Year 11 Determined Medic

Scroll to see replies

Chem, Bio and Maths - with good results - are ideal for getting into Medicine. The last choice is up to you and I'd say Psychology is a great choice. Universities like you to take another subject in a separate discipline to display your broadmindedness.. something like English Lit, History, French, Psychology, they're all fine. I'd advise keeping Chemistry, Biology and Maths at A2 though. Best of luck :smile:

Thank you very much!! Good luck to you also (:

Reply 21

Harlee24

I am exactly in the same place as you, Year 11 and determined medic, your A level options seems fine
and I can speak for Maths A levels anyway because I am doing an accelerated course, it's honestly not that difficult, psychology is seen as a "soft" subject, if you're good at maths, maybe try further maths?

Reply 22

FLAKS

Original post by GdotL

I'm a current medical student and your subject choices are completely fine, especially if you enjoy Psychology. Maths is not even that useful for medicine really.
The only thing I would say is that it does look quite good if one of your 4 choices is non-scientific as it shows a broader base and varied interests.

Thank you!! Oh and, do you think physics is useful to your medicine study?

Reply 23

laurawoods

Original post by Asklepios

I would seriously advise against doing psychology. Not only is it a 'soft' subject, but it will also be almost no use to you in a medical career. I would do physics. This is a much more respected subject and more useful for a medical career.

hello, just out of interest....why is psych considered a soft subject? :redface:

Reply 24

FLAKS

Original post by Harlee24

HAH, maths is not my strong point when it comes to sitting the exams, but give me any calculation, any trig or calculus question and I'll do it. My teacher calls me an A* student in class and a B student in exams :\ I don't think further maths is really for me :P What have you chosen for your a levels?

Reply 25

zed963

Original post by FLAKS

Right, so I know I'm probably very early... But, I do have a lot of questions about the medicine route. Currently in my final year of GCSEs and I have decided the A levels that I want to take. I want to become a doctor, from that then a surgeon. Is chemistry, biology, psychology and maths (pure and statistics) a good choice at A level? How difficult is the material covered in A levels to the one in GCSE? THANKS :biggrin:

I'm in the same position as you. I'm taking Physics, Maths, Chem, Bio and I have to take General studies.

And yeah the jump is big but it's manageable.

Will you be doing any extracurricular stuff such as EPQ or DofE?

Reply 26

Stay_CalM

Original post by Harlee24

Many medical schools don't consider further maths as a suitable A2 level (assuming you're only taking 3), along with general studies and critical thinking.

I did Psychology to AS and hold an offer at UEA for medicine, other uni reps I talked too while doing the rounds of medical schools said psychology was a perfectly acceptable AS.

Reply 27

FLAKS

Original post by Stay_CalM

Really? That's awesome! What subjects did you do?

Reply 28

Harlee24

Original post by FLAKS

Chem, Bio, Further Maths and Spanish
- oh why don't you take a language? they're regarded very highly in uni's
or what about eng lit or history all of these are really highly regarded subjects for applying to medicine because of the diffculty of them.

Also WORK EXPERIENCE that's something everyone keeps telling me, try and get lots for this summer, because you will have lots of free time.

Reply 29

FLAKS

Original post by zed963

Yeah, I'll be doing the EPQ, I was going to do the GCSE version (HPQ) higher project qualification, but I had too much work to do and not enough time to focus on other things. Everyone says the jump is big, is it like MIND BLOWNINGLY big?

Reply 30

Harlee24

Original post by Stay_CalM

Yeah, I realised that, but I'm pretty much going to have to take further maths, i'm already half way through AS maths, so the school is probably gonna force my class to take it, and along with that I'm doing, Chemistry, Biology, regular maths, and an AS in spanish.

Reply 31

Asklepios

Original post by laurawoods

hello, just out of interest....why is psych considered a soft subject? :redface:

http://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/index.php?pageid=604

Psychology is listed under A-levels of More Limited Suitability, and that too for Arts subjects not medicine.

Reply 32

nomdeplumeX2

Original post by FLAKS

It is a big jump, but if you do subjects you are good at and really enjoy then it is not unmanageably so :smile:

Good luck with your GCSEs this summer!

Reply 33

FLAKS

Original post by Harlee24

That's awesome! I already have a lot of work experience so it's not something I'm really worried about right now. I first chose history but then I changed it to Maths stat, but I don't know :\ Seven kings high school (some college) sent me an interview so I may just change my subjects again :smile:

Reply 34

zed963

Original post by FLAKS

Well I can definitely comment on maths, I've started core 1 and it's not that bad but it depends on how good you are at maths.

Physics looks interesting and complicated.

Biology is just going to be tricky

Chemistry is a nightmare if you don't keep on top of it.

Overall it's manageable if you're organised.

Reply 35

FLAKS

Original post by nomdeplumeX2

It is a big jump, but if you do subjects you are good at and really enjoy then it is not unmanageably so :smile:

Good luck with your GCSEs this summer!

Thank youuu :biggrin:

Reply 36

FLAKS

Original post by zed963

Alright, mental note to self ( try be organised). Thanks :biggrin:

And good luck with your future career :smile:

Reply 37

TaraBelle

Original post by laurawoods

hello, just out of interest....why is psych considered a soft subject? :redface:

Remember that's just for oxbridge :smile:

Not sure why though, it's just considered to be easier, though my friends who do it wouldn't say so :P

Reply 38

Hype en Ecosse

Original post by Asklepios

Original post by FLAKS

I get that it's a social science, I understand that, but physics is not really needed in a career in medicine, wouldn't you say so? Maths yes, but physics not so much. The reason why I thought psychology is that there is cognitive psychology in it aswell, I guess it will help you understand what the patient might be feeling..I dunno :s-smilie:

Psychology is perfectly fine to study, honestly. You've got Chemistry and Biology, what you do after that doesn't matter. And since you've got maths, too, you can apply to all 30 undergraduate medical schools in the UK. :wink:

(only Cambridge ask for 3 sciences or maths at AS).
You won't be disadvantaged in any way by choosing to study psychology over another subject. No one asks for 3 sciences+maths, nor do they state it as a preference. Do what you enjoy. :smile:

We have a great wiki on TSR that'll answer a lot of questions that you have, including a section for dispelling these kinds of myths!

There is absolutely NO need to study 5 A levels, and it will confer you no advantage when applying. No need to chuck yourself in the deep end like that if you don't want to.

Original post by Asklepios

Medical imaging is highly based on the physics of radiation (X-ray, CT etc.) and also magnetic fields (MRI). Radiation Oncology is another field in which physics is very important. Many fundamental physiological processes that you will learn about in medical school are based on physics such as blood flow and cardiac electrophysiology.

For which, knowing GCSE level physics equips you well enough to understand without any extra effort. Knowing that pressure is a force over an area, that currents are a flow of charge, and that like-charges repel each other is more than enough. Medical schools don't assume that you know any physics, so if there are any concepts really that fundamental, they'll be mentioned and it won't be hard to pick up.

Doing a social science/essay-based subject, on the other hand, equips you a bit better to do all that social science you'll be studying at medical school. :wink:

In addition, physics will teach you analytical techniques that are highly important for medicine. One could even argue that it would be more advantageous to study physics over biology as you are likely to learn all the required biology again and biology is conceptually ver easy so easy to pick up.

And the same isn't true for Physics (of which there will be much less, and at a much more basic level)?
You overestimate how important these skills are, and how difficult they are to learn.

Original post by GdotL

This, this, this!

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 39

mr96

I'm in the exact same position as you and have also chosen that same subjects for next year.
This, to do or not to do psychology was the hardest choice to make.
I've talked to so many people about it (including a guy who interviews medicine hopefuls for oxford) and honestly it seems like a great subject.
I put down economics first, but changed it to psychology.
Obviously I'm going to say do those subjects and I'm hoping I won't regret it! :smile: