RCSI Mature Student Medicine Offers

hollingr

Sorry, can't help you there. Last year I didn't hear anyone mention a second round of interviews as far as I know. I 'think' the way it worked was they selected a top 15, and then a few people on a waiting list for places if some of the top 15 didn't take them.

I completely understand it is frustrating to not get an interview, when you feel you've done everything you can to get in. I guess the problem is not you as individuals, it's more about what you are up against.

Your 2.2 Eng lit degree is up against people with science or health science degrees, masters, phd's, published papers, etc, etc. It's very tough and competitive with tons applying and only 14 places!

You are also up against people that are willing to do the leaving cert again to try and get in that way, etc, etc. People are throwing everything and the kitchen sink at this application!

Insist on meeting with the admissions people to discuss your application and get formal feedback. It can be very useful, I feel it was for me last year anyway.

Don't loose your motivation, just redouble your efforts, it will stand to you!

anneoy

How are you guys planning to fund your studies? I did a year of undergrad so I won't be entitled to fees will I?

speeding

I have the first two years fees covered. Parents are willing to loan me the rest. Hopefully get some money for living expenses by working as a locum in my field during the summer months. Hopefully I get the chance to go with this plan :-p

dtfo

anneoy - If youve only done the first year of your previous undergrad then you only have to pay for the first year of the new one,the rest is covered

I remember it was mentioned about how not having RCSI as your first choice on the cao is frowned upon, how do we know this is true?

anneoy

Thanks

Did any of you not consider trying to get in based on leaving cert and hpat?

hollingr

dtfo wrote: »

anneoy - If youve only done the first year of your previous undergrad then you only have to pay for the first year of the new one,the rest is covered

I remember it was mentioned about how not having RCSI as your first choice on the cao is frowned upon, how do we know this is true?

the admissions people passed comment on this to me.

doesn't mean it's going to loose you a place, but they do notice.


@anneoy: yes, I am trying ot get in off l.c and hpat as undergraduate, I have 737 so am in with a shot in that respect.

anneoy

That score should secure a place shouldn't it? Wouldn't a score like that mean that you weren't eligible for mature entry?

hollingr

depends how much points go up by this year... i'm in with a chance anyways!

If you get in as as an undergraduate it would override mature entry, but it certainly doesn't stop you from applying as a mature student. Why would it??

anneoy

Ah that's good! two bites of the cherry!

But presumably if you got offered a place on mature grounds you'd accept? Then you'd be taken out of undergrad entry - no?

hollingr

It works as follows:

Lets say, in an ideal world, I am offered a place as a mature student, and also have enough points to get in as an undergraduate.

When the cao offers come out, undergraduate entry is assumed first. Thus, I would get a place as an undergraduate, not a mature student.

If my points aren't enough, and the college has accepted me as a mature student, I get a place that way.

This is why people can be offered places in medicine quite late, and also why people are kept on the waiting list.. They have to wait and see who gets in as an undergraduate and who doesn't.

anneoy

Ah I see. But if you had a top end score would the colleges not think that as you're going to get in through undergrad theres no point offering you a place?

hollingr

I don't think they can make that assumption, especially when it's tight like in my case. They can't say with any accuracy what the points are going to be this year.

I'm sure if you had a 750+ combined score they would assume that place is going to someone else though.

Remember mature entry is about taking in your whole life experience.. Having competitive academic credentials for undergraduate entry does not suddenly make you ineligible!!

anneoy

I took this from RCSI website:

The aim of the Mature Entry route is to widen access and provide an opportunity for individuals who may not otherwise find it possible to join a medical course through the traditional CAO entry routes.

I would infer that this meant that if one can get in through the traditional route they wouldn't be considered for mature - I dunno.

hollingr

Since undergraduate entry is taken on cao prior to mature entry, they take care of that fact. No one is going to get a place as a mature student if they can get in as a undergraduate first.

If they took providing an opportunity "to the extreme" they might end up with a bunch of students who lack the academic ability to even get through the course.

anneoy

Yeah I agree.

Do you know how many undergrad places in total at each of the colleges this year? - esp. cork I can't seem to find

hollingr

i know the total for all colleges is in and around the 400 mark.. don't have individual breakdowns though sorry

anneoy

People who didn't get an interview, did you get any feedback?

SeeTea

I know this thread says its to do with RCSI, but if anyone here has also applied to Cork, I just got an email there to say that they are currently in the process of short listing people and they will be tell people "in or around" the 21st of may. Interviews will be held on the 1st of June. Anyone heard from any of the others??

Abby19

hollingr wrote: »

i know the total for all colleges is in and around the 400 mark.. don't have individual breakdowns though sorry

There are only a few places reserved for mature students out of the overall total. RCSI has 15, Trinity has 5.

AFAIK NUIG only takes mature students from a health science background, and I think UCC only takes around 2 as they have the Grad Med option. UCD I think only has around 2 also, and they tend to offer those places to people ineligible for the Grad Med, i.e. without a 2:1. These were the numbers a few years back but I don't think they have changed that much.

FairytaleGirl

Any word from any other schools? I havnt heard a peep - but read people have got rejecton emails/letters?

So I emailed admissions and got this from UCC,

Dee,

The correspondence would usually be going out to students now.

If you wish, you can contact Connie Mulcahy in the College of Medicine and Health directly at 021 490 1574.

Once the application forms and supporting documentation is sent to the Departments in March, they deal with all the liaising from there.

Kind Regards

Fiona


This from Trinity,

Dear Dee,

Letters were posted last week to applicants who had been invited for interview to the course in Medicine. Applicants are asked to accept or decline their interview and additional applicants will be invited if vacancies arise.

Regards,
Admissions Office

And this from UCD;

Dear Dee

Thank you for your email.

The interviews for Medicine should be held at the end of May.

The short list of candidates for Medicine has not yet been decided.

Regards,

Elaine Byrne
Admissions
UCD Registry




So whats all this chat about emails?
I havnt heard anything from anyone but RCSI.

hollingr

I guess we can assume trinity is a lame duck for the lot of us that haven't got post yet then.. They could have put us out of our collective misery's though with a quick email or pfo letter!

I didn't know places for mature entry were so low in other colleges, I thought it was 15 across the board. Are you sure about those figures Abby?

@fairytale girl, ucd put up a notice here once they've sent out emails on decisions for mature entry for different courses:

http://www.ucd.ie/registry/admissions/mynews.html

dtfo

I would be fairly sure the numbers are low for all the other colleges. I was surprised at the amount RCSI take on.

Kinda upset with not getting interviews but it makes me determined to give the leaving my everything now. Good luck to everyone, I hope you all get in:D

Abby19

hollingr wrote: »

I didn't know places for mature entry were so low in other colleges, I thought it was 15 across the board. Are you sure about those figures Abby?

http://www.ucd.ie/registry/admissions/mynews.html

Did a bit of quick googling.

Trinity
It has been fairly constant at 4-5 for the past few years.
Can't get exact number online.

Galway
Actually none any more - sorry.
http://www.nuigalway.ie/mature/application.html
** There are no quota of places available in the 'mature years' category for Medicine.

Cork
A bit better actually
http://www.ucc.ie/en/mature/prospective/programmes/medicine/#A1
CK 701: MB, BCh, BAO (Hons) (Medicine)
Number of places available for Mature Students: 4

UCD
Can't get exact number online.
https://myucd.ucd.ie/htmlemailupload/File/Admissions/ucd_mature_graduate_entry_pathways.pdf
Medicine DN400 MB BCh BAO
Note: Students who qualify to apply for Graduate Entry to Medicine will not be considered for entry as Mature Students.
I know of someone who interviewed on 2010 and I think they were told 2 places.

Abby19

Oh and RCSI only started accepting mature applicants in 2009 I think.

hollingr

well.. that's taken the wind out of my sails a fair bit, safe to assume I won't be getting one of those places. Also just realised I almost certainly don't qualify for BTEA after all.. not been a good day for the realisations!

Time to start praying the leaving cert points for medicine don't go up..

@dtfo: smash the leaving out of the park! show those young minds what a wrinkly old sponge for a brain can do!

SeeTea

FairytaleGirl wrote: »

Any word from any other schools? I havnt heard a peep - but read people have got rejecton emails/letters?

So I emailed admissions and got this from UCC,

Dee,

The correspondence would usually be going out to students now.

If you wish, you can contact Connie Mulcahy in the College of Medicine and Health directly at 021 490 1574.

Once the application forms and supporting documentation is sent to the Departments in March, they deal with all the liaising from there.

Kind Regards

Fiona


This from Trinity,

Dear Dee,

Letters were posted last week to applicants who had been invited for interview to the course in Medicine. Applicants are asked to accept or decline their interview and additional applicants will be invited if vacancies arise.

Regards,
Admissions Office

And this from UCD;

Dear Dee

Thank you for your email.

The interviews for Medicine should be held at the end of May.

The short list of candidates for Medicine has not yet been decided.

Regards,

Elaine Byrne
Admissions
UCD Registry




So whats all this chat about emails?
I havnt heard anything from anyone but RCSI.

Wow, thanks for all that Fairytale Girl! (I'm assuming your name is Dee ) Looks like bad news from trinity for me then. It's already Wednesday and I havnt received any letter from them.
Anyone here get good news from trinity??

God all this waiting is a killer.

Also, does anyone know if the colleges know what order you have your choices on the CAO? Would they know if they are your first or second choice?

notsofar

Has anybody received an email for second round interviews heard from admissions there are going to be....no email myself guess that's bad news

Abby19

SeeTea wrote: »

Also, does anyone know if the colleges know what order you have your choices on the CAO? Would they know if they are your first or second choice?

Depends - Trinity use their supplemental form, I was told that I could tailor my CAO application to other universities when applying to them as Trinity doesn't use it. So I cannot say if they take rank into account.

Someone earlier said that RCSI favours being first - maybe check through this thread and ask the OP directly.

I had an interview in UCC a few years back and they had a printout of everything from the CAO and this included all courses listed and the rank and I was asked why I had the courses in that order.

Captain1888

Hi has anyone heard any good new via post or any news at all via post??? I would love to know why they are using snail mail!

FairytaleGirl

Not everyone has acess to email.

Ive had no news at all.