[IBarn]

Hey guys! I'm new here, sorry if this is a misplaced thread.

I'm 15 (soon to be 16) years old and live in Sweden. In August, I'll be attending a well known IB school here. I'm very anxious and nervous and would love to hear what I have to expect for the next three years (pre-ib, IB1 and IB2).

My dream is to graduate with a score of 42-43, so I later can move to England and study medicine at Cambridge.

Thanks x

[InvisibleFootprint]

Hi there,
I am from the UK, and would like to tell you it is a good place to study. Maybe you could have a look at Cambridge University entry requirements for Medicine:
IB: 40-42 points, with 776 or 777 at Higher Level
http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergrad...rses/medicine/

I think you should try your 100% best and work really hard, and keep a very good record. I think that you should talk to people, who are ex-students there.

Hope this helps

[IBarn]

Thanks for the reply! What year of IB are you in? Is it a lot to grasp at first?

I plan to take HL chem, bio and physics, and then SL maths, english and psychology. Is this even doable? Haha

[Kyle Butler]

Well if you want to have this subject combination you'd have to ask the IB for a permission to do an irregular diploma (with 3 sciences), and I wouldn't be too sure that they will let you do it without a second language.

[.Met.]

I suggest for medicine you just do chem and bio at hl, as you can't do three sciences. The rest sounds good. And 42-43 is a very ambitious aim, but I'm sure if you put in the effort, you will manage it. It will NOT be easy, no matter how clever you are, but then hard work is expected if you want to get high marks in IB (and get into Cambridge)

[Saelie]

(Original post by IBarn)
Hey guys! I'm new here, sorry if this is a misplaced thread.

I'm 15 (soon to be 16) years old and live in Sweden. In August, I'll be attending a well known IB school here. I'm very anxious and nervous and would love to hear what I have to expect for the next three years (pre-ib, IB1 and IB2).

My dream is to graduate with a score of 42-43, so I later can move to England and study medicine at Cambridge.

Thanks x

Which IB school? I'm from Sweden as well, message me if you like!

You're gonna have to take two languages; they changed the system this year so it's not A1 and A2 anymore like it was previously, not sure if that's good or bad for you though. I suggest you avoid the literature course in A1; I'd go with language all the way, although perhaps you enjoy analyzing literature - to each his own.

I don't know how good your English is, but either way you'll have one relatively ''easy'' subject in English B or Swedish B (unless you want to take French or Spanish or something else B, but why make your life harder than it has to be?), since you're probably above ''B'' level in both languages.

You can only take two sciences, unless you get special permission, but only two sciences are necessary for most courses - I'm not sure about Cambridge, but a friend of mine applied and is taking a physics course in the summer after he graduates; perhaps you could do that too.

I suggest chemistry and biology for medicine. And SL math - maybe you could get away with studies, I did, but I'm not sure what it's like for medicine. And then psychology as your 6th subject, if you wish I'd take psychology at SL and then take your B language at HL (along with your two sciences), since you'll probably get a 7 in it if you're at the average Swede's English/Swedish level

[saachi]

42 points is very very difficult but if you're determined and are already a hard working student I see no reason why you shouldn't aim for it!

IB's not like a sudden plunge into hard work. In fact, the first year of it is actually easier than A-levels, and then they slowly build up the pressure so that by the time you're in the second half of your second year, you start to really feel it! You'll be rushing around trying to meet IA deadlines, redrafting TOK and EE essays so much that it leaves little time for actual syllabus coverage/ revision. At least that's how it is in my school, which is very disorganized.

But yeah, we still have a couple of people every year who score 40+. Remember that Medicine is EXTREMELY competitive and Cambridge is, along with Oxford, the MOST competitive university in the UK so theoretically your chances are very slim but don't let this put you off because like you said it's your dream.

However do consider alternatives. I know two 45 predicted people who applied to Cambridge for Medicine, both are really smart and both got rejected post- interview. I'm not saying it's going to happen to you, just trying to show you that even the best of candidates get rejected from Oxbridge. Just have back- up plans like medicine at other universities, or maybe a similar course like Biomedical sciences or something.

Yeah, and like someone said, you could get away with studies. It'll really help lessen the workload

[IBarn]

At my school we're actually allowed to study three science subjects, instead of a subject from group three (history, psychology and something else)

Group 1 Language A: English A, Swedish A, Danish A, Self-taught A (SL)
Group 2 Language B: English B, Swedish B, French B, German B, Spanish B
Group 3 Individuals and Societies: Business and Management, Economics, History, Psychology
Group 4 Experimental Sciences: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Systems and Societies
Group 5 Mathematics: Mathematics HL, Mathematics SL, Mathematical Studies SL
Group 6 Electives: Film or Theatre or an additional subject from group 2, 3 or 4

One subject must be chosen from each of the groups shown above. For students wanting to study medicine or dentistry it is possible to study three sciences and leave out a group 3 subject.

Thanks for the replies, I feel a lot more secure now. English, Swedish, chem, physics, bio and math will probably be the combo I'll go for!
Also, don't worry! I have back-up plans if Cambridge doesn't go my way!

[Maks123456]

Hey!

I am also in Sweden, doing the IB. Are you in Stockholm? If so, are you going to YBC or IB-south.

Feel free to PM me.