Minister announces new college medicine course for 2007

A new college course in medicine is to be established by the Minister for Education Mary Hanafin.

Minister Hanafin said that the new programme will give a second chance of studying medicine to honours graduates of any Bachelor degree, who missed out on the points needed at Leaving Cert.

In 2007 60 places will be offered, rising to 240 by 2011.

Colleges are being invited to apply to provide the programme.

And €10m has been earmarked for medical education reforms next year.