*Everything HPAT and Medicine 2013*

outnumbered

fewtinsoffroth wrote: »

At end of round 2 it was;

RCSI 740
TCD 746
UCD 745
UCC 738
NUIG 737

#fwetinsoffroth are you in college or taking the year out? just wondering as i was contemplating taking the year out but its quite a scary thought for me! :P just wondering what your doing

Just Like Heaven

outnumbered wrote: »

#fwetinsoffroth are you in college or taking the year out? just wondering as i was contemplating taking the year out but its quite a scary thought for me! :P just wondering what your doing

I was in college, but dropped out. It was fun but sort of a waste of time, and it was very frustrating and sorta heartbreaking sharing classes with pre meds :P However being home again is very boring, so you can't win really. I'm going back to work after the hapt so that should help a bit.

I wish I had considered taking a year out more seriously when I was in leaving cert last year (but I was 100% sure I'd be repeating, I even had accommodation sorted and my parents had gotten a loan ready so I could go to a grinds school before the results were out :rolleyes: ).

I'd recommend to everybody who isn't really interested in doing anything else but medicine to seriously consider taking the year out as opposed to going to college for the sake of it if you're not that bothered about the course, just make sure you have a job/some sort of a plan for the year like, learn a language or run marathons or something

Tanga1

Anyone know how many times you can repeat the Leaving Cert and HPAT? Is there a certain age limit?

Just Like Heaven

No.

JDOC1996

Is it true that they plan on stopping people from taking the year out to repeat the Hpat, by changing the currency of results to 1 year?

Just Like Heaven

Probably something like that. I can't see whatever the change regarding the currency of the results being one that'll make it any easier to get into medicine anyway.

As in, it's gonna be aimed at getting more people in first time, I mean.

0mega

I really struggled with the exam I did today. I couldn't concentrate, had to read things over and over, found myself getting really frustrated nearly to the point where I was going to give up..

Hopefully that doesn't happen on the day! I think I need to get more sleep..

Hermione Granger

[QUOTE=fewtinsoffroth;82678871 I'm going back to work after the hapt so that should help a bit.

[/QUOTE]
Just as a matter of interest why are you waiting until after the HPAT to find work ?

KristineKJ

Does anyone know if there are major differences in the medical programme at the different uni's? As an abroad applier I obviously never had any orientation about the uni's and all that.

Also, what about the cities? I can't seem to make up my mind about Dublin or Cork...


Anyone who could enlighten me a bit?

Eurovisionmad

KristineKJ wrote: »

Does anyone know if there are major differences in the medical programme at the different uni's? As an abroad applier I obviously never had any orientation about the uni's and all that.

Also, what about the cities? I can't seem to make up my mind about Dublin or Cork...


Anyone who could enlighten me a bit?

Hey Kristine I was writing a reply to your post this morning but school started and I got a bit distracted!

Anyway what can I say about Cork? Well having lived there for 17 years now I think it's a fairly nice place! It's a small enough city, much smaller than Dublin, more compact really! One of the big things that UCC has going for it against the Dublin Universities is that accommodation is a fair bit cheaper in Cork, TCD in Dublin is so city centre in Dublin you'll end up commuting a good bit to it every day, and UCD is in Dublin's most sought after postcodes, D4, that accommodation near it isn't cheap either. While in Cork there was a lot of new student accommodation built within walking distance, built about 5-10 years ago now!

The nightlife is . . . good, like there's plenty of pubs and clubs just you certainly won't find David Guetta playing in any of them!

UCC itself is 15 minutes walk from the city centre, and there's a very regular bus service linking the City Centre to UCC to CUH (UCC's teaching hospital which you spend a lot of your 3rd 4th and 5th years in). UCC is just larger than TCD and smaller than UCD so it does compete on the same level as them with the amount of clubs and societies! Medical Students spend most of their time in the Brookfield Health Sciences Complex which is only maybe 300m down the road from the main campus, I've been in there plenty of times and it's fairly modern!

Anyway ask away if you have any more specific questions!

Just Like Heaven

Hermione Granger wrote: »

Just as a matter of interest why are you waiting until after the HPAT to find work ?

I have work, but I have to leave my house at like 5:30 am ish and some days are real late into the evening, the money is great, but I'm just tired all the time, so I'd never really get any proper hpat prep done. And if I had gone back and not done a lot of study and gotten a poor hpat score this year, I'd be kicking myself.

outnumbered

fewtinsoffroth wrote: »

I was in college, but dropped out. It was fun but sort of a waste of time, and it was very frustrating and sorta heartbreaking sharing classes with pre meds :P However being home again is very boring, so you can't win really. I'm going back to work after the hapt so that should help a bit.

I wish I had considered taking a year out more seriously when I was in leaving cert last year (but I was 100% sure I'd be repeating, I even had accommodation sorted and my parents had gotten a loan ready so I could go to a grinds school before the results were out :rolleyes: ).

I'd recommend to everybody who isn't really interested in doing anything else but medicine to seriously consider taking the year out as opposed to going to college for the sake of it if you're not that bothered about the course, just make sure you have a job/some sort of a plan for the year like, learn a language or run marathons or something

good advice! yeah ill probaly have to take a year out didnt do ty though so its okay but hopefully i get it this year. its the hpat that's the problem!

Just Like Heaven

KristineKJ wrote: »

Does anyone know if there are major differences in the medical programme at the different uni's? As an abroad applier I obviously never had any orientation about the uni's and all that.

Also, what about the cities? I can't seem to make up my mind about Dublin or Cork...


Anyone who could enlighten me a bit?

Not a huge difference in the medical programs. TCD have a bit of problem based learning, which a lot of people seem to make a big deal over for some reason, but TCD students say it's only a small component of the course. TCD don't offer a premed year (and UCC I think?). Ehh NUIG are starting a new 8 year program of some sort and you finish with a Phd. RCSI is a much smaller school than any of the universitys.


Galway and Cork are both a lot cheaper than Dublin for accommodation. But they're all nice cities really. Galway has a great night life cause the city has such a high percentage population make up of students. NUIG is right in the middle of the city too. As are TCD and RCSI in the center of dublin.

They're all nice cities really.

0mega

KristineKJ wrote: »

Does anyone know if there are major differences in the medical programme at the different uni's? As an abroad applier I obviously never had any orientation about the uni's and all that.

Also, what about the cities? I can't seem to make up my mind about Dublin or Cork...


Anyone who could enlighten me a bit?

First year med differs quite a lot between the 3 Dublin universities, as far as I know/have been told.

UCD first year of med is 'pre med' - it's a 16 hour week consisting of recap of the LC sciences, a bit more depth and some extra modules added in. Personally, I'll be putting UCD as my number one as I'm looking for an easy enough year after this one, a good social life for 1st year of college and be able to make new friends and because you also have the opportunity to take modules in other courses to bulk up your hours a bit. Apparently, UCD first year med is impossible to fail - which is also a relief. It's not in a great location though, so you'll need to do some form of commute to get to it (not in walking distance unless you live nearby).

RCSI - I know less about, I think you may be exposed to dissections from 1st year (but I'm not 100% so don't quote me on that). They use continuous assessment throughout the year so you're constantly working away. My main issue with RCSI is how small the college is and the potential lack of social life. You're also only going to encounter Health Science students so you won't be able to broaden your horizons in that respect.

TCD - From what I've heard about 1st year TCD med, it doesn't appeal to me as much as UCD. I think it is quite intensive in comparison, long hours from the offset and there's no real 'pre-med'. Another issue that I have with TCD is it all comes down to the summer exams at the end, they are notoriously difficult due to the amount of content you have to cover and because you're not being assessed throughout the year as such, you may be inclined to leave all your studying towards the end of the year. I think that would be me.

Hope that helps, I'm only going on what I've heard from students and that though, so hopefully it's accurate. If anyone notices something wrong, please correct me.

Just Like Heaven

^^

You can op to skip first year UCD med, RCSI also 5 or 6 year programs as well (I think~).

0mega

fewtinsoffroth wrote: »

^^

You can op to skip first year UCD med, RCSI also 5 or 6 year programs as well (I think~).

Didn't know that. RCSI's 6 year program is for those who have not studied chemistry or did not meet the required grade (HC3 or HB3).

Just Like Heaven

Well, I heard they can be a little stricter about it in UCD, which is why I don't have first this time around. Can you choose to premed in RCSI even if you have an A in HL chem? In NUIG it's upto you if you wanna do the pre med year, 70 people took it this year and they were saying that's more than they were expecting/have usually.

Scuid Mhór

Putting in my CAO tonight and registering for the HPAT too. Suddenly everything feels very real.

dmca93

I think with UCD it's more being offered rather than being able to opt to skip it, if I'm not mistaken.

Just Like Heaven

dmca93 wrote: »

I think with UCD it's more being offered rather than being able to opt to skip it, if I'm not mistaken.

So, do more people do a foundation year or proper first year?

dmca93

The majority of CAO applicants do pre-med, which is stage 1, and they reserve places into stage 2 for foreign applicants like students from Malaysia and people who already have third-level experience.

Just Like Heaven

Ahh thought so.

0mega

Is anyone here putting down anything on their CAO that isn't science related?

amicus

0mega wrote: »

Is anyone here putting down anything on their CAO that isn't science related?

Yep actuary and it could be my first choice not sure..veterinarys up there too but i guess thats a science :peven maths could be considered science sure

Scuid Mhór

0mega wrote: »

Is anyone here putting down anything on their CAO that isn't science related?

Law related courses.

KristineKJ

Eurovisionmad wrote: »

Hey Kristine I was writing a reply to your post this morning but school started and I got a bit distracted!

Anyway what can I say about Cork? Well having lived there for 17 years now I think it's a fairly nice place! It's a small enough city, much smaller than Dublin, more compact really! One of the big things that UCC has going for it against the Dublin Universities is that accommodation is a fair bit cheaper in Cork, TCD in Dublin is so city centre in Dublin you'll end up commuting a good bit to it every day, and UCD is in Dublin's most sought after postcodes, D4, that accommodation near it isn't cheap either. While in Cork there was a lot of new student accommodation built within walking distance, built about 5-10 years ago now!

The nightlife is . . . good, like there's plenty of pubs and clubs just you certainly won't find David Guetta playing in any of them!

UCC itself is 15 minutes walk from the city centre, and there's a very regular bus service linking the City Centre to UCC to CUH (UCC's teaching hospital which you spend a lot of your 3rd 4th and 5th years in). UCC is just larger than TCD and smaller than UCD so it does compete on the same level as them with the amount of clubs and societies! Medical Students spend most of their time in the Brookfield Health Sciences Complex which is only maybe 300m down the road from the main campus, I've been in there plenty of times and it's fairly modern!

Anyway ask away if you have any more specific questions!

Thank you, very helpful info. Cork does seem like a nice city. Great, there might be something else coming to mind later

KristineKJ

fewtinsoffroth wrote: »

Not a huge difference in the medical programs. TCD have a bit of problem based learning, which a lot of people seem to make a big deal over for some reason, but TCD students say it's only a small component of the course. TCD don't offer a premed year (and UCC I think?). Ehh NUIG are starting a new 8 year program of some sort and you finish with a Phd. RCSI is a much smaller school than any of the universitys.


Galway and Cork are both a lot cheaper than Dublin for accommodation. But they're all nice cities really. Galway has a great night life cause the city has such a high percentage population make up of students. NUIG is right in the middle of the city too. As are TCD and RCSI in the center of dublin.

They're all nice cities really.

Thanks. Yeah, I've kinda already crossed out TCD. Currently I'm down to UCD or UCC as my first choice. I'm also taking to consideration the accommodation fees so....I think NUIG will be third choice.

KristineKJ

0mega wrote: »

First year med differs quite a lot between the 3 Dublin universities, as far as I know/have been told.

UCD first year of med is 'pre med' - it's a 16 hour week consisting of recap of the LC sciences, a bit more depth and some extra modules added in. Personally, I'll be putting UCD as my number one as I'm looking for an easy enough year after this one, a good social life for 1st year of college and be able to make new friends and because you also have the opportunity to take modules in other courses to bulk up your hours a bit. Apparently, UCD first year med is impossible to fail - which is also a relief. It's not in a great location though, so you'll need to do some form of commute to get to it (not in walking distance unless you live nearby).

RCSI - I know less about, I think you may be exposed to dissections from 1st year (but I'm not 100% so don't quote me on that). They use continuous assessment throughout the year so you're constantly working away. My main issue with RCSI is how small the college is and the potential lack of social life. You're also only going to encounter Health Science students so you won't be able to broaden your horizons in that respect.

TCD - From what I've heard about 1st year TCD med, it doesn't appeal to me as much as UCD. I think it is quite intensive in comparison, long hours from the offset and there's no real 'pre-med'. Another issue that I have with TCD is it all comes down to the summer exams at the end, they are notoriously difficult due to the amount of content you have to cover and because you're not being assessed throughout the year as such, you may be inclined to leave all your studying towards the end of the year. I think that would be me.

Hope that helps, I'm only going on what I've heard from students and that though, so hopefully it's accurate. If anyone notices something wrong, please correct me.

Thank you:) Very helpful. As far as pre-med goes it's what I'm taking this year I suppose. In Norway medicine students along with nutrition students have the same subjects, which is basically repeating chemistry and biology, as well as some new subjects as molecular biology. Of course there's a lot more details so plenty of new stuff to learn. We've also had a small exam in basic medical latin and will have another one in medical statistics now. I would believe pre-med in Ireland would be something similar so not sure I'd like to repeat. As far as dissections go, first year medical students assist on those in Norway as well. It's really interesting, but I don't think RCSI will be any of my first choices.

Thanks again

spasmaster

I am in first year med a Trinity College Dublin :D:D

Just a little word of advice, most people in the class have just come from Leaving Cert and would perfer to go to a college with a pre med now. This is because the first year is quite tough due to classes like biochem and that they wish to have more free time to party and relax. I know most people pick tcd first for the prestige, but keep these facts in mind.

spasmaster

In TCD there are Christmas and summer exams. Worth 40 and 60 %