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HPAT

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  • Registered Users Posts: 221 ✭✭smndly


    bythewoods wrote: »
    I'm in the EXACT same position.
    What are you working off from last year?

    Almost wish the system hadn't been changed, everything would be so incredibly less vague...

    545... 5 points short of the "safety zone"... Ill be so pissed if i dont get it cuz ive worked really bloody hard for it! And i dont want to study in England for 5 years! :cool:

    Ill drive myself mad if i start thinking about hpats and all the possible combinations and permutations. Who resurrected this thread?!?! argh! :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26 lala00


    smndly wrote: »
    545... 5 points short of the "safety zone"... Ill be so pissed if i dont get it cuz ive worked really bloody hard for it! And i dont want to study in England for 5 years! :cool:

    Ill drive myself mad if i start thinking about hpats and all the possible combinations and permutations. Who resurrected this thread?!?! argh! :pac:


    Did you get a place in england for medicine? If you don't mind me asking!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26 lala00


    I actually think the HPAT is better suited to medical profession candidacy than the Leaving Cert. Sure, it can't stand on its own but it weeds out those who lack intelligence and get there simply by sticking their heads in books for a while.


    Medicine does involve a lot of sticking your head in a book! memorisation is a very important component, the other skills needed for example communication, empathy,team work etc cannot be tested by a written mcq paper like the HPAT.


  • Registered Users Posts: 221 ✭✭smndly


    lala00 wrote: »
    Did you get a place in england for medicine? If you don't mind me asking!

    Yep in peninsula in exeter. Its more of a back-up though... I really want UCD but anywhere in ireland would be great!


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭bythewoods


    smndly wrote: »
    545... 5 points short of the "safety zone"... Ill be so pissed if i dont get it cuz ive worked really bloody hard for it! And i dont want to study in England for 5 years! :cool:

    Ill drive myself mad if i start thinking about hpats and all the possible combinations and permutations. Who resurrected this thread?!?! argh! :pac:

    Ah yeah, hopefully you'll be safe enough so. I got 550 so whether I improve or not I'm really hoping I'll just get in anyway.

    Well freaked by these results now.
    Sob.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 35 Purple Funk


    Medicine does involve a lot of sticking your head in a book! memorisation is a very important component, the other skills needed for example communication, empathy,team work etc cannot be tested by a written mcq paper like the HPAT.

    HPAT does touch upon those in the psychology section. Leaving Cert doesn't.

    And sticking a head in a book doesn't make a doctor. HPAT tests the ability to interpret data and identify patterns. These are the two most important aspects of practicing medicine. Learning text falls behind those, though it still is important.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 649 ✭✭✭Jeebus


    HPAT does touch upon those in the psychology section. Leaving Cert doesn't.

    And sticking a head in a book doesn't make a doctor. HPAT tests the ability to interpret data and identify patterns. These are the two most important aspects of practicing medicine. Learning text falls behind those, though it still is important.

    The problem being that a written exam cannot analyse your personality, suitability or psychology.

    An interview would be a complete joke, my dad is a doctor and he reckons that cheating and favouritism would be so widespread that anyone who didn't "know someone" would be fecked. He's right too, if you think about it.

    A HPAT is a load of bollocks. Lets be honest here, its not at all testing your suitability for medicine, its not testing how you would react to given situations - its testing you on what you think you should say so that you can get a good mark in your HPAT, your personality, age, suitability all go out the window - you're just trying to percieve what the 'right' answer is. The reality is that there probably is no 'right' answer, its not always black and white. Hell, some of the most evil people in the world were extremely talented at being able to tell other people what they want to hear. Hitler would probably have gotten 300 in the HPAT no bother !

    Basically, its a load of cock.

    Now, the Leaving Cert on the other hand, is at least a test of a few things that could be useful to you if you were a doctor - to perform well in the 'aul LC you must be dedicated. You're going to need to be dedicated if you want to study medicine. To perform well in the LC you need to be able to keep a cool head during exam time. You need to be organised, good at managing your time...countless things.

    The HPAT is a joke, if you're dedicated and want to be a doctor, and you work your arse off to get 600 or so points, you DESERVE your place in med school. You should not, after all that work get beaten into the school by some fella' who ended up doing the HPAT because he thought it was the queue for ice-cream and performs better than you because he's better at anticipating the right answers, or because he's not on his period, in a better state of mind, or simply has gotten more sleep than you.

    Also, WTF was with that abstract reasoning crap ?! Completely pointless ! "Doctor, doctor, my first child was a red square, my second a blue triangle, what is my third child most likely to be?!" :rolleyes:.

    I'm just bitter because mates of mine have worked themselves to within an inch of their lives for a shot at medicine, but they underperformed in the HPAT. If they don't get in, it will be a travesty and its when really, truly dedicated students like that fall through the net, you know you have a problem in the system!


  • Registered Users Posts: 123 ✭✭shamoono


    Damn, looks like you guys have a good bit of time on your hands, while the leaving cert is on. Because these are really long conversations and we got people writing essays on how STUPID the HPAT is and so on......


    What's weird is that entry to medicine in Australia is mainly based on the results of their UMAT aptitude test and is about 100 times the size of Ireland and you don't get this many people complaining. Instead their more productive and find ways to tackle the aptitude test. They know complaining will get them nowhere.

    And you guys want to be doctors? I can imagine you guys starting to complain about your patients' problems to your colleagues just because you wouldn't be sure of yourself. I highly suggest you to choose some other course if you can't handle and aptitude test.

    Don't get me wrong your points make a lot of sense. But it's not a solution to anything.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 649 ✭✭✭Jeebus


    shamoono wrote: »
    Damn, looks like you guys have a good bit of time on your hands, while the leaving cert is on. Because these are really long conversations and we got people writing essays on how STUPID the HPAT is and so on......


    What's weird is that entry to medicine in Australia is mainly based on the results of their UMAT aptitude test and is about 100 times the size of Ireland and you don't get this many people complaining. Instead their more productive and find ways to tackle the aptitude test. They know complaining will get them nowhere.

    And you guys want to be doctors? I can imagine you guys starting to complain about your patients' problems to your colleagues just because you wouldn't be sure of yourself. I highly suggest you to choose some other course if you can't handle and aptitude test.

    Don't get me wrong your points make a lot of sense. But it's not a solution to anything.

    I am studying. Doesn't mean I don't need a break now and again ! The length of my complaint is explained by my 90wpm (thank you transition year!).

    Anyway, you fail to make one decent point as to why the HPAT is in any way suitable except for saying that a lot more pople sit the UMAT and they don't complain. This is complete and utter nonsense. Firstly, a lot of people complain. Secondly, you don't hear them complaining because this is an Irish based website, so you don't tend to get a lot of prospective Australian doctors round these parts ! ;)

    Now, we were all informed prior to the HPAT that there was no point in doing courses on how to pass the HPAT. We were told there was no point in working, no point in doing anything - except for getting a good nights sleep before the exam. So, while complaining you argue will get us nowhere, apparently neither will solid hard-work and grafting (doesn't stop people from trying mind you).

    Anyway, I don't feel it is a waste of time to complain about these matters. The more people that complain, the more we have a chance of changing things. If we were to all just sit down and say "Ahh, sure...that grand", then nothing would ever get done. “Science may have found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all--the apathy of human beings.”

    There are many people who have dedicated their lives to becoming a doctor and may now be robbed because of an unfair, irrelevant exam. I speak not of the Leaving Cert now, but of the HPAT. As a 6th year student currently sitting the Leaving Cert I am the last person who you would expect to be defending the hell that is this year. But I am. At least this test is fair to some degree. The HPAT, on the other hand, is a complete and total joke, bhuel, i mo thuairim fein !

    I dunno, I just find it really upsetting to imagine people I know who have worked so hard to get a shot at medicine, only to be shot down because of a test with incredibly stupid questions that have no basis in medicine.


  • Registered Users Posts: 123 ✭✭shamoono


    I didn't need to make any decent point. I said and I quote "Don't get me wrong your points make a lot of sense" I'm not disagreeing with you.

    I'm saying why is everybody wasting their time complaining when they can be productive. Anyway, the fact that ACER doesn't advise candidates to take part in these pre-aptitude tests doesn't mean that there are aren't other ways to do better in the aptitude test. You can easily do better in these exams doing a lot of things such as improving your short term memory, doing quizzes etc. I know that there isn't any scientific research to back up my statement. But I'm pretty much sure that it will help you do better in the aptitude test because your building new connections in your brain which will help your spacial, short term memory etc. Which is what the HPAT is testing exactly

    I'm pretty much aware that this is an Irish website so don't assume that I don't know. I've searched the web and couldn't find much sh** on people complaning about the UMAT. :rolleyes:

    Sure it's true that complaining will bring change what change can you do by complaining to a load of other people in the same state as you. Anybody that disagrees should get off their ass and actually write a letter to minister of education instead of wasting their time complaining on this.

    I'm pretty much sure everybody here is doing their best to get medicine and studying their asses off. Some of us have even been throught the worst sh** they can think of. So stop complaining and get over yourself. And the questions have a lot of basis medicine. But maybe you don't understand. Being a doctor requires you to get twisted stories straight and you require question solving skills which is exactly what Section 1 and Secttion 3 is about. Section 2 is about how if you actually do care to become a doctor. Show's your empathising skills with other people. :cool:


    Jeebus wrote: »
    I am studying. Doesn't mean I don't need a break now and again ! The length of my complaint is explained by my 90wpm (thank you transition year!).

    Anyway, you fail to make one decent point as to why the HPAT is in any way suitable except for saying that a lot more pople sit the UMAT and they don't complain. This is complete and utter nonsense. Firstly, a lot of people complain. Secondly, you don't hear them complaining because this is an Irish based website, so you don't tend to get a lot of prospective Australian doctors round these parts ! ;)

    Now, we were all informed prior to the HPAT that there was no point in doing courses on how to pass the HPAT. We were told there was no point in working, no point in doing anything - except for getting a good nights sleep before the exam. So, while complaining you argue will get us nowhere, apparently neither will solid hard-work and grafting (doesn't stop people from trying mind you).

    Anyway, I don't feel it is a waste of time to complain about these matters. The more people that complain, the more we have a chance of changing things. If we were to all just sit down and say "Ahh, sure...that grand", then nothing would ever get done. “Science may have found a cure for most evils, but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all--the apathy of human beings.”

    There are many people who have dedicated their lives to becoming a doctor and may now be robbed because of an unfair, irrelevant exam. I speak not of the Leaving Cert now, but of the HPAT. As a 6th year student currently sitting the Leaving Cert I am the last person who you would expect to be defending the hell that is this year. But I am. At least this test is fair to some degree. The HPAT, on the other hand, is a complete and total joke, bhuel, i mo thuairim fein !

    I dunno, I just find it really upsetting to imagine people I know who have worked so hard to get a shot at medicine, only to be shot down because of a test with incredibly stupid questions that have no basis in medicine.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 649 ✭✭✭Jeebus


    shamoono wrote: »
    I didn't need to make any decent point. I said and I quote "Don't get me wrong your points make a lot of sense" I'm not disagreeing with you.

    I'm saying why is everybody wasting their time complaining when they can be productive. Anyway, the fact that ACER doesn't advise candidates to take part in these pre-aptitude tests doesn't mean that there are aren't other ways to do better in the aptitude test. You can easily do better in these exams doing a lot of things such as improving your short term memory, doing quizzes etc. I know that there isn't any scientific research to back up my statement. But I'm pretty much sure that it will help you do better in the aptitude test because your building new connections in your brain which will help your spacial, short term memory etc. Which is what the HPAT is testing exactly

    We could be being productive while we are complaining ! I go on boards to take a break from study every night. Its helps break up the day, and lets me vent a little about the stupid, annoying things in life. Like the HPAT!

    We sure could be doing those things. I know I did crosswords, sudoku and all that kind of thing for months before the HPAT. It went fairly well, after ! My point is that I don't believe it to be a fair test of candidate's suitability for medicine, nor do I believe it is fair ! I think the Leaving Cert, or something similar to the Leaving is a far better medium in which to gauge how suited you are for medicine.
    I'm pretty much aware that this is an Irish website so don't assume that I don't know. I've searched the web and couldn't find much sh** on people complaning about the UMAT. :rolleyes:

    You're pretty much aware this is an Irish site ? :P It is ! ;) Just kidding. But seriously, I don't know all that much about the UMAT, I won't lie. All I know is that I really believe the HPAT to be a joke, and even worse thant that, I believe it to be an unfair joke !
    The UMAT exam favours intelligence types, not intelligent people or even empathetic people. The whole process is unfair and unreasonable.
    Sure it's true that complaining will bring change what change can you do by complaining to a load of other people in the same state as you. Anybody that disagrees should get off their ass and actually write a letter to minister of education instead of wasting their time complaining on this.

    Ah sure, look. Its a public forum. People come here to discuss things. Everyone has different topics that annoy them. In my experience, most people get uppity while discussing the subjects of circumcision and grammar ! For me, the HPAT is the thing that annoys me most of all.
    I'm pretty much sure everybody here is doing their best to get medicine and studying their asses off. Some of us have even been throught the worst sh** they can think of. So stop complaining and get over yourself. And the questions have a lot of basis medicine. But maybe you don't understand. Being a doctor requires you to get twisted stories straight and you require question solving skills which is exactly what Section 1 and Secttion 3 is about. Section 2 is about how if you actually do care to become a doctor. Show's your empathising skills with other people. :cool:

    Bull. The HPAT has caused a change in the system whereby it allows one student who may work far less than another to have a great chance of getting to study medicine. A student may get medicine without really wanting it all that much, in fact, which is quite simply not fair. I mean with the minimum points requirement being 480, a lot of people are just "putting it down for the hell of it", in the hope that they will do a great HPAT and qualify with the lowest amount of points needed. These students will beat hard-working and dedicated students to the punch. It doesn't just annoy me, it disgusts me.

    Now, I wouldn't mind so much if we were talking about football or something. "Ah, sure, why would you play Cristiano Ronaldo when Park is a much harder worker ?". Makes no sense. Ronaldo is a much better player. But, I don't believe the HPAT is in any way a better representation of your aptitude for studying medicine than the Leaving. In fact, its much worse.
    Being a doctor requires you to get twisted stories straight and you require question solving skills which is exactly what Section 1 and Secttion 3 is about. Section 2 is about how if you actually do care to become a doctor. Show's your empathising skills with other people.

    Like I said, some of the most evil people I know are brilliant at reading what other people want them to say and saying it to get on in life. These people are the people who are going to score highly in section 2. Hence it doesn't test your skill in empathising with other people, its merely a test of how well you can read what the examiner will want to hear. it doesn't mean that is how you would truly react. Imagine a typical Irish scumbag comes up against this :

    "A woman faints in front of you, do you :

    A. Cop a feel.
    B. Kick her and steal her wallet.
    C. Try and help her up.
    D. Yore ma.

    Now, you and I both know that, in reality, what they are likely to do in this situation is either A or B. But, in an exam situation, where they are applying to be a doctor, do you think they're going to say that ? Hell no they aren't. They are going for C all the way. Hence, its an unfair gauge of your empathy.

    Section 1 and 3, fair enough they are testing your problem solving skills, but I would argue that, first of all, the hard work and dedication required to get a high score in the Leaving will serve you far better as a doctor than an ability to solve the extremely specific problems put in front of you in the HPAT.

    Secondly, as I say, the problems aren't a very good gauge of your problem-solving skills anyway. They are abstract, graphical, literary problems...they aren't problems you are likely to be solving as a doctor ! I mean, if you want to be House himself, then you'd probably need good logic and reasoning, but...well firstly, this wouldn't be a good test of this. Secondly, House would fail section two anyway.

    Any aptitude test for medicine that would fail House isn't worth its salt in my book, anyway ! :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 649 ✭✭✭Jeebus


    Piste wrote: »
    Nonsense, a low score in the HPAT definitely does not mean you're not cut out to be a doctor!

    Precisely !


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    shamoono wrote: »
    Damn, looks like you guys have a good bit of time on your hands, while the leaving cert is on. Because these are really long conversations and we got people writing essays on how STUPID the HPAT is and so on......

    Actually if you look back even a tiny bit, about 35 pages of this thread are from before March :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 123 ✭✭shamoono


    Fad wrote: »
    Actually if you look back even a tiny bit, about 35 pages of this thread are from before March :)

    "looks like you guys have a good bit of time on your hands WHILE THE LEAVING CERT IN ON" not since march :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users Posts: 123 ✭✭shamoono


    I know what you mean about HOUSE. But come on your comparing reality to a TV show. But how do we know that House himself has no feelings. Just because he tries to be an ass all the time doesn't mean he's not a good guy. :D:D:D:D:D

    Don't get me wrong I agree with you. Although the fact that complaining HERE is not the right way to go.

    I know that we all need a break from all of this but the best way to go about it is to just be positive and keep ourselves from inflicting our psychological pain on to become physical pain like House:D:D Until SOMEONE writes that special letter to the minister for education.

    Never thought it would be possible looks like I'm starting to get hooked on these conversations.
    Jeebus wrote: »
    We could be being productive while we are complaining ! I go on boards to take a break from study every night. Its helps break up the day, and lets me vent a little about the stupid, annoying things in life. Like the HPAT!

    We sure could be doing those things. I know I did crosswords, sudoku and all that kind of thing for months before the HPAT. It went fairly well, after ! My point is that I don't believe it to be a fair test of candidate's suitability for medicine, nor do I believe it is fair ! I think the Leaving Cert, or something similar to the Leaving is a far better medium in which to gauge how suited you are for medicine.


    You're pretty much aware this is an Irish site ? :P It is ! ;) Just kidding. But seriously, I don't know all that much about the UMAT, I won't lie. All I know is that I really believe the HPAT to be a joke, and even worse thant that, I believe it to be an unfair joke !





    Ah sure, look. Its a public forum. People come here to discuss things. Everyone has different topics that annoy them. In my experience, most people get uppity while discussing the subjects of circumcision and grammar ! For me, the HPAT is the thing that annoys me most of all.



    Bull. The HPAT has caused a change in the system whereby it allows one student who may work far less than another to have a great chance of getting to study medicine. A student may get medicine without really wanting it all that much, in fact, which is quite simply not fair. I mean with the minimum points requirement being 480, a lot of people are just "putting it down for the hell of it", in the hope that they will do a great HPAT and qualify with the lowest amount of points needed. These students will beat hard-working and dedicated students to the punch. It doesn't just annoy me, it disgusts me.

    Now, I wouldn't mind so much if we were talking about football or something. "Ah, sure, why would you play Cristiano Ronaldo when Park is a much harder worker ?". Makes no sense. Ronaldo is a much better player. But, I don't believe the HPAT is in any way a better representation of your aptitude for studying medicine than the Leaving. In fact, its much worse.



    Like I said, some of the most evil people I know are brilliant at reading what other people want them to say and saying it to get on in life. These people are the people who are going to score highly in section 2. Hence it doesn't test your skill in empathising with other people, its merely a test of how well you can read what the examiner will want to hear. it doesn't mean that is how you would truly react. Imagine a typical Irish scumbag comes up against this :

    "A woman faints in front of you, do you :

    A. Cop a feel.
    B. Kick her and steal her wallet.
    C. Try and help her up.
    D. Yore ma.

    Now, you and I both know that, in reality, what they are likely to do in this situation is either A or B. But, in an exam situation, where they are applying to be a doctor, do you think they're going to say that ? Hell no they aren't. They are going for C all the way. Hence, its an unfair gauge of your empathy.

    Section 1 and 3, fair enough they are testing your problem solving skills, but I would argue that, first of all, the hard work and dedication required to get a high score in the Leaving will serve you far better as a doctor than an ability to solve the extremely specific problems put in front of you in the HPAT.

    Secondly, as I say, the problems aren't a very good gauge of your problem-solving skills anyway. They are abstract, graphical, literary problems...they aren't problems you are likely to be solving as a doctor ! I mean, if you want to be House himself, then you'd probably need good logic and reasoning, but...well firstly, this wouldn't be a good test of this. Secondly, House would fail section two anyway.

    Any aptitude test for medicine that would fail House isn't worth its salt in my book, anyway ! :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 funkylana


    A lot of people here are complaining about how unjust it would be if someone who didnt work half as hard in the LC got medicine with the hpat over someone who did brilliantly in their leaving, but i have to say that you need to get over it. I've seen plenty of people who might not work as hard as me or study as hard as me in tests or exams, and yet still get better grades. do i complain about it? no, because its not going to do anything. its not like that person is going to try to do worse just so i can feel better and more secure.

    Ok, so that person gets accepted into medicine, can't keep up with the work, hates the course, etc etc- don't you think that they've got their come-uppings for just putting down medicine for the sake of it? you don't need to point it out to them as well.

    and who says that the LC is more fair than the HPAT? i don't think it necessarily is, because everyone does different subjects and everyone has different aptitudes for each subject. one person can get 600 points because they did easier subjects, and then one person could get 450 because they did difficult subjects or they weren't naturally good at that subject, for eg. in Maths, languages, etc. Fair enough, they both would have had to do at least one science subject for entry, but their other subjects may have been totally different, or one person could have been naturally better than the other in a subject. Not to mention that everyone has different teachers who could be pure crap or absolutely brilliant.
    And what about all those people in schools like Leeson st. who only get into medicine because they pretty much paid their school money so as to secure a place for them in university? Sounds pretty elitist to me.

    So in the end does that mean that the person who doesn't get a perfect score in their LC doesn't deserve to be a doctor, or they won't be a good doctor? The HPAT gives this person a chance to prove themselves worthy of medicine, without having to fork over money for private schools, grinds, revision courses, etc.

    Believe me, I'm as worried as the rest of you about my fate in terms of if i get medicine or not, but if i don't then im just going to have to accept the fact that it was supposed to happen, that it was God's will (if you'll excuse my being pedantic about it). However i'm not just going to sit around accepting it; i'm going to do something about it. Applying for medical schools abroad is on my agenda, because i'm not going to sit idly by complaining about the system.

    Anyway, i still wish you all the best when the results come out- i would hate for people who really and truly desire medicine with all their hearts to not get accepted (including me!).
    :o


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 35 Purple Funk


    Jeebus, the basis of your argument is that the HPAT shouldn't be included in the medical course requirements simply because it doesn't require preparation. That is not an adequate argument and your sense of justice is what is shaping your vision here.

    If someone gets through to medicine at the expense of one of your friends due to a superior performance in the HPAT, then they deserve to despite putting in less work. Why? Because they'll probably make better doctors.

    You may think the HPAT is a joke, but the test isn't put together by any average joes. Well-knowledged professionals compose such tests and all questions involved assess your mental capabilities. If anything, I think the HPAT should be even more important in the selection of candidates. Many are afraid of the HPAT firstly because it's human nature to fear change, always has been.
    Secondly there is a stigma around it because unlike the Leaving Cert, it's something you can't really prepare for. For the big LC, to succeed all that is required is a successful regurgitation of knowledge. Do that and an A1 is obtained.

    The HPAT assesses capabilities required in practitioners of the medical field. Pattern Identification, Data Analysis, Psychological Understanding are all assessed.

    The Leaving Cert does none of this. It does not require a strong mind to do well in (Honours Maths being the only subject that could possibly claim to be an exception), all that is needed is study, if even. Studying doesn't make a good doctor. It's merely one small step in the right direction.

    As a result, the HPAT is superior to the Leaving Cert in the shortlisting of potential medical practitioners.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,440 ✭✭✭✭Piste


    Studying on its own doesn't make a good doctor, but neither do the skills examined in the HPAT. The Leaving Cert prepares you for the reams of information you'll learn off in medicine (like it or not, there is an awful lot of learning off to do). Subjects like English, History and Geography examine your ability to interpret and present information in a structured, readable way- all very relevant if you're writing papers for jounrals. Maths examines logical thinking, again very important in any scientific field. Biology, Physics and Chemistry are obviously a good thin to have going in to medicine, and a second or third language is always useful no matter what field you go in to.

    So I'd say the LC is very important and it s good judge of how you'll succeed in medicine. Being a doctor isn't all about being a lovely kind-hearted person who wants to help others, an ability to think critically, perform under pressure and apply your skills and knowledge to the problems you're faced with is just as important.

    I'd much rather be treated by someone dour and unfriendly but who was a brilliant diagnostician, than someone who was absolutely lovely but didn't know their stuff really well.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 26 lala00


    It is true that someone can do extremely well in the leaving cert through hard work and application. The same is true of medicine, having the ability to work diligently will really help you through college and after you qualify. No matter how "clever" you are, you still need to memorise the material. doing well in end of school exams( leaving cert here A levels in the uk) is proven to be the best indication of sucess in medical school. It is important to note that the HPAT is used in australia along with an interview. As the test can not be used to see if you are empathetic, team player. Section two is basically just a comprehension. your opinion is never asked you just have to identify other people emotions etc. adding another written exam is pointless, people will quickly catch on how to approach the exam using methods and techniques.

    I agree with Pistes point in general, but I don't think you can underestimate the importance of having a friendly doctor, with whom patients feel comfortable discussing difficult issues and feel they can talk to openly.


  • Registered Users Posts: 942 ✭✭✭whadabouchasir


    The only problem I have with using just the L.C for selecting students for medicine is that you can get really high points but still not get a place,I mean someone who gets 570 really any better than someone who gets 560?Under the old system everyone who got over 570 was suitable for medicine,but everyone who got under it was not.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 123 ✭✭shamoono


    Wow, you spoke my mind :D:D:D:D
    Lana's a girls name right? (by girls name i mean urs?):P
    funkylana wrote: »
    A lot of people here are complaining about how unjust it would be if someone who didnt work half as hard in the LC got medicine with the hpat over someone who did brilliantly in their leaving, but i have to say that you need to get over it. I've seen plenty of people who might not work as hard as me or study as hard as me in tests or exams, and yet still get better grades. do i complain about it? no, because its not going to do anything. its not like that person is going to try to do worse just so i can feel better and more secure.

    Ok, so that person gets accepted into medicine, can't keep up with the work, hates the course, etc etc- don't you think that they've got their come-uppings for just putting down medicine for the sake of it? you don't need to point it out to them as well.

    and who says that the LC is more fair than the HPAT? i don't think it necessarily is, because everyone does different subjects and everyone has different aptitudes for each subject. one person can get 600 points because they did easier subjects, and then one person could get 450 because they did difficult subjects or they weren't naturally good at that subject, for eg. in Maths, languages, etc. Fair enough, they both would have had to do at least one science subject for entry, but their other subjects may have been totally different, or one person could have been naturally better than the other in a subject. Not to mention that everyone has different teachers who could be pure crap or absolutely brilliant.
    And what about all those people in schools like Leeson st. who only get into medicine because they pretty much paid their school money so as to secure a place for them in university? Sounds pretty elitist to me.

    So in the end does that mean that the person who doesn't get a perfect score in their LC doesn't deserve to be a doctor, or they won't be a good doctor? The HPAT gives this person a chance to prove themselves worthy of medicine, without having to fork over money for private schools, grinds, revision courses, etc.

    Believe me, I'm as worried as the rest of you about my fate in terms of if i get medicine or not, but if i don't then im just going to have to accept the fact that it was supposed to happen, that it was God's will (if you'll excuse my being pedantic about it). However i'm not just going to sit around accepting it; i'm going to do something about it. Applying for medical schools abroad is on my agenda, because i'm not going to sit idly by complaining about the system.

    Anyway, i still wish you all the best when the results come out- i would hate for people who really and truly desire medicine with all their hearts to not get accepted (including me!).
    :o


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 407 ✭✭OxfordComma


    Crap, I'm so worried. I really think I ****ed up the HPAT. It was the day after my mocks ended, plus a close relative died the week beforehand AND I felt really sick. ****.


    I would seriously question the value of the HPAT anyways. The only section I think is important is the interpersonal reasoning... Isn't the ability to recall vast amounts of information under pressure one of the most important abilities a doctor needs anyways??...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 funkylana


    shamoono wrote: »
    Wow, you spoke my mind :D:D:D:D
    Lana's a girls name right? (by girls name i mean urs?):P

    Lol yes its my name and so evidently its a girls name (i hope).:cool:

    And at least someone has some sense to see why the hpat is a good thing, and why the leaving cert can be a load of fooey half the time!

    Just hoping I do well in the HPAT because I know if I dont, my chances for medicine here are slim....stupid english paper 2 and irish paper 2 completely threw me and knocked my confidence; totally bricking it right now!

    I guess medicine in Malaysia, here I come! (fingers crossed)
    Or repeating......oh the horror.....don't even want to think about it right now....

    Out of curiosity, anybody going to post their HPAT results up here in the 22nd? Actually, thats probably a stupid question.....:o


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 407 ✭✭OxfordComma


    Why do they have to wait until the 22nd to tell us our results?? It's not fair. They've probably had them for weeks now. The suspense is killing me:o


  • Registered Users Posts: 221 ✭✭smndly


    1fahy4 wrote: »
    Why do they have to wait until the 22nd to tell us our results?? It's not fair. They've probably had them for weeks now. The suspense is killing me:o

    Id say they had them the week after the exam. They just have to feed the sheets into a computer to get the results!! They dont want to tell us until after the leaving incase it affects our performance which is fair enough, however i cant F****** wait till they come out!! :pac:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 120 ✭✭Crystler


    Piste wrote: »
    Studying on its own doesn't make a good doctor, but neither do the skills examined in the HPAT. The Leaving Cert prepares you for the reams of information you'll learn off in medicine (like it or not, there is an awful lot of learning off to do). Subjects like English, History and Geography examine your ability to interpret and present information in a structured, readable way- all very relevant if you're writing papers for jounrals. Maths examines logical thinking, again very important in any scientific field. Biology, Physics and Chemistry are obviously a good thin to have going in to medicine, and a second or third language is always useful no matter what field you go in to.

    So I'd say the LC is very important and it s good judge of how you'll succeed in medicine. Being a doctor isn't all about being a lovely kind-hearted person who wants to help others, an ability to think critically, perform under pressure and apply your skills and knowledge to the problems you're faced with is just as important.

    I'd much rather be treated by someone dour and unfriendly but who was a brilliant diagnostician, than someone who was absolutely lovely but didn't know their stuff really well.

    TOTALLY AGREED! Jeebus, your argument is well constructed and as Piste says too much of it is based upon your sense of justice, you have been ranting all about hard work for the Leaving Cert, but what about general aptitute? Piste has completely stated out my argument. A test is a test no ifs, buts or ands. Do badly in EITHER the Leaving Cert or HPAT you won't be taken out of the race but you will most likely lose out to many other people who have done average in both. If you 'under-performed' on that day then your just not cut out for dealing with stressful situations (as are most cases in medicine, it's not all just a test with predicted subjects as in the leaving cert (which are usually right, bar this years irish and history papers...especially english) Under-performing in a general aptitute test is not a matter of 'nerves' its a matter of your innate comprehension.

    Although saying this is most likely going to bite me in the ass come August. Or even the 22nd... I forget since I've been in the books since march but how do we get our results, I've heard tales of getting it from your school, getting it from the post at home and... well that's about it.

    Btw, one more of my few cents for you Jeebus, We ALL have friends who have worked hard for their respective courses but chances are no matter how hard you work there is someone out there doing less, trying less and will beat you to your course regardless, just cause they are able to do that. As another poster has said (Sorry I forgot to read the name) People do better in exams than others. DEAL WITH IT!

    Anywho good luck to those still sitting their leaving cert like myself! Physics will inevitable destroy my self-esteem and worth but Chemistry and App.Maths is shining like a jewel!!!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 120 ✭✭Crystler


    smndly wrote: »
    Id say they had them the week after the exam. They just have to feed the sheets into a computer to get the results!! They dont want to tell us until after the leaving incase it affects our performance which is fair enough, however i cant F****** wait till they come out!! :pac:

    Same here I am really nervous about my results, I still want to get into medicine badly, but seeing as how I'm not trusting my physics at the moment, I may just lose out (I'll only get about 500 (who knows I may have done well in something else I'm not counting) points or so which is way below the general safe zone) I wish I did something else besides physics :S

    If I did really well in my HPAT (which is up for speculation -my result I mean could have done badly or performed greatly-) and my leaving cert didn't allow me to succeed then... I might repeat, MIGHT being the keyword. I just hope I'll get in. GAMSAT does seem risky since it's meant to be alot harder :S


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 120 ✭✭Crystler


    funkylana wrote: »
    A lot of people here are complaining about how unjust it would be if someone who didnt work half as hard in the LC got medicine with the hpat over someone who did brilliantly in their leaving, but i have to say that you need to get over it. I've seen plenty of people who might not work as hard as me or study as hard as me in tests or exams, and yet still get better grades. do i complain about it? no, because its not going to do anything. its not like that person is going to try to do worse just so i can feel better and more secure.

    Ok, so that person gets accepted into medicine, can't keep up with the work, hates the course, etc etc- don't you think that they've got their come-uppings for just putting down medicine for the sake of it? you don't need to point it out to them as well.

    and who says that the LC is more fair than the HPAT? i don't think it necessarily is, because everyone does different subjects and everyone has different aptitudes for each subject. one person can get 600 points because they did easier subjects, and then one person could get 450 because they did difficult subjects or they weren't naturally good at that subject, for eg. in Maths, languages, etc. Fair enough, they both would have had to do at least one science subject for entry, but their other subjects may have been totally different, or one person could have been naturally better than the other in a subject. Not to mention that everyone has different teachers who could be pure crap or absolutely brilliant.
    And what about all those people in schools like Leeson st. who only get into medicine because they pretty much paid their school money so as to secure a place for them in university? Sounds pretty elitist to me.

    So in the end does that mean that the person who doesn't get a perfect score in their LC doesn't deserve to be a doctor, or they won't be a good doctor? The HPAT gives this person a chance to prove themselves worthy of medicine, without having to fork over money for private schools, grinds, revision courses, etc.

    Believe me, I'm as worried as the rest of you about my fate in terms of if i get medicine or not, but if i don't then im just going to have to accept the fact that it was supposed to happen, that it was God's will (if you'll excuse my being pedantic about it). However i'm not just going to sit around accepting it; i'm going to do something about it. Applying for medical schools abroad is on my agenda, because i'm not going to sit idly by complaining about the system.

    Anyway, i still wish you all the best when the results come out- i would hate for people who really and truly desire medicine with all their hearts to not get accepted (including me!).
    :o


    Best post I have read so far, I may just have to troll around whichever board you are in just so I can be your friend -puppy dog eyes- Give in to my innate adorableness! I'm really interested in meeting everyone, IF I get accepted, in the medicine course. I wonder if they'll be gloriously brilliant, interesting and if I'll be able to learn from them, I always find meeting new people is a great way to learn new things, each person has different ideas, knowledge that I'd love to add to my own! One of the main reasons why I want to do medicine is to learn more about everything, and since you meet new people almost everyday on the job (albeit in bad form) I hope I can just make a difference (I sound like such an after-dinner special) -.- I'm gonna go sulk after putting myself into a cliche. Doesn't anyone else agree with me/disagree? I'll recheck after the 19th ^_^ and then 3days of everyone freaking out, and then on the 22nd it'll be people posting their results and freaking out even more. Oh the competition!

    Oh btw, what do people feel about cheaters? I'm really glad the HPAT is in cause there is 0% of cheating what-so-ever!!!! So add that to the pro list of the HPAT exam.[Even if rules and regulations have been set up for cheating, examinees still manage to find a way and people share ideas and etc... so anyone saying you can't cheat in the leaving is v.mistaken, really irks me if someone (and I know someone) that has been cheating beat me in a subjects that I do well in because of cheating. (dont forget 1 cheater could knock you out of the grading quota. I'm a sceptic for these 'systems')


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22 funkylana


    Crystler wrote: »
    Best post I have read so far, I may just have to troll around whichever board you are in just so I can be your friend -puppy dog eyes- Give in to my innate adorableness! I'm really interested in meeting everyone, IF I get accepted, in the medicine course. I wonder if they'll be gloriously brilliant, interesting and if I'll be able to learn from them, I always find meeting new people is a great way to learn new things, each person has different ideas, knowledge that I'd love to add to my own! One of the main reasons why I want to do medicine is to learn more about everything, and since you meet new people almost everyday on the job (albeit in bad form) I hope I can just make a difference (I sound like such an after-dinner special) -.- I'm gonna go sulk after putting myself into a cliche. Doesn't anyone else agree with me/disagree? I'll recheck after the 19th ^_^ and then 3days of everyone freaking out, and then on the 22nd it'll be people posting their results and freaking out even more. Oh the competition!
    'systems')

    this is the only board ive made any contribution to lol - you can tell by the fact that i only have 3 posts(including this one)- just typed in hpat into google and WAHEY! 38 pages of pure fear, criticism, and good awl debating!:cool:
    Once i'm finished with accounting and chemistry i'll probably be posting to my hearts content! (if i'm not shuddering with fear about the 22nd)

    Yeah i'm the same about meeting new people- i want a job where im not stuck on my own for half the day. Not to mention all the other great perks (which defo outweigh the downsides to the job); and i'll join you in your cliched optimism: i want to make a difference too!:pac:


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  • Registered Users Posts: 123 ✭✭shamoono


    funkylana wrote: »
    Lol yes its my name and so evidently its a girls name (i hope).:cool:

    And at least someone has some sense to see why the hpat is a good thing, and why the leaving cert can be a load of fooey half the time!

    Just hoping I do well in the HPAT because I know if I dont, my chances for medicine here are slim....stupid english paper 2 and irish paper 2 completely threw me and knocked my confidence; totally bricking it right now!

    I guess medicine in Malaysia, here I come! (fingers crossed)
    Or repeating......oh the horror.....don't even want to think about it right now....

    Out of curiosity, anybody going to post their HPAT results up here in the 22nd? Actually, thats probably a stupid question.....:o


    Medicine in Malaysia:eek: I rather repeat the year. yea my chances are pretty slim if i don't get a B in app maths and a B in physics i'm screwed because of the maths paper and biology :mad:

    I'll post my results up (if i did good ;))
    Not a long summer ahead looks like i'll be getting drunk most of the time if i do **** in HPAT :D


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