Irish application system - how does it work?

Recap

Hi all,
Apologies if this has already been discussed but I've been unable to find any conversation on this.
I'm a non-Irish, EU applicant for the Graduate Entry in Medicine (GEM). I'm divided between RCSI and UCD as my first choice and will most likely make a decision after I visit them in summer. Had a few questions about the process and would appreciate any and all help you may provide:
Firstly, does work experience and classification really not matter? (As long as one has a 2.1 equivalent) Do candidates get places based solely on GAMSAT score? 
Secondly, as I'll be travelling abroad to sit the GAMSAT in September, would it make the process faster and easier if I sit the exam in Dublin? By the looks of it, if I sit the GAMSAT in Ireland, the scores will automatically be shared with CAO whereas if I sit it in London or Washington, I would need to send my results to CAO by post.
Finally, does this process require academic/professional references? 
Thanks and apologies again if these questions have already been answered. 
Cheers.

letsdothis

Hi
It is just your 2:1 and GAMSAT score that's needed for Irish colleges, no interviews, references or other assessments are required for EU applicants.

I'm Irish but did my GAMSAT in the UK to get it done earlier and really it was no hassle submitting my documentation to CAO - so if sitting the exam in London or elsewhere is more convenient to you, go for that.

Recap

letsdothis wrote: »

Hi
It is just your 2:1 and GAMSAT score that's needed for Irish colleges, no interviews, references or other assessments are required for EU applicants.

I'm Irish but did my GAMSAT in the UK to get it done earlier and really it was no hassle submitting my documentation to CAO - so if sitting the exam in London or elsewhere is more convenient to you, go for that.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. Does work experience matter or is that not even considered?
Thanks,

Recap

sneakysnake007

Hi Recap,

Work experience is not part of the requirements. You given a place based on your Gamsat score. The 4 colleges, RCSI, UCD, UCC and UL vary slightly on Gamsat scores, I think 54 was the minimum score for last year. The only other pre-req is that you must have a 2.1 degree (over 60% average for Ireland) in your first level 8 (honours) degree. This can be from any discipline, it does not have to be specific to Medicine.

Recap

sneakysnake007 wrote: »

Hi Recap,

Work experience is not part of the requirements. You given a place based on your Gamsat score. The 4 colleges, RCSI, UCD, UCC and UL vary slightly on Gamsat scores, I think 54 was the minimum score for last year. The only other pre-req is that you must have a 2.1 degree (over 60% average for Ireland) in your first level 8 (honours) degree. This can be from any discipline, it does not have to be specific to Medicine.

Thank you for clarifying this!

Recap

And does anyone know when places are allocated by CAO if you sit the September session of the GAMSAT?

sneakysnake007

CAO offers are sent out end of July/first week of August. Just over 5 months to go!!

Recap

sneakysnake007 wrote: »

CAO offers are sent out end of July/first week of August. Just over 5 months to go!!

Thanks! Isn't that really late assuming term starts less than a month later?

sneakysnake007

Yea I agree. But there are final year students who are waiting on results to see if they get the 2.1 for Grad Med so the date accommodates them as those results might not be available until June/July. The Gamsat scores haven't changed drastically in recent years though. So depending on what score you get, you'll have a reasonable idea of which colleges you will get offers from.