official Acer practice tests truly representative of the difficulty of the actual HPAT exam?


  • Registered Users Posts: 23 AngloIrishMan


    What scores are people generally getting in sections 1,2 and 3 and how many practice exams have you completed so far?

    I took one of the Acer practice tests and got 82% in Section 1, 97% in Section 2, 83% in Section 3.
    How are other people faring?
    Surely the actual exam is more difficult.


  • Registered Users Posts: 90 ✭✭Do You Even Squat


    I took one of the Acer practice tests and got 82% in Section 1, 97% in Section 2, 83% in Section 3.
    How are other people faring?
    Surely the actual exam is more difficult.

    Jesus those a pretty sweet results. I got roughly the same as you in sect 1 and 3 but only 30/36 in section 2 with no previous study. Im pretty sure it's much more difficult. The ******** tests are quite challenging but, more importantly, much more difficult than those practice tests.Have you done much study thus far?


  • Registered Users Posts: 23 AngloIrishMan


    Jesus those a pretty sweet results. I got roughly the same as you in sect 1 and 3 but only 30/36 in section 2 with no previous study. Im pretty sure it's much more difficult. The ******** tests are quite challenging but, more importantly, much more difficult than those practice tests.Have you done much study thus far?

    I started studying just last week as I only recently came to the conclusion that I actually wanted to do medicine.
    It's strange the way the word Med. Entry is hidden when you type it in on boards. It must be Acer trying to prevent the promotion of unofficial sample tests.


  • Registered Users Posts: 23 AngloIrishMan


    An appeal to all applicants to medicine who live in the western half of the country.

    Could you please not put down one of the Dublin institutions as your first choice for medicine.
    I am speaking for all of us who actually live near Dublin. We don't want to be forced to migrate to Galway or Cork because we didn't get enough points for TCD but did for NUIG. You're simply raising the points for the Dublin colleges and forcing others out.


  • Registered Users Posts: 482 ✭✭woopah92


    Are the official Acer practice tests truly representative of the difficulty of the actual HPAT exam?

    As someone who has plenty of experience with the HPAT, not even slightly close. The real exam is much harder, the ACER is more for just showing the types of questions asked.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,343 ✭✭✭Consonata


    An appeal to all applicants to medicine who live in the western half of the country.

    Could you please not put down one of the Dublin institutions as your first choice for medicine.
    I am speaking for all of us who actually live near Dublin. We don't want to be forced to migrate to Galway or Cork because we didn't get enough points for TCD but did for NUIG. You're simply raising the points for the Dublin colleges and forcing others out.

    Speaking as a Donegal person, I see no reason why I shouldn't apply for a Dublin school if I prefer said school. The Open Day for RCSI was fantastic and I'll definitely be thinking about putting it down on my CAO along with trinity because I liked the general vibe of the place. It's not that I dislike Galway or any of the others, it's that I prefer Trinity.

    If you want to get into a Dublin medical school, sit down and work out it. There are people out there who don't have the liberty to pick and choose what medical school they go to but if you want to have said liberty, work at it, like everyone else has to do East or West. Do well in your leaving cert, prepare yourself for college. It's not the duty of people from the west of Ireland to cater to Dubliners interests. If they want to go to Dublin for college, they have that right.


  • Registered Users Posts: 149 ✭✭CookieCat97


    Consonata wrote: »
    Speaking as a Donegal person, I see no reason why I shouldn't apply for a Dublin school if I prefer said school. The Open Day for RCSI was fantastic and I'll definitely be thinking about putting it down on my CAO along with trinity because I liked the general vibe of the place. It's not that I dislike Galway or any of the others, it's that I prefer Trinity.

    If you want to get into a Dublin medical school, sit down and work out it. There are people out there who don't have the liberty to pick and choose what medical school they go to but if you want to have said liberty, work at it, like everyone else has to do East or West. Do well in your leaving cert, prepare yourself for college. It's not the duty of people from the west of Ireland to cater to Dubliners interests. If they want to go to Dublin for college, they have that right.

    Amen! :cool:


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