Madam, – Siobhan Wilson (August 24th) makes the point that criteria other than “hardworking”, “bright” and “brilliant” need to apply for entry to medical school. As a past Chair of the Education Committee of the Medical Council and member of the Fottrell Committee that led to the professionalisation of medical education, the same point was often made to me. Patients were of the opinion that those with high points tended to lack communication skills, empathy and patience. I saw this as part of a more general disillusionment with the medical profession, male and female, that has led to significant changes in the teaching of medicine and now in entry requirements.
My own prediction on the outcome of the HPat was that the same people who got high Leaving Cert points would do equally well in the new test. The internationally respected Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) which designed the test is clear that it complements academic achievement. It is puzzling and interesting, to me at least, that the two exams have produced differing results.
One swallow does not a summer make, however, and the next couple of years will have to be followed carefully to help us gain an understanding of the unequal performances of males and females in the Leaving Cert and the fairly equal performances in the HPat.
My own experience of teaching medical students over 30 years is that exams drive performance and also that females prepare better for exams, assignments, and interviews. It will be interesting to hear the insights of Acer, which designed the test for entry to other healthcare courses at international level. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I have been working as a health professional in the cardiology area for the past 30 years. During this time I have met a number of extremely bright, gifted and talented cardiologists and surgeons. Many of these have admitted that it is very unlikely that they would achieve the points for admission to medical school were they to sit the Leaving Cert in recent years. Gaining such high points necessitates grinds, serious memory skills, mastering exam techniques, and more grinds.
For my part, were I to be ill and require a technically difficult angioplasty procedure, or should unforeseen complications arise during my coronary bypass surgery, I would prefer my doctor to have superior visual-spatial and problem-solving aptitudes as opposed to 600 Leaving Cert points. Incidentally, whether the doctor concerned is male or female is irrelevant. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Girls do better than boys in the points system search for college places.
This is the outcome of a “fair” system according to our smug feminist former Minister for Education, Gemma Hussey (August 20th). Much more has been written since.
Approximately equal numbers of presumably equally intelligent male and female students take the Leaving Certificate each year. In a truly fair system this would lead to an evenly balanced achievement of college entry points.
The genie is finally out of the bottle: either females are more intelligent than males. or the points system is unfairly tipped against males.
If we want to believe the former, then we can remain smug. Otherwise we must do whatever we can to restore the balance and provide equal opportunity for all our school-leaving citizens. Hopefully, HPat is just the start.
Roll on son (or daughter) of HPat. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Might I be correct in assuming that we are now faced with a two-tier system in medicine – those deemed suitable by virtue of their HPat results and those who have no requirement whatsoever to sit same.
I am referring to the disgraceful situation whereby non-EU students are afforded places in medical schools on the basis of their ability to pay fees. Are they also exempt from sitting the HPat? Perhaps that ability to pay fees ensures that their aptitude is a given. Surely this is a case of blatant discrimination?
That same welcome afforded the non-EU student continues to be denied those students who have been forced to study medicine abroad, and who wish to come back to intern in Irish hospitals. The doors remain tightly shut. – Yours, etc,