My daughter missed out on a place in dentistry this year even though she scored over 600 points. Given that the Minister for Education has announced a reduction in grade inflation for 2025 do you think points requirement for the two dental courses in Trinity and Cork will come down below 600 in the next year or two?
Unfortunately I don’t see a significant reduction in points for high-demand course as a result of the Minister’s decision to gradually reduce the artificial inflation of grades. However, the introduction of a third dental programme – recently announced for RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences – is a more promising development.
Given the current acute shortage of dental places in Ireland, the addition of this new degree option in 2025 should see some easing of points requirements, which, along with a tapering off of inflated grades, might – with luck – see your daughter secure a place in 2025 or 2026.
Alternatively if she does not want to put all her eggs in one basket she could consider applying to dental schools in the UK or Europe taught through English as an alternative option.
The RCSI course will be the first community-based undergraduate dentistry programme in Ireland. This approach reflects an international trend in dentistry and other healthcare professions, with clinical training shifting from traditional hospitals to community settings.
Experience in the community is particularly relevant in dentistry since most graduates will work in primary care. By rooting their education in the community and in broader healthcare facilities the programme will give RCSI-educated dentists the opportunity to develop an understanding of the needs of different groups in the population and to learn how to engage with the healthcare professionals they will work with in the future.
The five-year full-time programme is designed for students to experience authentic and contextual learning. The students will experience contact with patients from their first year, giving them the chance to develop their clinical and communication skills at the earliest opportunities.
The first two years will lay down the scientific and technical foundations upon which the later more clinically intensive years of the course are built. Across years two to five students will gain experience of a wide range of oral and general dental conditions, with continued reference to the scientific base underpinning dental practice.
The later years of the programme will support students to develop an understanding of the patient journey through primary, secondary and specialist dental care. Year five will provide a thorough grounding for contemporary practice by ensuring students gain the skills they will need to have as a general dentist immediately after their graduation.
The RCSI Simulated Dental Learning Environment, located in Sandyford, will enable students to develop and consolidate their clinical skills before treating patients safely.
A further dental education facility is planned for Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, where RCSI’s graduate entry medicine students are based.
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