[presidentofwhat?]

(Original post by ispyder)
yeah, I'm no expert being in sixth form, I was asking for myself as much as the OP... I would've imagined they'd prefer a traditional subject over a newer a level.

maybe places like oxford or cambridge would prefer a more traditional science a-level but if you just check the requirements for each individual uni then it should be fine..

[crazyhelicopter]

(Original post by ispyder)
yeah, I'm no expert being in sixth form, I was asking for myself as much as the OP... I would've imagined they'd prefer a traditional subject over a newer a level.

As a general rule (ignoring a few Oxbridge colleges) the A levels (apart from Bio and Chem) don't matter.

Some places even go as far as saying they prefer an arts subject

[clairedelune]

i did bio, chem and english for A level and got a place but i suspect it is because i studied maths AS then dropped it, whereas a friend of mine did bio chem and ict for A level and dropped food tech and didnt get a single interview. so i am glad i put myself through a year of torturous maths cos it was worth it in the end.

[greenapples8]

Unis like UCL and King's (I think) actively prefer candidates with an arts subject.

[infernalcradle]

not only do some unis prefer an arts subject as it shows that you are a more rounded person, but for your cousin especially, it is terrible to do all of the same sort of subjects every day, its nice to do..bio/chem and then econimics/sociology as opposed to sciences/maths all day everyday. can he do psychology instead, it is similar difficulty and is better looked upon than sociology

[becca2389]

(Original post by MTKfrench)
Medicine is REALLY competitive, and unis like it if you have 3 science/maths subjects. And they tend to look down on "softer" subjects such as sociology. So I would recommend for your cousin to change sociology to maths or physics.

Rubbish.

1) Only Two med schools look for more than two science/maths subjects.

2) Sociology is a compulsory part of all medical courses. It's a highly relevant A level.

[MTKfrench]

(Original post by becca2389)
Rubbish.

1) Only Two med schools look for more than two science/maths subjects.

2) Sociology is a compulsory part of all medical courses. It's a highly relevant A level.

I didn't say they require 3 science/maths subjects, I said they like it. And sociology may be a part of medical courses, but its still seen as a 'soft' subject, and having traditional subjects such as maths or physics would be beneficial when applying for one (if not the) most competitive courses.

[Sarky]

People talk so much **** regarding medical admissions. What you know from your research is correct. Sociology is fine. More than fine. It's interesting and relevant and can give you an edge when discussing things in interviews if you make it relevant.

[Rainbow-Dream]

I got 8 A*s (maths, physics, chem, bio, french, textiles, eng + eng lit) and 2 As (music + art) at gcse. I know A Levels are harder, but considering I started 6 gcses at the beginning of year 11 and got 5 A*s (triple science, eng + eng lit) and an A in art, would taking physics alongside bio, chem, maths and french be much harder? I'm hoping to apply for medicine if all goes to plan.

Sorry if I sound naive - and if that was explained badly...

[Small123]

(Original post by Rainbow-Dream)
I got 8 A*s (maths, physics, chem, bio, french, textiles, eng + eng lit) and 2 As (music + art) at gcse. I know A Levels are harder, but considering I started 6 gcses at the beginning of year 11 and got 5 A*s (triple science, eng + eng lit) and an A in art, would taking physics alongside bio, chem, maths and french be much harder? I'm hoping to apply for medicine if all goes to plan.

Sorry if I sound naive - and if that was explained badly...

I believe physics ties in really nicely with maths. the mechanics part of maths helps your physics knowledge and vice versa which can be quite useful. I'm not really an expert, but if you think you can handle the workload, enjoy the subjects then im sure you'll excel at 5 a levels

[RedFeltTipPen]

(Original post by emanuel_arsenalfc)
dont you need some sort of physics or maths

Nope, you really don't. I got 4 offers without either. By all means do them if you want, but a subject outside of the traditional science/maths group can make you seem more well-rounded.

I'll repeat that: Physics and/or maths are NOT needed

[i.am.lost]

Do it. I'm doing 6 (bio, chem, electro, ICT - did the A2 this year, maths, and further maths). It was managable but due to basically not working throughout the year I got myself in a situation where I had a week to revise both bio and chem (and I knew next to nothing at this point) so I had to prioritise and learnt bio but ran outta time and had one day to revise chem so consequently aced bio and flunked chem.

Basically, do it. But work harder than I did.

[OrmondDrone]

It's unnecessary for medicine but entirely a matter for you. Just make sure you give enough time over to getting some good quality and relevant work experience.

[kaka-ayyyyy]

(Original post by Rainbow-Dream)
I got 8 A*s (maths, physics, chem, bio, french, textiles, eng + eng lit) and 2 As (music + art) at gcse. I know A Levels are harder, but considering I started 6 gcses at the beginning of year 11 and got 5 A*s (triple science, eng + eng lit) and an A in art, would taking physics alongside bio, chem, maths and french be much harder? I'm hoping to apply for medicine if all goes to plan.

Sorry if I sound naive - and if that was explained badly...

i wouldnt take physics, just as a 5th A level, considering the other subjects you're doing its a big workload, its probably one of the most challenging alevels,
and to get an a which im sure you're hoping to do, you need to know you're stuff especially in the a2 units,
mechanics is really only a small part of physics, and you could get 90+ums in the first unit of physics which is usually mechanics centred, without studying maths mechanics.
the overlap between physics and alevel maths isnt all that great, and it doesnt guarantee marks in the other units, thats one thing for sure.. so think carefully before icking 5 heavy duty subjects like that

[brokenangel]

(Original post by MTKfrench)
Medicine is REALLY competitive, and unis like it if you have 3 science/maths subjects. And they tend to look down on "softer" subjects such as sociology. So I would recommend for your cousin to change sociology to maths or physics.

Your talking **** some uni actually say they prefer a humanity over 3 sciences and excluding a few Oxford colleges all say chemistry and or biology depending on the uni. With a 3rd subject at A2 with no stipulation on what this subject may be.

Jesus the **** in this thread is unreal it may be wise if you havent been through the application process yourself you dont give people advice.

OP your cousins Alevel choices should be fine, tho if he is unsure about the sociology then possibly consider swapping to a more tradtional humanty. But if he wants to do Sociology I dont see why he shouldnt. Also if he has any specific unis in mind check what they are after.

[xSkyFire]

I have the crappest grades for a Medicine applicant around here, no A*'s btw but for A levels have Chemistry, Biology, Maths, English and Physics. Predicted AAAAa so it goes to show it's possible even if you're not super smart. My crap GCSEs were mainly due to no one telling me GCSEs were actually important for Medicine. All I got told was get 5 A-C's which I did with minimal effort lol..

[jeremybag]

(Original post by xSkyFire)
I have the crappest grades for a Medicine applicant around here, no A*'s btw but for A levels have Chemistry, Biology, Maths, English and Physics. Predicted AAAAa so it goes to show it's possible even if you're not super smart. My crap GCSEs were mainly due to no one telling me GCSEs were actually important for Medicine. All I got told was get 5 A-C's which I did with minimal effort lol..

guessing you went from not so great GCSEs to 4A's at AS to be predicted that.

[Josh-H]

Personally, I wouldn't bother. You already have 4 strong subjects for medicine, concentrate on getting 4 A's in those and you'll be fine

[Medicine Man]

(Original post by Rainbow-Dream)
I got 8 A*s (maths, physics, chem, bio, french, textiles, eng + eng lit) and 2 As (music + art) at gcse. I know A Levels are harder, but considering I started 6 gcses at the beginning of year 11 and got 5 A*s (triple science, eng + eng lit) and an A in art, would taking physics alongside bio, chem, maths and french be much harder? I'm hoping to apply for medicine if all goes to plan.

Sorry if I sound naive - and if that was explained badly...

Don't bother with the 5th if you're applying for medicine - it really wouldn't give you much of an advantage. What would is a great UKCAT and/or BMAT score, a decent personal statement and a good interview technique.

I did 5 AS' in bio, chem, maths, physics and critical thinking (carried on the first four to A2) and found the workload ok, but thats a different case to yours because my 5th subject was critical thinking which isn't a traditional subject. It was a bit tough around June with the many exams which were very very cramped together (unlike they are at GCSE where you have a few days in between exams) but other than that, it was ok as there was no coursework in the A2 year for any of my subjects - ended up with AAAAa and will be starting med school in a few weeks time. You on the other hand are doing 5 traditional subjects so I'd only advice you to do them if you're certain it won't compromise the more important subjects for med (i.e chem and bio).

You need the AAB/AAA predictions for med school in the end anyway (ideally As in bio and chem but most med schools don't specify this) so focus on getting those predictions in the three main subjects (which would ideally include bio, chem and a third subject) and anything (a fourth A2/AS or a fifth A2/AS) on top of that would just be the icing on the cake.

Congrats btw for those GCSEs especially the ones you did in a year.

[mfc20]

The only reason for doing 5 should be that you have unconditional love for the 5th subject, here Physics. If you don't LOVE the subject, don't do it as a fifth as I am confident your other subjects would suffer as a result of the strain put on you by doing five.