Getting into Medicine + GAMSAT exam questions.

Zooropa90

Hey,

I’m currently doing a zoology degree in UCD, and was wondering f anyone could tell me how I would be able to get into medicine after I graduate.

I’ve heard various things about the GAMSAT exam, but I’m not really sure what that is. Do you just apply to take it after you graduate? I’ve seen other posts saying there are parts on biology, chemistry and physics. I think I would be ok for biology but I have no clue about the others, are there prep classes you can take before sitting the exam? And what percentage of the people that take the exam get places in medicine afterwards?

Biologic

http://tinyurl.com/4tmlsdb
http://tinyurl.com/47ac2sy

imported_guy

Zooropa90 wrote: »

Hey,

I’m currently doing a zoology degree in UCD, and was wondering f anyone could tell me how I would be able to get into medicine after I graduate.

I’ve heard various things about the GAMSAT exam, but I’m not really sure what that is. Do you just apply to take it after you graduate? I’ve seen other posts saying there are parts on biology, chemistry and physics. I think I would be ok for biology but I have no clue about the others, are there prep classes you can take before sitting the exam? And what percentage of the people that take the exam get places in medicine afterwards?

GAMSAT is an incredibly hardcore exam, only a few each year make it, there are about 100 something places in all of ireland for graduate medicine, and about a 1,000 applicants, so about 10% of the people make it you can take it before or after you graduate, and scores are valid for 2 years, you're examined on: english (reading + writing), biology, chemistry, physics, prep courses are very expensive, some are 400 odd euro per subject, and they are usually 3 day per course, but there are some "intensive" revision courses as well

Biologic wrote: »

http://tinyurl.com/4tmlsdb
http://tinyurl.com/47ac2sy

ah now play nice with the noobs :P

Zooropa90

Are the subjects leaving cert or college level? I have no clue about Chemistry or Physics, I would probably need more than 3 days to get my head around those. I was planning on taking a year out an doing the exam in the march after I finish school.

You have to graduate with a 2.1, is that true? Should you do your dissertation on something medical related or anything?

Cheers,

Biologic

imported_guy wrote: »

ah now play nice with the noobs :P

Yea, it's just that this is one of my pet hates. Alot of people have passed GAMSAT and put effort into posting all the hints and tips they could think of into a thread which is stickied at the top of this forum (myself included). You'd like to think people would at least do you the courtesy of not asking you to continually repost it.

imported_guy

Zooropa90 wrote: »

Are the subjects leaving cert or college level? I have no clue about Chemistry or Physics, I would probably need more than 3 days to get my head around those. I was planning on taking a year out an doing the exam in the march after I finish school.

You have to graduate with a 2.1, is that true? Should you do your dissertation on something medical related or anything?

Cheers,

yes to the 2.1 part no to the latter

and subjects are all college level, except for physics, which is LC level (or they say, but im a mech eng major, and i found it pretty tough, so its actually college level too)

when do you graduate? i think thats the best idea, you can also do it in london, and the result counts here as well.

Zooropa90

imported_guy wrote: »

yes to the 2.1 part no to the latter

and subjects are all college level, except for physics, which is LC level (or they say, but im a mech eng major, and i found it pretty tough, so its actually college level too)

when do you graduate? i think thats the best idea, you can also do it in london, and the result counts here as well.

I done chemistry in first year, I found it really difficult so I would need alot of work on that. I have never done physics.

I graduate next summer (2012), I don't think I'd be ready by Sept. I'd need to put in a lot of work for chemistry and physics.

I've heard the courses in grad med are very expensive too, Can you go on to study in many other countries after doing the test in Ireland?

imported_guy

Zooropa90 wrote: »

I done chemistry in first year, I found it really difficult so I would need alot of work on that. I have never done physics.

I graduate next summer (2012), I don't think I'd be ready by Sept. I'd need to put in a lot of work for chemistry and physics.

I've heard the courses in grad med are very expensive too, Can you go on to study in many other countries after doing the test in Ireland?

yeah you can study in either australia or UK with the gamsat, but if you wanna go to poland or hungary etc, you dont really need to do any tests, just apply and they might even consider your old leaving if it had 400+ points (im guessing you had atleast 400 since you're in UCD) they'd pretty much take on anyone as long as you pay (and since its eastern europe, your money goes a long way its really cheap, few grand a year should cover it, grad med in ireland is 13,000+ a year, so you'd need a loan unless ur rents are minted)

Zooropa90

imported_guy wrote: »

yeah you can study in either australia or UK with the gamsat, but if you wanna go to poland or hungary etc, you dont really need to do any tests, just apply and they might even consider your old leaving if it had 400+ points (im guessing you had atleast 400 since you're in UCD) they'd pretty much take on anyone as long as you pay (and since its eastern europe, your money goes a long way its really cheap, few grand a year should cover it, grad med in ireland is 13,000+ a year, so you'd need a loan unless ur rents are minted)

So I'd need a loan then Is it the same kind of prices in the UK? I read somewhere that it's about 10K per year in the UK. And is 4 years?

Everything I find on the UCD websites seems to be a course in an area of medicine, like forensic medicine. Are there just general grad med courses?

imported_guy

Zooropa90 wrote: »

So I'd need a loan then Is it the same kind of prices in the UK? I read somewhere that it's about 10K per year in the UK. And is 4 years?

Everything I find on the UCD websites seems to be a course in an area of medicine, like forensic medicine. Are there just general grad med courses?

the only degree that makes you a "doctor" or a "surgeon" is a degree in "medicine" a degree in "x medicine" or "medical Y" doesnt make you a doctor or a surgeon


X and Y represent subdivisions of medicine eg. forensics (medical forensics) or medical genetics etc etc

the fees in UK are 9000 pounds or so which were bought in by the government recently (they used to be paid by the government up until now) that equals about 13000 or so euro again

grad medicine course here AND in the UK is 4 years (except in peninsula med school which is 5 years)

Zooropa90

imported_guy wrote: »

the only degree that makes you a "doctor" or a "surgeon" is a degree in "medicine" a degree in "x medicine" or "medical Y" doesnt make you a doctor or a surgeon


X and Y represent subdivisions of medicine eg. forensics (medical forensics) or medical genetics etc etc

the fees in UK are 9000 pounds or so which were bought in by the government recently (they used to be paid by the government up until now) that equals about 13000 or so euro again

grad medicine course here AND in the UK is 4 years (except in peninsula med school which is 5 years)

I think I found the right one for UCC. Do you know if UCD offers a graduate degree in just medicine? I can't find just a medicine one.

Are you doing a grad course in medicine? What do you think of it?

Sid_Justice

Listen zoo pal, if you're not able to search google you're not able for a gradmed. Now I've got that friendly introduction out of the way:

http://www.ucd.ie/medicine/undergraduateprogrammes/ There's a box there for graduate entry with this pdf http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/gem%20prog%20layout.pdf

I did zoology and i'm in gradmed in UL now and I think it's great. Think long and hard about it and research all the schools and the reality of the career (as best you can) before you go for it.

Zooropa90

Thanks, I saw that one yesterday, I've seen a couple more on the site but just wasn't sure which was the right one for what I want to do.

I've been searching the last few days, and I keep finding people saying different thing on different boards, Thats why I'm asking all the questions...

Did you do zoology in UCD? Did you find that the 1st year chem modules were enough for the exam?

Sid_Justice

Zooropa90 wrote: »

Thanks, I saw that one yesterday, I've seen a couple more on the site but just wasn't sure which was the right one for what I want to do.

I've been searching the last few days, and I keep finding people saying different thing on different boards, Thats why I'm asking all the questions...

Did you do zoology in UCD? Did you find that the 1st year chem modules were enough for the exam?

no tcd, i'd imagine if you knew the first year chemistry modules well you'd be well prepared for the gamsat. there's lots of resources out there. keep doing your research maybe next year will be a more realistic time for you to do the gamsat. read the threads here, loads of interesting information.

Zooropa90

Sid_Justice wrote: »

no tcd, i'd imagine if you knew the first year chemistry modules well you'd be well prepared for the gamsat. there's lots of resources out there. keep doing your research maybe next year will be a more realistic time for you to do the gamsat. read the threads here, loads of interesting information.

I've forgotten most of it by now, still have the notes though. I heard the chemistry for dummies book is good though.

I'm planning on doing it the year after next, so I'd have my college exams out of the way. I think it would be kinda tricky to balance the 4th year exams and study for the gamsat.

demolitionman

Zooropa90 wrote: »

I heard the chemistry for dummies book is good though.
.

maybe they should invent a google for dummies book, would you consider reading that....


or maybe a ''for dummies'' book on how to use the 'search forum' function on this site....

Zooropa90

demolitionman wrote: »

maybe they should invent a google for dummies book, would you consider reading that....

It's highly probable

Sid_Justice

just a tiny point don't let us jerks on this forum dissuade you at all.