Mature Medicine Applicants Thread 2013

EternalGeek

Monday 29th? I hadn't heard a date at all but I had been expecting them at some stage next week!! :eek::eek::eek:

Yeah, i'm really not sure their interview process is the best as I imagine of the 140 people applying, they're not all going to have NUIG as their top choice, if there HPAT results are in the top 30 they will prob get places in their top choices, meaning the majority getting interviews could potentially have no intention of taking places if they get them elsewhere.

I was reallly suprised to hear their interviews are so late, particularly when RCSI and TCD will have their interviews in May.

qazokm

Oh wow I did not know NUIG only had 2 places!! am I right in thinking that UCC has 4/5, UCD is two apparently cause I rang up, trinity is around 8 and rcsi is 15!!! Does anyone know when abouts cork get back to you? for ucd and cork do they assess the application on a whole or will they first eliminate you based on your hpat score and then assess the applications?

borrch

EternalGeek wrote: »

Monday 29th? I hadn't heard a date at all but I had been expecting them at some stage next week!! :eek::eek::eek:

Yeah, i'm really not sure their interview process is the best as I imagine of the 140 people applying, they're not all going to have NUIG as their top choice, if there HPAT results are in the top 30 they will prob get places in their top choices, meaning the majority getting interviews could potentially have no intention of taking places if they get them elsewhere.

I was reallly suprised to hear their interviews are so late, particularly when RCSI and TCD will have their interviews in May.

To be honest, i'm only assuming its the 29th, because it was the 30th last year, as it is there's not to many days left in April.

I'm only guessing they're holding interviews that late because they expect to loose a few applicants to other colleges first...?? Also your only eligible if your science subjects were sat last year or before. Thats very disappointing to people who are sitting them in a few weeks. Esp when their interviews are so late, the LC results will be shortly afterwards

EternalGeek

I am repeating the leaving cert, but already did Bio and Chem back in 2007 and have a nursing degree and they didn't say that made me ineligible.

Who told you that about the science subjects?

borrch

Sorry I just realised I phrased that wrong. They wont accept honours science subjects from this year, only from previous years..

borrch

They refused a friend of mine because she's sitting them this year, even though she has a first class honours degree..!

EternalGeek

Ouch, thats really rough, that could rule out a few of those 140 applicants! I wonder if the top 30 dont accept interviews will they move down the list.

borrch

EternalGeek wrote: »

Ouch, thats really rough, that could rule out a few of those 140 applicants! I wonder if the top 30 dont accept interviews will they move down the list.

First they said 15, last week it was 20, now it's 30. I wonder have they upped it for that very reason. I was at the open day yesterday, we probably bumped into each other at some point..!

EternalGeek

borrch wrote: »

First they said 15, last week it was 20, now it's 30. I wonder have they upped it for that very reason. I was at the open day yesterday, we probably bumped into each other at some point..!

No way, small world, I was the one interrogating the man at the admissions table :rolleyes:

I'd say you are right. That is probably why they put it up, actually since I heard there were 140 applicants, I think the odds of an interview seem better now. That is a 21% chance of interview before considering the people who are not eligible because of things like science subjects or those who will turn down a potential interview.

borrch

Fingers crossed we all get a place I wonder how many are genuinely eligible of that 140? Cos i was told that about 60-70 apply every year to NUIG for mature medicine even before thay had mature entry. So maybe alot of them just put it down hoping. I sat the hpat in Galway, I didnt see any matures there, except me and another person. Either that or they all look 17...!

How many do you think would be applying nationwide? Dublin? 200 maybe, just guessing...

EternalGeek

borrch wrote: »

Fingers crossed we all get a place I wonder how many are genuinely eligible of that 140? Cos i was told that about 60-70 apply every year to NUIG for mature medicine even before thay had mature entry. So maybe alot of them just put it down hoping. I sat the hpat in Galway, I didnt see any matures there, except me and another person. Either that or they all look 17...!

How many do you think would be applying nationwide? Dublin? 200 maybe, just guessing...

Well my ideas are really skewered because I would have expected a far higher number for Galway, I really have no idea of actual figures. I've been trying to find out how many of us were asked to submit documents to rcsi to find out the chances of getting an interview but no luck so far. I did hpat here in Dublin and there were about 140 of us in the room and I counted about six I reckoned were mature.

borrch

There was about 380 in Galway, only 2 mature people, again some of those might have looked younger

borrch

I'm thinking that if 60-70 people were applying to nuig every year, surely if they were really interested they'd know that they didn't offer it. So maybe quiet alot of mature people put medicine down on their CAO form without really thinking about it, and possile without having sat a hpat or whatever that required

borrch

How are you finding the LC? Its great to be talking to someone in the same boat

EternalGeek

borrch wrote: »

How are you finding the LC? Its great to be talking to someone in the same boat

Definitely! It's not too bad , did my German oral on Friday, wasn't the best but I'm not relying on it for points. I have Irish now tomorrow which I'm happy enough about. How are you getting on with it? Is NUIG your top choice? I've also heard of a lot of matures sitting hpat even though they aren't applying til next year, which brings the numbers down further

borrch

I had my French oral last friday also, it was grand, he said i did fine, but im only doing ordinary level Irish & French. It's been too long since i've studied them both. I'm crap at irish so only expecting a C or D to be honest, and maybe an A or B in French. But again I'm not counting them. My Irish oral is on next Friday tho

borrch

This is what im hoping/wishing for in the other HL subjects:

Maths B
English B (wont be counting it -more than likely)
Ag Science A1
Business A1
Physics A1
Chemistry A1
Biology A1

borrch

I've only applied to NUIG as i'm settled here, and i'm not prepared to move!

EternalGeek

Haha, I am from and still living in Dublin but I'll go anywhere that will take me for medicine

Yeah, im doing German and Irish for requirements but have no intention of counting them. I don't intend to count maths so am only doing ordinary level but reckon that will be an A.
My other subjects are;
English A1
Biology A1
Chemistry B1
Geography A1
History A1
Business A1

I took on business as a new subject but so far it is very doable and I think I'm in a good place to get the A.

borrch

Your probably great at wordy subjects, im not hence why I'm not counting English. Do you do many hours of study a day? Or are you attending a school. I'm studying from home, but it's fine so far. I'm a bit behind in maths tho:( laziness oops

EternalGeek

borrch wrote: »

Your probably great at wordy subjects, im not hence why I'm not counting English. Do you do many hours of study a day? Or are you attending a school. I'm studying from home, but it's fine so far. I'm a bit behind in maths tho:( laziness oops

So hard to keep motivated!! I am in a VEC doing it, so in 9-5 most days. I do at least two hours study on the weekdays and then between four and ten on weekends, provided I'm not working ( I am still doing nursing shifts to keep my hand in) . I do German on my own as it wasn't offered but I do slack off a good bit with German because I know I only need to pass it and I hate it!

borrch

There's no point putting wasted time and effort into the languages, im only aiming to pass them, but the french is way easier than the Irish. Is the VEC any good? I feel i'd probably get more done at home myself. Is history really tough? Everyone says it's a really hard subject?

EternalGeek

borrch wrote: »

There's no point putting wasted time and effort into the languages, im only aiming to pass them, but the french is way easier than the Irish. Is the VEC any good? I feel i'd probably get more done at home myself. Is history really tough? Everyone says it's a really hard subject?

Well I did history first time around so it wasn't too intimidating, it's a lot to remember and you have to be a fast writer to get the essays done but it is doable. Fair play to you working at it from home i wouldn't have been able to do that, I'm not nearly disciplined enough!!!

borrch

It's grand at home, i study for about 8 hrs each day, i'll increase that after next week to 10 hrs. I sat physics and biology last year so don't have to do too much work for them, so mostly focusing on maths and chemistry at the moment. Ag science is grand as have project done with full marks. I found being on boards very motivating, otherwise i don't think i'd do half as much

EternalGeek

Yeah, I find boards a great motivator!

How are you finding Chem? I did it at ordinary level first time around as I took it on as an extra subject and got an A and this year I have about 6 hours a week of classes and then my own study.

borrch

EternalGeek wrote: »

Yeah, I find boards a great motivator!

How are you finding Chem? I did it at ordinary level first time around as I took it on as an extra subject and got an A and this year I have about 6 hours a week of classes and then my own study.

I think it's harder than physics. It's only now it's beginning to click with me, I'm going through all the organic chemistry exam paper q's at the moment. I still have fuels & heats, rates of reactions, equilibrium and the two options to do. I like the organic chemistry tho. But it's not easy trying to remember all the chemical formulas & names etc. I spend 2-3 hrs per day on it.

Have you 2 HL science subjects already?

EternalGeek

Yeah.

We just finished the course this week in classes, so going to start on the revision now.

I love organic chemistry, it is so logical, and I think once you can get the hang of naming and drawing out the formula, it is a lot easier. I think the Less Stress more Success book for Chem is really good. I think Chemistry is one of those subjects that is helped massively by doing constant exam questions, pass and higher.

What texts did you pick for English? Are you finding it difficult?

borrch

Oh i must have a look the Less Stress More Success. For the comparative; Emma, Wuthering Heights and Casablanca. But to be honest I'm hardly doing anything for English as I'm not counting it. I'm only going to learn Plath and Wordsworth for the poetry. There simply isn't enough marks going for poetry (12.5%) so not killing myself. I watch a grind one or twice a week online, the tutor is really great. I don't like that English is so subjective, it's hard to predict a grade in it.

I do a year of exam papers on a topic in each subject every day. I find that really hopeful. For example, everything on plants for 2009. I watch Khan Academy for chemistry, it makes everything seem so clear.

EternalGeek

That is a good way of working it, means you have really covered the subject each time.

Yeah, English is tough like that. It is my favourite subject but there have been times when I think I've done an A+ essay and then I get a B, its frustrating. We are doing Wuthering Heights, I'm not Scared and How Many Miles to Babylon. I have some really excellent Wuthering Heights notes, the teacher gave us, I can scan them in and send them to you if you are interested?

Also, I swear by Cliffnotes for Macbeth, assuming you're studying that?

borrch

God that would be great, I'll take any notes you have please :-) as I've barely looked at the comparative