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Confusion between University acceptance for Maths

Hey guys,
So I am about to finish GCSE's and go off to do A-Levels (if i get the grades) and am confused about 'Mathematics' and 'Use of Mathematics'. I want to do Medicine university and was wondering if i do Chemistry, Biology and use of mathematics to choose in A-Levels, will it be likely for good uni's to accept me or do i need to choose Mathematics for studying medicine in Uni?
Thanks

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Original post by afghan-superman
Hey guys,
So I am about to finish GCSE's and go off to do A-Levels (if i get the grades) and am confused about 'Mathematics' and 'Use of Mathematics'. I want to do Medicine university and was wondering if i do Chemistry, Biology and use of mathematics to choose in A-Levels, will it be likely for good uni's to accept me or do i need to choose Mathematics for studying medicine in Uni?
Thanks


100% do mathematics, use of maths is useless and is regarded as a soft alevel.
Original post by madmadmax321
100% do mathematics, use of maths is useless and is regarded as a soft alevel.


But for my schoo. You need A* in GCSE maths to do it in A level which i won't get. But, for use of maths, you only need a B which i will most definitely scrape. My question is would uni's still take me in for use of maths for medicine.
Original post by afghan-superman
But for my schoo. You need A* in GCSE maths to do it in A level which i won't get. But, for use of maths, you only need a B which i will most definitely scrape. My question is would uni's still take me in for use of maths for medicine.


Most/all will consider your application, but there is far too many factors to say if it will make or break your application (though I dont imagine it will).
Original post by madmadmax321
Most/all will consider your application, but there is far too many factors to say if it will make or break your application (though I dont imagine it will).


Ohh, okay. Thanks for your help!
how can you expect to "scrape a B" at maths GCSE and want to medicine?
Original post by alkaline.
how can you expect to "scrape a B" at maths GCSE and want to medicine?


Because I'm getting A's in chemistry and biology. Maths isn't essential for medical school, Bio and Chem is.
Original post by afghan-superman
Because I'm getting A's in chemistry and biology. Maths isn't essential for medical school, Bio and Chem is.


Dont listen to the other poster, just make sure you research what each med school puts emphasis on and dont apply to ones that look heavily at GCSEs (there is an article on it somewhere on the student room)
Original post by afghan-superman
Because I'm getting A's in chemistry and biology. Maths isn't essential for medical school, Bio and Chem is.


oh okay that's fine
GCSE maths is very basic that's all.
Original post by madmadmax321
Dont listen to the other poster, just make sure you research what each med school puts emphasis on and dont apply to ones that look heavily at GCSEs (there is an article on it somewhere on the student room)


Alright thanks Max. I'll surely check it out!
Yes, definitely try and get into the A-level mathematics course. This will make your medicine application much more competitive! :smile:
Original post by computationchive
Yes, definitely try and get into the A-level mathematics course. This will make your medicine application much more competitive! :smile:


Alright but it might be too much for me for a-levels. Don't want the extra pressure on the other hand.
Original post by computationchive
Yes, definitely try and get into the A-level mathematics course. This will make your medicine application much more competitive! :smile:


It wont make it thaat much more competitive, theres too many other important areas of a medicine application for it to make or break the application
Reply 13
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davros
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Original post by afghan-superman
But for my schoo. You need A* in GCSE maths to do it in A level which i won't get. But, for use of maths, you only need a B which i will most definitely scrape. My question is would uni's still take me in for use of maths for medicine.


Are you absolutely sure that Use of Mathematics is a FULL A level? I'm pretty sure that one of the teachers who used to post on here said it was only worth an AS level, so it's not going to count towards the 3 A levels you need for a medical degree.

You certainly don't NEED A level maths for Medicine if you have Chemistry and Biology, but you DO NEED 3 FULL A levels :smile:
Original post by alkaline.
oh okay that's fine
GCSE maths is very basic that's all.


Do you do a level maths?
Original post by afghan-superman
But for my schoo. You need A* in GCSE maths to do it in A level which i won't get. But, for use of maths, you only need a B which i will most definitely scrape. My question is would uni's still take me in for use of maths for medicine.

Wow, our school you need a B to do maths a level or an A for further maths. You don't need maths but it will look better if you got a top grade in GCSE Maths. Look at universities requirements on what other a level subjects that they would prefer.
Original post by Shiraaz
Do you do a level maths?


Yes, why?
Original post by alkaline.
Yes, why?


How do you find it? What did you get in GCSE Maths if you don't mind me asking?
Original post by computationchive
Yes, definitely try and get into the A-level mathematics course. This will make your medicine application much more competitive! :smile:

No, it won't.
Original post by afghan-superman
But for my schoo. You need A* in GCSE maths to do it in A level which i won't get. But, for use of maths, you only need a B which i will most definitely scrape. My question is would uni's still take me in for use of maths for medicine.


Do you actually want to study maths (in any form) at a-level? Maths isn't needed for medicine (unless you want to apply to Cambridge), nor are you disadvantaged if you don't have maths. What you will need is an A, so pick a subject you enjoy and will get an A in.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by afghan-superman
Because I'm getting A's in chemistry and biology. Maths isn't essential for medical school, Bio and Chem is.


As in science GCSEs and B in Maths will hold your application back unless you have a really good reason for it (ie mitigating circumstances). All through school we were told "don't apply if you don't have 6 or more A*s at GCSE," and indeed I've never met anybody who got less than 7 who has successfully got in for medicine. These places give offers to an extremely low percentage of their applicants (http://university.which.co.uk/search/course?c[q]=medicine), and the easiest way for them to determine who they're going to interview is with the GCSE/AS tick box.

Absolutely some people get in with less, but if you rock up with As and Bs at science/maths GCSE then there will be big question marks. You can't offset this with work experience, because all realistic candidates offer this. If you get something like 800 on your UKCAT this might offset it, but still, to not get A* grades in these subjects, which compared to what you need to do in a medical degree is trivial, shows either that you're extremely unlucky, that you didn't prepare well enough, or that you're not clever enough. They don't normally take the chance that you were just extremely unlucky. They might if you offered a portfolio of A*s with an obviously anomalous slip-up, but not if your baseline is lower.

I don't want to sound harsh or anything, but I've seen really quite a few people with majority A*s at GCSE, great work experience and extra-curriculars, strong UKCAT, all As at AS etc. fail to receive any offers for medicine. But you don't have to do medicine to succeed in life.

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