Students aim to level the playing field for access to medicine courses

‘Access Med’ aims to make entry into studying medicine more accessible, with a comprehensive series of talks and resources, all completely free and available online mainly via Zoom, Instagram, and Twitter. File picture

Student doctors are using social media and their own experiences to help make the pathway to studying medicine in Ireland a more equal playing field.

‘Access Med’ aims to make entry into studying medicine more accessible, with a comprehensive series of talks and resources, all completely free and available online mainly via Zoom, Instagram, and Twitter.

The project, started by an extended friend group of medicine students in March during the third lockdown, now has students taking part from every med school in the country.

Fewer than 4% of students studying medicine here come from a disadvantaged area, while more than a third of places (35%) are filled by students from affluent areas, according to research published by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

Med students at University College Dublin (UCD) Ao Sasame, Clodagh Reilly, and Bebhinn Twomey told the Irish Examiner 'Access Med' began out of a conversation about the high costs associated with studying for the H-Pat exams.

“We were chatting about how there isn’t much free information about getting into medicine in Ireland so we thought we would just do a small talk on Zoom,” said Ao. 

We advertised it on Twitter and Instagram and it went viral. We had more than 1,000 people attend the first talk, which was great because clearly there is a demand for it. Now we really want to continue our work in trying to make getting into medicine more accessible.”

Entry into undergraduate medicine requires students to sit the H-Pat exams. To sit the exams themselves, it costs more than €150. Many private companies run courses to help students prepare, for which fees can run into hundreds of euros.

Smaller schools may not have a lot of information about the H-Pat, according to Bebhinn Twomey. 

HPat can create 'big divide'

“It can create a big divide between students from big cities where loads of students apply for medicine every year, and small schools and Deis schools where maybe one student will study medicine every three or four years.”

Clodagh Reilly said: “There’s next to nothing out there [in terms of information] and only a few people know where to look to find it, so we really wanted to bridge that gap between those who can afford to pay for somebody to tell them where the information is, or to give them the information, by providing it to students for free so it's a more equal playing field.”

Access Med will also provide a number of HPat scholarships to aspiring doctors thanks to a series of donations. The group also uses Instagram (@accessmedireland) to give students insights into what it’s like to study medicine, alongside advice on topics like the CAO, and alternative routes. 

'Access Med' will host a free talk at 6pm on October 6 where students will answer questions on applying to medicine. Register on www.eventbrite.ie.