Irish Nursing Degree

[Guest colostaUcolostaMe]

I am currently studying for a nursing degree here in Ireland, I would like your advice on whether or not this is seen as a good degree to have when applying to med schools in Canada.

 

In Ireland medicine is an undergraduate course and you go straight into it from secondary school (provided you get enough Leaving Certificate points, usually 570 out of a possible 600).

 

You can also apply as a mature student and I've been told that with a nursing degree I could transfer some credit and go into the second year of the course, by-passing the first year which is mainly just Biology,Chemistry and Physics.

 

How would that work in Canada. Is nursing seen as a good entry route to a medicine course, could I get credit for previous study and thereby shorten the training time.

 

Lastly how much exactly does it cost to go to med school in Canada, if you're a first time undergraduate in Ireland you don't pay anything but if you have studied at undegraduate level before it costs about €38000 for the five years which is about CND$62000.

What does it cost in Canadian med schools.

[Guest aneliz]

The first question to answer is: are you a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant? If the answer is no, the chances of you gaining acceptance to a Canadian med school are slim to nil. Most Canadian schools accept only Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

 

If you are a Canadian, the following applies:

 

1. Medicine is a 'second entry' professional program in Canada. Meaning: you must have completed anywhere from 2 years of an undergrad program to a full 4 year honours undergraduate degree after high school depending on the med school in question. Most schools also have specific 'pre-req' courses that you must have studied at the university level. (Usually some combination of biology, chemistry, physics, organic chemistry, English, Arts/Social science).

 

2. Most med schools will accept any undergrad degree as a 'pre-med' degree - BA, BSc, nursing, engineering, music, etc, etc, etc. There is no preference for one program over another. Acceptance is based on GPA, MCAT score, autobiographical sketch (ie non-academic achievements) and interview skills. Nursing will not provide an 'advantage' over other degree programs... but it will not be a disadvantage either.

 

3. There are no 'transfer' credits granted by med schools and no advanced standing given for undergrad work. People that did three years of art history are in the same courses/classes with people that have a PhD in molecular biology. You would not get any credit for your nursing degree.

 

4. Med school in Canada is expensive. Average tuition is ~$16 000 cdn per year + your living expenses. Most Canadian med students graduate with ~$125-150 000 cdn in student debt.