Does it matter what order I put the med schools on the application form?

**niccybird** · 08-02-2010, 11:07 PM

As it says on the tin.

I'm applying for Grad entry med and at the time I didn't quite see that putting the courses in order of preference described in the handbook meant I had to put the unis in order of preference too. Does it really matter? Should I pay the extra 10Euros to change the order of unis to fit my own agenda and give me a peace of mind? Would it affect my chances of getting a place at the school(s) that I'd really like to go to i.e. UCD/ RCSI?

Would the unis know that I have applied to the other schools (even though it can be assumed anyway) and more importantly which order I put them in?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

**etymon** · 10-02-2010, 09:47 PM

you can change the order of your choices for FREE from when the Change of Mind facility opens on the CAO website (from May until around July I think.) That is open for a few months which means you have time to do research and play around with the order of choices. As long as you realise that when your final course choices are registered, you get offered places in order of what you are eligible for on your Gamsat score, not whatever course has the highest score requirement.
I wouldn't have though other universities have access to your choices as the CAO is an independent (I think) body and I doubt the universities care. They leave it to the CAO to dole out the places.
Only if you were in an interview type situation might they ask you but I doubt it.

**MentalNote** · 12-02-2010, 09:33 PM

I'm applying for Grad entry med and at the time I didn't quite see that putting the courses in order of preference described in the handbook meant I had to put the unis in order of preference too. Does it really matter?

It is absolutely critical that you put them in order of preference! You will be offered your highest preference first and if you decline it you will not be offered any of your lower preferences. No one gives a fiddlers fart what your own personal order of preference is, in fact no one will know except for CAO.