a science degree in ucd..... then...

brownlad

into medicine:D.... i was thinking i am not going to get the points for medicine so if i did science in ucd the went for a graduate entry to medicine after that?? what do you people think.... and i want to know how long would graduate entry to medicine take??

brownlad

anybody???????????????????????????????????

2Scoops

You have 5 months to prepare and ace the LC/HPAT - there is no easier route than that. More than enough time. If you fail, repeat. Then you have a year and 5 months! Doing a 4 year degree as a prelude to med is just silly.

Nonoperational

I did pharmacy first and then got in through the Gamsat and am now doing medicine. Pharmacy was a fantastic prep although if I could have gone straight in I would have.

Serious advantages now though. Nothing is alien to me except for the clinical examination. My knowledge of drugs and pharmacology is a massive massive help and I have built up a nice chunk of confidence and communication skills etc working in the real world for a year or so. I also managed to save a bit so I could pay my fees for the first year and I do a few hours a week part time work and it covers my weekly spending money and more. Every cloud has it's silver lining! If the LC and HPAT doesn't work out it's not the end of the world...

brownlad

2Scoops wrote: »

You have 5 months to prepare and ace the LC/HPAT - there is no easier route than that. More than enough time. If you fail, repeat. Then you have a year and 5 months! Doing a 4 year degree as a prelude to med is just silly.

thanks ....but i know nothing of the hpat...could you tell me what it entails??

brownlad

gpf101 wrote: »

I did pharmacy first and then got in through the Gamsat and am now doing medicine. Pharmacy was a fantastic prep although if I could have gone straight in I would have.

Serious advantages now though. Nothing is alien to me except for the clinical examination. My knowledge of drugs and pharmacology is a massive massive help and I have built up a nice chunk of confidence and communication skills etc working in the real world for a year or so. I also managed to save a bit so I could pay my fees for the first year and I do a few hours a week part time work and it covers my weekly spending money and more. Every cloud has it's silver lining! If the LC and HPAT doesn't work out it's not the end of the world...

how much are your fees at the moment??

Biologic

brownlad wrote: »

could you tell me what it entails??

Ah come on. Do you actually want to do medicine or is this a fleeting thought?
HPAT is an apptitude test you will have to pass to get in from LC. GAMSAT is an (arguably more difficult) apptitude test you will have to pass if you want to go in as a graduate. If you want it, go for it now and save yourself the 4 years. The graduate route won't work out much easier than the LC.

2Scoops

brownlad wrote: »

thanks ....but i know nothing of the hpat...could you tell me what it entails??

Here is their website. You should get to grips with this test before you take it. You really need to be prepared - consult your guidance counsellor or whatever they have skool these days.
http://www.hpat-ireland.acer.edu.au/

Nonoperational

The fees are unpleasant. Another reason why it's probably better go straight in. Our fees are about 13k a year for 4 years.

brownlad

Biologic wrote: »

Ah come on. Do you actually want to do medicine or is this a fleeting thought?
HPAT is an apptitude test you will have to pass to get in from LC. GAMSAT is an (arguably more difficult) apptitude test you will have to pass if you want to go in as a graduate. If you want it, go for it now and save yourself the 4 years. The graduate route won't work out much easier than the LC.

thank you...like i do know what the hpat is...but not like what the questions are like if u get me ...is it maths or just logical tests or what ??

2Scoops wrote: »

Here is their website. You should get to grips with this test before you take it. You really need to be prepared - consult your guidance counsellor or whatever they have skool these days.
http://www.hpat-ireland.acer.edu.au/

thanks ...are there past papers???

Biologic

The sample papers are on the link 2scoops gave you. Otherwise google can do it for you... http://tinyurl.com/2adx4mc

rbrbrb

Doing a 4 yr degree as a prelude to med is not silly. Universities and this year hospitals much prefer graduates. Having said that if you can get in straight away, why not?? Problem with LC is you do it when you're 18 - still way too immature for most people to bother too hard.

2Scoops

rbrbrb wrote: »

Doing a 4 yr degree as a prelude to med is not silly. Universities and this year hospitals much prefer graduates. Having said that if you can get in straight away, why not?? Problem with LC is you do it when you're 18 - still way too immature for most people to bother too hard.

What I meant was that LC/HPAT is the 'easiest' way to get into med. I actually agree that graduate entry, as in the US, is the best model of med school education.

treehouse2

i would just love to know why you are even considering Medicine

you must be pretty determined

Biologic

rbrbrb wrote: »

Universities and this year hospitals much prefer graduates.

Where are you getting this from? I'm doing graduate med and would be interrested to know how the first bunch of grads are getting on.

rbrbrb

It's the feedback coming from lecturers and consultants. Obviously I can't give proof because no official document is going to say they prefer grads and it's too early for any studies to be done but take from it what you will. Ucd are planning to go 50/50 grad/undergrad , partly for money but also partly because grads are way more focused.

jmn89

Brownlad are you in fifth or sixth year?

The answers to all of the questions you've asked are remarkably easy to find in prospectuses (which you should have) and online on the relevant websites with little effort. That info is most likely to be accurate.

Wrt consultants preferring graduates? pfft... depends on the consultant of course. I'm in TCD in an undergrad course but we have quite a few mature/postgrad students in our class (for the five year course) and little if any distinction is made. Depends entirely on the individual.

brownlad

im in 6th year .... and i think i might go for science in ucd first ... then grad med....sound for the replies feens

QueenOfLeon

For someone who has to have applied for the HPAT by the 20th of January, and for the CAO by the beginning of February, you don't seem to have done all that much research into the process. Did you consider the hpat/lc route or just assume you'll get into graduate medicine easily?

imported_guy

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

For someone who has to have applied for the HPAT by the 20th of January, and for the CAO by the beginning of February, you don't seem to have done all that much research into the process. Did you consider the hpat/lc route or just assume you'll get into graduate medicine easily?

this.... graduate entry is hardcore work, it requires way more knowledge for the tests than whats covered in the LC (atleast biology/chemistry anyway)

brownlad

QueenOfLeon wrote: »

For someone who has to have applied for the HPAT by the 20th of January, and for the CAO by the beginning of February, you don't seem to have done all that much research into the process. Did you consider the hpat/lc route or just assume you'll get into graduate medicine easily?

um i did think about it...but i was told by my guidance counselor that having a science degree to prelude medicine would be a pretty wise thing to do...cause id have two related degrees under my belt...making me alot more "hire able" ...is what he said anyway......

Biologic

I think she's talking nonsense to be honest. That's the route I've gone down but I certainly don't expect to be more 'hire-able' than the rest of the medical students in my class. The graduate route will be as difficult to get into, only at that stage you may have a degree you didn't want and be stuck with it if you don't get medicine. You should consider going for the points straight away, medicine will be tougher than the LC.

jmn89

brownlad wrote: »

um i did think about it...but i was told by my guidance counselor that having a science degree to prelude medicine would be a pretty wise thing to do...cause id have two related degrees under my belt...making me alot more "hire able" ...is what he said anyway......

Hang on... so your guidance counsellor advised you not to take the HPAT and to go with the graduate medicine route? That's bizarre! The LC route must be by far the most simple and will at least have you out of college in your early 20s...

imported_guy

Biologic wrote: »

I think she's talking nonsense to be honest. That's the route I've gone down but I certainly don't expect to be more 'hire-able' than the rest of the medical students in my class. The graduate route will be as difficult to get into, only at that stage you may have a degree you didn't want and be stuck with it if you don't get medicine. You should consider going for the points straight away, medicine will be tougher than the LC.

biologic speaks sense, another way to look at it is someone would rather hire a 25 year old than a 35 year old for a training scheme, since they would work 10 years extra as a consultant before retiring, and thats money well spent for the HSE

QueenOfLeon

brownlad wrote: »

um i did think about it...but i was told by my guidance counselor that having a science degree to prelude medicine would be a pretty wise thing to do...cause id have two related degrees under my belt...making me alot more "hire able" ...is what he said anyway......

A doctor with a science degree will not be more employable since all the important science modules are covered in the medicine course anyway. Its a longer, more expensive and arguably more difficult pathway to take.

Chunky Monkey

I started the natural sciences course in TCD, it was a helluva a lot harder than anything I've encountered in my two and half years of medicine.

I don't know how the science degree works in UCD but, if you insist on going the graduate route, you should try and do something that will allow you to graduate with a degree that will make you stand out eg neuroscience etc (which you can go into in your last two years with the TCD science degree).

You have another option, if you are willing to take a gap year, you could apply to UCAS in October.

Zooropa90

I'm planning on doing the same. I didn't really want to know what I wanted to do after leaving school, so I did science first.

I'm planning on taking the test next year (or maybe the year after)
I heard it's first year chemistry and biology at college level. I think I'm ok for biology, but for chemistry I've started looking over the 'chemistry for dummies' book. Does anyone know if it's everything in that book?
It says at the start first semester organic chemistry, I done an introduction to organic chemistry in college but there is alot more in the book.
Also, should I study from both 'organic chemistry I' AND 'organic chemistry II'?
Thanks,

Nulzy

gpf101 wrote: »

I did pharmacy first and then got in through the Gamsat and am now doing medicine. Pharmacy was a fantastic prep although if I could have gone straight in I would have.

Serious advantages now though. Nothing is alien to me except for the clinical examination. My knowledge of drugs and pharmacology is a massive massive help and I have built up a nice chunk of confidence and communication skills etc working in the real world for a year or so. I also managed to save a bit so I could pay my fees for the first year and I do a few hours a week part time work and it covers my weekly spending money and more. Every cloud has it's silver lining! If the LC and HPAT doesn't work out it's not the end of the world...

So sorry to steer the thread away, but I am a repeat student, received my hpat score Monday and med is looking doubtful, again.:( Just wondering where did you study Pharmacy? Finding it very difficult to find info on people's opinions of the different colleges, living in Cork, I am much closer to UCC but have heard nothing but negative views about the course there and how one is thrown into the deep end..people have told me to consider TCD instead, it is better run?
Tbh, I am entering into Pharmacy to obtain a solid grounding with the intention of applying for graduate Med (praying that I can afford the fees),as it is really all I want to do, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

KizzyMonster

I've just finished science in Trinity and want to go to grad medicine now (I didn't get the points in the LC and it was before the hpat)....
The GAMSAT is a lot harder than you seem to think: 1500 applicants and only around 200 places. Plus you're competing with graduates from courses like pharmacy or human health and disease which outs you at a disadvantage...

kapow

Nulzy wrote: »

Tbh, I am entering into Pharmacy to obtain a solid grounding with the intention of applying for graduate Med (praying that I can afford the fees),as it is really all I want to do, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Well if you want to get into Gradmed as soon as possible you'd be better off choosing a shorter/easier degree to get a 2.1 degree in. Pharmacy, physics, law etc. may be quite tough to get such a result in.

KizzyMonster wrote: »

The GAMSAT is a lot harder than you seem to think: 1500 applicants and only around 200 places. Plus you're competing with graduates from courses like pharmacy or human health and disease which outs you at a disadvantage...

The GAMSAT is hard but is there are many harder exams (including the L.C). I'd guess that the majority of applicants study for about 3-4 months for a few hours each day. In addition 50% of the exam has nothing to do with science, and the vast majority of questions in Section III can be answered without any prior knowledge. It is a test of logical reasoning and lateral thinking, not regurgitating up information; so coming from a science or pharmacy background will definitely not guarantee you a high score. People like Nulzy should not be discouraged by such posts and if you are sure that it is really what you want to do, go for it!

I'd also question that figure of 1500 applicants and 200 places. I think it was more like 680 applicants and 227 places (quoted from elsewhere). Therefore, about 1 in 3-4 will be accepted.

Nulzy

kapow wrote: »

Well if you want to get into Gradmed as soon as possible you'd be better off choosing a shorter/easier degree to get a 2.1 degree in. Pharmacy, physics, law etc. may be quite tough to get such a result in.

Thanks for the advice, still think I'll go with Pharm..I'd be happier with this degree if I don't get into grad med...and if I was stuck with a Science degree I'd really have to go and do further study after the 4 years anyway. I really think a pharmacy degree would help too if I did achieve a place in grad med, as I'd have studied biochemistry, physiology etc and would obtain a broader view which would prob help me as a doctor. And I'm prepared to work my ass off to ensure a 2.1. Fingers crossed I'm making the right decisions anyway :P