RCSI interview advice

[cloverlead]

Does anyone have advice for interviewing with RCSI this Feb 2005? I have also noticed alot of posts abt Trinity or UCC, but little on RCSI. How many Atlantic Bridge students does each of the 4 schools take? I know the ABP websites stats states 1 out 10. How many does RCSI take? What are the chances of getting into RCSI having made the interview round?
Thanks!

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[Ratan1982]

I agree. It would be nice to know something more about RCSI. i don't even know anything. i just got an e-mail telling me i had an interview. please let me know something more. i'm out here in the dark

 

[Southpawz]

My advice is:

• Read the newspaper/news before going into the interview.
  They will usually pop a "So have you heard anything new going on in the medical world recently?".
• You should also know a little about the medical world, they sometimes ask about some big projects ie. The Genome project etc.
• Knowing someone who goes to RCSI/ went to RCSI helps a lot too.
• Another question is "What can you contribute to RCSI"... pretty tough question imho, but now that you know that they will probably ask it, you can prepare haha
  
  That's all I can think of right now, good luck on your interviews!!
  

 

[leorl]

Will try to get some current RCSI students to post about their experiences now and when they were applying/interviewing.

 

[cloverlead]

This site is so helpful and so awesome. Thank you for all your help, I really appreciate it!

 

[uclakid]

i have an interview coming up too and i don't know what to expect at all!

 

[deleted21609]

Does anyone have advice for interviewing with RCSI

I was asked about how I intended to pay for it and how I intended to get back home. It would probably be good to go to the ECFMG website (or this site for that matter) to read about the test requirements for US residency so that you'll have a good answer if asked the same thing as I was.

From what I've heard it's ROUGHLY:
RSCI 1/3 US & Canada + 1/3 Irish & UK + 1/3 other-Malasian, Middle Eastern, etc.
Trinity,UCC,UCD 70-80% Irish & UK + 10-15% US & Can + 10-15% other.
UCG few foreign.

 

[Ratan1982]

What other questions were you asked during the interview? are there any medical ethics questions. more details would be great

 

[deleted21609]

What other questions were you asked during the interview? are there any medical ethics questions. more details would be great

I didn't get any questions about medicine, medical ethics, medical politics, or anything like that. They just wanted to know why I would want to go there and that I understood the reality of the situation of being an FMG. I'd find out as much about the school and it's courses, timeline, advantages, disadvantages, etc. as I could. They probably like hearing about how great they are- specific ways are more meaningful than just blanket statements. I don't know. It was a tough interview. Three cold Irish guys sitting behind a desk that was on a higher level than my chair...

 

[PaddyofNine]

I'd say there's less than 70%-80% Irish and UK in UCD! Not sure of exact figures, but that's my general impression...

 

[Sage880]

50% Irish in first year at UCC. About 30% Malaysian, 10% Canadian, 5% American, 5% Other.

Half the class is foreign!

 

[capricorn]

hey guys,
i got an interview offer from RCSI as well and now i'm wondering whether it's worth it to go over there without applying to any other canadian schools(i'm a 3rd year UG). for those of you that are over there, how come you are not considering staying in europe and practicing there( other than family reasons) , like do they pay alot less than the US or is it hard for international graduates to stay in Ireland? and also do you guys think it's a better option to refuse this interview offer and try my best to get into a canadian medschool just cuz it's such a headache to return to NA with an irish degree?
also those of you in RCSI, how do you like it? living, studying, etc... and also is there really an advantage to going to RCSI and paying the extra money other than the fact that they baby you? for example is RCSI more recognized in the US because it is a Royal college?
thanx guys

 

[capricorn]

also speaking to peter nealon, he said that about 1 out of 5 get picked for RCSI and that more than 50% get accepted after the interview round, he said that you won't get dragged to sanfranciso for them to tell you that you are rejected, so chances are if you've got an interview offer, you're in. it's just the decision of going over there that's killing me right now!!!

 

[Ratan1982]

If you have good grades and are really good at Science, i would suggest going to a Canadian School, unless you really want the cultural experience.

I say finish your degree, and then apply to a school in your home province. There would be numerous advantages such as lower tuition, more ease in getting into a residency program, and other things.

 

[deleted21609]

hey guys,
i got an interview offer from RCSI as well and now i'm wondering whether it's worth it to go over there without applying to any other canadian schools(i'm a 3rd year UG). for those of you that are over there, how come you are not considering staying in europe and practicing there( other than family reasons) , like do they pay alot less than the US or is it hard for international graduates to stay in Ireland? and also do you guys think it's a better option to refuse this interview offer and try my best to get into a canadian medschool just cuz it's such a headache to return to NA with an irish degree?
also those of you in RCSI, how do you like it? living, studying, etc... and also is there really an advantage to going to RCSI and paying the extra money other than the fact that they baby you? for example is RCSI more recognized in the US because it is a Royal college?
thanx guys

Most of your questions have been discussed in depth repeatedly. Summary from my point of view- apply at home everywhere you can and go to school there if at all possible. Reasons too numerous to discuss in just one post.

 

[Wandaa]

Hey guys! Does anyone know what the interview venue is like? i know that they're holding the interview at a hotel but is it in a conference room? hotel room?

 

[deleted21609]

Hey guys! Does anyone know what the interview venue is like? i know that they're holding the interview at a hotel but is it in a conference room? hotel room?

All the students sat in one conference room and talked with Peter Nealon or whatever. One at a time we were called to another conference room with the 3 interviewers.

 

[Ratan1982]

The Interview is at the Palace Hotel. On the website, it shows what the conference room is like (located in the Mezzanine). its a room not unlike the boardroom in The Apprentice

 

[cloverlead]

Ay clues on who the interviewers are? What they are like? Wouldn't it be great if one of them had 'the donald'? Any recommendations on 'what not to say'? What would seriously annoy them if mentioned?

 

[cloverlead]

I just checked the Hilton's facilities in New York for the interview. If the room is anything like the one on the website. The 'boardroom' looks exactly like the one in 'The Apprentice'. Fun!

 

[Wandaa]

Does anyone know how long the whole interview day lasts? Someone at AB said that the interview itself should be about half an hour but is there anything else going on as well or is it really just in and out?

 

[leorl]

Trinity College is also 50% Irish, 50% International. So 60 and 60. Of the 60 international, roughly 15 are Canadian/American.

 

[Southpawz]

RCSI has an exchange program with it's sister school in Penang (PMC), so most of the Malaysians you meet will leave back to PMC in 3rd med.
There is a lot of middle eastern students as their countries sponsor them to come here. They will have to go back and work for thier countries after they graduate.
There are quite a lot of North American students here as well. I actually think that Irish students are a minority in this school haha.

 

[CoolCyber]

Wow, this is fantastic information. What would you say the student breakdown for the RCSI is ? Do you find any many for the Asia-Pacific (Australia, NZ etc) region ?

Also, how much are the rents like in Ireland ? I looked at Mercer court and it seems quite decent. Surely you can get cheaper rent ?

Thanks !

 

[Ratan1982]

Do the people at RCSI ask you any personal questions during the interview?

 

[Wandaa]

Any info on the number of interviews vs. number of positions available at RCSI?

 

[Jammer]

Hi,

I'm a final year medical student at RCSI, from Canada. Don't worry too much about the interview. I would think that it's just a chance for the interviewers to see that you are 'NORMAL', ya, that's pretty much what they're looking for. Sorry the 'secret' wasn't juicier. They judge you on your 'paper application' merits, the interview is more or less meant to weed out the 'crazies'. However, it doesn't always work out that way. The interview probably won't rocket an applicant into contention if they weren't there in the first place, but if you're weird or have an antisocial personality disorder, than the interview can crush your chances. Best advice is to be honest, respectful, and humble, be prepared to talk about anything that you included in your application, and find out as much info on RCSI, the financial implications of attending, and what you need to do in order to license back in the US or Canada when you finish. Don't waste your time thinking about staying to practice in Europe after, you probably won't want to, just trust me on this one. And even if you do, that's easy to do once you're studying in Europe.

Interview is about 30 minutes (at least when I went), usually with 2 or 3 interviewers. Interviewers are usually people like the Dean, the Vice-Dean, the Examinations Officer, the Registrar, some professors, etc.

Beforehand, you meet one of the guys from the ABP and sit in a room with other interviewees. The interview is pretty relaxed, but I've heard people have been asked weird questions, that's probably because it's been a long day for the interviewers and they're now getting bored.

 

[capricorn]

Jammer,
first, thank you for your long and informative post on the whole process. and second, you don't need to get mad at me, i just got an impression that RCSI is like that from other ppl's posts. what i was most wondering about is.. what does the extra money go into? what kind of advantage does it give you over other schools/ what is their reasoning for charging the extra 10-15000? that's all.
also I definitely don't see RCSI as the easy way out, if anything i'm going there for the challenge, the different culture and lifestyle and a chance to broaden my horizons, hell i haven't even had a chance to apply to canadian schools because canada doesn't interest me and i have no affiliation to it, i just happen to live here, if i like it in europe, i will probably stay there and if not, i'll do my best to get a kickass residency in the US and i'm sure i will. if you're determined enough, you can do anything.
but nevertheless it is a risky decision and requires lots of consideration. what i need to know is do you regret going to RCSI at the end of the day, do you feel you've made a mistake in leaving CANADA and studying in a foreign country? do you enjoy living in dublin? you know, personal things that aren't on a statistics sheet but that i need to know before making a decision...

 

[Ratan1982]

It would also be nice to know what the elective situation is like. can you do electives in Canada? and is it any easier now to come back to Canada?

 

[Dr Rich]

Yes of course you can do electives in Canada, it's your choice, RCSI puts no requirements for where you do them. If you apply early enough you will get an elective pretty much anywhere you want.

I would tell you about the interview, but I didn't have to take one. From what I've heard, what Jammer says is exactly right, once you're not a psycho you're sorted.

 

[Ratan1982]

If you've been offered an interview early, does this mean that you are being considered more highly than another applicant?

 

[Ratan1982]

Anybody else have any interview advice?

 

[Jammer]

.

 

[Choda]

Hey y'all, i'm a first med student here, so i think i can give a different point of than Jammer's...

1. The interview:
I thougth my interview was pretty chill. You start in a meeting room with other candidates and speak with Peter Nealon, who's probably one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. I was interviewed by Mr. Curtis, the admissions officer and Dr. Winser, a prof. Those guys were pretty relaxed. They pretty much just asked me "Tell me about yourself" and they asked questions off whatever I was saying. I think they're looking to see that you are well rounded and that you can probably contribute to the school in a positive manner. They also asked if you have the ability to pay for your education. Altogether, it was a non-painful experience.... I actually thought I didn't really have a chance to talk about "standard" interview questions such as "why do you want to be a doctor?" and such. No ethics questions, so no worries there.

2. The school:
Oh where to begin... Lecturers are hit and miss. Anatomy is EXCELLENT, dissection is excellent. Anatomy is all taught by well-qualified ex-surgeons who really know their stuff. Pharmcacology is ok too. Bchem and physiology is pretty weak I must say. I'll tell you right now: the vice-dean and the dean are probably THE WORST lecturers i've ever had in my academic career. That being said, there is a lot of self-study you must do, but it's not too bad, really. Each subject has it's ups and downs, as with any other school. Overall, the quality here is not bad in terms of teaching.
Facilities= $hit. RCSI spends ALOT of money buying up land all around the college, yet don't spend any money fixing up their gyms, lecture theatres and tutorial rooms. Frankly I do'nt know where most the money goes, and there needs to be more accountability with this.
Administration: like pulling teeth. by north american standards, Irish bureaucracy is extremely slow and inefficient and you must be very patient when dealing with administrative matters. It doesn't matter where you go in ireland, you will encounter this. My particular beef is the fact that RCSI does not lay out their case/clinical skills tutorials AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE THE START OF THE TERM so there is sometimes scheduling mixups. The administration still doesn't have a clue with this.

3. Life in ireland
It's pretty fun here. Takes a bit to get used to, but it's not that bad. School is actually not that hard (esp when you ahve a pre-med UG degree already). you get to meet people from all over the world and people are generally pretty friendly. You'll have TONS of chances to party I'll tell you that right away. I'm gonna be doing some travelling in the next little while because we don't have any exams until may.

I hope this helps some people out.
All in all, it's not a bad school, but it's not a great school.... with a little work, that could change though...but...this is ireland afterall...and people here (no offence) do need a little kick in the pants to get things started.

If anyone has any other questions, please ask. I wo'nt answer questions that have already been answered in previous posts though.

ps. to all the newcomers: the 32 crew throws the best parties! watch out for them!

 

[cloverlead]

Is there any way I can submit an updated CV for the upcoming RCSI interview? My paper is about to be published in Science, so its my best and biggest paper so far. How can I go about submitting this updated version? Should I just bring it and hand it to Peter Nealon? What do you think? Also, do you guys believe in printing your CV out on fancy paper? I have printed mine out on regular paper.

 

[leorl]

Sure, just email Peter Nealon and say you have an updated CV on the way and explain the situation. Once he has it, he can put it with your other application stuff. And bring one with you to the interview just in case. I would always print the CV on fancy paper... just makes a more professional impression.

 

[leorl]

Someone asked about Rent - it depends. I personally think the RCSI rents are too high, especially with the devaluing dollar (then again, I think tuition is too high too). I'm not sure what it's set at now, but when I first started in Ireland, my friend was paying 600 euro a month when we worked it out, for a twin room (i.e. sharing with someone else) in Mercer Court. I paid 600 euro for my own double room in my own apartment just 10 min. from RCSI and Trinity. Now I found a cheaper place (500), which is still considered pretty expensive. The room in Mercer Court was nice and big, they could fit a whole fridge in there...and if you want to do the whole dorm thing it might work. Rent prices outside the RCSI residences are less expensive but in general, rent in Dublin city center isn't that cheap.

 

[cjw0918]

Just to let you know, RCSI will want a HUGE, NON-REFUNBABLE deposit in March or so after you've been accepted to reserve your spot. I think mine was around $7,000. This means that if you are waitlisted somewhere in the US but haven't heard yet by March, you're screwed. I paid the money and then got into the US school of my choice in June. I stayed in the US for med school, and they kept my money. The only thing that makes me feel better is that even if I add $7,000 on to my med school expenses here in the US, it's still WAY cheaper than RCSI. Just beware that they know many applicants are using them as back-up, and this is how they make money off of that. Good luck. Interview was fine.

 

[PBRIZ]

When did you past applicants receive offers of admission or rejections from the other schools like Trinity and UCD? Hopefully we will know before you have to put a deposit down for RCSI!

 

[Sage880]

When did you past applicants receive offers of admission or rejections from the other schools like Trinity and UCD? Hopefully we will know before you have to put a deposit down for RCSI!

I was accepted to 3 schools one after another and had to put a deposit down before I heard anything from the other schools. I took my chances and turned down the first and then accepted the 2nd months later. The third school accepted me in like September. I think they were scrambling for one more student or something.

 

[angeldelight]

Nope its no more recognised because its "royal".... really means nothing. Im 1st pharmacy at rcsi so ne Qs about college in general not medicine or interviews im happy to answer them

 

[bigguy]

i interviewed with rcsi in new york in 1999, they asked me how many people were in ireland (the population), what kind of doctor i wanted to be, if there was any particular disease i wanted to study, how i expected to pay for my education, how many MRI scanners there are in Ireland, and what i could contribute to rcsi. i thought the question about what i could contribute to rcsi was a little odd, it seems they were probing for your ability to pay and possibly donate a little extra on the side, wink wink, nod nod. as for the royal bit, if you ask anyone in the usa they will say it is better to go to a royal college, but it doesn't matter. you can always go to ucd or trinity and then sit the exams for mrcp or mrcs or whatever initials your heart desires to have after your name. by the way. they told me there are more MRI scanners in orange county california than there are in ireland. the population of ireland on census night 28 April 2002 was 3,917,336. in dublin on the same evening there were 1,122,600 people.

 

[meehawl]

RCSI charges more tuition than other Irish medical schools because it is a private school and receives little to no public funding, unlike TCD, UCD, UCC and UCG. 70-80% of the overall running expenses at RCSI are covered by student's tuition fees.

That used to be true, but not anymore (since 2003). From the RCSI website:

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland has been included in the Department of Education Free Fees Scheme since 2002 For (EU) graduates or students who have already attended college, details of fees for 2005 academic year will be available at a later stage. As a guideline graduate tuition fees for 2004 were €7,566.32 which includes all Capitation and Registration charges.

By comparison, non-EU citizens pay a little more:

1. Tuition and Registration Fees 5/6 year course payable annually - €34,250
2. The National University of Ireland (NUI) Matriculation Fee - €133
3. Registration Fee - €127

Some countries make it easier to get EU citizenship than others. If you have a single grandparent who is an Irish citizen then you can swing it. Also, if they are not an Irish citizen, but *their* grandparent was an Irish citizen or more probably a UK subject who resided in the territory of Ireland (either north or south) before 1921, then they could apply, become naturalized, then "grandfather" you in. Some EU countries impose additional language tests, or reduce the ancestral eligibility to 1st generation...