Transfering--- can it be done???

[Danger]

Is it at all possible to transfer from an Irish school to: I just finished my first year over here.


A) Medical school in the United Kingdom
B) A North American ---- has anyone ever heard of doing such a feat?

And also, it is true that universities such as Penn State in the US offer a 6 year med program, just like those in ireland wher at the end you are a full certified doctor.

regards

Danger

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[med2UCC]

Is it at all possible to transfer from an Irish school to: I just finished my first year over here.


A) Medical school in the United Kingdom
B) A North American ---- has anyone ever heard of doing such a feat?

And also, it is true that universities such as Penn State in the US offer a 6 year med program, just like those in ireland wher at the end you are a full certified doctor.

regards

Danger

Not possible to transfer to Canada under any circumstances. I have heard some schools in the US will after 3rd year and upon cokmpletion of the USMLE step 1. Cheers,
M

 

[Badkarma25]

transferring is a mysterious issue....some schools openly say they don't accept transfer stduents.....i've spoken personally to admissions departments at some of the ontario medical schools (mcmaster, western) and they all seem to take the attitude "well you've gotten a spot in a meidcla school somewhere, so why do you want to leave that school where someone else won't be able to fill your spot and come take one of ours?".....that of course is the stupidest question ever. obviously i want to because it's HOME and it's cheaper and i want to be there anyway. i don't think it's easily done in any case.

i have heard of some u.s. schools offering 6 year programs to veyr select high school applications where you complete 2 years of undergrad but your makrs have ot be above a certain level etc, ie, you aren't TOTALLY guaranteed admission to the m.d. program.

 

[deleted21609]

I never heard of anyone transferring to the UK.

One guy at my school transferred to the US. He lost a year by transferring from final med to 3rd year in the US. Another one switched to a US school but started over in first year. He only did one year in Ireland, so he ended up graduating the same year anyway. It can be done. It's worth a try if you want, but it's hard.

Applying after one year to start over is probably more likely than transferring because a) you can apply anywhere to start first year vs. only a few schools take transfers and b) even if a school takes transfers they'll only have 0-3 spaces available vs. 80-200 spots for first year.

 

[Kev (UK)]

Is it at all possible to transfer from an Irish school to: I just finished my first year over here.


A) Medical school in the United Kingdom

No. It is also virtually unheard of for students to transfer from one UK medical school to another. Schools would need evidence of gross extenuating circumstances to even consider such a request.

As an international student, to gain entry to a UK medical school you would need to apply via UCAS for first year entry in 2007. This would be a BIG gamble as unlike Ireland, the UK take on very few North American students.

 

[Scottish Chap]

Is it at all possible to transfer from an Irish school to: I just finished my first year over here.

B) A North American ---- has anyone ever heard of doing such a feat?

Practically impossible for the U.S., too. The only transfers I ever heard about were from from medical students at Caribbean schools (who follow the U.S. curriculum closely) after year 2....they were few and far between and most of them gained straight A's in MSI and MSII and scored >90th percentile on the USMLE Step1. Even with that, some of those students were 'put back a year' (going back to MSII again) in the U.S. Ireland's curriculum is so different and I think therein lies the problem.

 

[Scottish Chap]

No. It is also virtually unheard of for students to transfer from one UK medical school to another. Schools would need evidence of gross extenuating circumstances to even consider such a request.
.

.........unless you're at Oxford, Cambrigde, or St. Andrews where it's quite common for people to transfer to another medical school after preclinicals.

 

[galwaybound]

what about transfering from one irish school to another. Has anyone ever tried to do that?

 

[med2UCC]

what about transfering from one irish school to another. Has anyone ever tried to do that?[/

An Irish student in my first year wanted to transfer from UCC to one of the Dublin schools because her fiancee was working there and he couldn't get transferred. That didn't get her a spot in Dublin, in very family centred Ireland, so I doubt anyone else would get one. She dropped out of the program to be with her man. It might be different for a North American or other foreign student who didn't get in on the points system, but I really doubt it.
Cheers,
Med2UCC

 

[Kev (UK)]

.........unless you're at Oxford, Cambrigde, or St. Andrews where it's quite common for people to transfer to another medical school after preclinicals.

Agreed, but that is normal progression for those courses and the students know they will be transferring for clinicals from the outset, so it's a different kettle of fish entirely!

 

[Scottish Chap]

Agreed, but that is normal progression for those courses and the students know they will be transferring for clinicals from the outset, so it's a different kettle of fish entirely!

Actually, many don't know until the very end I'm afraid; you have to 'qualify' to stay in Oxford or Cambridge and not all St. Andrews students choose to go to Manchester in the end.

 

[Kev (UK)]

Actually, many don't know until the very end I'm afraid; you have to 'qualify' to stay in Oxford or Cambridge and not all St. Andrews students choose to go to Manchester in the end.

I have no wish to turn this into a pedantic discussion but all these students do know that transfering school for the clinical years is quite a strong possibility at Oxbridge and a certainty at St. Andrews. Transfers from these schools is the norm, an accepted part of the course structure. Transfers between other UK schools is a VERY rare event indeed, as I tried to point out in mt first post. As such, The OP's chances of a transfer from an Irish to a UK medical school are extremely slim to nil. He is not at Oxbridge or St. Andrews, so all the rest is irrelevant.

 

[roo]

One student in the class of 2003 transferred from RCSI->UCD. My understanding was that the student's father (a professor) liked UCD better than RCSI, but there may well have been other reasons.

One student in the UCD 2002 year transferred to USA, and I think one in 2003 also (a six-year student who I didn't know very well) after Step 1 written. Personally, I think it is a pretty lame thing to do. There is many students who would knock themselves over to get a spot in medical school, and to do a transfer I feel is poor thanks to the university that agreed to train the student. And it always follows the person. Picking a residency: why should we take this student--are they going to leave us with a hole half way through the residency also like they did in medical school? Ditto for fellowship.

Best wishes,
roo

 

[person2004]

One student in the class of 2003 transferred from RCSI->UCD. My understanding was that the student's father (a professor) liked UCD better than RCSI, but there may well have been other reasons.

One student in the UCD 2002 year transferred to USA, and I think one in 2003 also (a six-year student who I didn't know very well) after Step 1 written. Personally, I think it is a pretty lame thing to do. There is many students who would knock themselves over to get a spot in medical school, and to do a transfer I feel is poor thanks to the university that agreed to train the student. And it always follows the person. Picking a residency: why should we take this student--are they going to leave us with a hole half way through the residency also like they did in medical school? Ditto for fellowship.

Best wishes,
roo

I disagree. I think transferring is fine. It isn't a character flaw to want to improve your situation. Tons of people change specialty mid-residency and I've never seen any evidence that former transfer students are more prone to changing. Sometimes things change. Even Ireland has divorce these days.

 

[VeerTheTIGuy]

to those of you who said they knew/heard of someone who transfered from the UK --> USA, either after one year or after Step 1, do you know where the headed in the US, specifically which college?