2nd June 2025
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 t ...
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22nd April 2025
So You Want to Be a Doctor? How to Get Into Medicine
Congratulations on your decision to pursue medicine as a career! Medicine is an interesting, valued and rewarding profession. The process of getting into medicine can be confusing, so here’s an introduction. Criteria for getting into medicine The minimum points required to get into medicine varies from year to year and between universities, but a total of at least 730 p ...
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14th April 2025
Prerequisites for Studying Medicine in Ireland
The six universities that offer medicine all have a minimum requirement of 480 points from the same sitting of the Leaving Certificate or equivalent. They also have minimum subject requirements, so it is essential to consider this when deciding which Leaving Certificate subjects to choose. Some medicine courses are five years long and some are six. The 6-year courses have a pre-med ...
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2nd April 2025
How to Choose an Irish Medical School
In Ireland, there are six medical schools that you can apply to as an undergraduate student: University College Dublin (UCD) Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) University College Cork (UCC) University of Galway University of Limerick As there are 10 spaces on your CAO application you can apply for all Irish medical schools and still ha ...
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10th March 2025
Is Medicine for Me? 5 Tips on How To Make the Big Decision
Trying to decide whether medicine is for you? Personally, it took me months and lots of research and thought to finally make that decision. Compared to most Bachelor degrees which are usually three years in duration, courses in medicine take much longer – about 5 years to complete. Then there is post-graduate study and specialist training. You could be looking at many years before you ar ...
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23rd January 2025
Attention Parents: 5 Ways to Help Your Son or Daughter in the Lead Up to the HPAT
6th year is a stressful time. Add in HPAT and the pressures of getting into medicine, and stress levels can rapidly sky rocket. As a parent it is easy to succumb to feelings of powerless as you watch your son or daughter struggle to prepare for such an important and difficult exam. However, there are many things you can do to boost their performance and have a positive impact on their wellbein ...
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8th January 2025
How to Apply to the CAO and ACER for Medicine
To be eligible to study medicine in Ireland there are two key parts to the application process: Applying to the Central Applications Office (CAO) Applying separately to sit the HPAT through ACER Applying to the CAO Before you can register to sit the HPAT, you need to apply to the CAO and get your CAO number – you will need this for the HPAT registration ...
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13th November 2024
NEW Direct Entry Undergraduate Medicine Programme at University of Limerick
The University of Limerick (UL) is set to introduce an exciting new addition to its health sciences course offerings: a direct-entry undergraduate medicine course. This course, the first of its kind at the University of Limerick, is part of a nationwide initiative to expand healthcare education and address Ireland’s shortage of medical professionals. This blog answers some common questio ...
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31st October 2024
Dispelling the Myths of Medicine
The idea of studying medicine at university can seem like a very daunting prospect. There are many myths and false beliefs about the degree which allow these fears to prosper. Having completed my first year studying medicine at University, I hope I can dispel some of your fears about studying medicine at university. 1. Medicine is ultra competitive Granted, Medicine, like all ...
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28th October 2024
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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