Little change in points as places in medicine to double

THE number of places for Irish students who want to become doctors looks set to more than double when the Government decides on future medical education policy in the next few weeks.

However, Education Minister Mary Hanafin has hinted that such a move may not have any major impact on the Leaving Certificate points needed for entry to medicine courses.

Ms Hanafin and Health Minister Mary Harney brought their findings on an expert group report on the issue to the Cabinet health sub-committee this week.

“The next step will be to bring recommendations on that to the full Cabinet in the coming weeks. It’s generally accepted throughout the health service that we need more doctors and I would support that,” Ms Hanafin said.

The number of places for Irish and EU students in medical schools has been limited to just over 300 for more than 20 years. But the medical education group chaired by former NUI Galway president Prof Patrick Fottrell has recommended that this be increased to 725, which also reflects the findings of the Hanly report on medical staffing needs.

“It would involve buying out places that are currently used by international students,” Ms Hanafin said.

Such a measure would lead to pressure for extra funding from the five medical schools, which depend largely on fees paid by non-EU students as the Government only contributes a fraction of the estimated €20,000 annual training costs for Irish students.

But while students may welcome any increase in places, hopes of bringing down the near-perfect Leaving Certificate results needed for medical courses are unlikely to be met.

“If we were to double the number of places from what it is at now, all it would do would be to bring down the points by five or possibly 10,” Ms Hanafin said.

It is likely that at least 100 of the additional places would be set aside for degree holders, but it remains uncertain whether they and school-leaving applicants would have to sit an aptitude test.

This was recommended by the Fottrell report as a requirement which would mean Leaving Certificate students with at least 450 points could apply.

However, head of UCD’s department of equality studies Prof Kathleen Lynch told the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals annual conference that she finds it curious that such tests are being proposed for selection to medical courses.

“There is growing evidence in the US of social imbalance and gender bias in these type of tests because most of the learning takes place outside school and people have to buy lessons privately. It’s a huge business,” she said.