WHERE TO APPLY in IRELAND

[leorl]

Awww, sorry BadKarma. At Trinity, all the other courses are jealous about how fast we get our results. Ours usually take around a week for all the results. Specific subject ones come out a couple days after the exam - but they have to in order to see who needs a pass/fail or honors viva. It can seem like a bit of a fight, but just be really vocal about things and keep pushing, and they're realize that they have to get their acts together.

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[leorl]

No, my point is that it's a different system. We get more time in the hospital, so don't have to deal with that crap. We're not required to go on call but can if we want to. It's just that no one ever does because we've got exams and coursework to do during our rotations, which those in the US don't have to because they've crammed all the coursework in the previous 2 years. The thing I am jealous of is really good hands on experience, but the only people I know who get more than we do are the US students attached to rural hospitals.

There are a few things in Ireland that are worse, but they're quite overcome-able and not worth all the bitching and moaning that people seem to be doing.

Did I just read Leorl trying to convince us that something in Ireland is worse or equally bad? I'll book an optho appointment asap.

 

[person2004]

I'd like to put my two cents in. I'm in a fairly unique position to discuss this because I went to school in Ireland for 4 years before transfering to a US school.

I always hated the way it took so long to get exam results in Ireland. Now I find that it takes just as long in the US. It's more justified now since the delay is due to the wait for shelf exam results to be returned, while the Irish schools' delays are tough to explain, but waiting sucks either way.

I spend far more time in the hospital now and get more hands-on experience than I did in Ireland even though I'm in an urban hospital. The pathology is also a lot more varied though that's due to population differences and has nothing to do with administration etc.

At school in the US, I carry a few patients at a time, follow them throughout their hospital course and learn about all their labs, studies, procedures, etc. This is beneficial because it gives an in depth learning experience. The drawback is that the longer I have a particular patient, the less I'm likely to learn anything through my continued involvement in their care. It also requires a lot more time than I spent with any patients in Ireland. In Ireland I would do a complete history and physical on a patient then pretty much move on and never really know what happened with them. This was good practice for doing H&Ps but didn't teach me about how to actually doing a doctors work. I learned only a limited amount about the thought processes involved in the patient's management.

You can view either system as better for you. In the US, you spend more time learning but more time in non-educational activities too. In Ireland you don't follow the patients as closely so you don't learn as much detail about their management though you can focus more on developing your H&P abilities and on making initial diagnoses. It's not entirely separate. I mean in the US I still do H&Ps of course, and in Ireland you follow the patients' hospital courses to some degree. This is just a big difference I've found IN GENERAL.

 

[leorl]

Thanks, person. I know some rotations and students who are given rather hands-on roles and told that they are pretty much the interns now, and given patients to be responsible for. Just a question, if you don't mind me asking? Why did you complete at least 4 years of Irish med school and Then transfer so you'd have to start all over again at a US med school?

 

[person2004]

Thanks, person. I know some rotations and students who are given rather hands-on roles and told that they are pretty much the interns now, and given patients to be responsible for. Just a question, if you don't mind me asking? Why did you complete at least 4 years of Irish med school and Then transfer so you'd have to start all over again at a US med school?

I didn't start all over. I started as a 3rd year.

 

[Dr Rich]

person2004, we(RCSI) are expected to do that whole following a few patients at a time throughout every little bit of the course of their hospital stay as well as the regular history and exam stuff we do on most patients.

Leorl, we have to go on call for obstetrics(and I mean have to) and are expected to in A+E as well, thankfully that second one doesn't seem to be enforced.

 

[Sage880]

I'd like to put my two cents in. I'm in a fairly unique position to discuss this because I went to school in Ireland for 4 years before transfering to a US school.

I always hated the way it took so long to get exam results in Ireland. Now I find that it takes just as long in the US. It's more justified now since the delay is due to the wait for shelf exam results to be returned, while the Irish schools' delays are tough to explain, but waiting sucks either way.

I spend far more time in the hospital now and get more hands-on experience than I did in Ireland even though I'm in an urban hospital. The pathology is also a lot more varied though that's due to population differences and has nothing to do with administration etc.

At school in the US, I carry a few patients at a time, follow them throughout their hospital course and learn about all their labs, studies, procedures, etc. This is beneficial because it gives an in depth learning experience. The drawback is that the longer I have a particular patient, the less I'm likely to learn anything through my continued involvement in their care. It also requires a lot more time than I spent with any patients in Ireland. In Ireland I would do a complete history and physical on a patient then pretty much move on and never really know what happened with them. This was good practice for doing H&Ps but didn't teach me about how to actually doing a doctors work. I learned only a limited amount about the thought processes involved in the patient's management.

You can view either system as better for you. In the US, you spend more time learning but more time in non-educational activities too. In Ireland you don't follow the patients as closely so you don't learn as much detail about their management though you can focus more on developing your H&P abilities and on making initial diagnoses. It's not entirely separate. I mean in the US I still do H&Ps of course, and in Ireland you follow the patients' hospital courses to some degree. This is just a big difference I've found IN GENERAL.

Thanks, that was an interesting post to read. I am considering looking into transfering into 3rd year after my 4th year here as well. Depending on what I thought of 3rd year. Not looking into it yet but leaving it as an option. It was interesting to hear your opinion on it. I'll keep those points in mind.

 

[Arb]

person2004,

which Irish school did you attend? Is it difficult transferring to a US school?

 

[person2004]

I'm glad you found it interesting. I was at UCC.
It is very difficult to transfer actually but not impossible. If a public school in your home State accepts transfers it might be somewhat easier. Mine didn't, but I think some will. By the way, I'm not here to advocate for transferring, just to share my experience and opinions and to read yours.