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I don't know what career to take with my a-levels

I'm currently taking Biology, Chemistry, Maths with Stats and Psychology at college and i'm probably going to drop Maths next year. :smile:

I really want to go down the Pharmacy route but i don't think i'd be able to get the grades... other options i'm considering right now are Audiology and Nutrition/Dietician maybe even Forensic Science? :confused:

I really want to go down the science pathway, but considering next year i can only send 5 offers , what should i do? surely i would be taking too much of a risk with all these different pathways? :frown:

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Never say die.
Work your ass off and you might even be considering medicine next summer.
Anyway, you're most likely gonna do something scientific.
Try Biochem or pharmacology?
Order a few prospectuses from some universities or go on their websites to see what type of courses you could look at. There are probably a lot of science-related courses that you've never heard of! I'd never heard of Criminology before I'd flicked through a couple of my boyfriend's old prospectuses :smile:
Reply 3
Im kinda' in a similar situation to you.
Research Orthoptics, you have the required subjects and the requirements arent very high.
What GCSE grades did you get and what are you predicted?
I'm taking the same subjects as you (all four up to A-level) and I've applied for Biochemistry.
Original post by ApplePi
Pharmacy is not just for people who'aren't good enough' for Medicine.....


Did I say it was?
Reply 6
Magician.
Original post by WhatamIdoing
Never say die.
Work your ass off and you might even be considering medicine next summer.
Anyway, you're most likely gonna do something scientific.
Try Biochem or pharmacology?


Sometimes, people taking a lot the sciences don't actually want to do medicine.
Reply 8
Original post by WhatamIdoing
Never say die.
Work your ass off and you might even be considering medicine next summer.
Anyway, you're most likely gonna do something scientific.
Try Biochem or pharmacology?


But whats the point of Pharmacology? You can't become a pharmacist with that right? :confused:
Reply 9
Original post by xMaGic
Im kinda' in a similar situation to you.
Research Orthoptics, you have the required subjects and the requirements arent very high.
What GCSE grades did you get and what are you predicted?


thank you, i'll have a look at Orthoptics. :smile:
I got 11 A's, 1 B and 1 C.

and i'm predicted BBB at the end of college.

I think i'm going to get get BBC / BCC grades though :frown:
Original post by TheSownRose
Sometimes, people taking a lot the sciences don't actually want to do medicine.


What's your point?
Reply 11
Original post by ApplePi
Hey, I've applied for Pharmacy :smile: but have felt in the same situation as you :P
If I hadn't decided on Pharmacy I would have gone for something like...
- Forensic Science (if you like analytical chemistry and problem solving)
- Biomedical Science (useful degree, good if you prefer biology to chemistry)
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry (research opportunities)
- Nutrition/Food Science (interesting but not as many varied career options)
- Radiography (but is quite physics related...)

If you're interested in the healthcare route then Pharmacy and Biomedical Science seem like the best options I think.

What grades do you think you will get?


Thanks, I like the idea of forensic science + nutrition. I don't want to do anything majorly related to Biology though, i prefer Chemistry to Biology. :smile:
Original post by Issy123
But whats the point of Pharmacology? You can't become a pharmacist with that right? :confused:


I think you can.
Original post by WhatamIdoing
What's your point?


"Work your ass off and you might even be considering medicine next summer."

Well, they might not want to consider medicine - I know plenty of people with AAA grades (no such thing as A*'s back in my day :wink:) in all sciences who'd have hated medicine.
Reply 14
Original post by jamiepango
Have you considered doing a Biology or Chemistry degree? Also you could do natural sciences- there's lots of different choices when you come to think about it.

I took biology, chemistry, maths and economics and I'm looking to do pharmacy as well if that helps...

Good luck :biggrin:


Thank you! :biggrin: and i really don't want to do anything with Biology at university. Gonna try my best for Pharmacy , if not i guess something like food science will have to do :/
Good luck to you too! :biggrin:
Original post by Issy123
thank you, i'll have a look at Orthoptics. :smile:
I got 11 A's, 1 B and 1 C.

and i'm predicted BBB at the end of college.

I think i'm going to get get BBC / BCC grades though :frown:


If you're looking into orthoptics, care you check out this thread...? :colone:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1497241
Reply 16
Your GCSE grades are very good.
You should even considerr Medicine?
Just work proper hard, my GCSEs are crap but ima try getting ABB even though im predicted D'S/B
Reply 17
Original post by xMaGic
Your GCSE grades are very good.
You should even considerr Medicine?
Just work proper hard, my GCSEs are crap but ima try getting ABB even though im predicted D'S/B


whoa nooo, Medicine is WAY to high for me, and plus i don't want a career in medicine. :smile:

and i am trying my hardest, but i don't want to overdo it or work too less, i dont know what a good balance is... :smile: Good luck with your A levels :smile:
Reply 18
Original post by Issy123
Thanks, I like the idea of forensic science + nutrition. I don't want to do anything majorly related to Biology though, i prefer Chemistry to Biology. :smile:


Pharmacy, pharmacology, pharmaceutical science or forensic science may be the way to go then? I think pharmacology generally requires similar grades to PHarmacy though.

*You can only become a Pharmacist if you do the MPharm degree, not pharmacology or any other related .

There are a few unis that do Pharmacy with a foundation year (I know Medway is one) which require lower grades, that might be something to look into if you're not confident about your grades atm? Pharmacy is a great career :biggrin: but I would say that....
Original post by TheSownRose
"Work your ass off and you might even be considering medicine next summer."

Well, they might not want to consider medicine - I know plenty of people with AAA grades (no such thing as A*'s back in my day :wink:) in all sciences who'd have hated medicine.


OP said he doesn't want to do medicine?
Then thats fine.
(edited 13 years ago)

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