Alternative Routes to Studying Medicine

The health sector is the third largest employer in Ireland and the demand for qualified staff is strong. 

The shortage of staff is particularly evident in the health therapy professions. At the same time, the number of training places leading to qualifications in allied health professions is very limited. 

Healthcare managerial skills are also in high demand and employment growth for managers was above the national average and those employed in administrative roles had the greatest overall increase (28%) over 5 years (Solas, 2021). 

What are the Alternative Routes to Studying Medicine? 

Studying a healthcare course offers you the opportunity to build a successful lifelong career by providing you with an accessible route to health science qualifications. 

Studying a healthcare course provides you with an alternative route to studying medicine focused on developing graduates who are clinical practitioners ready to join compassionate and competent professionals who are committed to improving lives.  

Studying a course like a BSc (Hons) in Health Care and Management Studies offers you the opportunity to join the healthcare workforce as a competent professional, trained to improve and support the health of others. 

By gaining a degree in Health Care and Management Studies, you will meet the entry requirements for all major post-graduate healthcare qualifications, enabling students to achieve a desired qualification and career in their chosen profession in Ireland. 

A healthcare and management undergraduate degree prepares graduates to enter the healthcare workforce and obtain employment in roles supporting the health of others.  

The shortage of qualified nurses and doctors has augmented the position of healthcare assistants and as a result, there is significant demand for this type of role in the sector. 

A degree in health care and management also acts as a gateway degree if you wish to pursue applied and technical roles in general health services.  

It provides the requisite undergraduate requirements to support you to pursue a specialised healthcare-related profession at graduate level, including the following: 

• Nursing 
• Medicine 
• Physiotherapy 
• Occupational Therapy 
• Speech and Language Therapy 
• Nutrition and Dietetics 

For some students, the opportunity to access postgraduate study in the areas of medicine, nursing or one of the health therapies, is their objective. A degree like this offers you wide and varied opportunities for postgraduate study in many of the major universities. 

If you are searching for an alternative route to studying medicine in the ever-changing healthcare sector, consider studying a BSc (Hons) in Health Care and Management at Portobello Institute. Visit our Health Science department here.

If you would like guidance on which course is right for you, contact our expert admissions advisor Sarah Coyne at sarah.coyne@portobelloinstitute.com, call 01 892 0028 or book a one-to-one consultation call at a time that suits you here.