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Nursing to Medicine

  • 18-11-2012 3:59pm
    #1
    Fooree
    Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭


    I'm currently doing a CS degree in College but I hate it. So now I'm thinking of repeating my LC and taking a BSc in General Nursing. After that I would take Medicine. I've only realized now that I want to be a Doctor. What would be the problems I need to overcome if I were to go through this plan ?


Comments

  • #2
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,236 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    Why would you not just apply directly for Medicine?


  • #3
    dtfo
    Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭dtfo


    Are you doing nursing so that you would qualify for graduate entry to medicine?

    If so disadvantages would be cost - around 60k for fees - and time .

    It would probably be more ideal to repeat the leaving to get points for med if thats possible


  • #4
    QueenOfLeon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,109 ✭✭✭QueenOfLeon


    Generally, the quickest and cheapest way to become a doctor would be to repeat the LC while also sitting the HPAT and applying through the normal CAO route for medicine. You'd need to be aiming for an excellent LC, over 550 to give yourself the best chance. You would also need to have a HPAT result in the 80th percentile or so.

    What year are you in your degree? You can only do each year of college once for "free" ie with no fees, so if you've done 2 years of college already by the time you reapply for nursing/medicine, you will have to pay fees for the first 2 years of your new course (€5000 or more per year). After those years, you then return to "free" fees and just pay the usual student contribution and levy.

    Graduate medicine can be done with a 2.1 in a degree (doesn't need to be a medically-related degree like nursing by the way) along with sitting the GAMSAT. There is a forum here for all things related to Graduate Entry Medicine. You would be paying about €15,000 a year in course fees though, for the 4 years of the course. The GAMSAT is also a difficult exam and entry is highly competitive so it is by no means an easy or cheap way to become a doctor.

    If you were to start nursing next September and then continue to graduate medicine, it will be minimum 8 years before becoming a doctor, and that's assuming the GAMSAT goes well the first time, and you may need to work as a nurse for some time to get the money for GEM.

    If you went back to do your LC next year and got into undergraduate medicine, it would be 6 years, but again that's assuming the HPAT goes well.

    Another alternative would be to stick to your current degree, get a 2.1 and apply for graduate medicine then. You would possibly need to take some time out though to study for the GAMSAT if you haven't a good background in the biological sciences. Information on the GAMSAT is here.


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