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AS/A2 levels for medicine?

Hi,
I'm choosing my AS & A Levels at the moment, and I know I want to do medicine at Uni (with a backup of probably Psychology or Maths at uni) and my Mam's trying to convince me out of taking music at AS.
This was my plan. Take Biology, Chemistry and Maths (definitely) at AS and then carry them on to A2. Then take Music during AS and drop it afterwards. And also probably do AS Further Maths (I'm good at maths, and the college does it so I might as well). But my Mam reckons that doing Music at AS would be a waste of time (blah, blah) even though I really love Music just as much as I love maths! I think it's better that I show that I have some variety, and it's not like it's a BTEC or anything, is it? I think my other option here would be Psychology, if it's not advisable to take Music. We have a taster week at the sixth form in a few weeks, so that will hopefully help me make up my mind, but I want to think a bit more before hand.
I've never taken Psychology before either so I'm not sure what to expect, even tough it sounds really interesting. But I'm a good student, my GCSEs so far are pretty much A and A* grades, and my maths is a definite A*. So it's not like I'm not going to work.
So yeah, some advice/guidance would be appreciated-thanks!

Reply 1

AverageExcellence

Dance, Media, film studies and Art will really hit the spot

Reply 2

smd4std

if you're seriously asking this question don't even bother applying to med school because you sound like an idiot. how is music going to help?

Reply 3

rachelastar

Original post by smd4std

if you're seriously asking this question don't even bother applying to med school because you sound like an idiot. how is music going to help?

Thanks for your response, muchly appreciated. Maybe music isn't going to help, but also, how would maths help in medicine? Yet it's a *required* subject. Surely music would look impressive, I've been doing it since i was around 7, so I've been doing it more than half my life, surely that shows the Uni how committed I am? Sorry but if you're going to post a response that's not going to be useful then just don't post!

Reply 4

myyrh

Original post by rachelastar

Maths is not a required subject for medicine. If you want to do music, do it :smile:

Reply 5

rachelastar

Original post by myyrh

Maths is not a required subject for medicine. If you want to do music, do it :smile:

Thanks

I've seen it on a couple of the Uni pages on UCAS that it says Chemistry's a must and then either Maths or Physics or Biology, that's where I got the maths impression from. I guess I'm just trying to think practically!

Reply 6

PrismaticCore

I did 6 AS Levels and, other than Math/Chem/Bio, I did French and Computing.

They don't care what you do, they just want an A2 in Chemistry and maybe another science (some don't even care if you don't do another science).

If you want to do Music, you could even take it up to A2.
I know an applicant who didn't do maths, but in fact did Latin.

Reply 7

rachelastar

Original post by PrismaticCore

They don't care what you do, they just want an A2 in Chemistry and maybe another science (some don't even care if you don't do another science).
If you want to do Music, you could even take it up to A2.
I know an applicant who didn't do maths, but in fact did Latin.

Cool, thanks! I don't think I could do it at A2 along with everything else. I've always wanted to study Latin though, I might have to find some stuff on the internet. I do definitely want to do maths though, thank you!

Reply 8

username937760

Your plan is fine. If you were wanting the best subjects for Medicine it is probably this:

1 - Chemistry (This is mandatory as far as I am aware)
2 - Maths/Biology
3 - Physics/Further Maths (As myrrh pointed out, many medical schools will not like Further Maths as one of your three A2 subjects but having it as your fourth AS is fine)

Taking Chemistry/Maths/Biology is absolutely fine and if you have these then you have a lot of leeway for the final subject. Your applications for Medicine and offers will hinge on three A2 subjects. If you have Chemistry/Maths/Biology then you have the appropriate subject choice for any medical school regardless of what your 4th AS is. Your Music will not form part of your offer but this will be true regardless of what your 4th AS is (Excepting in cases where you are expected to have a certain grade in a 4th AS but I have never seen a subject specified in this).

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 9

myyrh

Original post by DJMayes

Your plan is fine. If you were wanting the best subjects for Medicine it is probably this:

1 - Chemistry (This is mandatory as far as I am aware)
2 - Maths/Biology
3 - Physics/Further Maths

Taking Chemistry/Maths/Biology is absolutely fine and if you have these then you have a lot of leeway for the final subject. Your applications for Medicine and offers will hinge on three A2 subjects. If you have Chemistry/Maths/Biology then you have the appropriate subject choice for any medical school regardless of what your 4th AS is. Your Music will not form part of your offer but this will be true regardless of what your 4th AS is (Excepting in cases where you are expected to have a certain grade in a 4th AS but I have never seen a subject specified in this).

Most medical schools would not count Further Maths and Maths as separate subjects. To them you would have effectively taken 2 A levels.

Reply 10

Monkeysuit.

I have a friend who took BIO, CHEM + psychology at A2 and AS english lit, she got bbab at AS and is going to Edinburgh for medicine.

Another friend of mine did maths, bio, chem and art at AS and all four at A2, she got aaba at AS and has offers for medicine from UCL, sheffield and Nottingham so tbh as much as people on this forum like to make a massive drama out of everything.

Do music if you want, it will be ok to have as your extra AS alongside maths, bio and chem.

good luck

Reply 11

username937760

Original post by myyrh

Most medical schools would not count Further Maths and Maths as separate subjects. To them you would have effectively taken 2 A levels.

It depends on the medical school from what I have heard; what you have said is true for a lot although there are some (Cambridge are apparently one, according to an admissions tutor who came to our school) who do count it as valid. What you're saying is true and Further Maths shouldn't be put as one of the three A Levels instead of Chemistry/Maths/Biology (And Physics to a lesser extent) but if it is taken on top as an AS (As the OP had suggested) then it would not damage her application.