Sir, – Yet again, some of the finest minds in the country with Leaving Certificate scores in the top 2 or 3 per cent of their peers are being denied access to medical school, due to the pressure on places.
However, the number of places for graduate entry medical school, where applicants study medicine after completing another degree, have been expanded to such an extent that almost one in two applicants have been offered places this year.
In order to take some of the pressure off school-leavers and ensure the academic calibre of medical school entrants remains high, some redistribution needs to occur. More places should be assigned to Leaving Certificate students and less to graduate entry students to help redress this balance. – Yours, etc,