Nee-naw, nee-naw, neenaw . . . Casualty has a lot to answer for, according to Dr Stan Mathews, student recruitment officer and senior lecturer in crop science at the University of Aberdeen. Because of the TV hospital series, a range of medical, paramedical and biomedical degree programmes were high on the shopping list of Leaving Cert students who were looking at the option of studying in Britain at this year's Higher Options conference in the RDS.
"Television is what dictates their interest," says Mathews about the students who plied him with questions last week. They wanted to know all about the university's health and sports-related courses - everything from pharmacology, physiology, neuroscience and human life science degree programmes. He believes that influential TV programmes, including ones about sport and sports fitness, have made a huge difference to the level of interest and the appeal of certain degree programmes. He was not the only academic to voice this view.
"Not enough thought is given by students to what the career actually involves," he says. "They're more interested in what appears to be a glamorous business. They should have a soap opera about engineering to give it a popular image, like veterinary."
This year almost 50 Irish students will study at the 500-year-old University in Aberdeen. In 1994 there were just 13 Irish students, but the number has been rising steadily each year since, says Mathews. "We're building it up."
Last week at the RDS, Irish students calling to the university's stand were told that, to do Aberdeen's medicine degree, Irish students need five As and a B in higher-level subjects, including a B or better in chemistry.
For many of its BSc health science programmes, students will require two Bs and two Cs at higher level or four Cs and one B at higher level. The university has BSc degrees (honours) in psychology, human life sciences, pharmacology, neuroscience, health sciences and biomedical sciences, to list just a few. In all degrees English at ordinary level at least is required. Mike Barber is schools and international liaison officer at the University of Liverpool. He found that all professions allied to medicine (PAMS within the trade) were very popular options with Leaving Cert students calling to his stand. They were especially interested in physiotherapy.
"We're going to be asking for Irish honours, including five As and one B," he said of physiotherapy. It's the most popular course and the most difficult to get into." Other health science departments will be looking for four Bs and one C, including English and the sciences.
These degree programmes include diagnostic radiography, occupational therapy, radiotherapy, nursing and orthoptics. In physiotherapy, an estimated 40 are taken on each year. Last year applications ran to 1,378. For information, students should phone Fleur Bode, admissions officer - 0044 151 794 5712.
Barber advises Irish students interested in doing medicine to look at some of the Scottish universities - "they are geared up to offering places to students with a broad spectrum of subjects with a shallower depth compared to the English universities where you have a narrower spectrum of subjects with a greater depth."
Patricia McNamara, a Leaving Cert student at Scoil Mhuire in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, was there to ask about the medicine option. "I'd prefer to stay in Ireland but England is an option," she said.
Only five universities in Britain provide degree programmes in optometry. At the City University London (CUL), this course was in great demand. To apply for this three-year BSc course, Irish students will need five Bs in higher-level subjects, and two must be science subjects.
CUL also had radiography and radiotherapy degree courses - two Bs and three Cs at higher level for both - and a nursing degree - two Bs and three Cs at higher level. Its speech and language therapy course requires five Bs in higher level. At Robert Gordon University, pharmacy and physiology were the most popular course options for Irish students, according to Maggie McGougan from the university's faculty of health and food. To apply for the MPharm (hons) degree, Irish students will need five Bs in higher-level subjects.
The university also has a physiotherapy degree course. For this Irish students will need six higher-level subjects. For details, the direct line to Robert Gordon University's admissions office is 0044 1224 262105 or 262106.
Students were also checking out Welsh options. It's worth remembering that all the higher education bodies in Wales will run a joint open day on Thursday, October 22nd, at Jury's Inn, Custom House Quay, Dublin, between 9 a.m. and 8.30 p.m.
Cliff Evans, of the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, told us that callers at his stand were interested in a number of degree programmes in the faculty of community health sciences. To do a BSc (Hons) in applied human nutrition, students need two Bs and three Cs in higher level, including chemistry. For the BSc (hons) in biomedical sciences, they will need five Cs in higher level including biology and chemistry. For the BSc (hons) in psychology, they will need four Bs in higher level.
In the sporting area, a number of students were interested in programmes offered by the faculty of education and sport. These include a BSc (Hons) in sport and physical education; BSc (Hons) in sports coaching; BSc (Hons) in sports development and BSc (hons) in sport and exercise sciences.
In general students or guidance counsellors would be wise to check with individual colleges and our own Department of Education and Science about fees and financial arrangements.
