A side-by-side look at the six medical schools you can apply to through the CAO — plus English-taught alternatives across Europe. Covering entry points, course structure, teaching hospitals, tuition costs, and what makes each programme distinctive.
For undergraduate medicine, your CAO ranking is based on a combined score of your moderated Leaving Certificate points plus your HPAT score. Leaving Certificate points above 550 are currently moderated downward (e.g. 625 LC points becomes ~565 moderated). This combined score — not raw LC points alone — determines whether you receive an offer.
From 2027 onwards: LC scores above 550 will no longer be moderated (full points applied), and HPAT weighting drops from 300 max to 150 max. This change does not affect 2026 applicants.
| School / Country | Location | Duration | Entry Route | Tuition / yr (EU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRELAND — CAO + HPAT ENTRY | ||||
| TCD — Trinity College Dublin TR051 |
Dublin | 5 yrs | CAO + HPAT 739 combined (2025) |
€2,500 |
| UCD — University College Dublin DN400 |
Dublin | 5 or 6 yrs | CAO + HPAT 738 combined (2025) |
€2,500 |
| RCSI — Royal College of Surgeons RC001 |
Dublin | 5 or 6 yrs | CAO + HPAT 733* combined (2025) |
€2,500 |
| UCC — University College Cork CK701 |
Cork | 5 yrs | CAO + HPAT 729* combined (2025) |
€2,500 |
| University of Galway GY501 |
Galway | 5 or 6 yrs | CAO + HPAT 728* combined (2025) |
€2,500 |
| UL — University of Limerick LM101 |
Limerick | 6 yrs | CAO + HPAT 724* combined (2025) |
€2,500 |
| EUROPEAN ALTERNATIVES — ENGLISH-TAUGHT PROGRAMMES | ||||
| 🇮🇹 Italy Sapienza, Milan, Pavia, Bologna, Padua, Turin, Naples |
13 cities | 6 yrs | IMAT exam (September) | €200 – €4,000 |
| 🇵🇱 Poland Jagiellonian (Kraków), Warsaw, Poznań, Gdańsk, Wrocław |
12+ cities | 6 yrs | University exam (Bio + Chem) | €10,000 – €16,000 |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary Semmelweis (Budapest), Szeged, Pécs, Debrecen |
4 cities | 6 yrs | University exam + interview | €14,000 – €18,000 |
| 🇨🇿 Czech Republic Charles (Prague), Masaryk (Brno), Palacký (Olomouc) |
3 cities | 6 yrs | University entrance exam | €10,000 – €15,000 |
| 🇷🇴 Romania Cluj-Napoca, Carol Davila (Bucharest), Iași, Timișoara |
4 cities | 6 yrs | Grades-based / university exam | €5,000 – €8,000 |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Pleven |
4 cities | 6 yrs | University exam (Bio + Chem) | €7,000 – €9,000 |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania LUHS (Kaunas), Vilnius University |
2 cities | 6 yrs | School grades + Biology entrance | €11,000 – €13,000 |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia Riga Stradiņš University, University of Latvia |
Riga | 6 yrs | School grades + interview | €12,000 – €15,000 |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia Comenius (Bratislava), Šafárik (Košice) |
2 cities | 6 yrs | University entrance exam | €9,500 – €12,500 |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia University of Zagreb, University of Split |
2 cities | 6 yrs | Entrance exam / grades-based | €9,000 – €12,000 |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus University of Nicosia, European University Cyprus |
Nicosia | 6 yrs | Holistic / interview-based | €18,000 – €22,000 |
* Not all applicants on this score were offered a place (random selection applied). Irish combined score = Moderated LC points + HPAT score. Irish tuition reflects the student contribution under the Free Fees Initiative. European tuition fees are approximate and vary by institution and student nationality. All European programmes are English-taught. Living costs are additional in all cases.
If the Irish route doesn't work out — or if you simply want more options — over 100 medical schools across Europe offer English-taught programmes. Thanks to EU Directive 2005/36/EC, medical degrees from EU universities are automatically recognised by the Irish Medical Council, meaning you can return home to practise without additional exams.
Yes. Under EU law, medical qualifications obtained in any EU/EEA member state are automatically recognised by the Irish Medical Council. Irish citizens who graduate from an EU medical school can register with the Medical Council and practise in Ireland without sitting any additional licensing examinations. The university must be listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS). This applies equally to programmes taught in English.
Italy stands out as the most affordable option in Western Europe. Thirteen public universities offer English-taught medicine programmes with income-based fees — many EU students pay under €2,000 per year. Entry is through the IMAT (International Medical Admissions Test), a single exam held annually in September covering biology, chemistry, physics, maths and logical reasoning.
Popular cities include Milan, Rome, Pavia, Bologna and Padua. Italian language is helpful for clinical placements but not required for the academic programme.
Poland has the highest concentration of English-taught medical programmes in Central Europe, with well-established international student communities. Entry is typically through each university's own exam in biology and chemistry, sometimes with an interview. Living costs are considerably lower than Ireland, with many students spending €500–€800 per month.
Kraków, Warsaw, Poznań and Gdańsk are the most popular choices. Jagiellonian University in Kraków is one of Europe's oldest (founded 1364) and highly ranked.
Charles University in Prague has run English-taught medical programmes since the 1990s and is ranked among the world's top 250 medical schools. With three medical faculties in Prague plus programmes in Brno and Olomouc, the Czech Republic offers strong academic reputations. Entrance exams are competitive but well-structured.
Prague is a vibrant, affordable European capital. Many Irish and UK students have graduated from Charles University and returned to practise at home.
Hungary's four medical universities all offer English-taught programmes and have decades of experience educating international students. Semmelweis University in Budapest is particularly well-regarded, consistently ranking among Europe's top medical schools. Entry involves a university-specific exam in biology, chemistry and often an interview.
Budapest offers a fantastic student lifestyle with affordable living. Hungarian degrees are fully recognised across the EU and widely accepted internationally.
With tuition from €5,000–€8,000 per year and very low living costs, Romania offers some of the most affordable medical education in the EU. Cluj-Napoca and Iași are popular student cities with growing English-taught programmes. Carol Davila University in Bucharest is the most established.
Similarly affordable, Bulgaria's medical universities in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna charge €7,000–€9,000 per year with monthly living costs as low as €400–€600. Entry is via university entrance exams in biology and chemistry. Degrees are fully EU-recognised.
Most European programmes use their own entrance exams focused on biology and chemistry, or the IMAT for Italy. No CAO application is needed.
Under EU Directive 2005/36/EC, your degree is automatically recognised in Ireland and all EU/EEA countries. No additional licensing exam required.
The SUSI grant is available for approved courses in other EU countries, but eligibility criteria differ. Check susi.ie carefully before committing — not all programmes qualify.
While lectures are in English, you will interact with patients in the local language during clinical rotations. Most programmes include language training, but plan for extra study.
After graduating abroad, you can apply through the HSE's national intern matching process to complete your internship year in Ireland. Places are competitive but available to EU graduates.
Monthly living costs in Central/Eastern Europe typically range from €400–€800, significantly less than Dublin's €1,200+. Even Italian cities outside Milan and Rome are affordable.
Irish students studying medicine in Ireland through the Free Fees Initiative pay only the student contribution (€2,500/year). Living costs are additional in all cases. Bar widths represent relative tuition ranges, not total cost of attendance.
Think about whether you want to stay in Dublin or experience life in Cork, Galway, or Limerick. Accommodation costs vary significantly — Dublin is the most expensive, Limerick the most affordable. Consider how far from home you're comfortable being.
A 5-year course gets you qualified sooner. A 6-year course with a pre-med/foundation year is ideal if you didn't take many sciences for the Leaving Cert, and gives you a gentler first year to adjust to university life.
RCSI's EU intake (~54) creates a tight-knit cohort, while Galway's (~120) is the largest. Smaller classes mean more individual attention; larger classes offer a wider social circle. RCSI's health-sciences-only focus creates a very different vibe from a traditional university.
Your clinical placement hospitals will shape your daily life in senior years. Dublin schools use large tertiary hospitals; regional schools offer wider variety including rural GP placements. Consider whether you want a city-centre hospital experience or broader community exposure.
Didn't get the combined HPAT + points score you needed? Medicine has more entry routes than almost any other course in Ireland. Some lead directly back to an MD, others open up rewarding healthcare careers in their own right.
This is the primary "second chance" route into medicine. Complete any honours degree first, then sit the GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test) and apply via the CAO. All four GEM schools offer a 4-year accelerated programme — you'll graduate with the same MB BCh BAO qualification as the 5/6-year undergrad students. Your degree can be in any discipline — arts, science, business, engineering — it doesn't matter. Selection is based on GAMSAT score only (no HPAT, no interview for EU applicants).
The GAMSAT tests reasoning in humanities and social sciences, written communication, and reasoning in biological and physical sciences. It's held in March and September each year, and results are valid for two years. The minimum GAMSAT cut-off in 2025 was 53 (UL) to 58 (RCSI/UCD).
If you narrowly missed the combined score (say 710–725 range), repeating one or two LC subjects and/or resitting the HPAT can close the gap. Many grind schools offer focused repeat programmes. The HPAT must be resit each year — scores don't carry over — but some students improve significantly on their second attempt with targeted preparation.
From September 2027 entry onward, Leaving Certificate points above 550 will no longer be moderated for undergraduate medicine. This refocuses entry on full LC achievement rather than the compressed 550–625 band used since 2009. If you're applying for 2026, the current system still applies.
The combined score for medicine in 2025 ranged from 724 (UL) to 739 (TCD). Even a 10–15 point improvement in LC plus a better HPAT can make the difference.
As covered in the European section above, there are 100+ English-taught MD programmes across 11 countries with no HPAT required. EU Directive 2005/36/EC guarantees automatic recognition of your medical degree throughout the EU, meaning you can return to Ireland and register with the Medical Council without additional exams (subject to completing an intern year).
Popular choices include Poland (Poznań, Warsaw, Łódź), Czech Republic (Charles University), Hungary (Semmelweis), Romania, Bulgaria, and Italy. You can apply to European programmes and CAO simultaneously — there's no restriction.
A science or biomedical degree is both a rewarding career path and a launchpad for GEM. Complete a 3–4 year Level 8 degree with a 2.1, then apply via GAMSAT. Many GEM students come through this route. These degrees also lead to careers in research, pharma, diagnostics, and public health.
Any discipline qualifies for GEM, but biomedical sciences give you a head start on GAMSAT Section 3 (biological and physical sciences). Total time: 3–4 year degree + 4 year GEM = 7–8 years, compared to 5–6 years direct entry.
If you're drawn to healthcare but medicine specifically isn't the only option, several high-demand careers offer excellent job security, shorter training, and strong salaries — and some also qualify you for GEM later if you change your mind.
Pharmacy, physiotherapy, and dentistry are often listed alongside medicine on the same CAO form. All Level 8 healthcare degrees qualify you for GEM entry later. UL also offers a 2-year graduate physiotherapy MSc via GAMSAT.
If you're 23 or older by January 1st of the entry year and don't hold an honours degree, you may be eligible for mature entry to undergraduate medicine. You'll still need to sit the HPAT, but your Leaving Cert points are assessed differently. Each university has its own mature student quota and interview process.
If you do hold an honours degree, the GEM route (above) is your primary pathway — and it's open to applicants of any age. RCSI also offers a specific mature entry pathway to their 5-year undergraduate programme via direct application.
Several universities offer access or foundation year programmes for students from disadvantaged backgrounds (HEAR scheme) or students with disabilities (DARE scheme). These can provide an entry point to medical school at reduced points. RCSI's 6-year programme (RC001 via the pre-medical year) is also an option for students who didn't take all the required science subjects.
QQI/FET Level 5 qualifications can also provide access to certain health science programmes, which in turn can lead to GEM. Check each university's access office for specific pathways and quotas available in your situation.
On your CAO form, you can list multiple medicine courses in your order of preference. The combined points threshold differs by just ~15 points between the highest (TCD, 739) and lowest (UL, 724) in 2025. Listing several schools in your preferred order maximises your chances of receiving an offer. Your HPAT score applies to all of them automatically.