Medicine courses set for healthy take-up

The number of students applying to do medicine and healthcare courses next autumn has increased on last years figures, according to Central Applications Office (CAO) figures released yesterday.

The number of school-leavers and others seeking third-level places has fallen by more than 2,600 to 60,174 since this time last year.

Despite the fall, more people chose degrees in human and veterinary medicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing and other healthcare as their first preference, accounting for almost 18% of the top choices on the degree lists.