Leaving Cert repeaters hog places in medicine

REPEAT Leaving Certificate students are hogging places in medicine, dentistry, veterinary and pharmacy, and are more than twice as likely to opt for these disciplines than other courses.

However, a member of the Government’s task force on medical education and training (MET group) has criticised this route to medicine saying it can deny more suitable candidates the opportunity to train as a doctor.

At a recent forum on medical education in the University of Limerick, Dr Cillian Twomey said: “It is madness of the highest order, the grinds culture, the one-to-one grinds. If that’s the way you go, you will get there eventually, but others who could be as good a doctor or better are being denied places.