What should I do

Drakmord

Hey everyone,
I'm just wondering if I should repeat or not?
I got 550 points but fell short for medicine.
At the moment I'm torn between repeating and taking my Radiography offer in UCD.
I've always wanted to do medicine but I'm afraid I may regret my decision to repeat.

What should I do?
All advice excepted great fully excepted!

Villain

Jesus thats a tough call 550 points will be hard to improve on it, I know there is two post grad courses now that you can use to get into medicine, also I would advise you to really think about doing Medicine in this country the Health System is a shambles.

gaeilgegrinds

Find out which courses lead into the Postgrad. Not sure on the radiography. I'd rarely recommend anyone repeats simply because by doing a degree & Postgrad one learns more than an extra year at second level in my opinion. Congrats on the results, you should be very proud.

MasterSun

tough decision,
just do the right thing, talk to ur career guidance teacher

thefinalstage

Flip a coin? All pressure relieved through chance .

Drakmord

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'm still really torn though.
I think i should just repeat and go for 600 T.T
I have a week to think about it anyway.....

Kwekubo

gaeilgegrinds wrote:

Find out which courses lead into the Postgrad. Not sure on the radiography. I'd rarely recommend anyone repeats simply because by doing a degree & Postgrad one learns more than an extra year at second level in my opinion.

Thing is, an extra degree would take three to four years, and competition for graduate medicine courses is far more competitive than that for undergrad courses. Medical training is lengthy as it is. If you really are certain you want to do medicine (and you didn't just put it down because you thought you'd get the points), and you honestly believe you can come up to the 570 points area or above, then it makes sense to consider repeating. But don't think you'll walk it just because you've already done the LC; if you're not careful you could find yourself in the same position this time next year.

Lucas10101

Weigh up both options.

Do you want to get a Professional Qualification in Radiography only to further to be a Professional Doctor??

Do you want to be taking images of people for 4 years?

Would you mind studying over 7 years in College and pay fees after your initial degree?

How much does becoming a Doctor mean to you? Are your reasons justified to repeat?

Would you mind spending the next 9 months repeating only to possibly get 570 and still miss a place?

Maybe answering those may help your decision.

Good Luck, let us know.

Lucas.

Señor Juárez

Think about it this way... its only a year out of your life, and given how well you did the first time, I don't think you'd need to put in that much work to move up to the 600 points. If you settle for a course you aren't totally happy with, you might end up regretting it later in life when it is too late to go back.

Drakmord

Señor Ju&#225 wrote: »

Think about it this way... its only a year out of your life, and given how well you did the first time, I don't think you'd need to put in that much work to move up to the 600 points. If you settle for a course you aren't totally happy with, you might end up regretting it later in life when it is too late to go back.

Wise words.
I think I'll think about it for another few days and I'll let everyone know what I think I'll do.
Thank you everyone.

nedward

I repeated, got the points for med, but I decided to do another course in the end. It's so much easier second time, plus you'll be a year older a year wiser. I met so many sound people while repeating, I'd recommend it. Best of luck anyway.

*belle*

I was also offered radiography in ucd.
i am thinking of repeating.
its such a difficult decision to make though.

yeah-boy

Drakmord ... why not just take up another subject for the year and just study that one ? will that work ?

R0C0

Se&#225 wrote: »

I think the majority of 18 year olds are a bit too naieve when undertaking Medicine, choosing the course for self-inflated ego reasons and getting a high off getting 600 points. You'll quickly realise your LC means nothing.

I couldn't agree more with this statement. Imagine how rubbish you'd feel if you repeated, worked really hard for your 600, then after a few months of medicine realised it wasn't for you. I know that sounds pessimistic but you don't sound 100% convinced that medicine is what you want to do. If you are, then why even deliberate on the matter?

I'd say fire ahead with the course you've been offered and if at the end of that you still want medicine then you've got a great platform to go from!

dwindle

R0C0 wrote:

I'd say fire ahead with the course you've been offered and if at the end of that you still want medicine then you've got a great platform to go from!

I completely agree with this, the results you've gotten aren't the end of the world, you should go ahead with your offered course and if its not for you, then think about how you then have a great stepping stone towards medicine. Don't think you have to have your future all planned out now that you've finished school. You won't be seen as an indecisive person who changed their mind many times during these years, infact not everybody knows what they want to do for the rest of their lives careerwise by the time their 18.
But I wish you the best of luck with your decision, its up to you and we all support your final decision here.

Lucas10101

I also agree that you should go ahead with the course. You obviously love healthcare and this is an opportunity for you to work in the field for 4 years. You will also know for sure whether you would want to do Medicine after it as well.

Sure, there is many people who do that. They may get a professional health qualification i.e Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, Nursing, Radiography, that do Medicine after 3-5 years after working as the above.

Go for it, and enjoy doing it. You'll be needed to help patients after all.

goneforapuff

You have 4 options that I can think of.

1. do the course offered, reapply for next year and hope points fall. You might find you like the course offered.

2. do the course offered then apply for grad entry. I predict that the numbers for this will go way up (it is so bad in the uk that grads apply to undergrad courses) as soon as word gets around. It will cost you more than time though, this years lot are being charged 12,000 per year.

3. repeat the leaving. Do you think you could improve on grades? Could you drop a required subject you have already passed and concentrate on other subjects. Eg you dont have to do maths, irish or extra foreign lang again. If you do this you could then apply to one of the 5 year colleges, Trinity is a 5 year course now.

4. Do A levels, the number of A grades given are through the roof especially in Northern Ireland. I honestly think there are more doctors per capita from NI than anywhere else in the world. There are different examining boards so choose carefully. This link proves my point
http://www.rewardinglearning.org.uk/newsroom/press/2007/press_160807.asp
You do 4 subjects, they used to get away with 3. Trinity run a lottery for A level people because so many have 600 points i.e. 4 A's. If they didn't med for leaving certs would be 600* I have forgotten the figures but it is something like 0.2% get 600 at leaving cert and something approaching 7% get 4 A level A's if they do the N.I. board exams.

Some U.K. colleges look at J. Cert results and interview, some won't look at repeat students.

Research ALL the options even if you have accepted the current place.

Drakmord

Just thought I'd let you know that I did repeat and I got 570.
I got offered Medicine in Galway
It was totally worth repeating
Thank you everyone for your help.

Villain

Jesus Fair play, thats a great achievement

pathway33

i didnt realise i was reading last years thread until i saw your posting from today.....i was going to advise you to repeat ......congratulations over and over.....must have been nervewrecking waiting for leaving and cao results.....i'd say you were fairly dedicated all year....well well done

andrew

Hah I love threads like this. Nice one.

poppy08

This thread was exactly what i needed to read atm.
didn't get med. either, i'm repeating to get med next year and was begininng to doubt the decision!
well done!, hopefully i'll be as happy and you this time next year:o

pathway33

poppy08 wrote: »

This thread was exactly what i needed to read atm.
didn't get med. either, i'm repeating to get med next year and was begininng to doubt the decision!
well done!, hopefully i'll be as happy and you this time next year:o

yeah and ask drakmord about all the new subjects they took up......some man/woman

Piste

Drakmord wrote: »

Just thought I'd let you know that I did repeat and I got 570.
I got offered Medicine in Galway
It was totally worth repeating
Thank you everyone for your help.

That's grea,t well done! I love hearing success stories like this ^_^

insinkerator

Try taking a year out, save some cash and then apply next year? if thats possible, the points are going down and theres an aptitude test?

bythewoods

Ah, i thought I was reading a thread from this year too!

I'm in an eerily similar situation myself now! Got 550 so missed out on medicine, and I've an offer for radiation therapy in Trinity which I don't know if i should take or not..

Anybody have any new advice for me since i couldn't be bothered starting a new thread?
Is there any point in me repeating since medicine points are going down? Doss for a year perhaps, gather a bit of moolah and get a bit of work experience? That kind of stuff...
Or take radiation therapy? I know I'd probably love it... but I'd more than likely regret not persevering for medicine.


(You know you're stumped when you turn to teh internetz for advice)

Piste

There's always the option of graduate-entry medicine after you complete the radiography degree.

Mark200

Drakmord wrote: »

Just thought I'd let you know that I did repeat and I got 570.
I got offered Medicine in Galway
It was totally worth repeating
Thank you everyone for your help.

Well done, it must have been a really difficult decision to repeat. I'm glad you feel it was worth it