Changes announced to Hpat system for studying medicine
have announced changes to the entry requirements for studying medicine following concerns that some students may have found a way to practise for aptitude tests known as the Hpat, or Health Professions Admission Test.
Under the admissions process for medical schools, applicants are required to combine their Leaving Certificate results with those from the Hpat which was introduced in 2009 to assess skills deemed important for medicine. Those the Hpat assesses include reasoning, problem-solving and interpersonal skills.
While the 2½-hour test was initially envisaged as one which candidates could not study for, there is now an extensive private tuition industry where students can spend up to €800 over 15 weeks to prepare for the assessment.
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The Hpat is marked out of a total of 300 points, which is added to a candidate's Leaving Cert score. For example, a student who gets 500 points in the Leaving Cert and 200 points in the Hpat gets a combined score of 700 points.
About 3,000 students take the test each year, which is required to study undergraduate medicine at the University of Galway, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, UCC and UCD. University of Limerick also requires the Hpat for entry to its master's degree in occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.
Under the revised plans, the maximum points the Hpat can deliver is to be reduced to 150 points.
The changes are being announced now for the 2027 intake to allow potential applicants to make choices in advance of their two-year Leaving Certificate cycle. The changes will not affect those sitting their Leaving Certificates in 2025 or 2026.
The Hpat was introduced under then minister for education
Mary Hanafin
, following concern that only those scoring very high Leaving Cert points were guaranteed entry to medicine. She said at the time that students would no longer need a 'perfect Leaving Cert' to enter medicine.
However, concern grew that students who are able to afford extra support for their exams and Hpat tests are at a significant advantage when it comes to studying medicine.
Latest
Higher Education Authority
data, for example, show about 33 per cent of medicine students are from affluent backgrounds, compared with 18 per cent of students overall. Only 3 per cent of medicine students are from disadvantaged backgrounds, compared to 11 per cent overall.
Announcing the modifications on Friday, the
Irish Universities Association
said the primary requirement to present both the Leaving Certificate result and Hpat result for the calculation of points for medicine will not change.
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'However, the way in which both Leaving Cert and Hpat points are counted will change. Leaving Certificate points above 550 will no longer be moderated, and the maximum possible Hpat points will be reduced from 300 to 150.'
From 2027, the maximum combined Leaving Certificate and Hpat points for Medicine will be 775, being 625 from the Leaving Certificate and 150 from the Hpat.
This will differ from the current maximum of 865 points made up of 565 points from the Leaving Certificate and 300 from the Hpat.
The existing rule that the Hpat must be taken in the year of
Cental Applications Office
application will continue. Applicants will continue to need to meet the minimum entry requirements as well as the existing 480 points minimum requirement, all in the same sitting of the Leaving Certificate.
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This is easier said than done: 'If they land on you, you could use a piece of paper to gently slide under it, and put a see-through cup on top. Then take it away and release it.' Wear repellent Chachati has worked in travel clinics: 'Deet would be the number one thing I recommend, including for children. Use the highest percentage that you can tolerate without it irritating the skin.' In some places, 'if you get bitten, you can get diseases like malaria, dengue fever, Zika and tick-borne encephalitis. If you can't use Deet, there are other repellents such as icaridin and IR3535.' 'Deet is a really effective insect repellent,' says Budd. 'But there are questions about whether it is environmentally responsible for it to be used in large quantities. There are alternatives, like some citronella-based insect repellents, which are kinder to the environment. If you are still getting bitten with those, maybe move to the chemical ones.' Apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent. Photograph: iStock 'Always put on your sunscreen, then put your insect repellent on top,' says Chachati. 'When they land on you, they will be repelled by the insect repellent, because that is the outermost layer you've applied on your skin. Deet can lower the sun protection factor of the sunscreen, so you will need to reapply it more often.' It can also transfer ink to your skin, so be careful when handling printed matter while wearing it, says Chachati. Go fragrance-free 'It is a myth that only dirty people get bitten,' says Budd. 'Bugs are drawn to scents, not bad hygiene.' 'Don't wear perfumes, deodorants or moisturisers that are heavily scented,' says Chachati. 'These can attract bugs to you, because you smell like flowers.' Drinking alcohol could make you more attractive to mosquitos. Photograph: iStock Possibly avoid alcohol 'There was a very small study in 2002 where they tested whether or not drinking beer would make mosquitoes more likely to bite you,' says Chachati. 'Out of 13 people, the majority of them did get bites from mosquitoes [after beer ingestion compared with before ingestion]. So avoid drinking beer at barbecues,' which can be challenging, she concedes. Budd says it is also a myth that drinking gin and tonic is helpful: 'Originally, in countries where there was malaria, people would have loads of tonic water because they believed the quinine in the tonic protected them – you'd have to drink a lot of tonic water for it to be effective.' Clean bites and stings before treating If you do get a bite or sting, 'it is always best to wash the skin with soap and water to try to avoid any bacteria getting inside the wound,' says Chachati. 'If you don't have access to soap and water, you can use antiseptic wipes or cream.' 'In the main, if you just have a simple bite or a sting, it will sort itself out,' says Nevinson. 'If there is swelling, cold compresses are really good. If it's on a limb, keep it raised to prevent that swelling getting any worse.' 'Hydrocortisone cream is really good for inflammation,' says Budd. If you want to try something more natural, lavender or tea-tree oil 'may deter the insects, but they're also natural antiseptics once you've been bitten. Aloe vera is cooling and anti-inflammatory.' Don't scratch 'Antihistamine creams or tablets can really help with the itching, because scratching that itch makes it worse,' says Budd. 'It increases the inflammation and your risk of infection. When you're scratching the skin, you are interfering with the natural skin barrier, and you can be introducing bacteria into the inflamed area by taking away all the top layers of cells.' Use fine tweezers to remove a tick, grabbing it really close to the skin Remove stings and ticks carefully 'When a tick bites, the whole animal is attached to you,' says Budd. 'Use fine-tip tweezers, grab it really close to the skin, and pull upwards slowly with a steady and even force. Clean the area afterwards with soap and water.' Nevinson says: 'If a red ring appears around the bite, that is an indication that it could be Lyme disease, and it's really important you seek medical help. As long as it is treated quickly, it can be easily dealt with.' Chachati recommends keeping the tick to be tested. [ Ticks in Ireland: Lyme disease-carrying insects are coming for us and they're likely to hang around longer too Opens in new window ] 'Don't use tweezers for a bee sting,' says Budd, 'because you can push more venom into your skin. Scrape it sideways, either with your [clean] fingernail or a bank card. When you get stung by a bee, the sting continues to pump venom, even when the bee is gone. So you definitely need to remove that. Wasps and hornets do not leave a stinger in the skin after they have stung you, they have retractable stingers.' Take antimalarials 'Malaria can kill you,' says Chachati. Mosquitoes kill more people than any other creature in the world because of the various diseases they carry and it is essential to take antimalarials if you are going to a region where malaria is carried by mosquitoes. 'Look at a malaria map or the Fit for Travel website and always speak to a professional about which antimalarials to take.' Know when to seek medical help 'Your individual reaction to proteins in the saliva of the bug that has bitten you or the venom from a sting can cause an allergic reaction,' says Budd, 'from mild swelling to severe anaphylaxis, where it starts affecting your breathing and your tongue is swelling. This is usually picked up early on in life and you will need to carry an EpiPen. For a mild allergic reaction, an antihistamine or hydrocortisone cream should help. If you are experiencing difficulty breathing, dizziness or swelling of the face, seek emergency help.' [ From the archive: How to deal with health issues that arise when we travel abroad Opens in new window ] Also see a doctor if, 'a couple of days after being bitten or stung, you notice that there is pus, a hot, swollen red area around the bite that is noticeably spreading, or if you develop a fever, as these can be signs of infection,' says Budd. Ceiling fans disturb airflow, making it harder for bugs to land on you. Photograph: iStock Disturb the airflow 'Keep the air conditioning or ceiling fan on,' says Chachati, 'because that disturbs the airflow, so it stops mosquitoes from being able to land. It also makes the room cool, which they dislike, and disperses carbon dioxide, making it difficult for mosquitoes to detect humans.' Keep windows closed for this to be effective, she says, 'and definitely use a mosquito net over your bed and windows'. Take a shower 'Bugs are attracted to body heat and sweat,' says Budd. 'If your skin is warmer, you are more likely to attract bugs. If you have been exercising, there might be more lactic acid in your sweat, and insects are attracted to that, too.' Some people are just more delicious than others 'There is no specific reason why one person gets bitten more than another,' says Nevinson, 'but you often hear people talking about being prone to bites. It is likely to be to do with the skin type and the scent on the skin, which could be a result of a number of different things, diet or hormone-related.' Budd explains: 'Everyone has their own unique skin microbiome and it can make you either less or more attractive to biting insects. Your genetics can influence this. For some reason, people with blood type O may attract more mosquitoes.' He adds: 'Being pregnant could make you more attractive to biting insects because your skin temperature can be warmer.' Chachati says: 'It depends on your immune system and how you react to bites. Some people might be more sensitive compared with others. Mosquito bites may be worse in certain parts of the world that you are not used to being in, depending on how your immune system reacts. The first few bites may be quite a difficult experience to go through and then, if you get bitten again later in the holiday, it may not be as bad because your body knows how to handle it better.' – Guardian
