RCSI 6-year graduating class of 2017

[Zahramer]

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From what I've seen, there isn't a forum for this class already, but if there is please let me know! I just thought a place for everyone to share their experiences and questions about next year would be handy.

I recently accepted my offer to the RCSI 6-year medical program. As of yesterday, I have a spot rez spot confirmed at Mercer. I had my interview Feb 28th in Toronto. I felt good coming out of the interview, but a bit nervous because he kept mentioning my age, and if I'd be able to live by myself and deal with the medical curriculum and such. I guess I was right to think the interview went well though, because I received my acceptance last week! (March 16th). I also applied to the 6 year programs at UCD and Galway, but haven't heard from them yet (which means I wasn't in the first round, from what I've heard), and since RCSI only gave me 21 days to reply, I decided to accept. I am incredibly excited to live in Dublin and become a med student at RCSI!

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I'm from: Ontario, Canada
My country of citizenship is: Canada
Currently studying: In grade 12
At this University: --
My average is: 94.5% at the time I applied
My MCAT Scores: --
I applied to: RCSI, UCD, Galway
I have an interview at: RCSI
I was accepted at: RCSI
I was waitlisted at: Waiting to hear.
I was rejected from: Waiting to hear.

 

[hassano]

I recently received an offer for the 6 year program at RCSI as well, almost sure that i will be accepting it. (still looking at residency opportunities after)
The interview in Toronto was thankfully good for me too, the professor who conducted the interview was awesome!
And i've heard that Mercer is a great place to live- i saw it on google streetview hah, love it's location right behind the school- and i like how St. Stephens Green is right in front, it looks great i'm looking into getting accommodations there as well.

 

[Zahramer]

Congrats!! Did you get offers for anywhere else? Yeah, from what I've heard and read I feel pretty confident that if any of the schools, RCSI especially will be very helpful in integrating Canadian students (assuming that's where your from) back into the system, which made me feel better about residency. And yess I love Mercer's location! I'm hoping it'll be a great place to live.

 

[hassano]

no i havent heard from UCD yet (only other place i applied), however im kind of having second thoughts about going to Ireland now.

 

[Zahramer]

Why's that?

 

[AllenHorford]

hey guys,
i got accepted and just recently put down my deposit for the 6 year program. looking forward to it!
i took a look at mercer and it looks really good, im pretty sure im gonna try to get something there. do you guys know if bookings and everything have begun?

and as far as being unsure about residency oppurtunity back in Canada, i was talking to one of my friends (he's a resident in endocrin in Toronto) and we discussed oppurtunities for foreign medical students coming back to Canada, specifically coming from Ireland. He told about how some of his fellow residents were Irish and they were well respected and have a good reputation among doctors and students. When i asked him about how difficult it is to get back into the Canadian system, he basically said that the Irish students have to right a set of exams (residency entrace exams - not sure what they're called) and the better you do on these, the better your chance of acceptance.
Does anyone know about this, if so I'd like to hear different opinions.

are you guys in Ontario as well?

 

[Zahramer]

That's encouraging to hear about Irish residents getting back into Canada! I have also heard things about a set of exams. Yep, Mercer booking has already begun, apparently it's pretty competitive so make sure you apply for a spot soon!

Yes, I'm from Northern Ontario 🙂

 

[aaa90]

anybody know what the breakdown of the class size is by country? (e.g. 30% irish, 20% canadian, etc.)

 

[hassano]

well i put down my deposit as well, as far as the second thoughts i guess im still just weighing the options of going to ireland now for 6 years or staying in canada for a bachelors degree and seeing my options then.
i think overall im leaning towards going though.

 

[Zahramer]

anybody know what the breakdown of the class size is by country? (e.g. 30% irish, 20% canadian, etc.)

I called ABP a while ago and they told me that there's about 70 people in the class and 20 are North Americans. Not too sure about other countries though!

 

[starrystarrykni]

My interview for RCSI was on March 4th in Vancouver and I thought it went really well. I got my acceptance letter for RCSI on March 15th and accepted immediately. My brother is currently in his third of the five year program at RCSI so I wanted to get in for a very long time! I have a place at Mercer as well and I'm happy to report that they are doing a renovation this summer! I can't wait to move over there and I absolutely love Ireland. If anyone has any questions I would love to answer as I have some knowledge due to my brother attending.

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I'm from: Calgary, Canada
My country of citizenship is: Canada
Currently studying: In grade 12
At this University: --
My average is: 90.5% at the time I applied
My MCAT Scores: --
I applied to: RCSI
I have an interview at: RCSI
I was accepted at: RCSI
I was waitlisted at: --
I was rejected from: --

 

[Zahramer]

Congrats! I have so many questions- Did your brother find the first year difficult? As in hard to adjust to Ireland, and to the curriculum? Has your brother been able to do any placements in Canada so far? How does he like the Irish system? And how does he like RCSI?

I'm happy to hear about the renovations! Do you know what exactly they're renovating?

 

[starrystarrykni]

Congrats! I have so many questions- Did your brother find the first year difficult? As in hard to adjust to Ireland, and to the curriculum? Has your brother been able to do any placements in Canada so far? How does he like the Irish system? And how does he like RCSI?

I'm happy to hear about the renovations! Do you know what exactly they're renovating?

Well he didn't do foundation year there, he was in Canada, but some of his friends did and it's just as difficult as any other university in the first year. It's definitely the easier of them all comparatively. He really loves living in Ireland as a part of RCSI as it is a VERy multicultural school. As he had only been in Canada for a year he didn't find adjusting too bad. Basically, as with all universities, you like some professors and others, not so much... He always comes back to Canada in the summer to do research and has had no problem at all. RCSI is pretty renowned for coming back hasn't been a problem, he has begun to worry about residence, but all medical students do. He really likes the Irish medical system because it gives you extremely early exposure to working in the hospital and RCSI really focuses on making sure you know your stuff. Also he absolutely loved the quality of dissection they do, compared to Canada it is a lot earlier (in 1st med, the year after foundation year). All in all he loves RCSI, hence why he encouraged me to go over there.

One of the best parts of the school is that it encourages everyone to take part in at least one club, society, or sports team. I know I will take advantage of that as I play hard-core volleyball!

Also, I don't know what they are renovating in particular, I'm ok with just the carpet haha

 

[bear1993]

I'm in grade 12 and had my interview march 4th in vancouver. I'm from british columbia and I'm going into the foundation year next year as well. I'm really excited and I'm almost finished in applying for a spot at mercer. I was wondering if i was allowed to legally sign the housing agreement even though I'm only 17. I will be 18 this summer so i will be legal once there. Thanks for any help!!

 

[aaa90]

i made a facebook group for our class! Look up "RCS Ireland Class of 2017" and please join 🙂

 

[starrystarrykni]

I'm in grade 12 and had my interview march 4th in vancouver. I'm from british columbia and I'm going into the foundation year next year as well. I'm really excited and I'm almost finished in applying for a spot at mercer. I was wondering if i was allowed to legally sign the housing agreement even though I'm only 17. I will be 18 this summer so i will be legal once there. Thanks for any help!!

Ya, I had that problem too. I just signed it because I will be eighteen by that time too. I think they are aware of that...

 

[Zahramer]

Well he didn't do foundation year there, he was in Canada, but some of his friends did and it's just as difficult as any other university in the first year. It's definitely the easier of them all comparatively. He really loves living in Ireland as a part of RCSI as it is a VERy multicultural school. As he had only been in Canada for a year he didn't find adjusting too bad. Basically, as with all universities, you like some professors and others, not so much... He always comes back to Canada in the summer to do research and has had no problem at all. RCSI is pretty renowned for coming back hasn't been a problem, he has begun to worry about residence, but all medical students do. He really likes the Irish medical system because it gives you extremely early exposure to working in the hospital and RCSI really focuses on making sure you know your stuff. Also he absolutely loved the quality of dissection they do, compared to Canada it is a lot earlier (in 1st med, the year after foundation year). All in all he loves RCSI, hence why he encouraged me to go over there.

One of the best parts of the school is that it encourages everyone to take part in at least one club, society, or sports team. I know I will take advantage of that as I play hard-core volleyball!

Also, I don't know what they are renovating in particular, I'm ok with just the carpet haha

Thanks so much for the info! That's good to hear that the first year is just as difficult as university in Canada. Do you know what type of laptop he got, or which laptops they gave last year? And if he bought his textbooks from here, or from Ireland?

 

[starrystarrykni]

Thanks so much for the info! That's good to hear that the first year is just as difficult as university in Canada. Do you know what type of laptop he got, or which laptops they gave last year? And if he bought his textbooks from here, or from Ireland?

He got a HP laptop I believe, not sure which ones they got last year. He's thinking our class will also probably get HPs because RCSI may still have a deal with them... Don't know for sure though. He bought his over there, and they were expensive! So I've bought mine and will bring them over.

 

[AllenHorford]

Buying textbooks here would be a good idea,
but i read somewhere that we were to find books that suited our learning styles there in RCSI as they dont have a set textbook for any of their courses.
is that actually the case? and if it is, what textbooks are you looking to buy?

 

[starrystarrykni]

Buying textbooks here would be a good idea,
but i read somewhere that we were to find books that suited our learning styles there in RCSI as they dont have a set textbook for any of their courses.
is that actually the case? and if it is, what textbooks are you looking to buy?

Well there is a set textbook for Chemistry and two set ones Biology, and those are the ones I bought, Physics is much more complicated, so I'll get that one when I am over there.

 

[AllenHorford]

oh ok, thanks!
and do you know where Id be able to find any additional info on books etc.
like where would I buy them? and what their names are?

 

[kermicrzy]

Your best bet is waiting till you arrive here to buy your books. Since the cost of textbooks is so high in America (not sure about Canada) due to copyright fees, its worth the wait. Plus you save valuable luggage space 😉

I remember getting my anatomy book for about 70 euro and it was over 250+ dollars in America. So its def worth the wait to buy books here. They are the same editions as US copies but usually have disclaimer that they can't be sold in US/Canada.

Hope this helps!

www.clarendonmedical.com/
and of course www.amazon.co.uk

 

[AllenHorford]

k thanks!
and for anyone interested, theres a list of reccomended books for RCSI foundation year 11/12 on their website.

 

[AllenHorford]

does anyone know the conditional cutoff for the program? I think it was an overall avg of 80 in ALL grade 12 U courses. is that correct?
thanks!

 

[S0B]

does anyone know the conditional cutoff for the program? I think it was an overall avg of 80 in ALL grade 12 U courses. is that correct?
thanks!

I would also like to know if this is correct.

 

[omegasaiyan]

Hi,

If anyone here has been accepted into RCSI, Trinity, UCD or other med schools in Dublin and is interested in buying medical books and equipment for cheaper prices (since 2nd hand but still kept in great condition), message me for more information.

I have everything for every subject and specialty starting from 1st med to final med.

Email me at [email protected]

 

[Nirm9848]

The conditional cutoff on the acceptance letter said the minimum mark required was an 85% average.

Also, here's a list of books you will need for the years of 2012/13:

https://www.rcsi.ie/files/studentlife/docs/20120730020845_Foundation Year Booklist 2012_.pdf

 

[Mary Anne]

From what I've seen, there isn't a forum for this class already, but if there is please let me know! I just thought a place for everyone to share their experiences and questions about next year would be handy.

I recently accepted my offer to the RCSI 6-year medical program. As of yesterday, I have a spot rez spot confirmed at Mercer. I had my interview Feb 28th in Toronto. I felt good coming out of the interview, but a bit nervous because he kept mentioning my age, and if I'd be able to live by myself and deal with the medical curriculum and such. I guess I was right to think the interview went well though, because I received my acceptance last week! (March 16th). I also applied to the 6 year programs at UCD and Galway, but haven't heard from them yet (which means I wasn't in the first round, from what I've heard), and since RCSI only gave me 21 days to reply, I decided to accept. I am incredibly excited to live in Dublin and become a med student at RCSI!

------------------
I'm from: Ontario, Canada
My country of citizenship is: Canada
Currently studying: In grade 12
At this University: --
My average is: 94.5% at the time I applied
My MCAT Scores: --
I applied to: RCSI, UCD, Galway
I have an interview at: RCSI
I was accepted at: RCSI
I was waitlisted at: Waiting to hear.
I was rejected from: Waiting to hear.

Hi Zahramer.I'm also Canadian,grade 12 accepted at RCSI for Sept 2013,I guess you've been there for 2 yrs, can u pls tell me how u're doing,classes,how r u coping vs 4 and 5 y classes?,thankjs

 

[Mary Anne]

My interview for RCSI was on March 4th in Vancouver and I thought it went really well. I got my acceptance letter for RCSI on March 15th and accepted immediately. My brother is currently in his third of the five year program at RCSI so I wanted to get in for a very long time! I have a place at Mercer as well and I'm happy to report that they are doing a renovation this summer! I can't wait to move over there and I absolutely love Ireland. If anyone has any questions I would love to answer as I have some knowledge due to my brother attending.

-----


I'm from: Calgary, Canada
My country of citizenship is: Canada
Currently studying: In grade 12
At this University: --
My average is: 90.5% at the time I applied
My MCAT Scores: --
I applied to: RCSI
I have an interview at: RCSI
I was accepted at: RCSI
I was waitlisted at: --
I was rejected from: --

Hi ,i'm going in sept 2013,pls tell me how u're doing,and can u compare residences briefly for me?

 

[Medstart108]

Hi ,i'm going in sept 2013,pls tell me how u're doing,and can u compare residences briefly for me?

If you click on their name you can see their profile which tells u the last time they have been on under their name. Both these people haven't been on since 2011. I know this is only 2011 but again make your own thread or find one related to your current year. Most people stop going on forums after they get admitted

 

[bradyfan]

I am a canadian student going into the 5 year program. I am looking into booking my flight home for Christmas. Anybody know the earliest we can leave without missing anything?

 

[S0B]

I am a canadian student going into the 5 year program. I am looking into booking my flight home for Christmas. Anybody know the earliest we can leave without missing anything?

Last day of classes for the 5 year program is the 21st of December, so ideally you wanna book it either the 22nd or later.

 

[helamhelam1966]

Buying textbooks here would be a good idea,
but i read somewhere that we were to find books that suited our learning styles there in RCSI as they dont have a set textbook for any of their courses.
is that actually the case? and if it is, what textbooks are you looking to buy?