Timespan of offer to start date predicament

[thegamebird]

I'm afraid only the CAO would be able to answer that. Admission to the Irish GEP courses is entirely controlled by them, the Irish Medical Schools don't have any input into the matter.

Best of luck and hope to see you in January.

RCSI GEP - thanks very much for your responses. The Irish system is so different from the UK one, that it's taken me a little while to get my head around!

Yes, am hoping to definitely come along in January - so long as it's a weekend, and we can get flights! I don't suppose there's a date yet?

CAOMAN - Again, thanks for taking the time to respond. Can you explain what Round A offers are?

I suspect I'm going to have to bite the bullet and resign, and look for accommodation based on my GAMSAT score and hope that I get in! AAggghh - scary!

[louglee]

From CAO handbook page 21
Central Applications Office

Round A
In early July a small number of offers of places may be issued to applicants such as : those who need to make visa or other arrangements before taking up a place;
deferred applicants; mature applicants; mature nursing/midwifery code applicants.

applicants are non-EU applicants

All graduate medicine places are made in Round 0 and onwards i.e. Round 1,2 and so on until all places are filled.

[thegamebird]

From CAO handbook page 21
Central Applications Office

Round A
In early July a small number of offers of places may be issued to applicants such as : those who need to make visa or other arrangements before taking up a place;
deferred applicants; mature applicants; mature nursing/midwifery code applicants.

applicants are non-EU applicants

All graduate medicine places are made in Round 0 and onwards i.e. Round 1,2 and so on until all places are filled.

Thanks for the response Louglee. I have indeed seen the Round A description in my copy of the CAO Handbook, hence my request for further clarification from the CAO. I had thought that as a mature applicant, and one that would need to make "other arrangements" such as emigrating, finding a school for my son etc, my application may be considered suitable for a slightly earlier offer.

If this is not the case, then cool - I understand, but there's nothing wrong with asking the question!

[louglee]

Thanks for the response Louglee. I have indeed seen the Round A description in my copy of the CAO Handbook, hence my request for further clarification from the CAO. I had thought that as a mature applicant, and one that would need to make "other arrangements" such as emigrating, finding a school for my son etc, my application may be considered suitable for a slightly earlier offer.

If this is not the case, then cool - I understand, but there's nothing wrong with asking the question!

I wasn't implying theres anything wrong with asking questions its just that a lot of people don't read the handbook. Round A applicants for other arrangements refer to non-EU students who need their offer of a place in order to apply for a student visa to enter the country

With a score of 73 I say 99.9% sure you'll get your first choice, given that the final score for RCSI in 2009 was 60

[MentalNote]

Thanks for the response Louglee. I have indeed seen the Round A description in my copy of the CAO Handbook, hence my request for further clarification from the CAO. I had thought that as a mature applicant, and one that would need to make "other arrangements" such as emigrating, finding a school for my son etc, my application may be considered suitable for a slightly earlier offer.

If this is not the case, then cool - I understand, but there's nothing wrong with asking the question!

IMO there is a major failing in the CAO literature regarding the mature applicants vs graduate medicine entry routes. From what I can tell you should not tick the Mature Applicant box for entry to Graduate Medicine, because that is only for undergraduate courses. This is not made clear as it states anyone over 23 should tick the box. None of the additional info required for mature applicants is relevant to Grad Med entry.

[squarah]

Hi louglee,
I agree with MentalNote that the CAO literature is very confusing. A lot of people applying for graduate medicine are technically mature students based on age (simply because they all already have degrees so are a bit older). But this fact is irrelevant for grad med - there are no mature student places as such...so its a bit hard to know whether to tick the mature student box or not. I did tick it last year as I was applying for other 'normal' undergraduate courses as a mature student as well as grad med so had to cover all bases! I dont think there will be a problem with the fact that you ticked it, as long as you get transcripts in.
But unfotunately Round A is only for mature students and people needing visas (as others have said), so the first offers for EU grad med places will be in late July/early August (Round 0). The only people who get early offers for grad med are the non-EU students but they get places by interview not thru the CAO.
Good luck anyway - you are in a very good position with that GAMSAT score!

[CAOMAN]

Yes, am hoping to definitely come along in January - so long as it's a weekend, and we can get flights! I don't suppose there's a date yet?

Think GAMSAT test is on March 20th but their is a link on the Main CAO Page about Entry to Medicine which may give this date,


CAOMAN - Again, thanks for taking the time to respond. Can you explain what Round A offers are?

Round A offers are the offers issued firstly at beginning of July.

Everyone here in Irealand is familiary with Round 1 offers in Mid August so we just gave the round A a Letter rather than a number to distinguish it.

Graduate medicine offers are issued in Round 0, at the beginning of August.

[astronaut]

I'm in a similar position to the original poster - judging by previous years' form, my GAMSAT score is probably good enough to get in.

The only thing I'm sweating on is time, as well. I'm just worried that if I quit my job, I'll find out there's something wrong with my CAO application!

Is there any way of checking that everything's OK? Anybody know any friendly people to speak to at CAO? (I got a really snippy email when I asked all this stuff via website feedback - "Look at the CAO handbook, you fool" was the gist of it!)

[CAOMAN]

The only thing I'm sweating on is time, as well. I'm just worried that if I quit my job, I'll find out there's something wrong with my CAO application!

Is there any way of checking that everything's OK? Anybody know any friendly people to speak to at CAO? (I got a really snippy email when I asked all this stuff via website feedback - "Look at the CAO handbook, you fool" was the gist of it!)[/QUOTE]

All details about what you need to send into CAO is on the main page of the CAO website Central Applications Office, Ireland and you click Entry to Medicine and then Graduate Medicine.

If you have the qualifying requirement of a 2:1 or better and you say you have, then a score of 70 should be good enough to get you into any institution here in Ireland.

The institutions are to meet in late April and if they require any further information then they will write to you.

CAO will also write to you in regard to your GAMSAT score when the GAMSAT scores are released here in Ireland and tell you what score they have on file for you and allow you to submit a better one.

If you want to ring in early May and enquire, you will probably be put through to me and I can advise you accordingly.

As the course starts in Septemebr, offers for Graduate Medicine will be made in early August and you will be able to view them on the CAO website on August 5th

[astronaut]

Thanks caoman, appreciated.