Advise on Course choices

LC_student

Hey I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on college courses? I'm currently doing my leaving cert and I am unsure about courses.The subjects I do are english, Irish, maths, geography, french, biology, and chemistry (all honours ). I don't like english so therefore would not like a career involved with english. Probably, my best subjects would be biology and chemistry and I do like both but I probably prefer biology.
I have been thinking about medicine but I don't know if i'm 100% sure about it. Some other courses which seem to interest me are radiography, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy,pharmacy,sport science and health,dietetics, science education and maybe primary teaching. However occupational therapy doesn't interest me.. Also, I've been thinking about biomedical sciences or a basic science degree but I'm not too sure about the career opportunities? I enjoyed maths in the j.c (got and a in it) but not as much now mainly due to the different teacher and I'm considering actuary as well..
I would like your advice on the science degrees and the others mentioned above and what careers options are available after the science degrees? any advice would be appreciated! thanks

Jinx96

I'm currently in 5th year also looking to do sport science as I would like to become a personal trainer and fitness instructor, I'm not very much help but think about what career you would like to do rather than what course first and then choose what course you would like to do, there is a lot of opportunities in science nowadays but always remember what type of career you would get out of it at the end of the degree as you will most likely be spending the majority of your life doing it so firstly make sure your suited to it and importantly something you enjoy! Go to lots of open days!

Jinx96

And btw if you are still unsure by the time the cao application comes around go for a general science degree as you can then go on to do other science degrees from that!

Mel26

I had a big reply written and it just deleted itself...anyway....I am a Speech and Language Therapist (qualified a few years and employed) what specifically do you want to know about the course/job? Can you volunteer anywhere for a day or two to get a feel for some of these jobs? The department I work in have taken secondary students in the past if they are interested in doing speech therapy, maybe contact your local HSE clinic and find out if you could sit in for a day and observe?

Mel26

All your choices look like good ones, the therapy, pharmacy and teaching ones are great because you are ready to work straight away once you qualify (maybe the job situation will have improved by then)....there are massive waiting lists nationwide for children/adults needing Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy and though employment is chronic now those waiting lists will not disappear (and are getting longer) so there is a huge need for therapists out there. Very challenging college courses with heavy workload. People may tell you to do other courses first and you can 'always get in the back door' but it is very difficult to get in this way in my opinion so if you want it and can get the points don't waste time!

LC_student

Thanks for the advice yes, well I would rather just do a course where you have a specified job at the end. did you do your course in cork or galway? Is the speech and language therapy course tough? What main topics do you study? I've heard that pharmacy is nothing what it used to be.. and there seems to be alot of physiotherapists due to the many different routes into it. thanks for your help

LC_student

LC_student wrote: »

Thanks for the advice yes, well I would rather just do a course where you have a specified job at the end. did you do your course in cork or galway? Is the speech and language therapy course tough? What main topics do you study? I've heard that pharmacy is nothing what it used to be.. and there seems to be alot of physiotherapists due to the many different routes into it. thanks for your help

I'm doing Pharmacy in TCD at the minute and I'm 6 weeks into the course. It's interesting so far except for a few modules (which is to be expected in most courses tbh)
We've had qualified professionals come into use from so many different organisations and from the sounds of things. The bolded bit above is far from true.
We had a member of the PSI (Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland) come into us a few weeks ago talking about the role of the pharmacist in Ireland. It is changing all the time. We can now vaccinate (only 2nd year we are allowed). It is expected that pharmacists will get prescribing rights in the next few years for certain drugs. There is also an expectation for pharmacists to get more involved in consultations for minor conditions in order to keep doctors and hospitals free for more serious cases.
The degree is great. It prepares you for all 3 areas; Hospital, Community or Industry Pharmacy.
If you think you'd be interested in it, research it and go for it

Mel26

I studied in UCC a few years ago, I think they have added more to the course since I was there, as in graduates now have their 'dysphagia qualification' included when they graduate...that means you are more equipped to work in acute hospitals and with adults with eating/drinking/swallowing difficulties than older graduates are (I have to pay 800-1000 euro to do an extra course in it as it was not fully included in the degree when I qualified).

Yes it was tough you will be much busier than your friends who do non-medical type courses but the flip-side of it is less exams at the end of the year as it is mainly continuous assessment and exams scattered in different parts of the year. It is manageable though you will find the time to do the usual student drinking etc Some of the subjects/modules (from when I was there)...anatomy, physiology (you said you are doing biology n chemistry which will be of help to you for knowing the basics in these subjects), hearing sciences (i.e. study of the ear, hearing etc.), language sciences (i.e. study of how language develops and things that go wrong in terms of language development and the foundations of a language), lectures which cover a variety of disorders from hearing impairment, stammering, physical disabilities, stroke (there was a long list!) and lectures covering assessment and therapy.....you also have placements every year which you are graded on...this is when you put what you have learned into practice. you could be sent anywhere in munster but that will be the same for any other course which involves placements.

Mel26

You can work in different settings e.g. community care setting (therapist may work with kids 0-18 years with any kind of speech, language, communication difficulty and/or with adults with speech, language, communication difficulties), acute care setting (working on hospital wards assessing and treating people following stroke, head injury, etc for potential swallowing issues, issues with understanding, talking and slurring of speech), early intervention setting (children aged 0-6 years with complex needs and/or disability - normally work within a team of professionals), school setting (normally special schools giving therapy and teacher-training), child-adolescent mental health setting, work within an Autism team, as well as running courses for families/carers if the service offers that.

LC_student

Thanks for all the info