RCSI Mature Student Medicine Offers

SeeTea

Apparently UCC have sent out interview offer emails..I didn't get get any contact from them, so assuming its bad news. Has anyone else heard from UCC either way?

Captain1888

Is this for UCC mature or gamsat!?? I thought gamsat meant that there was no interview anyone thoughts??

notsofar

Guys!! Please tips for the interview for us who didnt get it this year, WHAT DO THEY ASK??

hollingr

First they will ask you to talk through your CV, and how you came to be applying for medicine.

At some stage they will try to pick holes in your application if there are any. e.g. If your academic performance fell short at some stage, or if you don't have very much medicine related experience, or if you seem like a refugee from another profession. There will always be 1-2 tough questions tailored specifically to your application, so you need to be prepared for that.


Hard to remember questions, time fly's by in a 15 minute interview..

Why medicine?
Why RCSI?
What skills do you have to offer?
How are you going to finance?
How do you feel about being in class with 17 year olds?
What do you know about the course in RCSI and the societies etc?

notsofar

Oh great Hollingr, thanks a lot for that, hopefully next year for me. Did you hear anything back from the interview?

hollingr

should hear back today or tomorrow... or the next day!

notsofar

hollingr wrote: »

should hear back today or tomorrow... or the next day!

Fingers crossed!

Captain1888

Fingers, legs, eyes.... EVERYTHING CROSSED!

SeeTea

hollingr wrote: »

First they will ask you to talk through your CV, and how you came to be applying for medicine.

At some stage they will try to pick holes in your application if there are any. e.g. If your academic performance fell short at some stage, or if you don't have very much medicine related experience, or if you seem like a refugee from another profession. There will always be 1-2 tough questions tailored specifically to your application, so you need to be prepared for that.


Hard to remember questions, time fly's by in a 15 minute interview..

Why medicine?
Why RCSI?
What skills do you have to offer?
How are you going to finance?
How do you feel about being in class with 17 year olds?
What do you know about the course in RCSI and the societies etc?

I got asked more or less the same questions too. But it's doesn't seem like an interview, more like a chat - wasn't too bad and the time really does fly by! Just be yourself in the interview. As someone previously said, they'll have called you for interview because they liked your CV. Just prove to them you are who you say you are.

I keep going over the interview negatively, and I keep picking out things I wish I said different!!!.. I'm so nervous about finding out! I really hope letters come tomorrow...oh god!!!!!!!!!

hollingr

it won't be a letter if you get in, it'll be a phone call..

Last year I didn't get in, got no phone call, when loads of people here last year were posting that they got the call to say they got a place. Then I got a letter a week or so later regretting to inform me that I wasn't succesfull.

Keep your phone at hand for next two days!

Captain1888

Rang RCSI yesterday and they said that it will be next week... so we can all have a lovely weekend in the sunshine... Dissect some steaks and throw them on the BBQ, inject countless cc's of beer and RELAX(well try)

hollingr

argh they said within 10 days.. jerks!

good work on calling them, was really expecting to hear by end of week if successful.

Captain1888

Yeah i figured ppl would... I have a busy weekend ahead so wanted to just relax and wait for monday... Also stressing in this weather is a killer so best to just put it out of your mind instead of having to be scraped from the ceiling every time the phone rings!

anfield bound

I'm not applying for medicine, but I've been following this thread and just wanted to say huge respect to you all for being in with a shout at this stage. I know how few places there are going for matures in med. Fair play.

SeeTea

Captain1888 wrote: »

... Also stressing in this weather is a killer so best to just put it out of your mind instead of having to be scraped from the ceiling every time the phone rings!

Hahahaha, great description!!

speeding

They told me on the phone today it will be either tomorrow or Monday. So I wouldn't give up hope about tomorrow.

hollingr

tell me why!

I don't like mondays

speeding

This wait is killing me now. Please let it be today either way.

hollingr

I just received an offer.. best of luck to all

speeding

I'm in too. Wooooooooooooohooooooooooooooo !!! Good luck everyone else

hollingr

also, for those who get put on waiting list.. I still have a slight chance to get in as an undergraduate, won't know about that until cao offers come out.

If I get in as undergraduate that frees up one mature spot, so don't loose hope entirely!

SeeTea

hollingr wrote: »

also, for those who get put on waiting list.. I still have a slight chance to get in as an undergraduate, won't know about that until cao offers come out.

If I get in as undergraduate that frees up one mature spot, so don't loose hope entirely!

Wow, CONGRATS GUYS!!!!!

I got put on a waiting list..heart breaking stuff!!:( I'm absolutely gutted!!!! I'm assuming that is just a polite way to say no? Like, is everyone who was called for interview put on the waiting list (apart from the ones who got offered obviously)?

You still going to go ahead with the leaving cert hollingr? You not going to spend from now until September celebrating??

Again, well done to everyone who got an offer!!!!

anneoy

Well done everyone who got in!!! And for those that didn't there's always next year!!

Hollingr you mentioned that you might have the points to get in - do you mean the points for rcsi? What happens if you get the points for any of the others? do you just get to choose?

hollingr

SeeTea wrote: »

Wow, CONGRATS GUYS!!!!!

I got put on a waiting list..heart breaking stuff!!:( I'm absolutely gutted!!!! I'm assuming that is just a polite way to say no? Like, is everyone who was called for interview put on the waiting list (apart from the ones who got offered obviously)?

You still going to go ahead with the leaving cert hollingr? You not going to spend from now until September celebrating??

Again, well done to everyone who got an offer!!!!

I need to get high B in bio or chem to skip premed.. easier said than done!! Really wish I'd put a bit more work into them now.

Last year I got interview and I didn't get put on the waiting list, I think it's only a few people really as backups for people who may take places in other colleges or get in through undergraduate route.. Just pray that the points for RCSI don't go up by more than 5 and you are in with a shout!


@anneoy: I have 737 combined score this year, so I am in with a shot at undergraduate entry (was 732 last year, but who knows what the bonus for maths will do..)

I am not sure about the fine print yet, will have to read the postal documents they are sending out, but if I get into RCSI as undergraduate that cancels out my mature spot and someone else gets it, that much I know for sure.

I don't want to give people false hope, but there is still s chance if you are on the waiting list. Some people might take a mature spot in another college ahead of RCSI, some might get in as undergrads, I know it's gut wrenching but there is still a glimmer of hope there.

dtfo

Fantastic news lads well done!!

SeeTea

Ah yeah, I'll be clinging on to that slight glimmer of hope for dear life!!!! I'm greatful it's not an out-right no, and it's true that there is always next year. But, not getting it makes you realise even more how much you wanted it!!! If I don't get an offer this year, then fingers crossed the saying lives up to its name - third time's a charm!

Hopefully some people get better offers and turn down the RCSI one.

Apparently you's have 21 days to accept it? Is that right?

Abby19

hollingr wrote: »

I just received an offer.. best of luck to all

speeding wrote: »

I'm in too. Wooooooooooooohooooooooooooooo !!! Good luck everyone else

Congratulations to you both - well done!!! It can be hard work though at times (like now around exams)!

hollingr wrote: »

I am not sure about the fine print yet, will have to read the postal documents they are sending out, but if I get into RCSI as undergraduate that cancels out my mature spot and someone else gets it, that much I know for sure.

I don't want to give people false hope, but there is still s chance if you are on the waiting list. Some people might take a mature spot in another college ahead of RCSI, some might get in as undergrads, I know it's gut wrenching but there is still a glimmer of hope there.

SeeTea wrote: »

Hopefully some people get better offers and turn down the RCSI one.

To those on the waiting list - there can be a bit of movement towards the end of the summer. As hollingr said some can be offered places through the undergraduate route, rather than the mature route. As far as I know you are offered in order of your CAO choice, so if RCSI #1 you will get that. If RCSI #2 and you have enough points for UCD and UCD #1, then you get UCD, etc.

There are also the Graduate Entry courses, some will be applying for both mature and graduate entry spots. Undergraduate for 5/6 years is €8.5k to €10k a year and Graduate entry is €14k-€16k a year (at 2011-12 rates), so some will opt for the Graduate entry as may be 1-2 years shorter, even though the fees themselves are a bit more expensive, and easier to get financing sorted.

And some people do struggle to get their finances in order. The GEP courses tend to have a loan deal with the college banks, but some people may already have loans going into them. And for the undergraduate courses, there is no formal loan structure in place, and it is not as simple as getting through first and/or second year and just assuming you will be able to get the GEP loan for your last four years unfortunately. There are threads from previous years detailing some of the problems. Some end up pulling out quite late and their places offered on at quite short notice.

Congratulations again to those who got offered a place and good luck to those on the waiting list.

hollingr

SeeTea wrote: »

Apparently you's have 21 days to accept it? Is that right?

21 days is right - that'll be 21 days from monday I assume, which is when are supposed to get the full details with fine print.

Finance can be a problem, I made sure had that sorted before applying. I know one or two last year had to defer places due to not being able to secure a loan anywhere. Banks won't give matures a loan without collateral/guaranteur with collateral, whereas GEM has a loan system in place which makes it easy.

Also, if I got in last year I would have had to do foundation year since I hadn't done chem/bio (an extra mountain of fees) so not getting in a particular year isn't always a bad thing, I'll have saved tons of money, and won't even loose a year!

Stmp

Just wondering if anyone else has an offer and are also waiting on graduate offers in early August?

Letter RCSI sent said half tuition fees have to be paid by 1st of august which makes things a little tricky..

salmck

hollingr wrote: »

21 days is right - that'll be 21 days from monday I assume, which is when are supposed to get the full details with fine print.

Finance can be a problem, I made sure had that sorted before applying. I know one or two last year had to defer places due to not being able to secure a loan anywhere. Banks won't give matures a loan without collateral/guaranteur with collateral, whereas GEM has a loan system in place which makes it easy.

Also, if I got in last year I would have had to do foundation year since I hadn't done chem/bio (an extra mountain of fees) so not getting in a particular year isn't always a bad thing, I'll have saved tons of money, and won't even loose a year!

hey hollingr,

Was just wondering how people are funding the 5yrs without the same loan scheme that is set up for the GEM's?
I know some people will have the funds from their parents.. but was wondering if anyone who hasnt, has managed to secure a loan from the banks? and if so who!?

I've read some of the threads on this from previous years..and it looks pretty scary..so was just wondering if anyone on this thread has had any luck..?