Three in five people studying to be doctors, dentists and vets are women, a new survey has shown.
Women continued to dominate entrances to medically related courses requiring 500-plus CAO points in 2003.
The report, compiled by the Government's Skills Initiative Unit (SIU), says women accounted for 72 per cent of the intake on to such courses last year.
Although this shows a slight decrease on 2002, when 76 per cent of all entrants to such courses were female, the percentage of female entrants to these courses has consistently remained at over 70 per cent in the past five years.
Women dominated the areas of pharmacy, physiotherapy and radiology. However, the report also shows that, for every two males, more than three females accepted places on medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses in 2003.
The reasons for the comparative under-representation of males on medically related high-point courses are complex, the report says. However, comparison with tests such as the SATs and ACTs in the US reveals that the format of the Leaving may contribute to the outcome.
A second report by the SIU, which analyses course choices for students with high points, also reveals that females dominated intake to education courses in 2003, forming some 86 per cent of all entrants, with arts courses also attracting a strong majority of high-point female students.
However, law and business courses exhibit more of a gender balance among students with high points. Males represented 43 per cent of entrants in law and 50 per cent in business.
There were only two major high-point areas where males continue to dominate: computing and engineering. However, only 57 students with high points applied to these courses in 2003, compared with 464 in 2000.