Madam, - It has been pointed out in recent days that the points for a particular university course depend as much on the number of places on the course as on the number of students applying for it. In economics this is known as the law of supply and demand. With this in mind I would like to pose the following question.
We are obviously not producing enough medical graduates to meet our requirements and large numbers of foreign doctors are needed to fill medical posts in this country. Why, then, do the universities not increase the number of medical places on their courses, thereby lowering the points required, and allow more Irish students to become doctors?
Many good students are excluded by the high points - students motivated to do medicine because of a basic love of the discipline, rather than because it is a prestigious goal because of the high points required. - Yours, etc,
ANDREW J MORAN, Woodford, Co Galway.