Latest news with #grindculture
Irish Times
03-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on Hpat: doctoring the sytem
The Health Professions Admission Test, or Hpat, was introduced in 2009 to broaden access to medical school by testing non-academic skills such as problem-solving. It was a variation of similar tests pioneered in Australia and had the laudable goals of not only producing better doctors but also leveling the playing field between those who could afford private schools and additional tuition and those who could not. Its creators, the Australian Council for Educational Research, claimed that it was neither possible nor worthwhile to study for the exam. However, they had not reckoned with Irish parents and the grind culture that has taken hold since the establishment of the first 'grind schools' in the 1970s. Middle class families continue to find new ways to game the CAO system. Hpat preparatory courses cost up to € 800 and would appear to deliver. Medical faculties report that most students who repeat the exam improve their score and a significant number who gain places do so on the basis of a repeated Hpat. The question as to whether the introduction of the test actually produced better doctors is hard to answer but is clear that the pendulum has swung back in favour of better-off applicants, if it ever truly swung away from them. Over a third of medical students are now from affluent backgrounds, according to the Higher Education Authority. This compares with 18 per cent for the student body as a whole. READ MORE Several medical schools now want to reduce the weight attached to the Hpat, which can add 300 points to a candidate's Leaving Cert result, although the average is near half that. Any changes will need to be signed off by their respective universities' academic councils and the Department of Education will no doubt have something to say. The proposal is worthy of serious consideration. The system as currently designed is not delivering as expected. However, any downgrading of the Hpat should be accompanied by alternative measures to ensure that students from less affluent backgrounds are fairly represented.
Irish Times
24-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Is a side-hustle worth it in Ireland? The type of jobs available and how much you can really make
What's traditionally been known as the 'nixer' in Ireland is recognised more widely on social media as the side hustle. Most people's understanding of the term is additional income that supplements a person's PAYE earnings. As with many other trends, Instagram and TikTok 's algorithms churn out an Americanised version of the phenomenon where grind culture is revered and stories of multi-million dollar businesses - born on smartphones while loading the laundry - are legion. But as with other viral social media movements, the reality is often very different and has its own nuances specific to an Irish context. READ MORE At a time when many people are living pay cheque to pay cheque the allure of additional income - gilded with the Paris filter - is obvious. So what side jobs are available to those of us already working 40-plus hours a week? How do you assess what work would work for you? Will be worth the extra effort? Deirdre O'Keeffe is a Kildare-based book keeper and mentor who coaches clients through the process of choosing a side hustle, figuring out how to make it work and crucially, understanding their tax liability. In this episode of Better With Money she explains the process she goes through with them, how to spot scams and how side hustles can be valuable exercises in testing out a business idea. Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan.
