Are my A-level choices suitable for medicine?

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You should probably stick maths into there aswell.
I have a friend currently on her first year of Medicine and she tells me how maths based it is and she's stuggling as she didn't take maths further than AS level.
English Literature, chem, bio, maths are strong options. Physics isn't really needed.

Reply 21

xXxSharkxXx

Take maths, don't listen to the nonsense coming out of the others.

Reply 22

ForestCat

Original post by tcameron

Really? I'm struggling to see how first year medicine is maths based. Perhaps some stats. We did some acid base calculations in our chem revision week but that's taught in chemistry not a level maths.

OP. Take whichever you will do well in and enjoy. As long as you have chemistry and maths the most important thing for your other subjects is that you get those As.

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Reply 23

xXxSharkxXx

Medicine is really competetive. Most candidates will have Chemistry, Biology, Maths and Physics. So although Chemistry and one other science is required, I can guarantee you that the people who get in will have at least 3 of those subjects. Maths/Chemistry/Biology/Literature will be fine.

Reply 24

*pitseleh*

Original post by tcameron

That *really* depends where you want to apply, though. Of course it's worth looking to see whether the universities you like the look of have a heavy maths focus, but what you're saying definitely isn't true of all universities. When I started my medical degree it was nearly ten years since I last studied Maths (I took it for AS) and I'd forgotten pretty much all of it.. and I still didn't have any trouble with the odd bit of first-year stats that cropped up on my course.

Not saying Maths isn't worth taking, but it's definitely not a necessity (and not worth taking at the expense of something you enjoy more and are more likely to get an A in) depending on which universities you're applying for. :smile:

I'd also argue that Physics is *a lot* more useful than Maths.

Reply 25

theresheglows

Original post by tcameron

I find it highly surprising that anyone who has done a science A-level would find the maths involved in first year medicine to be any more challenging. Our first year involved only basic maths, and not much of that.
I would say, having done A2 maths, that the content of C3 & C4 and most of the A2 level applied units are not relevant to the kind of maths involved in medicine.

Reply 26

ForestCat

There may be multiple reasons that many successful applicants have taken all the sciences (misinformed that they must take them, enjoying and excelling in the sciences etc) but does not mean that is a requirement. Apart from Cambridge and imperial it will matter more that you can get the A than it will to do all the sciences.

OP take what you will enjoy and stand the best chance of getting the A in.

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(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 27

theresheglows

Original post by ForestCat

Exactly this.

Reply 28

username1082104

Original post by Willburrr

tons of people do tha at my school and hardly anyone who does physics to A2 gets lower than an A. The Op has nothing to worry about, mechanics isn't a big deal

So you're telling me the A*-A rating of your school for Physics is nearly 100%?

Reply 29

lilymint21

You will definitely have to do biology and chemistry. I think Maths is preferred more than physics. Definitely English lit because it provides a good contrast (shows your analytical and writing skills) and is regarded as a tough A level. Psychology is not considered as a 'proper' a level at top universities.

Reply 30

Willburrr

Original post by ItsWhiteHat

So you're telling me the A*-A rating of your school for Physics is nearly 100%?

its a good school, maybe exaggerating a little, the vast majority get A/A*s in physics

Reply 31

ForestCat

Original post by SSpringer20

Take maths, don't listen to the nonsense coming out of the others.

What nonsense? The op hasn't even stated they are considering maths nor do they need maths for medicine.

You're not a medicine applicant so I don't know why you think you know better.

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Reply 32

nexttime

Original post by theresheglows

, or oxford where is is preferred).

Original post by MrJAKEE

If 62% of current med students took Maths, and Biology and Chemistry are practically necessities on all applicants, I think it is very safe to assume that the majority take 3 sciences including maths.

That is far from a safe assumption, and tells you nothing about the success rate of those candidates. Even if 99% of candidates had maths, doesn't mean the 1% aren't getting in.

I've heard of a few previous students at my school who go to Oxbridge that the interviewers care much for the mathematical aptitude of the student.

If you do maths then they will ask you maths questions at the interview. If you don't they won't, and the bottom line is that if Oxbridge (or any other school) wanted maths then they'd ask for it. In reality there is next to no maths on a medicine course, so they don't.

EDIT: I've checked some med schools out and Imperial asks for Biology, Chemistry + A maths based science also with Cambridge.

Biology and Chemistry with no other sciences would meet the entry requirements for Imperial. They only want 3 (at AS level, not A-level) if both bio and chem are not offered
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/courses/school-of-medicine/medicine/

Original post by SSpringer20

Wrong and wrong. Plenty of people get in with two sciences. Please refrain from making up stuff in the future.

Original post by SSpringer20

Take maths, don't listen to the nonsense coming out of the others.

Strong argument coming from this one. Tell me why not a single med school asks for or states any kind of preference for maths please.

Hint: There is no need to take maths.

Reply 33

jaymeeleee_x

As other have said, your fourth subject isn't as important as you drop a subject generally when going into A2

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Reply 34

lilymint21

Original post by nexttime

Oxford states no preference for 3 sciences, and their stats show no difference between those ho get interviewed with two sciences and those interviewed with more (there is a pre-interview difference this year (though not in previous years), most likely due to lower BMAT scores).

That is far from a safe assumption, and tells you nothing about the success rate of those candidates. Even if 99% of candidates had maths, doesn't mean the 1% aren't getting in.

If you do maths then they will ask you maths questions at the interview. If you don't they won't, and the bottom line is that if Oxbridge (or any other school) wanted maths then they'd ask for it. In reality there is next to no maths on a medicine course, so they don't.

Biology and Chemistry with no other sciences would meet the entry requirements for Imperial. They only want 3 (at AS level, not A-level) if both bio and chem are not offered
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/courses/school-of-medicine/medicine/

Wrong and wrong. Plenty of people get in with two sciences. Please refrain from making up stuff in the future.

Strong argument coming from this one. Tell me why not a single med school asks for or states any kind of preference for maths please.

Hint: There is no need to take maths.

I think it's important to distinguish between what is needed and what would give you a higher chance of being a successful applicant. Though you may get in without having maths, you definitely have a better shot with maths.

You can email Cambridge/Oxford and they will give you the success rate of applicants with Maths and applicants without Maths.

Reply 35

nexttime

Original post by lilymint21

Are you going to copy and paste your e-mail or what then? Obviously you could not make that assertion without having done it.

We're all waiting.

Reply 36

theresheglows

Original post by nexttime

True that they do not state any such preference, they are in fact very careful never to do so. My opinion that they prefer a 3rd science/maths comes from a conversation with one of their admissions tutors, and their admissions stats (http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/a100statistics) where they state '

10% of applicants were studying Chemistry plus just one more science or maths subject. This compares with 5% of short-listed applicants and 5% of those offered places.20% of applicants were studying Chemistry AND Biology AND Physics AND Mathematics (compared to 22% of short-listed applicants and 23% of applicants offered places).'
They never outright say what the figures are for those with 3 science/maths, however by inference doing more than 2 sciences gives a better chance of an offer. If you have other, more up to date, stats then I would be interested to see them.

The admissions tutor I spoke to (this was way back when I was applying myself) was very discouraging of the idea of applying with 2 sciences; that as oxford's official entrance requirements were not for 3 sciences she was not allowed to tell me that that was required or preferred, but she would say that she could not remember the last time her college gave an offer to someone with less than 3, and that she thought the majority of offers were given to those with 3 and that doing a 3rd would give me a better chance.

I only add this in for interest, it does not mean that you cannot get in with 2, and it is of course possible that if the majority of successful applicants have 3, it could just reflect that the majority of total applicants to oxford have 3.

Reply 37

nexttime

Original post by SSpringer20

As for you, you're probably some stuck up bummy yute who can't walked the streets without your bodyguards. I didn't say maths was a must. And I was speaking about top universities. So please do not get involved.

You made provably false claims and stated that not taking maths is 'nonsense'. Now you're backtracking, though holding on to some random conditions you never mentioned previously.

I repeat, please give me one example of a med school ("top" med school if you will) that states a preference for maths, or provide one scrap of evidence for your claims.

Everyone reading knows you will not be able to. That is all.

Reply 38

Walt_14

As long as you have Chemistry and Biology you should be sound. You're correct in saying that English Literature is viewed as more respectable than Psychology at some top universities but it's not as if either's blacklisted and lots of medical students did A-Level Psychology. It's up to you.

Reply 39

xXxSharkxXx

Original post by nexttime

Again, I did not say it was a must. OP was asking for advice and I was simply saying that do maths amd was agreeing with another post. There is an ample of evidence for you to see for yourself that Maths is the 3rd most common subject taken by students who have been accepted to do medicine at Imperial, Oxford or Cambridge. So please refrain from being selective and actually read the thread from the beginning you ignorant ****.