STUDENTS in Carlow have their eyes set firmly on university places in Britain and Northern Ireland. A two-year course at the regional technical college is opening doorways into careers in the paramedical world. Graduates of the applied physiology and health science course are being offered places on a variety of courses at colleges and universities in Northern Ireland and in Britain.
From last year's class of 53, five have gone on to study radiography; five have gone on to study nutrition and dietetics; six are doing sports medicine and six more are doing sports science. Two graduates are currently studying speech therapy at the University of Ulster in Jordanstown.
Another two are doing nursing studies at Coleraine. Three are studying medical laboratory sciences at Queen University, Belfast. A further two are doing rehabilitation therapy at St Mary's College, Strawberry Hill, in London, which is a college of the University of Surrey.
The first graduates of this two-year course at Carlow RTC came on stream in 1991 with a national certificate in science - applied physiology and health science. The course catered for 30 students in the beginning. Since then it has expanded and now takes up to 64 new students each year.
As course director Tom D'Arcy points out, its content and focus has also changed since then. Today the course is viewed as a foundation course for students who want to go into the paramedical area. There is a huge demand for such a stepping stone to careers in a range of paramedical areas.
Secondary school students with their sights on a wide range of careers - the list runs through physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, radiography, nutrition and dietetics, occupational health and safety - health inspection, sports science, physical education, psychology, physiology or nursing science - certainly seem to be well aware of the course. Last year over 3,000 of them applied for its 60 places.
The course prides itself on providing Irish students with a secondary avenue into third-level colleges outside Ireland. And it's mainly used by students who want to go onto to degree courses.
Maebh Maher, head of the department, says that they have taken on board any of the emphasis that the colleges in Britain and Northern Ireland suggested. "We are constantly reviewing and up-dating the syllabi," she says.
D'Arcy describes as "very academically sound" those who complete the certificate course. Some 93 per cent of the graduates transfer into degree courses in Britain and in Northern Ireland.
Eoin Colleran from Galway is studying in second year at Carlow RTC at the moment. "I wanted to get into the paramedical area," he says. Depending on his results he is hoping to go on to study physiotherapy over the next three years at a UK college. The Carlow course "gives me a wider choice", he says. "There are a lot more careers that one could pursue instead of going straight into physiotherapy."
Colleran believes that the points system has to change. "The points are crazy," he says. Three years ago he would have needed six As to get onto his particular choice in Ireland, whereas in Britain he could have got into medicine with six Bs.
He is happy with the way things have turned out. Now, he says, his class-mates are being called "week by week" for interview in Britain for a range of top courses. And his own options have widened also - he lists radiography, dietetics and nutrition, sports science, sports medicine, nursing science and PE as possible areas that he could consider.
Fidelma Shortall from Tullamore, Co Offaly, is also in second year. "I hope to go on to do a degree in occupational therapy at the University of Northhampton. I've got an offer from there and I'm waiting on further replies."
She had OT at TCD as her first choice on the CAO form - the points in TCD for this course were 495 at the time. She needed 400 points for the course at Carlow. She is delighted with the route.
"It's a lot better," she says. "This course is a stepping stone or foundation, especially if you weren't sure what area you wanted to go into."
Shortall looks on the two years as very valuable. It's an exciting course, she says, with a great variety of subjects from anatomy to law to swimming and aerobics, to kinesiology as well as the basic sciences.
THE SUBJECTS in first year are anatomy and physiology, maths and computers, psychology, chemistry, pharmacology, physics, pharmacology, physics, exercise physiology communications and swimming and fitness training techniques.
In second year the course covers nutrition and food hygiene, behavioural science, exercise physiology and kinesiology, occupational health and safety, statistics and information technology, leisure management, law and aerobics and water therapy.
"All the students on the course are of a fairly high calibre," says Tom D'Arcy. "They are very academically sound." In certain cases, some of the colleges which offer places to graduates of the Carlow RTC course give one year exemptions in recognition of their level of knowledge and their examination success.
Those who apply must generally have 400 to 480 points. The college is hoping for validation from the NCEA for its newly-developed third year, when students can carry on within the college for a diploma.
Maher says that students often change their choice after starting out. "They learn a little bit of everything and there's a lovely balance between the practical and the academic. They get to try out so many aspects."
