More places in Medicine must be offered to Irish students

[azskeptic]

http://www.politics.ie/modules.php?n...ticle&sid=6132

More places in Medicine must be offered to Irish students - O'Keefe
Monday, August 23



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Chairman of the Dáil Health Committee, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe TD is outraged that CAO points for medicine for Irish school leavers stands at 585 - which is five A1s and one B1 -while the standard for non-EU applicants is not nearly as demanding. More places are being offered by universities to non-EU applicants every year.

"305 Irish students only - a figure which hasn't been changed by the Health Education Authority since 1979 - are granted places in universities to study medicine every year as against 516 non-EU nationals. The recent publication of the Oireachtas Health Committee's Report on 'Restrictive Practices in Medical Training' highlights parents and students deep resentment of the current system and restrictive CAO points requirement. They feel it is blatant discrimination and many parents said they would be willing to pay the required fees to universities if it meant more places would be made available to Irish school leavers. They argue that preferential treatment is being offered to non-EU students outside the CAO system while Irish students are forced to pay full fees to foreign universities to study medicine abroad," according to Deputy O'Keeffe.

"It is becoming almost impossible for Irish school leavers to become doctors in this country and I echo parents' calls for a review of the current system. We are living in a time when there is an unprecedented demand for doctors and GPs and the current practices will only serve to fuel this problem even more. Proposed changes in man-power practices (Hanly) will merely compound the problem, yet we are not even making the necessary changes in universities to overcome this impasse," argues Deputy O'Keeffe.

"I believe there is no reasonable justification for Irish universities taking almost double the numbers of non-EU national medical students as against Irish students. Parents' are convinced that the motive is purely financial. Changes will have to be in place by September 2005 whereby, far more places are offered to Irish students; reduce CAO points required as students below the 585 CAO mark could be quite capable of passing medical exams; more post-degree applicant places should become available and as recommended by the Oireachtas Health Report, a system of mandatory aptitude testing for those entering medical school should be introduced," according to Deputy O'Keeffe.

"It has been established that consultants fail to turn up to teach during medical training 30 per cent of the time. It is amoral of the Medical Council to veto further Irish university places as a means of justifying this 30 per cent absenteeism rate. A review of the current educational requirements and limits imposed on places must be carried out before September 2005," concluded Deputy Batt O'Keeffe TD, Chairman of the Oireachtas Health Committee.

[skull]

Yeah, well before Mr. O'Keeffe gets outraged, he needs to rethink twice who supports his medical schools? Obviously not his poor Irish kids or his economically deprived government. Thanks to the outrageous fees paid by US and Canadian Dollars! Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Well they can limit the number of foreign students, but then the quality of their medical education will go down hill, and those highly over-paid Irish professors will head toward.....well....... the Caribbean

[stephew]

the problem isnt getting irish students into irishs chools: its residency placements. They are happily graduating more folks than there are decent spaces and many have to go aboad for residency to the US and UK, and not becuase they want to.