US Atlantic Bridge Program 2014

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Just got accepted to ucd for the six year program. I also got an acceptance letter from RCSI but its really hard to decide. I'm stuck in this dilemma, can you guys help me?
 
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hessam100 said:
Got accepted to ucd and rcsi for the six year program... Which one should i go to???
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I would suggest UCD since it is a more overly renowned school and it would save you about 100 grand + interest.
 
A question for those of you that got accepted: Was it via email? phone? snail mail?
Thanks!
 
hessam100 said:
Just got accepted to ucd for the six year program. I also got an acceptance letter from RCSI but its really hard to decide. I'm stuck in this dilemma, can you guys help me?
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UCD - Its a real university (socialization with non medics, university level activities, greater name recognition abroad), has better hospitals, cheaper (you can now eat out and splurge compared to RCSI if you want to pay the same tuition).
 
hessam100 said:
Just got accepted to ucd for the six year program. I also got an acceptance letter from RCSI but its really hard to decide. I'm stuck in this dilemma, can you guys help me?
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You're going to get the same quality of medical education. One is just a heck of a lot cheaper.

I would go to UCD.
 
Got accepted to TCD 5-year! It's a hefty deposit (€9000 by April 17th). Still giving serious consideration to it. How is everyone else handling such a large deposit?
 
jswierski said:
Got accepted to TCD 5-year! It's a hefty deposit (€9000 by April 17th). Still giving serious consideration to it. How is everyone else handling such a large deposit?
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€9000? Wow, that's a lot more than expected for the deposit. I know my family will help me, considering it's part of tuition, but that's hefty.
 
Steele said:
€9000? Wow, that's a lot more than expected for the deposit. I know my family will help me, considering it's part of tuition, but that's hefty.
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Yeah, I'm kind of taken aback. It seems like the other schools are around €6000. It's good to know it's part of tuition though. I'm going to need to get in touch with AB and TCD.
 
dfajskkj said:
I got into TCD. Has anyone else gotten an acceptance there? Although it is the best of the Irish schools, I feel weird accepting it as all of the Irish kids will be like 19. Or am I wrong about that? PS. why is TCD's medical school shorter than the other schools (i.e 5 vs 6 years for irish students)? I feel weird having an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience, then having to practically start over. Even though it is only one year longer than US schools, it feels like starting over. Maybe I am just being a diva.
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I was accepted as well! I have some similar feelings, already having finished a B.S. in Life Sciences. But I suppose we can look at it as being ahead of the curve! What do you think of the deposit?
 
jswierski said:
I was accepted as well! I have some similar feelings, already having finished a B.S. in Life Sciences. But I suppose we can look at it as being ahead of the curve!
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Depending on your program of course (4, 5, 6 year), the kids won't all be 19.

I used to think the same, but the average age of my class is close to 25. I'm slightly above that.

Guaranteed you won't be the oldest person in your class.
 
sassa said:
Depending on your program of course (4, 5, 6 year), the kids won't all be 19.

I used to think the same, but the average age of my class is close to 25. I'm slightly above that.

Guaranteed you won't be the oldest person in your class.
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Well that's certainly good to know! Where are you going?
 
jswierski said:
Got accepted to TCD 5-year! It's a hefty deposit (€9000 by April 17th). Still giving serious consideration to it. How is everyone else handling such a large deposit?
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What is your GPA? And how did they send the acceptance (via post or email)?
 
jswierski said:
Well that's certainly good to know! Where are you going?
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I'm almost done first year at the University of Limerick. So I've been through all this already 😉
 
sassa said:
I'm almost done first year at the University of Limerick. So I've been through all this already 😉
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Right on! How do you like it? Where are you from?
 
I'm from Canada (specifically SW Onterrible, and further quite SW than Toronto)

I love it. Absolutely love it. Limerick is PBL style learning, which is great for me. I was an engineer in my former life, so the hands-on, few lecture approach to learning is how I like to do things.

Each week is a new case, and each week we do a lot of our own self-directed learning (with help from tutors / doctors who lead our case groups, which switch up 3x a year). We also have dedicated clinical skills times twice a week. There are also mock exams through the year that keep us on track, which are godsends (even though they scare the ****e out of you as they're made harder than the actual exams).

McMaster and UBC have the same type of course style, as well as a bunch of schools in the UK and Australia. It's pretty great. You have to present twice a week to your case group so you get scared into learning your stuff 😉

Living in Ireland is good too. I mean, some things you have to adjust to - Irish people are really laid back, which can actually get pretty frustrating at times. We Canadians are known as super dedicated and on the ball haha It's cool though. I am 100% happy with my decision to come here, even if it means a bit harder of a time getting back. I also have the advantage that I can combine my MD with engineering as a fallback.

I work my butt off, but I also find time to do fun things. Get involved with things (I'm next year's President for one of the organizations through the med school that sets up electives in Africa). And I find time to travel.
 
sassa said:
I'm from Canada (specifically SW Onterrible, and further quite SW than Toronto)

I love it. Absolutely love it. Limerick is PBL style learning, which is great for me. I was an engineer in my former life, so the hands-on, few lecture approach to learning is how I like to do things.

Each week is a new case, and each week we do a lot of our own self-directed learning (with help from tutors / doctors who lead our case groups, which switch up 3x a year). We also have dedicated clinical skills times twice a week. There are also mock exams through the year that keep us on track, which are godsends (even though they scare the ****e out of you as they're made harder than the actual exams).

McMaster and UBC have the same type of course style, as well as a bunch of schools in the UK and Australia. It's pretty great. You have to present twice a week to your case group so you get scared into learning your stuff 😉

Living in Ireland is good too. I mean, some things you have to adjust to - Irish people are really laid back, which can actually get pretty frustrating at times. We Canadians are known as super dedicated and on the ball haha It's cool though. I am 100% happy with my decision to come here, even if it means a bit harder of a time getting back. I also have the advantage that I can combine my MD with engineering as a fallback.

I work my butt off, but I also find time to do fun things. Get involved with things (I'm next year's President for one of the organizations through the med school that sets up electives in Africa). And I find time to travel.
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Great to hear! I hear that PBL is great for the right kind of student. I know that TCD implements it to a degree and it'll be interesting to see it in action. I'm still a bit on the fence about whether or not to go, but it's nice to hear that different people are really enjoying themselves over there. I'm American and share some of the same concerns when it comes to finding residency and returning home. I've not really had the chance to chat with anyone from TCD though. I hear that it's top notch in the world and the history connected with it is really appealing. I hope I can talk with someone soon about it. I only have until the 17th to make a decision. Somehow have to find the funds for the deposit.
 
jswierski said:
Great to hear! I hear that PBL is great for the right kind of student. I know that TCD implements it to a degree and it'll be interesting to see it in action. I'm still a bit on the fence about whether or not to go, but it's nice to hear that different people are really enjoying themselves over there. I'm American and share some of the same concerns when it comes to finding residency and returning home. I've not really had the chance to chat with anyone from TCD though. I hear that it's top notch in the world and the history connected with it is really appealing. I hope I can talk with someone soon about it. I only have until the 17th to make a decision. Somehow have to find the funds for the deposit.
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I have people in my class who went to TCD for their undergrad, and I've visited Dublin and TCD while I've been over here. It is a pretty wicked campus.

My friends who went straight from undergrad to med school (graduated last year or this year) who came to Ireland from Canada all matched back. Even to the US (which is harder for us than you guys, but obviously not impossible). If you want to match back to the US, and are strategic and realistic with your options, then it's doable (in my opinion, and based on my friends who have all matched).
 
sassa said:
I have people in my class who went to TCD for their undergrad, and I've visited Dublin and TCD while I've been over here. It is a pretty wicked campus.

My friends who went straight from undergrad to med school (graduated last year or this year) who came to Ireland from Canada all matched back. Even to the US (which is harder for us than you guys, but obviously not impossible). If you want to match back to the US, and are strategic and realistic with your options, then it's doable (in my opinion, and based on my friends who have all matched).
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Good to know! That's something that's been weighing on me. If I'm going to invest that time and money to be educated there, I want to make sure that it's reasonable to come back.
 
jswierski said:
Good to know! That's something that's been weighing on me. If I'm going to invest that time and money to be educated there, I want to make sure that it's reasonable to come back.
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I posted this in another thread about a week ago, but UCD compiled a bunch of stats for each of the Irish schools' match rates last year. This years results aren't out yet since they are still in the process of being sorted out. But for Canadians/Americans wanting to return to Canada/US, look at the files at the bottom of the page(Irish match data 2013)...they may be quite useful!

https://sites.google.com/site/nimsaucd/useful-files
 
jswierski said:
I was accepted as well! I have some similar feelings, already having finished a B.S. in Life Sciences. But I suppose we can look at it as being ahead of the curve! What do you think of the deposit?
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Hey there! Congratulations! I think the deposit is to ensure you will go. Otherwise, I would put down a deposit and see if I could improve my MCAT and go to a US school. I am in Dublin right now looking at the school. The Trinity campus is nice and the biomedical building and science labs I saw looked top notch, they would not let us tour the actual biomedical building b/c of cadavers and what not. Dublin is fun as well, though dark and rainy. There are a lot of foreigners though and that is cool in my opinion! I met with another American student who was accepted. She is for sure going and is very nice. PS. do you have any experience with neuroscience?

PS. The biomedical building was recently built and is very nice from what I saw of it. It is right next to the main campus as well. O, I also figured out that 22% of the class is non-traditional -- 23 or older.
 
Hey guys! Congrats to all of you who got their acceptances (the deposit is so freakking much!!) and good luck to those waiting! dont give up!
I got into TCD for dentistry 5year program! Is anyone else going to be in my class? I think there's only 32 students per class.

Cheers!
 
Hello Everyone!!
Congratulations on all of your acceptances to the various Irish programs!
I was hoping to start a Facebook group for those that were accepted and have chosen to attend NUIG. Please message me and I'll get back to you with more details. I look forward to speaking/seeing you soon!!
 
Hi medsch1, I have paid my deposit for NUIG 5 year program.
 
dfajskkj said:
Hey there! Congratulations! I think the deposit is to ensure you will go. Otherwise, I would put down a deposit and see if I could improve my MCAT and go to a US school. I am in Dublin right now looking at the school. The Trinity campus is nice and the biomedical building and science labs I saw looked top notch, they would not let us tour the actual biomedical building b/c of cadavers and what not. Dublin is fun as well, though dark and rainy. There are a lot of foreigners though and that is cool in my opinion! I met with another American student who was accepted. She is for sure going and is very nice. PS. do you have any experience with neuroscience?

PS. The biomedical building was recently built and is very nice from what I saw of it. It is right next to the main campus as well. O, I also figured out that 22% of the class is non-traditional -- 23 or older.
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Well, I can't say that I've had a ton of experience with neuroscience other than what's studied in physiology. I did research during my undergrad in molecular endocrinology. It's cool to hear that the campus is so nice! I'm sure there's a ton of historical value. The reputation is really alluring. It's also comforting to know that there will be people close to my age.
 
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Who's going to TCD med for the 5 year program?!?! Let's be friends!
 
Alisun said:
Are you going to go?! I'm definitely going 🙂
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The more I consider it, the more certain I'm becoming! I'm still reeling from the news though. Almost like it isn't real, ha! Where are you coming from?
 
jswierski said:
The more I'm considering it, the more certain I'm becoming! I'm still reeling from the news though. Almost like it isn't real, ha! Where are you coming from?
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Gainesville, FL. What about you? How old are you? What did you study in school?
 
Alisun said:
Gainesville, FL. What about you? How old are you? What did you study in school?
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Phoenix, AZ! I'm 28, so I'm thinking I'll be a bit older than most going in. I studied Life Sciences at Arizona State University. How about yourself?
 
Hey guys anyone know how Ireland Dentistry schools look at repeated coursework? I'm a Canadian student planning to apply for Fall 2016! Also, what sounds like a competitive cGPA? I'm currently standing at measly 2.8 🙁 going into 4th year.

Any help would be greatly appreciated !!
 
shweddies said:
I posted this in another thread about a week ago, but UCD compiled a bunch of stats for each of the Irish schools' match rates last year. This years results aren't out yet since they are still in the process of being sorted out. But for Canadians/Americans wanting to return to Canada/US, look at the files at the bottom of the page(Irish match data 2013)...they may be quite useful!

https://sites.google.com/site/nimsaucd/useful-files
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! I've been looking for school specific match data to help make a decision.
It's quite disheartening to see such poor match results for US students (especially UCD). Does anyone know if this year's data is an outlier due to the small sample size or if there is a fundamental flaw in the process (ie not enough connections to US programs/inadequate preparation)?

Tough decision considering the money on the line and the very real risk of no job at the end of the road.
 
Deh08001 said:
Thanks for the info! I've been looking for school specific match data to help make a decision.
It's quite disheartening to see such poor match results for US students (especially UCD). Does anyone know if this year's data is an outlier due to the small sample size or if there is a fundamental flaw in the process (ie not enough connections to US programs/inadequate preparation)?

Tough decision considering the money on the line and the very real risk of no job at the end of the road.
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I finally got around to looking at that data. It's pretty bad. I wonder if those who didn't match backed out and stayed in Ireland. I'm really curious why the match is so low.
 
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Don't forget guys that a lot of people who don't match 1st year match the following year or the next.
 
I'm truly hoping that this is a reflection of a weak candidate pool and not of the program itself. That may be true that they do match in the future but it would obviously be ideal to match in the first round! The match data from 2012 fares slightly better but it's only going to get more competitive in the future. so although I want to believe 2013 was just a bad year, it seems much more likely that this is a result of increased competition for a finite number of residency spots.
 
Deh08001 said:
I'm truly hoping that this is a reflection of a weak candidate pool and not of the program itself. That may be true that they do match in the future but it would obviously be ideal to match in the first round! The match data from 2012 fares slightly better but it's only going to get more competitive in the future. so although I want to believe 2013 was just a bad year, it seems much more likely that this is a result of increased competition for a finite number of residency spots.
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I found this 2013 match list on the Atlantic Bridge: http://atlanticbridge.com/pdf/2013_Residency_Placements.pdf

Does this list include everyone who has ever matched from Irish schools or just those who matched in 2013? If it is just 2013 it looks really good, but does not seem consistent with the info noted above. Somewhat mysterious. . .
 
dfajskkj said:
I found this 2013 match list on the Atlantic Bridge: http://atlanticbridge.com/pdf/2013_Residency_Placements.pdf

Does this list include everyone who has ever matched from Irish schools or just those who matched in 2013? If it is just 2013 it looks really good, but does not seem consistent with the info noted above. Somewhat mysterious. . .
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Its from 2013 for sure but across all the Irish schools. You have to remember there are hundreds who applied probably.
 
As far as that data go, is it only applicants from UCD? Secondly, how many total applicants applied for a residency in N. America? This may be in the data somewhere and I overlooked it. Thanks
 
medsch1 said:
As far as that data go, is it only applicants from UCD? Secondly, how many total applicants applied for a residency in N. America? This may be in the data somewhere and I overlooked it. Thanks
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If you look at the Irish Match Data under "General 2013" using this link https://sites.google.com/site/nimsaucd/useful-files it gives the data specific to UCD and the rest of the schools. The one published by Atlantic Bridge is for all schools and looks really really good. However it doesn't say how many applied and didn't match so it's usefulness is kind of limited.

Although those 4 ortho surgeries and 2 plastic placements look AMAZING. I can honestly say I was shocked to see that high of a number for the really competitive residencies.
 
has anyone else accepted their offer to tcd?
 
Anyone got an acceptance letter lately? From any school? To any program?

I want to know if they're still sending them...
 
has anyone else accepted to tcd?
 
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