Graduate medical education in Ireland: a profile of the first cohort of students.

BACKGROUND The first graduate-entry programmes to Irish medicine were established at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and the University of Limerick (UL) in 2007. There were over 400 applications across both institutions and 306 people sat a special aptitude test (GAMSAT) in Ireland in 2007. Ultimately, 61 Irish/EU students were admitted to one or other programme. AIMS AND METHODS We describe the demographic profile, academic background and aggregated GAMSAT performance of 306 people who sat GAMSAT in Ireland in 2007 and of the 61 people admitted to the RCSI/UL programmes. RESULTS While more females than males sat GAMSAT, slightly more males were admitted. Over 90% of those admitted were aged in their 20s, almost 20% had a higher degree and they came from a wide range of academic backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS Among others, this information should be of interest to prospective students and to government policy makers.