Working as a doctor to pay off massive GEM debts??

**sherlocm** · 28-11-2009, 10:18 PM

I don't know if this response fits with the people who are responding on this thread as I think most are already medical students in Ireland on a GEM course. But, for people who will read it and are currently/will be soon applying for GEM medicine should consider the UK more seriously if you are really worried about the financial constraints of doing it in Ireland.

Yes I think it is slightly more difficult to get into a GEM medical school in the UK (more parts to the application than just getting above 57* on the GAMSAT) but, it is considerably cheaper. I am currently a first year on a GEM course in the UK and I can see myself spending no more that €40,000 over the four years and the NHS pay your fees in years 2,3 and 4. The financial difference compared to Ireland is huge and you will be starting your junior years with a considerably less debt. Junior doctors in the UK are similarly making less money and doing less hours but personally 40,000 V 120,000 was an easy decision for me to make.

**Grant Stevens** · 30-11-2009, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by sherlocm

I am currently a first year on a GEM course in the UK and I can see myself spending no more that €40,000 over the four years and the NHS pay your fees in years 2,3 and 4. The financial difference compared to Ireland is huge and you will be starting your junior years with a considerably less debt. Junior doctors in the UK are similarly making less money and doing less hours but personally 40,000 V 120,000 was an easy decision for me to make.

I was an applicant to the Irish med schools last year and at the last minute decided that the fees were unjustly too high - typical Ireland, cash in wherever,whenever. I have applied to the UCAS this year instead and have enjoyed the application process so far (work experience, volunteering etc). Can I ask you were you an Irish applicant applying from Ireland? The reason I ask is because I couldn't find info on the NHS Bursary web page regarding free fees for years 2,3 & 4 for Irish/ EU students. Can you confirm if we are entitled to this? Also, did you obtain your loan from an Irish or UK banking body? I'm confused as to how this is going to work for me. Other than that I'm pretty damn excited about the prospect of starting in 2010

**sherlocm** · 01-12-2009, 04:18 PM

I am Irish. I took a loan out with AIB, €10,000 a year for 4years and deferred payment until I graduate in 2013. You cannot get the good interest rates however (compared to the rates they give for GEM courses in Ireland). My APR is 8% so I will be paying €48,000 back when I start working. That was by far the best deal I could get in Ireland. If you don't already have a bank account in the UK for some reason it would be hard to get a loan from a UK bank on your first year. Natwest do give out loans from your 2nd year onwards but the interest rates are no different to AIB in Ireland.

A new rule came in this year and we cannot get a student loan from the students Loan Company to pay for your fees in 1st year (£3225). So, that will have to come out of your won pocket. As for the NHS paying the fees in years 2,3 and 4, that is still true. They pay all EU students fees (exception is if your from Scotland or Northern Ireland - I don't know why?). I heard this will be coming under review but I don't think it will change over my four years.

Grant, I see you applying to Swansea, good luck with that. I am in Swansea and am enjoying it so far, pity we have exams in a few weeks though. if you would like any info on the course, let me know.

**Grant Stevens** · 01-12-2009, 07:51 PM

Thanks for the info Sherlocm, handy to know the NHS will cover the last few years....beats paying out 12,780 per year here! What are your impressions o the couse so far? I was wondering if you might give me an idea of what your time table is like on an average week? If you have the time of course! Also, how did you find the interview? What work experience did you have and is it true the GAMSAT is not a huge weighting factor for Swansea?

I'd like to get Swansea as a first choice, it seems to have a very good rep as a great course and great place to study. What's the facilities like?

Thanks a million for any help you may have

**Aidan Kehoe** · 02-12-2009, 10:43 PM

Junior doctors in the UK are similarly making less money and doing less hours but personally 40,000 V 120,000 was an easy decision for me to make.

I would second that. Personally, the Irish application suited me, I didn’t want to have to go to my employer a year before a possible departure date and say “hi, will you write a reference for me?”, I had no idea if admissions committees would be thinking like PlasteredParis above and didn’t know how honest I could reasonably be in the personal statements (yes, money was part of why I went for medicine), but the difference in cost for what is the same qualification on offer to the same people is sobering.

Realistically, we’ll be fine in .ie, despite the debt. There’s always Amerikay, as generations before us have said to themselves; and one of our number at RCSI has gone to a London medical school for personal reasons, and he’s retrospectively very impressed with the quality of the teaching here, so that’s cheering too.

**sherlocm** · 02-12-2009, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by Grant Stevens

Thanks for the info Sherlocm, handy to know the NHS will cover the last few years....beats paying out 12,780 per year here! What are your impressions o the couse so far? I was wondering if you might give me an idea of what your time table is like on an average week? If you have the time of course! Also, how did you find the interview? What work experience did you have and is it true the GAMSAT is not a huge weighting factor for Swansea?

I'd like to get Swansea as a first choice, it seems to have a very good rep as a great course and great place to study. What's the facilities like?

Thanks a million for any help you may have

The average timetable would be as follows:

Monday.
9am - case presentation.
10-1pm Anatomy
2-3 Lecture
3-4 Lecture

Tuesday
Every 3rd tuesday we have GP placement. If no GP day we normally have it off (for LOCS mainly).

Wednesday
9-10 Lecture
10.30-11.30 Lecture
Wed pm is for sport (but realistically after the first month of term it is used for study/LOCS).

Thursday
9-1pm Clinical Skills
OR
1-5pm Clinical skills

So half day on a thursday.

Friday
9-11 Lectures
11.30 - 12.30 Round up up case of the week.

Interview was fine, they go through your personal statement and you talk about what you learned from those situations that you spoke about. It is true that they don't really care about Gamsat if you have an otherwise good application. I got 52 in gamsat and got in and I am by far not the only one with a low score who got onto the course. As for my previous experience, I had no hospital experience in Ireland/Uk. I had however, worked (and was working until I started) in International Health research in Africa and South America and I got clinical experience through that. Past experience of people varies on the course a lot, from carers, nurses etc etc.

Swansea is a good place to study and I do enjoy it. The campus is not pretty at all, but it is right on the beach. The facilites for teaching are fine and the anatomy suite is good. There is also one of the teaching hospitals next door which is also good. Sporting facilities are excellent if your into that sort of thing. Overall, I think it is good here. Staff are excellent and very helpful.

Any other questions from this let me know.

Cheers.