8th September 2023
Alternative Admissions Schemes for School Leavers: HEAR and DARE
Applying for a place in medicine is difficult enough for most students. If you have a disability or are from a low socioeconomic background, it can make the process even more challenging. For this reason, alternative admissions schemes are available which help students who might otherwise not have the opportunity to study. Examples of these third level alternative schemes are DARE (Disabi ...
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4th September 2023
ATTENTION PARENTS: 5 Ways to help your Son or Daughter get into Medicine
Great things never come easy. Medicine is an incredibly rewarding, secure, well paid and respected profession in Ireland. It is also the hardest course to get into. Furthermore, the final years of secondary school are a stressful and demanding time for your son or daughter, and the need to sit HPAT places additional pressure on them during this time. Thankfully there are ways ...
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30th August 2023
Ten Tips for Surviving your first year of Medicine
Medicine is tough, really tough but you’ve made it this far so you’re tougher. First year is a whirlwind and at times can seem overwhelming, but having made it through to the other side of those first few full-on months, I can hand on heart say that everyone is telling the truth when they say college will be the best time of your life. You’ll have ups and downs, I can guarant ...
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7th August 2023
Options For Studying Medicine: In Ireland and abroad
The easiest, cheapest and most direct route into medicine in Ireland is the undergraduate route, which requires you to sit HPAT. However, if you have not been able to gain entry into medicine via this route, there are other options for pursuing medicine. Studying medicine in Ireland Studying medicine in Ireland has many advantages, including: Being able to remain in ...
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26th July 2023
Why Is The HPAT So Important?
The Leaving Cert, and its points system, is an important part of the process of being eligible to study at university. However, for those who want to study medicine, the HPAT (Health Professions Admission Test) is also a crucial component of the medical school admissions process. If you are an aspiring medical student, it’s vital to understand why HPAT is so important and why you ne ...
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27th June 2023
I didn’t get a good enough HPAT score. What should I do?
After spending months working through HPAT guides, completing practise exams and labouring over difficult drills it can be devastating when HPAT results day arrives, and you realise that you have not achieved a good enough HPAT score to get into medicine. It is completely understandable that to feel extremely disappointed, but it is very important that you have a clear idea of the other option ...
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22nd June 2023
How to apply for medicine in the UK as an Irish student
UK medical schools have an excellent reputation internationally and many Irish students travel to the UK to study each year. Applications to UK universities are made through UCAS (like the UK version of the CAO). Irish students applying to study medicine in the UK in 2024 can start their UCAS application over the summer before 6th year (applications open on 16 May 2023). They must ...
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15th June 2023
HPAT Results: What to do with your CAO
HPAT results are usually released in mid to late June. After months of waiting to find out your HPAT results, it can feel quite overwhelming to finally receive them! After all of the hard work and preparation for HPAT, everyone wants to get a great HPAT score. However, it is important to know what to do if things don’t go as well as you had hoped. It’s not the end of the world and ...
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9th June 2023
Medicine, the HPAT, the CAO and one BIG mistake to avoid
For any Leaving Certificate students hoping to go on to study medicine, the HPAT (Health Professions Admission Test) and the CAO (Central Applications Office) are two well-known abbreviations which are of great importance to you as you prepare for life after the Leaving Certificate. For me, I wasn’t certain until the very end of 6th year as to what exactly I wanted to do after school. ...
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6th June 2023
5 Tips for Leaving Cert Exams from a Current Medical Student
So the dreaded time of the leaving cert exams has rolled around once again and I’m sure many of you are trembling in your seats at the mere mention of it. But, trust me when I say that I can completely relate with you. This time last year I was in your position, getting ready to sit the leaving cert, my head flooded with feelings of excitement and anxiety for what lay ahead. I know that ...
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