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Doing medicine? ... can any medical students advise?
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If you do premed do you get more early in-hospital experience?
We started premed in the middle of September and were in the hospital from October to December (just a few hours a week) taking patient histories and talking to interns. But I'm sure you've heard enough about NUIG from me already!
I've no idea what the other premeds are like, but I've heard that there no hospital experience in UCD premed. 0 -
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QueenOfLeon wrote: »We started premed in the middle of September and were in the hospital from October to December (just a few hours a week) taking patient histories and talking to interns. But I'm sure you've heard enough about NUIG from me already! I've no idea what the other premeds are like, but I've heard that there no hospital experience in UCD premed.
In RCSI there's no patient contact at all in premed, it all starts halfway through second year in the hospital.I just have a quick Q! People say that the exams are very hard in Medicine and a lot struggle to pass. I have a great interest in Medicine, and if I do get in, I would work very hard and study consistently. Is it possible if you completely dedicate yourself, to get say 90% in your exams-or is that unheard of in Medicine?:o
Also, what makes it so difficult to get a high score in the exams? Is it the complexity of the subjects, the marking scheme or the broadness of the questions asked?
Thank you!:)
Sure it's possible to get over 90%, it's just very, very hard. I know a guy who got over 90% in one or two exams. It's unusual though, you'd want to work very hard and have an amazing memory! I thought the exams were a lot tougher than they actually were because I didn't study for semester one, I studied like crazy for semester two and did very well overall, so if you put the work in you wont fail. I found them difficult because there's just so much to learn and sometimes I was unsure what exactly I needed to know. It all worked out well in the end though! The questions were very straightforward and the marking scheme was clear, it was just the enormousness of the material.0 -
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Hey all,
I'm just doing my Leaving Cert now and I'm all in a muddle so apologies in advance if I don't make sense!
My dream was to do medicine. But unfortunately I don't do chemistry or physics, so I thought I was ruled out of every medicine course in the country. Or so I was told by my Guidance Counsellers.
Lo and behold I am told UCD medicine, and I think RCSI too, don't require you to have Chem (I do Bio), my guidance counseller tells me. Too late, beyond reg date. I probably should have researched a little but more into it but such is life! Dov'e la Vittoria??
Anywhos, I still really want to do medicine. If I had it down on my CAO I would work my ass off for it, but unfortunately I don't. I have other choices down too that interest me, but not as much as Medicine. Anyway I have TCD Science, TCD Medicinal Chem, two DCU science-type courses down, and Physio in RCSI, which I won't get into.
My plan was if I got into any of them, apart from Physio, I would do the 4 years and enter Post Grad medicine. Well for the two TCD ones anyway...
But I was thinking, if I end up getting the DCU ones, should I repeat and go straight into medicine, rather then settle for 2nd best, as they are last on my CAO.
It looks likely that I will repeat, depending on offers (if any)
I am expecting around 430-460 points. I don't know
Never know how LC gonna turn out. I know if I was doing medicine I need at least 520, but I am capable of getting that if I repeat.
So what are peoples opinions?
Should I go for it? Should I repeat and try get inyo med? Am I cut out or the work in college?
I am an intelligent person (I hope) I love helping people, but I'm not the top-of-the year person you find entering medicine. I'm not that good
Its my dream, I would love it.0 -
FridaysWell wrote: »Hey all,
I'm just doing my Leaving Cert now and I'm all in a muddle so apologies in advance if I don't make sense!
My dream was to do medicine. But unfortunately I don't do chemistry or physics, so I thought I was ruled out of every medicine course in the country. Or so I was told by my Guidance Counsellers.
Lo and behold I am told UCD medicine, and I think RCSI too, don't require you to have Chem (I do Bio), my guidance counseller tells me. Too late, beyond reg date. I probably should have researched a little but more into it but such is life! Dov'e la Vittoria??
Anywhos, I still really want to do medicine. If I had it down on my CAO I would work my ass off for it, but unfortunately I don't. I have other choices down too that interest me, but not as much as Medicine. Anyway I have TCD Science, TCD Medicinal Chem, two DCU science-type courses down, and Physio in RCSI, which I won't get into.
My plan was if I got into any of them, apart from Physio, I would do the 4 years and enter Post Grad medicine. Well for the two TCD ones anyway...
But I was thinking, if I end up getting the DCU ones, should I repeat and go straight into medicine, rather then settle for 2nd best, as they are last on my CAO.
It looks likely that I will repeat, depending on offers (if any)
I am expecting around 430-460 points. I don't know Never know how LC gonna turn out. I know if I was doing medicine I need at least 520, but I am capable of getting that if I repeat.
So what are peoples opinions?
Should I go for it? Should I repeat and try get inyo med? Am I cut out or the work in college?
I am an intelligent person (I hope) I love helping people, but I'm not the top-of-the year person you find entering medicine. I'm not that good
Its my dream, I would love it.
I think you can still change your CAO till the 1st of July. Get moving and good luck, just spend the whole summer getting the jist of LC chem and you won't be behind. Who knows, with the HPAT you might get in, it makes no sense to leave it off the CAO and then figure out you might have got in:D0 -
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FridaysWell wrote: »My dream was to do medicine. But unfortunately I don't do chemistry or physics, so I thought I was ruled out of every medicine course in the country. Or so I was told by my Guidance Counsellers.
Oh dear...guidance counsellors :mad: You can do medicine in UCD, RCSI, and NUIG, if you do the premed year 1st, making medicine 6 years instead of 5. I've just finished premed (even though I had chemistry and biology), had the choice of doing 5 years but chose premed and was the best decision
Anyway, if you think medicine is what you REALLY want to do, the quicker and cheaper way (and possibly easier) is to go back, repeat the leaving (if you're not happy with this years points) and sit the HPAT. And take note of what wayhey said about money...university, even with "free fees", is very expensive. A possibly unnecessary 4 years of science will cost a lot of money before you even start into graduate entry medicine. Also, the GAMSAT exam to get into grad med is not a walk in the park...very competitive, so you might not even get that on the first try (its not an aptitude test like the HPAT, its one you have to study for).
If you're still very unsure about what course to do, the extra year to repeat the leaving will give you more time to think about it, as well as more options if you sit the hpat, and more points. One year really doesn't make all that much difference...I know if I was told that last year I wouldn't want to hear any of it, but at the moment, I would prefer to have my leaving cert repeated and hoping to get into a course I really want, than finished 1st year and "stuck" in a college course I didn't like. If you start a course and then drop out, going back means paying fees for first year (>€7000 depending on the course).
So, I would repeat, but of course its up to you. If you don't like the idea of having to take premed and doing 6 years in college you could take up chemistry if you decide to repeat and then go straight into first med? Although I would recommend premed 100% 0 -
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QueenOfLeon wrote: »I'll PM you with info on it that I've given to other people
Ooh!! Would you mind PMing me too please!?:o:)0 -
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QueenOfLeon is a legend for all her help
and every other Med student that takes time to talk to us potentials
Can I just ask, publicly here, why would you advocate your college over another? What do you like about it? What do you hate? What are the support services/lectures like? Do you get much lab/dissection time?0 -
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Can I just ask, publicly here, why would you advocate your college over another? What do you like about it? What do you hate? What are the support services/lectures like? Do you get much lab/dissection time?
Cant talk about Med in any other college but will give you an idea of RCSI.
I love the diversity and mix of nationalities in RCSI. As the Irish contingent is quite small you get to know each other really well. And I can confidently say that if I were to go on a round the world trip now, I would have friends everywhere! I like the fact that it is primarily a medical school and all the teaching is focused in that regard. I know some of other colleges mix the meds with science and allied health for some subjects? But im open to correction We get to start learning clinical skills from first year which puts us at an advantage when we start in the hospitals from third year. Was talking to a girl in UCD who was going into third year this year and they did not seem to have as much clinical work done as us. Again im open to correction! RCSI had a fabulous international reputation and I know when I finish, I will not have much trouble should I chose to go abroad. Some people dont like the rotations around different hospitals but I presonally love it. You get to meet new staff, see different techniques which might not be in other hospitals (for example robotic prostatic surgery in Galway Clinic) and you get to see how all the hospitals differ in terms of facilities etc.
As with all colleges there are cons. As you go further through the course, things get a little less organised. For example, I only knew what team I was going to be on in Beaumont the Friday before I was to start. But you learn to think on your feet and seek the information you require. They changed some of our exams for our year and made them different to the previous year, without really telling us much about it. For example they added in a Micro and Pathology OSCE in 2nd and 3rd year which was not on previously, and did not really tell us what it would consist of until we had a class meeting with the director of our year the week before the exams. But I think the following years will be more informed. After each semester we get a feedback form to fill in and give our views for the semester we have just completed. They do in fairness listen to what we have to say and try to improve things for the years following us.
The support services are really really super in RCSI I have found. As it is a small college, they really look after the students. Many of the staff now know me by name simply from dealing with them a few times and I always get a friendly hello along the corridors now! Not many other colleges can say that tbh. Lectures are good imo, all online. In first and second year they do be online before the lecture so they can be printed out if you wish. This gets a bit haphazard once you move to Beaumont as all the lectures are given by the hospital staff and they dont have time to get them online before the lecture. So always be prepared to take your own notes! I was in NUIG and Trinity doing different courses before going to RCSI and I find the teaching a lot better and efficient. But that is a personal opinion.
I cant remember how much lab/dissection time we had in 1st and 2nd year (all those moons ago!) but Piste is better placed to give you an idea of that. I remember we had extra anatomy labs in 2nd year for neuroanatomy so we ended up in the lab about 3 or 4 times a week. So there was labs for head and neck and extra labs for neuroanatomy, if that makes sense.
And more questions please ask and will try to answer 0 -
QueenOfLeon wrote: »I'll PM you with info on it that I've given to other people
could you pm me too queenofleon pleease??0 -
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Hey folks. Going into 6th year this year. Looking at my summer test results I got about 500 points. Now I know they are nothing to go by and I have a long way to go but would you say Im on the right track for getting into med? That was achieved with a slightly above average amount of study. Just looking for a guideline at this point as I know nothing is for definite and all can change. Thanks.
Its really up to yourself and how much work you're prepared to put in next year. If you want to get it, you have to aim for as high a Leaving Cert as possible so you have to be capable of studying consistently for the year. Obviously 500 points is really good for the tests but they're nothing on the Leaving Cert...you won't really be able to see your progress until you get more of the courses done, and start on oral and practical preparation. If you're prepared to put in the time and effort I don't see why you shouldn't do well! 0 -
QueenOfLeon wrote: »Its really up to yourself and how much work you're prepared to put in next year. If you want to get it, you have to aim for as high a Leaving Cert as possible so you have to be capable of studying consistently for the year. Obviously 500 points is really good for the tests but they're nothing on the Leaving Cert...you won't really be able to see your progress until you get more of the courses done, and start on oral and practical preparation. If you're prepared to put in the time and effort I don't see why you shouldn't do well!
I see thank you. Yes well i only really studied for half the year last year. So i figure if i make the effort for the whole year this time i should be able to get another 20-50 points. Thank you for the encouragement.0 -
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