New entry requirements for medicine: will it favour the men?

Next year the government will introduce new entry requirements for medicine. The number of points is to be reduced to 480, I believe, but there will be a new assessment test of some kind.

Does anyone have information, thoughts, suggestions for young people who hope to go into med?

The new system may negatively affect the prospects for young women trying to study medicine. Fact is, they've been roaring ahead of the boys on the points system and I think approximately 60% of the intake is now girls.

I have a sneaking suspiction that this new system may be as much about redressing this 'imbalance' as anything.

no cos all the people getting enough points were inhuman freaks that's why

I think any change is for the best, the points system shouldn't be the only gauge for who's suitable for courses especially such as medicine, where people may end up as doctors and so on. People skills are a significant necessity in this and based on a points judgement system, someone who'd have the necessary intellegence for such a job, as well as good people skills could theoretically miss out on a course because of someone who did better than them in.. for example.. french or german or something like that. These might never be used again by the person in that area, but are placed above other unpoints-related areas that would be more applicable when assessing suitable candidates for the course. A change in my mind would be for the better (though I don't know what the plan is so I'm not necessarily agreeing with it without knowing!)

A person should be judged in areas that are applicable to the area... whether they be male or female isn't relevant in my mind - one shouldn't get a bonus based on chance of gender - if there's a lack of females in one area it should be promoted as much as possible... but not by giving someone a place at the express of a fella who's only failure in the area would be that he was a fella in the first place. It's key to remember that people only get their places at the expess of others - there's always more demand than supply.

The same would apply with for example teaching... there's certainly less lads getting into that area - they should be encouraged to do so... but not at the expense any female based solely on gender.

I know there's no plan to do anything like that... but for me that'd be why I don't think that we should consider a proposed method based on one gender doing better than the other - it shouldn't come into anyones mind I think - make tests appropriate to the area, that are suited for what people are trying to get into... a gender imbalence within a course or area and the promotion of it then is a seperate issue and one shouldn't be factored in when considering the other.

So for that reason I'd welcome a change in the assessment... but hopefully it's not one done to favour one gender over another.... I hope your sneaking suspiction is wrong Aragon