UCAS

It is that time of the year again; UCAS applications. We have come to a crossroads; our future rests on the success of a mere slip of white-and-blue paper.

It is particularly a headache for prospective medical students, of which this college abounds in. The number is not so much a problem as the international student quota itself. We have, in the college, any number of excellent and deserving students, which no UK medical school in its right mind would turn down, save for the limitations imposed on its intake of foreign students by the UK authorities.

The dilemma is this: There are more students applying for medicine from this college then there are places in UK medical schools for them, going by the statistics. To get every one of our students into the UK represents a near impossible mission. JPA allows its students to apply to Ireland (MARA doesn't), leading to some students mooting the idea that perhaps those who want to apply to Ireland shouldn't apply to the UK and vice versa. This would increase the chances of other students from our college getting into the UK; and it is a sound idea - granted that one looks at it from a collective point of view. These students took their suggestion to the school board, who adopted it and brought it up to the rest of the medic students.

In a small survey done by this writer, most medic students thought that it was most fair that those applying through UCAS shouldn't apply to the Irish Consortium. Some were of the more diplomatic opinion that, come February, those who still hadn't received any UK offers should be allowed to apply to Ireland. Two students thought that the sponsors should relent and let their students apply wherever they wished, namely the US, Australia, Russia and India (we know that this is only wishful thinking!) Some also mentioned that they would like to apply to both the UK and to Ireland, though they knew fully well that doing so would be terribly unfair to those who had opted for Ireland in the first place, thus giving up their places in the UK for their college mates.

In the end, it is up to the students themselves to decide on their own course of action. The college cannot force them not to apply to Ireland if they want to. We live, after all, in a democratic country. As we all know, most of us would like only too well to get into the UK and use Ireland as a back-up option. However, bear in mind that some would look upon such an action to be unethical. Matters have come to a head. We shall see what happens.

Ed's Note: An experienced friend (fourth year medical student) advised me, I quote Sometimes you just get to a point that you spent so much time on your personal statement you just want to give up. Well, don't. Better to have a little stress now, than spend your days waiting for a call for interview and having guilty thoughts of not giving all your best in your personal statement! Unquote.