Irish students unable to get into medical courses here are finding alternative routes, writes John Downes.
Plans recently announced by the Minister for Education, Noel Dempsey, mean any Leaving Cert student with a minimum of 450 points will, in the future, also sit an aptitude test to determine whether they are suitable to become doctors.
The proposed changes, which aim to move the criteria for entry to the profession away from a solely points-based approach, will also see a graduate entry scheme introduced to enable graduates from all disciplines to study to become a doctor.
The target date for implementation of the new system is 2006.
But what about current students who are unable to gain one of the 300-odd places available to Irish students in the State's five medical schools? What are their options and what are the implications for the medical profession here?
According to Dr Eamonn Shanahan, chairman of the Irish College of General Practitioners, students in this position frequently find themselves with only three choices. "You can bide your time and wait until hopefully the graduate entry scheme is up and running in two to three years' time," he says. "Or you can re-sit the Leaving Cert. Alternatively, you can leave the country."
But such choices are not without risks. For example, somebody opting to re-sit the Leaving Cert has no guarantee they will get the points they need second time around. Since so much depends on performance on the day of the exam, any slip-up could mean a whole year has been wasted. Similarly, just because somebody decides to wait for the proposed new graduate entry scheme to come into effect, this does not mean they will get a place on a medicine course.
There is little doubt that the current points-based system is stopping much-needed Irish doctors from getting into the profession, says Shanahan.
"Many, many people are there who would do a lot of good, but they can't get into medicine," he says. "For example, anybody who has repeated the Leaving Cert has shown a huge commitment. These are the types of people we are looking for. But they are not getting into medicine."
David Byrne is one such person. A DCU graduate with a first class honours degree in computer applications, he originally worked in the IT sector for a year and a half. He then set up a thriving business as a personal trainer, where he says he learned a lot about how to interact with people and help them to live healthily. Although he had originally missed the cut-off mark for medicine by just 10 points, he did not get an interview for a place on any of the medicine courses he applied for.
"It was something I always wanted to do," he says of his desire to become a doctor. "I said if I still wanted to do it, I would do it as a mature student I could have gone back and done the Leaving Cert, and I could have got what I wanted. But maybe not."
While he also considered applying to the UK, he discovered an internationally recognised, six-year medicine course in Hungary. He found the Hungarian colleges' representative in Ireland both professional and helpful, he says. Crucially, there were still places available for the coming year.
After passing the entrance test in Dublin, he made the difficult decision to leave his family behind, and spend a minimum of six years qualifying as a doctor in Hungary.
The decision also brings with it significant financial implications.
"Financially, I'd be better off staying with my company. It's just because it's something I wanted to do, really," he says. "I'm looking at borrowing around €70,000. That's the worst case scenario... I may be able to work [while studying\]. But the course fees aren't fixed, either."
Byrne's willingness to risk substantial debt and move to a foreign country in order to fulfil his dream of becoming a doctor is not unusual, according to Timothy O'Leary, the Irish representative for the three Hungarian universities involved.
This year has seen a marked increase in the numbers applying to sit the entrance exam here, the Cork-based vet says. "I would say it is 50/50 Leaving Cert students and graduates applying," he says. "I think some people leaving school have a vocation to study medicine, but don't get onto a course. Some do another degree, but then realise they want to do medicine If they are determined to do medicine, it's another option."
This year, 12 Irish people will make the move to Hungary to study medicine, with others enrolling for veterinary studies and pharmacy courses. And Hungary could become even more popular with Irish students wanting to become doctors, unless something is done to address the shortage of places available to Irish students on medical courses here, according to Dr James Reilly, president of the Irish Medical Organisation.
Of the 800 places available to students in Ireland, only 300 or so are open to students from Ireland, he says. The rest are set aside for lucrative international students.
Hence the decision to study abroad, something which he warns may have dire consequences for the long-term medical profession here.
"International students come here and we go there. We are sending our graduates abroad and the sad thing is that many won't return," Reilly explains.