Starting Med School in Ireland - What to bring?

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superstarmd

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Hi

I've decided to start a thread for those going to Ireland for med school in the fall and need advice as to what we should bring with us to Ireland. So to those that are already there do you have any suggestions as to what we will need ex laptops, books, palm pilots, adaptors/transformers etc...

Thanks for the help!
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1) Don't bring books. Books over here aren't that much more expensive than back home, unless you've managed to find a really good deal on something. Books just weigh down your suitcase.

2) laptops are handy if you're like me and an internet junky. I also do research and a lot of online work, so I brought mine. There are computer labs, but they can get jam-packed pretty quickly. Also brought my external cd writer and iomega zip drive. I'd recommend bringing electronics like that if you have them because they're tons cheaper in the US than here.

3) Have a Palm pilot, but don't need it much unless you use it as an organizer and keep your life on it. Which could get handy in keeping timetables and things, but you don't really need one. The hospitals here do not have PDA points and they don't use PDA tracking programs. Nor is wireless internet standard here yet.

4) A lot of electronics can stand european voltage. Make sure the adapter gives a range of 100-240 V. Anything less than 240 and you'll pop the plug (I've done it a couple times. It sucks to realize you've fried your thing). If it doesn't, you'll need a converter. You can get one here, an electronics converter is kind of expensive wherever you buy it (like 40-50 bucks). Other smaller adapters can be used for hair dryers, curling irons, etc...but a lot of those come with international voltage capability too. You'll definitely need adaptor plugs but you can get them here too...probably a bit cheaper in the US because of the strength of the euro.

5) Don't bring a playstation unless you've got the software to read Region 2 games. Sounds stupid I know, but a friend of mine had brought over his, and had to send it back home cuz it was useless here. However, DVDs you can bring cuz a lot of DVD players are multiregional, if you decide to get a DVD player. DVDs are also easily shippable.

6) Do bring medicine. If you're an Advil person, bring it. You can't find it over here and nothing works as well even though it's just ibuprofen. Medicine and costs quite a lot here, for packs of like...10. What good is a pack of 10 going to do if you have to take it 3 times a day? And if you're a crest person, crest is harder to find here. Toiletries are more expensive too.

Any specific questions, just ask.
 
An umbrella! :D
 
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Do bring medicine. If you're an Advil person, bring it. You can't find it over here and nothing works as well even though it's just ibuprofen
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?????
How can one brand of ibuprofen work more effectively than another brand if ibuprofen is the only ingredient in the tablet? Am I missing something here?
 
Kev, I was wondering the same thing. I have no idea, it just does. Maybe it's psychological. But Panadol doesn't really do anything for me, Nurofen (also ibuprofen) can help but I don't find it as effective...and it's quite expensive! Whereas I can get a big bottle of Advil back home (200 tablets) for like 8 bucks. Perhaps there is another ingredient but since ibuprofen is the only active ingredient, i'm not sure what would make me prefer one over another.
 
Kev (UK) said:
An umbrella! :D
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And not just any ol' umbrella. You want one of those windproof non-fly-away type umbrellas :). And a really large one helps so you can just push people on the street out of the way :)

Ireland doesn't get as cold in the winter as back home, but the type of cold is different. It's a really damp kind of coldness that just seeps right into your bones (at the risk of sounding like an 80 yr. old...) instead of staying outside you like it does back home. Bring some good solid/thick sweaters and fleecies, and in this country, hoodies are a must. These things you can buy over here, though. And if you go to Trinity, you can order good clothing with the Trinity Med School crest embroidered on it for pretty cheap.
 
regarding the ibuprofen discussion, there may be a reason for a true difference between advil from the US and what you get there. the organic synthesis of ibuprofen results in two enantiomeric products in equal amounts. however, only one of the two products interfaces with the biochemical receptors in your body, the other has no function what-so-ever. thus if the "other" ibuprofen had a mixture of enantiomers that were not as biologically active for humans, there would be a significant difference in the effectiveness.
 
I've lived in Ireland for 5 years.. you can definitely buy Advil here. True, the packs of ibuprofen and paracetamol contain a small numbe of tablets but this is to discourage people overdosing. I think you can only buy one pack at any one time. Compare this to the 200 pill bottles you can buy in the US!

If anyone has any Qs regarding Ireland I'd be glad to answer 'em. I just graduated from med school here and started my internship a couple of days ago.
 
TheIntern said:
I've lived in Ireland for 5 years.. you can definitely buy Advil here. True, the packs of ibuprofen and paracetamol contain a small numbe of tablets but this is to discourage people overdosing. I think you can only buy one pack at any one time. Compare this to the 200 pill bottles you can buy in the US!

If anyone has any Qs regarding Ireland I'd be glad to answer 'em. I just graduated from med school here and started my internship a couple of days ago.
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What school did you graduate from and where are you doing your internship? I'm starting at UCC in the fall.
 
I graduated from NUI Galway and I'm doing my internship at University College Hospital Galway.
A lot of consultants around here graduated from UCC including our prof of medicine.. they say it's quite good :)
 
I'd be interested if you haev the URL of websites offering jobs in Ireland, espcially psych positions... Thanks.
 
TheIntern said:
A lot of consultants around here graduated from UCC including our prof of medicine.. they say it's quite good :)
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Whoo! That's what I like to hear! lol

Ok, so it sounds like you're American? I'm Canadian and have no idea what I want to do after med school. I plan to study for and write the USMLE's but I would be open to staying in Ireland. Is it easy to do your internship in Ireland? Is working in a hospital in Ireland much like working in one in the US?

I really have no idea what to expect from med school in Ireland but I'm happy to be going! I'd love to hear about any thoughts you had about doing your internship in the US vs. Ireland. Not that this is a pressing decision for me right now but I'm still curious! :)
 
Sage, I may have mentioned this before or maybe not, but I am starting at UCC this fall as well for medicine, I am British/American (yes, both hehe). I look forward to meeting you.. are you going to be in farranlea hall? And great, questions, I have some of the exact same ones I'd love to see answered
 
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come to Galway to buy you're advil then.. lol!
promise to answer those Qs that were posed.. but gimme a day.. I just worked 34 hours straight. faint. they have no working hour restrictions here yet.
 
What about the European working time directive???? Surely 34 hours would be more than half of that!!!
 
hearing all about cork is fine and dandy, but are there no other people who are starting med at ucd this fall or going back to ucd???? i can't be the only one!!!!! come on people, show yourselves...
 
The Working Time Directive hasn't been implemented yet and probably will be delayed for another few years. They tried to implement it theoretically in Cork University Hospital and it was the funniest roster I've ever seen. Dr. Plant only has an intern on tuesdays between 8.00 and 14.00 while Dr. O Connor has to share his intern with Dr. So and So for 4 days of the week. Dr. John Doe doesn't get an intern at all. The examples go on and on.

The sight of a consultant queueing for labs or x-rays would be a hoot though.
 
Kaptain Krunch said:
The sight of a consultant queueing for labs or x-rays would be a hoot though.
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LOL!!! now THAT I would love to see! I don't believe consultants even know how to order bloods or what forms to use for what!! They'd be lost without the interns ;)

I wish they'd implement the European Working Time Directive here. It's way too tiring and I've only been working 5 days on the job. But it just won't happen.. there's too much work and not enough NCHDS to do the job.
 
echostation said:
Sage, I may have mentioned this before or maybe not, but I am starting at UCC this fall as well for medicine, I am British/American (yes, both hehe). I look forward to meeting you.. are you going to be in farranlea hall? And great, questions, I have some of the exact same ones I'd love to see answered
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Hey! Yeah, I'm signed up for Farranlea hall. Well, I reserved over their website, payed with Visa, mailed them passport photos (god knows why they want those!), and have now sent 2 emails to them. I have heard nothing back so I have no idea if I'm actually staying there. Let me know if you've actually gotten any kind of correspondance from them!

Well, I've been back in Canada for a year now so it'll be cool to be back in Ireland. But I'm glad there's someone else who wants to work in the US after they're done. Seems to me my options are go to the US or marry an Irish chick and try to stay in Ireland!

I've met with a UCC grad who's working here in Canada and he made me feel pretty good about going to UCC. Everyone I talk to says the hospital there is first rate. Basically, I'm pretty happy I got accepted to a school for this fall and I'm glad there will be people taking the USMLE's as well.

So far it's me, you and trapper heading there this fall. Anyone else?!?!
 
So, what is a normal week like working in Ireland, I'm particularly interested in psychiatry but a general description would be nice. Sorry to innundatedyou with questions but does the hospital provide junior staff with accomodation and am I right in assuming that you work a 40 hour week for the base salary and then get paid an hourly overtime above that? Thanks for your help.
 
I think GraduateStud and superstarmd are also going to UCC this fall. Maybe we should start our own thread, I see there's one for RCSI and UCD. Anyway, I gotta get back to work but I couldn't resist reading the boards.
 
As an intern I'm supposed to work a 39 hour week. 9am to 5pm Mon thru Thur and 9am to 4pm on Fri. But that hasn't happened so far. I think in my 1st week of work (which was this past week) I worked about 60 hours, which I suppose isn't bad compared to U.S. residencies. So I'm leaving around 6 or 7pm daily and sometimes coming in early. Plus at the moment when you're on call overnight you have to work the next full day with no going home early. I know that it other hospitals in smaller areas such as Letterkenny or Ballinasloe the interns only have to be on call till midnight then they get to go home. However in Galway you have to spend the night.

The base salary for an intern in Ireland this year is 28,954 Euro. For all the hours you work above the 39 hours you get paid overtime. The 1st 15 hours you get paid time and a quarter, and any hours over that time and a half. On Sundays and public holidays you get paid double time. I'm on call roughly 5 times this month. You get a roughly 4,000 Euro a year training fund that you can use to buy a laptop, palm pilot, pay for courses, books, etc. In my hospital there is no accommodation for doctors so we get paid a housing allowance of 51 Euro a week. When we're on call there are call rooms to sleep in though.

You asked about psychiatry. I'm not certain of the hours, but generally it's known to be a 9 to 5 job that doesn't have really strenuous working hours and I'm not sure how often you'd be on call.
 
Hello Sage, Trapper, echostation and graduatestud!

I'll be starting UCC with you guys in the fall! I'm in Farranlea Hall also. Don't worry Sage they (i.e. Emma Buckley or Edel) will eventually email you a confirmation letter. Where are you guys coming from? I?m from Montreal. When are you all flying down there? I?m thinking to get there for Sept 17 seeing that orientation starts Sept 21.
 
Hey Intern,

Thanks for your helpful insight...

I'm just curious, are you Irish or are you from North America?
If you're from N.A., was it hard for you to find an internship in ireland?
When you're done your internship, i suppose you want to practice in ireland?
And lastly, what "specialty" are you in?
 
hey superstarmd and Sage

wow awesome, all in Farranlea Hall eh? hehehe, Sage, what I also did using a cheap calling card is phone them, and they can respond to you promptly telling you whether your initial deposit is set and ur application is all complete etc.

Sage, thanks for the words and heads up about UCC in terms fo that Doc you met and how he gave good word, That sort of stuff makes me very glad to hear.
 
Just stayed at UCC actually, in Victoria Lodge. Victoria Lodge was REALLY nice...all the Trinity students are jealous. So if Farranlea is anything like that, then you lot are in great hands.
 
Choda said:
I'm just curious, are you Irish or are you from North America?
If you're from N.A., was it hard for you to find an internship in ireland?
When you're done your internship, i suppose you want to practice in ireland?
And lastly, what "specialty" are you in?
Click to expand...

Hey Choda, to answer your Qs I have US citizenship but I was only born there.. don't really consider myself American. In my university every graduate is guaranteed an internship place if you want one. You can also opt to just return to whatever country you're originally from and do your internship there. So, it was automatic that I got an intern place.

I don't want to practice in Ireland. I just want to complete my internship and do my residency in the US. It takes a lot longer in Ireland to climb the ladder and become a consultant.

I'm not in any specialty at the moment. We're required to work 6 months medicine and 6 months surgery in our internship. I'm doing my 6 months of medicine at the moment. I'm still not certain what I want to do my residency in.

Hope that answered your Qs :)
 
To those attending UCC Cork, I am completely confused on the entire modularisation and modules process?? What exactly happens here? Like in your first year alongside Anatomy, Biochem etc, do you take several modules that you have to sign up for? When do you sign up for modules? I tried reading this over on the website but am rather confused by the entire thing :(
 
I was wondering if anyone from the US could share how they are financing studying in Ireland for 5 years. I'm an American currently studying in Germany for my MSc and I'd like to stay in Europe for med school (significant other :) ). I love Dublin and would love to try and get an acceptance to UCD or Trinity, but my only hesitation would be money issues. Also, how difficult is it to get a US residency afterwards? I mean realistically, FMGs are on the low end of the totempole in the US, so do grads get offers in EM, IM, and PEDS for example or is the best shot FP? And one last question, how much do Irish doctors make, i.e. if you stayed in Ireland, could you afford to pay back 250k in loans and still have enough for food?

Thanks for any advice!! :luck:
 
Modules are the same for everyone. They'll send you out a letter telling you when and where your first few lectures are on and then you will be given your full timetable. No need to sign up for modules. There is a registration day for your course but that's really just to get your ID etc.. i think it happens in September if I remember rightly.
 
Hey trapper12, sage880, echostation, and superstarmd:

It's great to see that so many are NA people are going to attend UCC.

It's too bad that I'm still on the waiting list for residence (Farranlea and Victoria Lodge).

But I think it'd be cool if we could set a time where everyone can meet up! What d'you guys think? :D
 
Boy915,
Welcome to the club! I'm sure we'll all meet up at some point during orientation. Good luck with the residence situation!
 
boy915 said:
Hey trapper12, sage880, echostation, and superstarmd:

It's great to see that so many are NA people are going to attend UCC.
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Hey man, congrats on getting in to UCC! Wow, there's quite the bunch of us now. I think there are only 20 International students each year at UCC!

Man, I still haven't heard anything from Farranlea - I'm calling them tomorrow. Hope your residence situation works out boy915. I'm sure they'll find you a room somewhere. From what I have heard from them it seems they're not all about throwing the International students out on the street first day and making them fend for themselves!

When are you guys going over? Got a flight yet? I'm flying out of Toronto by the way. If anyone starts getting all this planned lets start a new thread and maybe we can hook each other up with cheap airfare. Booking my flight is my next task after talking to the residence people!
 
Hey, US students are eligible for Perkins grants and Stafford loans. Other than that, start getting into private loans which are quite expensive. I am not on loans yet but will be after this year, plenty of North Americans do the Stafford and Perkins + private loans. It really depends on your financial situation and how dependent you are, and also if you're carrying loans from undergrad years.

I won't say you can guarantee the residency you want, but in general, Irish grads are "safe" with residencies. Atlantic Bridge (the program you apply through) quotes a 100% match rate for their students. You might not be able to get the most competitive residency you want, but I wouldn't say that you're completely stuck to the least competitive ones.

Not sure about the salary issue, someone in one of the Irish threads has posted a link saying how much interns and residents get. But know that unless you have EU citizenship, finding work (out of internship/residency) and accelerating might be a bit difficult.

BerlinNeuro said:
I was wondering if anyone from the US could share how they are financing studying in Ireland for 5 years. I'm an American currently studying in Germany for my MSc and I'd like to stay in Europe for med school (significant other :) ). I love Dublin and would love to try and get an acceptance to UCD or Trinity, but my only hesitation would be money issues. Also, how difficult is it to get a US residency afterwards? I mean realistically, FMGs are on the low end of the totempole in the US, so do grads get offers in EM, IM, and PEDS for example or is the best shot FP? And one last question, how much do Irish doctors make, i.e. if you stayed in Ireland, could you afford to pay back 250k in loans and still have enough for food?

Thanks for any advice!! :luck:
Click to expand...
 
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