Everything HPAT and medicine for 2010 (R1 points post #1247)

HQvhs

briankirby wrote: »

Hey guys,how much harder is section 3 in the real thing?Iv been findin it tough enough on the practice tests so it could be an absolute disaster for me in the hpat.
Also,i was reading an article about the hpat recently and it seems that u have to specify whether you are male or female.Any1 know y this is,considering we already have cao numbers?

I thought section 3 was harder in the practice test compared to the real thing, but that's just my opinion. It differs between people.

And yeah, you have to tick a box stating your gender.

Dubs

briankirby wrote: »

Hey guys,how much harder is section 3 in the real thing?Iv been findin it tough enough on the practice tests so it could be an absolute disaster for me in the hpat.
Also,i was reading an article about the hpat recently and it seems that u have to specify whether you are male or female.Any1 know y this is,considering we already have cao numbers?

I found section 3 easier in the real thing too than in the practice test. Was the only section i fully finished as well. Thought the first 2 were harder though iirc.

The gender thing is probably just for research purposes, surveys and the likes. Its machines who correct the papers as far as i know, so unless the computers are sexist I wouldn't worry about it... You never know though, I guess they could be!

briankirby

Dubs wrote: »

I found section 3 easier in the real thing too than in the practice test. Was the only section i fully finished as well. Thought the first 2 were harder though iirc.

The gender thing is probably just for research purposes, surveys and the likes. Its machines who correct the papers as far as i know, so unless the computers are sexist I wouldn't worry about it... You never know though, I guess they could be!

Haha ok thanks:pac:
And,were there many questions where you had to infer infofrom a passage or was it mainly those problem solving things?
Cheers

fyounes

Hello
my name is Farah i live in france and I am sitting the Leaving cert as an external candidate so that I can get enough points to enter medicine.
However, I was just wondering if anyone can help
I am sitting Physics Chemistry and Biology (higher level) and I dont have my notes on the experiments any more
what can I do ? Is there any CD abou the experiemnts?
I should fill my notebooks in case an inspector wants to check it ?
Thank you

Calum196

Surely at this stage we should have an idea of the number of applicants...

Did anyone register very late ? Your customer number should tell how many people registered before you.

I registered on the 9th of November and there had already been over 500 applicants. Obviously that rate couldn't have continued, but it would be interesting to know the number.

briankirby

HQvhs wrote: »

There is a marking scheme but ACER won't release it. Though it isn't like a LC marking scheme. Basically they weight the answers depending on how many people got a particular question right.

Can i just ask where u got that info from,as it says on the hpat site that every question carries equal weight,but i keep hearing from people on this that its not the case.Why?

Calum196

Yes some questions are weighted once they know how many people got each question right. Some are given more weight and some questions are scraped completely.

briankirby

Calum196 wrote: »

Yes some questions are weighted once they know how many people got each question right. Some are given more weight and some questions are scraped completely.

Wat about this http://www.hpat-ireland.acer.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=50

A Neurotic

I'm wondering if putting together a FAQ and placing it in the first post of this thread might be an idea. It's a pretty big thread to trawl through and the same questions appear often.

Just a thought.

Calum196

briankirby wrote: »

Wat about this http://www.hpat-ireland.acer.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=50

You have to assume on the day that every question is worth equal marks. However once it comes to the correcting and marking system every question is not worth equal marks.

luckieblondie13

meow_bubble wrote: »

Hi, I know this is kinda off topic but here goes.
I'm applying for medicine this year and I know all about the HPAT and points and all that... but I'm starting to doubt that I'll get mid 500 points in the LC.
So I want to put something similar to medicine as my next option on my CAO, but I'm not sure what. I was thinking biomedical sciences but I heard its not a great degree?
help please?

Human Health and Disease in Trinity! It's a new course so I'm not certain but that's what I woulda done!

A Neurotic

meow_bubble wrote:

Hi, I know this is kinda off topic but here goes.
I'm applying for medicine this year and I know all about the HPAT and points and all that... but I'm starting to doubt that I'll get mid 500 points in the LC.
So I want to put something similar to medicine as my next option on my CAO, but I'm not sure what. I was thinking biomedical sciences but I heard its not a great degree?
help please?

Check out the Health Sciences Education forum, I'm sure the people there will be happy to help!

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

felic

@Luckieblond...
If you're not confident of hitting the mid 500's and doing a good solid HPAT, I wouldnt rule doing medicine out just yet. You have many many options if that indeed really is your dream career.

1. You can repeat the Leaving and get the mid 500's.
Realistically, to really have any chance of getting into any of the Irish med schools, you really need 550. Last year I think no one who got under 520 got a place but bear in mind, those 520 students did a fantastic HPAT. The top 50 percentile comes in at 150 out of the max 300 and thats a brilliant score on that exam.
Its a tough route trying to get into med school here as nearly EVERYONE wants it and about 80% of the people who get it will be repeat students. The HPAT was brought in the relieve the pressure on points, but they messed it up with the 560 tearing system, so its still in essence a points race to get in.

2. Seriously consider one of the UK universities via the UCAS system.
Theres a lot more med schools over in the UK and if Im correct, in the Irish leaving cert to secure a place, you need to be doing Higher level Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Physics and getting your A in each one of those.
That may seem unattainable but if you're going for Medicine, thats the standard you need to be reaching and given that they take an A as an A and not worry about A1 or A2, its not at all impossible.
But the dealine for these applications has passed so you'd be looking at applying at the end of this year and taking a year out or gap year (which really is not a bad idea at all)

3. There are so many routes into Medicine available now. You can do a degree in a related field like say Chemistry, Biochemistry, Science, Zoology, Botany, Biomedical Science, etc... get your 2.1 or 2.2 and then go down the graduate entry route. It will cost you but the government will pay half the fees for such students who go the graduate route. Theres a whole process for the entry requirements but I dont think LC results are needed. They focus on your primary degree, and some other form of HPAT test and interview.

4. You cant try for Dentistry or Pharmacy. I know those points are almost at the same level as Medicine, but its just another route that needs to be pointed out. There is a way students doing these courses can opt to join onto Medicine after they have completed I believe 3 years of those courses. You go back into year 2 of medicine.

Id advise anyone who is really thinking of Medicine and is dead set on becoming a doctor to really examine and look at the options.
But dont base your choice on prestige or money. That may have been legitimate say 40 years ago but not now. And the way our current economy is going... salaries will be lowered across the boards in the next couple of years; so although Medicine is a rewarding career, its very very tough demanding work and some people just cant take it and opt to specialize in lab work or research.

All the best.

sheep-go-baa

felic wrote: »

2. Seriously consider one of the UK universities via the UCAS system.
Theres a lot more med schools over in the UK and if Im correct, in the Irish leaving cert to secure a place, you need to be doing Higher level Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Physics and getting your A in each one of those.
That may seem unattainable but if you're going for Medicine, thats the standard you need to be reaching and given that they take an A as an A and not worry about A1 or A2, its not at all impossible.
But the dealine for these applications has passed so you'd be looking at applying at the end of this year and taking a year out or gap year (which really is not a bad idea at all)

Just wanted to say that you don't need all three sciences plus maths for all the med courses. Some of them will require it, not all. Also you'll need to do an extra exam similar to the HPAT but you can actually sit it in Ireland.

felic

Yes but you're better off doing all three so you can apply to as many of the UK uni's as possible. Are you sure the GAMSAT is for undergraduates? I thought that was for graduate entry. Wow. Things have changed.

Calum196

Its the UCAT... I think.

tracker-man

The UKCAT

Indeed, GAMSAT is for graduate entry.

JSK 252

I have the HPAT practice test booklet which I already got from my career guidance teacher and the UMAT practice test no.1 which is relatively similar to the hpat practice test. What kind of other test material are people using to practice?

Calum196

This is kinda a bump for this thread, before the front page gets consumed by other ones.

5989

felic wrote: »

4. You cant try for Dentistry or Pharmacy. I know those points are almost at the same level as Medicine, but its just another route that needs to be pointed out. There is a way students doing these courses can opt to join onto Medicine after they have completed I believe 3 years of those courses. You go back into year 2 of medicine.

Elaborate If possible please.

Thanks

briankirby

5989 wrote: »

Elaborate If possible please.

Thanks

From what i hear,this is very very difficult to do.Youd have to get a 2.1 degree in dent and after that tough 5 years you might get a chance to go back into 2nd/3rd year med.I dont think this is possible with a pharmacy degree though.

Dubs

Just got the ticket, doing it in trinity. Much much better than hiking out to ucd like last year

pfannkuchen

I'm in Belfield, happy with that!

UCD Blackrock. Never been there before :S

H2student

In RCSI, the centre that I am most confident in getting to on time.

theowen

Grrr have to take an hour and a half trek to UCD. Can you get your test centre changed? TCD's only 20 mins away on the bus:(

marzh007

UCD BLACKROCK

theowen

theowen wrote: »

Grrr have to take an hour and a half trek to UCD. Can you get your test centre changed? TCD's only 20 mins away on the bus:(

Nah, they said they can't change it. TCD would be handier for me too, but c'est la vie.