Repeating to do medicine

dan719

Okay I have decided to put medicine(it was third) first on my C.A.O. However I do not have chemistry at leaving cert. My options are
1) Sit the leaving this year and hopefully get sufficent points for the six year course in UCD/RCSI.
2) Sit the leaving, get as many points as possible, them go to a grind school next year, drop English and German and take the following subjects; Maths, Chem, Phy, Econ, T.D, Biology, Accounting. Then do the five year course the following year in Trinity.
3) Do theoretical physics and then a graduate degree in medicine.

Currently leaning towards option two as it is most financially sound, and offers the opportunity to compete a foundation scholarship in trinity(i.e college for free!:D ). And means I will have very solid base for first year also. Points are not really an issue. Any advice or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

ninebeanrows

Whens Chemistry on? Could you afford to spend the remaining days getting the course done? If your good at Biology etc.. You could do all those Examsupport.ie lectures work 10 hours a day and probably get a B1/A2

Of course i am insane but go FOR it!!

dan719

It is in the middle of my other exams, but I have a reasonable grounding in chem, although certainly not enought to learn it in two weeks, particularly the experiments.

Assez Bien

I'd go for the third option!! Then at least you get a bash at what i will call a 'normal college life' first and you'll then be able to then decide if medicine is wher your heart reali is, altho i'd take a more medical science based course in college first.

cson

Weathercheck wrote:

Whens Chemistry on? Could you afford to spend the remaining days getting the course done? If your good at Biology etc.. You could do all those Examsupport.ie lectures work 10 hours a day and probably get a B1/A2

Of course i am insane but go FOR it!!

As the old cson proverb goes > "the comedians are out in force tonite".

Seriously that ranks amongst the most insane thing I've ever heard on Boards. The idea that you could do a 2 year course in 2 weeks....I don't have words to describe what I think of that.

Dan, suggest you do the TP course, see what Uni is like and if you still want to go into medicine there is the graduate school opening in UL by the time you've your degree done.

blondie07

Weathercheck wrote:

Whens Chemistry on? Could you afford to spend the remaining days getting the course done? If your good at Biology etc.. You could do all those Examsupport.ie lectures work 10 hours a day and probably get a B1/A2

Of course i am insane but go FOR it!!

is it really that crazy an idea? maybe when u only have 5 days to prepare. but i was thinking about doing the agricultural science paper, my friends said its piss easy and since im doing biology id fly through it. also its on the 22nd nd im finished the 13th. but unfortunately, u have to have some stupid project done so that's that idea gone!

SamHamilton

However I do not have chemistry at leaving cert.

Why does this matter? If you have physics and biology you can still do medicine in Trinity.

Points are not really an issue

Then you'd be able to get the points for Trinity? I take it you're only doing one science subject because if you're doing two I don't see the problem.

JC 2K3

dan719, I don't know you personally, but from your posts on here I reckon you're acting a bit impulsively and irrationally.

In recent times I've seen you go from (overtly) passionate about Physics and 100% sure of TP to considering changing to an English degree(AFAIK) and now medicine? Seriously man, take a breather and seriusly consider what it is you want to do. What changed your mind about Physics? If you've changed your mind so much in such a short space of time, who's to say you won't change it again in the future? Why is it you want to do medicine? Are you generally interested or is it to do with the prestige? Unless you're 100% sure you want to do it it's a massive mistake considering repeating the Leaving.

I say go for option 3. Judging from your passion for Physics I seriously doubt you'll hate the course. Perhaps if you didn't like it in your first year and really wanted to do Medicine you could do LC Chemistry on the side and do the exam next year. Since you've said points are not an issue I presume you'll have gotten the high points you need anyway. So you could drop out of TP and start medicine the next year.

Enemy Of Fate

cson wrote:

Seriously that ranks amongst the most insane thing I've ever heard on Boards. The idea that you could do a 2 year course in 2 weeks....I don't have words to describe what I think of that.

Well I don't know about chemistry, but I bet you could do the economics course in 2 weeks intensive studying.Theres **** all in it, and everything is related to everything else so if you learn one thing off by heart, you'll only have to make minor changes to it to learn the other things (for example the market structures).

:|

dan719 wrote:

Okay I have decided to put medicine(it was third) first on my C.A.O. However I do not have chemistry at leaving cert. My options are
1) Sit the leaving this year and hopefully get sufficent points for the six year course in UCD/RCSI.
2) Sit the leaving, get as many points as possible, them go to a grind school next year, drop English and German and take the following subjects; Maths, Chem, Phy, Econ, T.D, Biology, Accounting. Then do the five year course the following year in Trinity.
3) Do theoretical physics and then a graduate degree in medicine.

Currently leaning towards option two as it is most financially sound, and offers the opportunity to compete a foundation scholarship in trinity(i.e college for free!:D ). And means I will have very solid base for first year also. Points are not really an issue. Any advice or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

I don't really see your problem, chemistry isn't essential for medicine and the pre-med year in UCD is meant to be the best year. A lot of people who are given the option to skip it do it anyway.

I'm guessing you want to go to trinity but if you really wanted to do medicine you'd do it anywhere, and UCD is just as good as trinity anyway. Plus you don't need chemistry to do medicine in trinity AFAIK

Edit: Maths can be counted as a science subject in Trinity

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Enemy Of Fate wrote:

Well I don't know about chemistry, but I bet you could do the economics course in 2 weeks intensive studying.Theres **** all in it, and everything is related to everything else so if you learn one thing off by heart, you'll only have to make minor changes to it to learn the other things (for example the market structures).

Chemistry is definitely do-able, no bother at all to A1 standard in that time frame. It'll take work, coffee and conviction but definitely not too difficult.

lemansky

I'd agree with option 3.You're mad into physics and frankly its better than going back to do the leaving all over again.But do think carefully about it.Thats all I can really say.

Also chemistry is sh1t easy but it's fair to say that doing it between now and the exam might be pushing it a tiny bit.It really is just a case of understanding the stuff,and once you understand it different bits of the course fall in nicely.But it does take a while to cover all the stuff.Some of it is very dry.There are of course some sections that require loads of learning but it'd be okay.Not an issue for you.

GretchenWieners

Well if you got the points for med why don't you just take a year out and sit chemistry next year if you don't get rcsi or ucd? you'd be able to make some money when you really need it for college.

cson

sean_keevey wrote:

Chemistry is definitely do-able, no bother at all to A1 standard in that time frame. It'll take work, coffee and conviction but definitely not too difficult.

The WHOLE chemistry course is not doable in 2 weeks. Thats utter madness to think it is. Theres a reason the syllabus spans 2 years. And even if the OP was to do intensive chemistry study for 2 weeks think of how much his other subjects would suffer.

Ye're all insane. All of ye.

lilmizzme

Have to agree with cson on this one...this thread is just pure panic setting in....there is absolutely no way one could possibly cram in 2 years of Chemistry in two weeks...take a deep breath here people, and think about what you're suggesting here

dan719, you seem like a very smart and logical guy....just take a step back and think, cus it seems like you're panicking big time. I personally beleive medicine is like a vocation, iot's one of those things you want for years and years...not on the spur of the moment because you know you could get it. You've always seemed to have an interest in physics and TP, why are you changing you're mind? What brought all this on? I wouldn't make any real decisions just yet, you still have another month or so to change you're mind with the CAO..

And people, lets just stay calm here!The exams and studying have obviously gone to our heads just a bit....Chemistry in 2 weeks??Ag. science because it's a piece of piss??Let's be realisitic here!!Focus on you're subjects you have...now is not the time to be taking on extra!!

JC 2K3

Chemistry is far from a two year course and could possibly be covered in two weeks. But fairly unfeasable when you have to study at least 5 other subjects too.

dan719

I guess I better clarify a few things. I cannot afford six years in college, honestly and truly, so finances play a large role in my decision making. Also to JC 2K3 i do not really care about prestige. Never have, never will. ( I hope) I have always been interested in medicine, but was unable to take two sciences, which kinda killed that. Over the last couple of weeks I have been taking stock of my life, reading some Kant(lol) and so on. I have been forced to answer the question... What do I want to do with my life? I know one thing, I want to help people, and I am not sure I could do that by staring at dense equations all day. As an atheist I believe that once I am dead I am done, before that eventuality I would like to at least try and change the world a tiny bit.

P.S the reason I wish to go to trin is for the oppertunity to compete for schols, never look a gift horse in the mouth eh.

SamHamilton

I have always been interested in medicine, but was unable to take two sciences

NUIG? Make sure you apply for all the grants available. Plus, if you're training to become a Doctor, banks will be lining up behind you to give you loans to help you through college. I know that's a bit drastic but it is, nevertheless, an option.

My personal view though...Leave all this until you've finished all your exams. You'll have a clearer head and have more time to really think about it. You have until july 1st, plenty of time. I'm in the same boat as you. I still don't know what I want to do but I'm just going to leave it until the exams are over, otherwise I'd be overwhelmed.

And all this - "what I want to do with my life" - stuff. If you're reading Kant at L.C. I have no doubt you will leave a mark on this world what ever you chose to do!

lilmizzme

Well personally, I say good job if you think you can go through 6th year again..

If you're sure about medicine then I reckon the best option is to repeat, tho I doubt you'd need a grind school. Why bother doing 4 years of physics if you have to spend another 5 years in a graduate course, which you might not even get into? Give it loads in the exams next week and you could go for the 6 year course...

But Dan, we're in 6th year..none of us are sure what we want with our lives. None of us know where we'll be in 5, 10 or 20 years time. The course you do in college isnt necesscesarily your career for life. Physics could lead into all sorts of things, it dosen't box you in. Just think carefully about it the next couple of days...

JC 2K3

Your college degree doesn't define your life. I personally intend to do volunteer work abroad for at least one summer during college and intend take a year out after my CS course and embark on some kind of year long volunteer programme.

I have a similar mindset to you and want to help people. Medicine is only one of the many ways to help. Think about it hard. If medicine is indeed what you really want to do then get your points this year and do Chemistry next year. But keep in mind that it is not necessarily the only option if you wish to help people.

By doing TP you could even end up in something like medical nanotechnology or something like that. It's not necessarily a career path involving nothing but dense equations.

dan719

I would like to thank everyone for their advice so willingly given. Thanks , I have a lot to think about after he LC. Good luck to everyone with the exams.:)

cson

You're having a bit of a road to damascus moment really.

dan719

cson wrote:

You're having a bit of a road to damascus moment really.

Very ironic considering my religeous persuasion!:)

lilmizzme

It would make such an interesting thesis in pyschology....2the effect panic has on Leaving Cert students' minds, and how it makes them beleive in the impossible!" (i.e learning Chemistry two weeks before the exam!)

dan719

How far was he from Damascus?

cson

Yeah I realised the irony in that. At the end of the day you do what you want to do. Not your parents or anybody else, if you really want to do medicine, find a way. Don't find yourself in future looking back and having regrets. If you want to help people, do it. You know yourself what your getting into.

Anyway, atheist, this is what it boils down to.
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn7xtbXoBMg

JC 2K3

Stop posting that!

Gangsta

You can't do chemistry in two weeks, there's too much too learn to get it done properly.

go for option 1....you'll die repeating in a grinds school, im on the verge of it!

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

Weathercheck wrote:

Whens Chemistry on? Could you afford to spend the remaining days getting the course done? If your good at Biology etc.. You could do all those Examsupport.ie lectures work 10 hours a day and probably get a B1/A2

Of course i am insane but go FOR it!!

OMG the best post ever!!! there is enough stuff in that course to cover over 3 years!! 2 weeks!!!! you obvously never did a science subject

JC 2K3

^I do Physics and Chemistry, they're both very doable in a month or two, maybe two weeks to get a C3, but as mentioned earlier, with other subjects to worry about, it's not really feasable.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Yea the science courses are by far the smallest in my opinion. For someone who is interested and is a good acedemic, they're a cinch