The Student Room Group

A-levels options?...

Hello,I would like to do Medicine at Cambridge/imperial college London later on...
I am currently at the start of Y11...I am concentrating on my GCSE's but we have to pick our A-level options very soon...(We are allowed to pick 4-6)...

Is the following suitable for medicine:

A levels:
1)Biology
2)physics
3)Chemistry
4)Mathematics
5)Further mathematics

Are these good?If i were to do 6,what would you recommend as the sixth one...

Also currently as the START OF Y11 this is what i have done in prep. for Medicine...

Extra- Curricular - Non medicine Related…
1)Piano-Grade 1,2,3,4 and doing 5
2)Drums-Grade 3
3)Music Theory-Grade 5
4)DofE-Bronze,doing silver
5)Table Tennis-County
Extra- Curricular’s-Medicine Related…
1)Blogging about Medicine
2)Medicine courses
3)Wider Medical Reading…
Work experience…
1)4 Months British Heart Foundation
2)Applying for hospital work experience…
3)Applying to care home for volunteering

Is this good?
What else can i do to improve my chances of being accepted...

In terms of grade,i am predicted t get 9A*'s and 3 A's in University...IS THIS DECENT?
Thanks....
Sorry you've not had any responses about this. :frown: Are you sure you've posted in the right place? :smile: Here's a link to our subject forum which should help get you more responses if you post there. :redface:


Just quoting in Danny Dorito so she can move the thread if needed :wizard:

Spoiler

Original post by VNN
Hello,I would like to do Medicine at Cambridge/imperial college London later on...
I am currently at the start of Y11...I am concentrating on my GCSE's but we have to pick our A-level options very soon...(We are allowed to pick 4-6)...

Is the following suitable for medicine:

A levels:
1)Biology
2)physics
3)Chemistry
4)Mathematics
5)Further mathematics

Are these good?If i were to do 6,what would you recommend as the sixth one...

Also currently as the START OF Y11 this is what i have done in prep. for Medicine...

Extra- Curricular - Non medicine Related…
1)Piano-Grade 1,2,3,4 and doing 5
2)Drums-Grade 3
3)Music Theory-Grade 5
4)DofE-Bronze,doing silver
5)Table Tennis-County
Extra- Curricular’s-Medicine Related…
1)Blogging about Medicine
2)Medicine courses
3)Wider Medical Reading…
Work experience…
1)4 Months British Heart Foundation
2)Applying for hospital work experience…
3)Applying to care home for volunteering

Is this good?
What else can i do to improve my chances of being accepted...

In terms of grade,i am predicted t get 9A*'s and 3 A's in University...IS THIS DECENT?
Thanks....


The answer is basically yes, your qualifications will be fine. However, taking six A-levels is probably too many, even five is a stretch. For medicine, chemistry is the most important. Your non-medicine extra-curriculars will be far less relevant (and utterly irrelevant to Cambridge, for example) than those related to the topic.
Original post by VNN
Hello,I would like to do Medicine at Cambridge/imperial college London later on...
I am currently at the start of Y11...I am concentrating on my GCSE's but we have to pick our A-level options very soon...(We are allowed to pick 4-6)...

Is the following suitable for medicine:

A levels:
1)Biology
2)physics
3)Chemistry
4)Mathematics
5)Further mathematics

Are these good?If i were to do 6,what would you recommend as the sixth one...

Also currently as the START OF Y11 this is what i have done in prep. for Medicine...

Extra- Curricular - Non medicine Related…
1)Piano-Grade 1,2,3,4 and doing 5
2)Drums-Grade 3
3)Music Theory-Grade 5
4)DofE-Bronze,doing silver
5)Table Tennis-County
Extra- Curricular’s-Medicine Related…
1)Blogging about Medicine
2)Medicine courses
3)Wider Medical Reading…
Work experience…
1)4 Months British Heart Foundation
2)Applying for hospital work experience…
3)Applying to care home for volunteering

Is this good?
What else can i do to improve my chances of being accepted...

In terms of grade,i am predicted t get 9A*'s and 3 A's in University...IS THIS DECENT?
Thanks....


Your GCSE's are fine as are your A-Level choices. I would recommend you only do 3 or 4 A-Levels for the best grades. There is no point taking 5 or 6 when you may end up with bad grades. Leave Further Mathematics as you won't need that and it's a very rigorous course in AS and A2. In terms if you have Biology and Chemistry A-Levels then that's fine for Medicine.
Reply 4
Chemistry and Biology is a must for medicine, Maths is highly desirable too so these 3 will be your must-pick A-Levels.
I recommend doing 4 A-Levels only as doing 5/6 subjects will barely give you an advantage, it is the grades that matter the most instead of the quantity. As a forth, either Physics or Further Maths will be a good option as they are science-related but I personally think Physics is easier. Further Maths is a very vigorous subject and requires a lot of time and effort for most people.
In overall, I will do 4 A-Levels if I were you: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology

In terms of extra-curricular activities, the non-medicine related ones do not count in your application so you just need to focus on the medicine-related ones.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by VNN
A levels: ... Are these good?If i were to do 6,what would you recommend as the sixth one...


Quality not quantity: AABBBC is much worse than A*A*A

3 is enough, although many medics do 4.

You should certainly do fewer than 5 and not consider doing more.
Original post by ageshallnot
The answer is basically yes, your qualifications will be fine. However, taking six A-levels is probably too many, even five is a stretch. For medicine, chemistry is the most important. Your non-medicine extra-curriculars will be far less relevant (and utterly irrelevant to Cambridge, for example) than those related to the topic.


Thanks.

So there is no point of mentioned non-medicine related extra curricular in my personal statement then?

Also do i have enough WE and medical Extra curricular for a person at the start of Y11?
What else would you recommend thanks.
Original post by ML8020
Chemistry and Biology is a must for medicine, Maths is highly desirable too so these 3 will be your must-pick A-Levels.
I recommend doing 4 A-Levels only as doing 5/6 subjects will barely give you an advantage, it is the grades that matter the most instead of the quantity. As a forth, either Physics or Further Maths will be a good option as they are science-related but I personally think Physics is easier. Further Maths is a very vigorous subject and requires a lot of time and effort for most people.
In overall, I will do 4 A-Levels if I were you: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology

In terms of extra-curricular activities, the non-medicine related ones do not count in your application so you just need to focus on the medicine-related ones.


Thanks.

So there is no point of mentioned non-medicine related extra curricular in my personal statement then?

Also do i have enough WE and medical Extra curricular for a person at the start of Y11?
What else would you recommend thanks.
Original post by SM6
Your GCSE's are fine as are your A-Level choices. I would recommend you only do 3 or 4 A-Levels for the best grades. There is no point taking 5 or 6 when you may end up with bad grades. Leave Further Mathematics as you won't need that and it's a very rigorous course in AS and A2. In terms if you have Biology and Chemistry A-Levels then that's fine for Medicine.


Thanks.

Is further maths really that difficult...I'm in top set maths at a grammar school in the UK and do maths and further maths at GCSE so i do 12 GCSE's....Will it still be too much for me at A-level?
Original post by jneill
Quality not quantity: AABBBC is much worse than A*A*A

3 is enough, although many medics do 4.

You should certainly do fewer than 5 and not consider doing more.


Hypothetically...

Assuming,i got 5 A*'s would i be a superior to a candidate who got 4 A*'s then or would the extra A-level(lets say further maths) not be valid too much?
Original post by ML8020
Chemistry and Biology is a must for medicine, Maths is highly desirable too so these 3 will be your must-pick A-Levels.
I recommend doing 4 A-Levels only as doing 5/6 subjects will barely give you an advantage, it is the grades that matter the most instead of the quantity. As a forth, either Physics or Further Maths will be a good option as they are science-related but I personally think Physics is easier. Further Maths is a very vigorous subject and requires a lot of time and effort for most people.
In overall, I will do 4 A-Levels if I were you: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology

In terms of extra-curricular activities, the non-medicine related ones do not count in your application so you just need to focus on the medicine-related ones.


Thanks.

Is further maths really that difficult...I'm in top set maths at a grammar school in the UK and do maths and further maths at GCSE so i do 12 GCSE's....Will it still be too much for me at A-level?
Original post by VNN
Thanks.

Is further maths really that difficult...I'm in top set maths at a grammar school in the UK and do maths and further maths at GCSE so i do 12 GCSE's....Will it still be too much for me at A-level?


I go to a top 10 private school in the UK and there are only 3 doing further maths and they just about manage it. It's fine as a fourth a level but honestly universities don't need more than three they really don't so you won't look any better doing more than 3. Ask yourself if you really want to do it as an A Level.
Original post by VNN
Hypothetically...

Assuming,i got 5 A*'s would i be a superior to a candidate who got 4 A*'s then or would the extra A-level(lets say further maths) not be valid too much?


Not just about grades, no matter how many you get:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8709084/A-level-results-straight-A-student-rejected-by-universities.html
Original post by VNN
Thanks.

Is further maths really that difficult...I'm in top set maths at a grammar school in the UK and do maths and further maths at GCSE so i do 12 GCSE's....Will it still be too much for me at A-level?


Well A-Levels are much harder than GCSE's you may be able to do very well at GCSE's and cope with them but you might not be able to keep that up with A-Levels. However, you can give it a try if you want and see how it goes.
Reply 14
Original post by VNN
Hypothetically...

Assuming,i got 5 A*'s would i be a superior to a candidate who got 4 A*'s then or would the extra A-level(lets say further maths) not be valid too much?


No. And Medics don't need FM.

Do 3, or maybe 4. Absolutely definitely, not more.


Posted from TSR Mobile


I remember seeing that article a while back, quite amusing actually. I think in that case it was more of whether a student showed genuine interest in a subject as opposed to just displaying some strange ambition. However she did well on her alternate degree, but why go from MEDICINE all the way to ANTHROPOLOGY?

Good grades help a LOT, but if you don't show even genuine interest for a subject you're simply not going to get in.
Original post by VNN
Thanks.

So there is no point of mentioned non-medicine related extra curricular in my personal statement then?

Also do i have enough WE and medical Extra curricular for a person at the start of Y11?
What else would you recommend thanks.


I think your overarching issue is that you are getting ahead of yourself. Not only are you in Year 11, you are still at the very start of it. Your academic record so far is excellent and you attend a high-achieving school, but it is too early to tell how far you can go. Your main focus should be on your GCSE's, plus the medicine-related work experience.

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