College Choice/Brian Mooney:Medicine attracted 2,215 first preferences for undergraduate places and 324 for postgraduate places in 2007, representing less than 4 per cent of overall applicants.
Following the publication of the Fottrell report, Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin has moved rapidly to reform medical education and to increase substantially the number of places available to aspiring doctors, at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels.
New System of Entry
Last month, Ms Hanafin announced a revised entry system for applicants to undergraduate medicine for entry in 2009. Applicants seeking medical places will have two components to their overall points score.
Their actual points score in the Leaving Certificate up to 550 points, with their points from 550 to 600 being scaled back to each five points being worth one further CAO point, thus giving an applicant a potential maximum score of 560 CAO points.
Added to this points score will be a medical aptitude test worth 300 points, which will be offered to all aspiring applicants in the autumn of 2008.
The Minister in announcing this new system of application stated that, "academic ability is not the only requirement to be a good doctor". She indicated that the new system is intended to reduce the pressure on students.
How does this affect 2008 students?
This will be the last year in which applicants to medicine will have just the Leaving Certificate as their route of entry. This year's applicants will have to continue to rely on achieving excellent Leaving Cert results to have a shot at those much-sought-after places in 2008. In 2007, UCD, NUIG and RCSI went to random selection at 570 points, and the round two points for Trinity and UCC were 580. The Minister has increased the number of places for undergraduates from 305 to 485. But, this expansion of places is unlikely to put much of a dent in the points for Leaving Cert students in 2008, and you are unlikely to receive an offer if you score below 570. However, if you score higher than 480 points in 2008, but fail to secure a place, you will be entitled to apply to take the new aptitude test this autumn, and use your 2008 Leaving Certificate score, or any previous year's Leaving Certificate score, as part one of your overall score, plus your aptitude test result, to seek entry for 2009.
The Postgraduate Option
In addition to undergraduate places, the Higher Education Authority is expanding the graduate entry to medicine.
By 2010 there will be 240 places available through the University of Limerick, UCD, NUI Galway, UCC and RCSI.
Students will have to sit a separate admissions test (known as GAMSAT) and have at least a 2.1 in their primary degree. They will also have to pay half of the costs - probably €12,000 to €13,000 per annum. The Department of Education and Science will pay the colleges a further €12,000 per student.
Veterinary Medicine
UCD is the only college which offers veterinary training in Ireland. Last year it accepted 70 students at 550 points to secure a place. Our growing prosperity, and the range of small animals kept as pets, has hugely increased the range of a veterinary surgeon's work. There is therefore great potential for expansion in the opportunities available to newly-qualified vets.
Alternatives for those interested in working with animals are: UCD's non-CAO Diploma in Veterinary Nursing, which has European and Irish accreditation; one of the UCD Animal Science degrees; or the BSc in Veterinary Nursing in Athlone IT.
Postgraduate places - veterinary
UCD offers five places on a graduate programme. These places are for people with relevant experience who hold a degree in a discipline other than veterinary medicine. An admissions test must be taken. Applications close on February 1st and application must be made via the CAO (DN105) and directly to UCD by that date. Applicants must also register with ACER International by January 26th, 2008 to take the GAMSAT test.
The Budapest option
A growing number of Irish students are accepting places on both medicine and veterinary medicine in Budapest.
In November 2007, I reviewed this programme with senior professors and with some of the very happy 40 Irish students who started into first year Veterinary Medicine in Budapest in September 2007.
This programme is fully recognised by the Irish Veterinary regulatory body.
Call Tim O'Leary, veterinary surgeon, at 028-37180 for details.
• Tomorrow: Medical Professions
• Every weekday, until the deadline at the end of the month, careers expert Brian Mooneywill guide you through the CAO process and outline the best possible options
ADVICE PODCAST
Listen or download the podcast for advice on how to complete the application form, and for an overview of the current CAO process, at www.ireland.com/education
• Brian Mooneywill give a presentation on CAO options and take questions at a free public meeting in the National College of Ireland, Mayor St, IFSC, Dublin tonight at 7pm.