All your education questions answered by Brian Mooney.

I did my Leaving Certificate in 1998 and recently completed a Doctorate in Law. I have been considering my career options and I'm drawn towards medicine. I have followed the rapidly changing nature of medical education in the media, and wonder what my options might now be. I secured 510 points in my Leaving Cert.

Congratulations on having secured your doctorate. I am sure that it has involved much effort to get to this point. To consider re-entering the education system must have involved much thought and reflection on your part. But if that is the direction your interests are moving in, you are right to explore it.

With 510 points, you have two options. You can apply for a postgraduate place in one of the colleges offering post- graduate medicine. These places are open to anyone holding a minimum of a 2:1 in an undergraduate degree, which you have. The first cohort of students started these programmes in September 2007. The University of Limerick and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, which received approval to provide 30 places each on the new programme this year, are teaching this programme in 2008.

Further expansion of this graduate entry stream will see its introduction at UCC and UCD in September 2008 and at NUI Galway in September 2010. When the reform package is fully implemented, the new graduate entry stream will provide a total of 240 additional Irish/EU places in medicine, across the five colleges listed above.

To be considered for these programmes, you must undertake a medical aptitude test called Gamsat, which originated in Australia and is used widely internationally to assess a candidate's suitability for a medical career. If you are successful in securing a place on this four- year postgraduate programme, your fees will be €13,000 per year. The college will receive a State subvention of a further €12,000 per year, bringing their income per student to €25,000.

Given that you have 510 points, you will not be successful if you apply for an undergraduate medical place through the CAO process this month, as the point's requirement will be around 570 in 2008. However, if you are prepared to wait until 2009, you may apply for an undergraduate place, using your 1998 Leaving Cert point's, under the new arrangements recently announced by the Minister for Education and Science.

From 2009 onwards, a new selection process for entry to undergraduate medicine will operate. This will be open to all students who achieve a threshold level of 480 points in any one sitting of their Leaving Certificate examination, and also meet the college matriculation requirements.

This new selection method will also involve an admissions test that complements the Leaving Cert examination by assessing a range of general and personal skills and competencies, but it will not be the Gamsat test used at postgraduate level.

Another aspect of this new system is a weighted credit to be given for performance in the Leaving Cert up to 550 points, with significantly moderated credit after that. The Minister, Mary Hanafin, indicated that she was introducing this to lessen the pressures towards perfect performance in the Leaving Certificate. The Minister has also allocated an additional 70 undergraduate places across TCD, NUIG and UCC.

As you have already received State support in your first undergraduate degree, you will have to pay the cost of your undergraduate place directly to the college. This may vary from college to college, but may be in the region of €10,000 per year. Be sure to check this figure out yourself.

Before progressing with your considerations, I would advise you to make an appointment to meet with medical lecturing staff of one or more of our medical schools, to explore your options further.

Brian Mooney is the former president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors.

E-mail questions to bmooney@irish-times.ie