All your education questions answered by Brian Mooney

Having wanted to study medicine for some years now, I am fearful that I will not secure the 570 points plus which seems to be the cut-off point in the CAO this year. What are the alternative options that I could consider?

The points race may be over for the majority of students, but it is still intense for those seeking the relatively small number of places on medical and paramedical courses.

Some people expected the points to drop this year, simply because the Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin, created 70 additional places in undergraduate medicine. Similar numbers will be added each year in an effort to double undergraduate medical places.

Plans are also being considered to allow all students who secure above 450 points to be assessed for their suitability for a career in medicine, using the Graduate Australian Medical School Test (Gamsat).

This is an aptitude test which measures reasoning in the humanities and social sciences, written communications, and reasoning in the biological sciences, but no date for the introduction of such a change has been agreed. You are very wise, therefore, to consider your alternatives at this stage.

Alongside our CAO undergraduate application system, there is the UK application system, which operates through UCAS.

If you are prepared to consider applying for a medical place through UCAS, you must act within the next few days. Colleges offering medicine through UCAS are operating one of two aptitude/screening systems, which attempts to identify suitable candidates to become doctors.

One system is BMAT, whose test is taking place on November 1st, at 9.30am at the Institute of Education, Leeson Street, Dublin.

Twenty-three UK colleges are requiring prospective students to sit the UKCAT aptitude tests. You have until Friday, September 29th to register, with a planned cut off date for taking the test of October 10th.

For further details, contact PFH Computers in Cork at 021-2303000 or IACT in Dublin at 01-4347600. You must also complete your UCAS application by October 15th. See www.ucas.ac.uk/apply for further details.

Another option you might consider is studying medicine in one of the eastern European universities that are offering dedicated English language medical and paramedical degrees to Irish students.

These degrees are fully recognised by Irish regulatory bodies as they are qualifications secured within the EU. Universities offering these courses include the Charles University in Prague and the University of Budapest.

Fifteen students who had fallen short of the 570 mark in their Leaving Certificate recently sat an assessment for the University of Budapest in Dublin, which was based on chemistry and biology.

All 15 have been offered places on their respective programmes. If you are interested in this option, contact Tim O'Leary, a veterinary surgeon who is co-ordinating this programme in Ireland, at 028-37180.

Finally, if you are a bit of a home bird and want to consider other routes available into medicine in Ireland, you could consider the postgraduate option.

In the current year, UCD has offered 12 places on their existing postgraduate programme and the Royal College of Surgeons have introduced a new four-year postgraduate programme with 50 places, with fees of €40,000 per year.

The HEA is planning a co-ordinated development of postgraduate options in medicine, across a number of university medical schools from September 2007.

Brian Mooney is the former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors.

E-mail questions to bmooney@irish-times.ie