Do alot of people get in without Biology at AS/A level?

One of my friend's is doing Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics for AS and is thinking about applying for medicine. i know it says on the uni websites that not all of them require Biology but i was just wondering what are the chances of getting in without it?
Are there any of you here that got an offer without Bio?

Reply 1

The Man111

nope

most unis require AS biology minimum but dont of any uni without bio

Reply 2

Suspect

I've got two offers without any biology past GCSE science double award.

Reply 3

Miss Monkey

I got 4 offers without A2 Biology (but I do have an AS). Your friend could consider studying AS Biology as an extra to increase the number of places they can apply to?

Reply 4

Suspect

Yeah I think without AS it pretty much halves the number of unis you can apply to.

Reply 5

yoyozone

errr i have a friend who got into glasgow, manchester and possibly aberdeen without biology

Reply 6

Suspect

yoyozone

errr i have a friend who got into glasgow, manchester and possibly aberdeen without biology

Which did they choose, out of interest?

Reply 7

yoyozone

Suspect

Which did they choose, out of interest?

glasgow

Reply 8

Esma

For most places I think you would need to have biology at AS.I know that this is the case for UCL,KCL,SGUL but not QMUL..(I was phoning around this morning,for the exact same reason)

Reply 9

Irrelevance

A friend of mine applied during when he was studying AS biology, he applied for and chose Cambrdige, but to be honest, his academic record is pretty intense. He got

7A*, 2A's, both being in the English subjects at GCSE

At AS he got all A's, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths and History

At A2, he got all A's, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, History and he did AS Bio which he got an A in too

Reply 10

nexttime

generally unis say that without biology you will struggle more than most in the first year. Oxford, to give an example, say it is unlikely that you will get in without it.

of course some people manage it, but i would imagine that it would put you at a disadvantage.

Reply 11

tom_tom_tom

Peninsula only state that you need one science and it dosent have to be chemistry or biology

but this science needs to be to a grade A at A2

Reply 12

Suspect

yoyozone

glasgow

Good choice, it seemed fantastic when I visited.
It nearly killed me having to choose between there and manchester :smile:

Reply 13

angelmxxx

nexttime

the oxford admissions tutor and website stress that A2, or even AS, biology is definitely not a requirement and nor will it give any advantage... they might ask you some bio questions in the interview but reading some medicine/biology-orientated books should be enough for this, apparently. Their admissions tutor certainly impressed upon me the fact that they really, really don't need you to have done biology at A-level!

Not that many people get in without it because only 5% people don't have A2 biology!, so obviously the vast majority of applicants will have at least AS biology, but if it's not in their admissions criteria they can't discard your application because you haven't studied the subject.

Reply 14

nexttime

angelmxxx

k, i misread the source slightly, but it does talk about biology up to AS

"Note that despite the fact that many people take it, Biology is NOT required at A2 level (or indeed at AS level). However, do be aware that not having A level Biology is associated with a greater risk of having difficulty at the early stages of the course (and other medical courses), and that it is rare for students without Biology at AS level to gain a place on the course."

http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/study/medicine/courses/preclin/applying/assessingchances

Reply 15

angelmxxx