Paramedical courses are among the most sought-after third-level options, particularly among female school-leavers - and medical lab sciences is no exception. This year points ranged from 425 to 460.
Three institutes of technology - DIT, Cork IT and Galway/Mayo IT - offer the primary qualification. This three-year certificate is no longer a stand-alone qualification. Graduates must complete a further two years study to gain a degree in biomedical sciences - if they wish to work in hospital labs. So, second-level students interested in medical lab sciences should think in terms of five years' study.
There are about 20 first-year places in the cert programmes in each of the three colleges. Dr John O'Mullane, head of Cork IT's school of biological sciences, notes that education to cert level is controlled by a national committee. This includes two years in college and a one-year internship.
O'Mullane explains that the intern year, where the students rotate between the various disciplines in labs in training hospitals, is vital. There are two requirements if you wish to get a job in a hospital lab. The first requirement is a degree in biomedical sciences and the second is a year's in-service or appropriate training. Richard Delaney, course co-ordinator for Galway/ Mayo IT's certificate, notes that there are other courses with the title biomedical sciences but they do not qualify their graduates to work in medical labs in the State. While graduates of courses other than those in DIT, Cork IT and Galway/Mayo IT will be considered by the professional body for membership, these are assessed on an individual basis and a year's relevant experience is necessary.
Galway/Mayo IT does not offer the two-year follow-on degree but Delaney says students are advantaged rather than disavantaged as they are educated in two colleges. Graduates of GMIT's cert compete on an equal basis for places in DIT and Cork IT/ UCC and the University of Ulster.
Although DIT Kevin Street is the only college which requires a C in higher-level chemistry, Delaney says chemistry is a definite plus. Other science subjects are useful but not essential, he adds, and a reasonable facility with maths would also be an advantage.
Colm O'Rourke, cert co-ordinator in DIT, says students take physics, chemistry, biology, maths and a language in first year. The course comprises 40 per cent lectures and 60 per cent practical work. Some of the classes in DIT are taken in conjunction with the optometry and human nutrition students.
In second year, students tackle biochemistry, physiology, statistics and computer science; applied physics, measurement and instrumentation, as well as the medical lab sciences and a language. Medical lab sciences includes five separate disciplines - haematology, blood transfusion, microbiology, cellular pathology, and clinical chemistry - explains O'Rourke.
This year provides students with multi-disciplinary lab skills which are particularly useful in small labs and during "on-call" periods when staff provide cover outside of the normal working day. "The multidisciplinary skills may also make graduates more employable as they are more flexible," adds O'Rourke.
Third year is spent in in-service training in approved hospital labs and students spend about seven weeks in each discipline. At present, a training grant is paid to students during this year. Students must complete a dissertation, practical project and sit written exams in third year.
In DIT, students specialise in fifth year, taking a major and minor medical lab science subject. The degree course in Cork is offered conjointly by UCC and CIT with students taking courses and practical work in both colleges. Ten places are reserved each year for students of UCC's biological and chemical sciences degree. These students complete two years of the UCC degree and then take the final two year's of the biomedical sciences degree however O'Mullane notes that they have not completed the year's internship and are not, therefore, eligible, on graduation to work in hospital labs.
