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How often do you dissect things in A-Level Biology?

I'm in Year 11 at the moment and I need to make my A-Level choices by this time next month. I want to do Biology at A-level because I want to be a surgeon. I was just wondering how often I would get to do dissections because I've really enjoyed the two we've done in year 10.

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Reply 1

ballsack

Depends what exam board you're on but here's the rundown:
WJEC: twice A fish and a heart
AQA: twice A fish and a frog
EdExcel: none

not sure on other exam boards.

Reply 2

Wilzyy

I think it also depends on your school..
I'm on OCR we dissected a kidney and a heart..

Reply 3

DJkG.1

We did a string of dissections every term, usually three - so ~9 a year, and ~18 over the A-level. Was mostly because the teacher got bored of teaching lol.

Reply 4

hey_its_nay

On aqa we have done a heart, fish and watched the teacher dissect a lung, all in the first 4 months and then you'll get nothing after that.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 5

xPixie

I do OCR, & we've dissected a heart & liver :smile:

Though my class only did the heart - very fun though! :biggrin:

Reply 6

lexafish

It depends on the teacher.

I did a kidney, but that was the lesson before Christmas, there was only 5 of us there and the teacher could be bothered to teach us.

EDIT: I did OCR

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 7

sc0307

on OCR we did quite few, only one in AS which was the heart and already in A2 we've done the frog, kidney and liver

Reply 8

iamnotasealion

Mm, I think it depends largely on your tutors' personal levels of cba.

I'm on AQA and have done a heart, and have also watched my teacher put his hand inside a fish like a ventriloquist's dummy and make it talk in a Russian accent.

Reply 9

Kevlar

On OCR I did a rat kidney and a pig eyeball. Tasty.. this was old spec though may have changed now so idk

Reply 10

xXxBaby-BooxXx

OCR - heart and kidney :smile:

EDIT: And A Level dissection will have no impact on your future career, so I wouldn't worry about it from a surgical point of view.

Reply 11

manic_fuzz

i'm doing ocr, and i've only done the first term of the AS-level and have already done heart (and was also meant to do lungs, but our teacher forgot to sort it out for our class :frown:

)

Reply 12

joshed

It all depends on who your teacher is. But you can always refuse to do them if you feel uneasy about it.

Reply 13

InItToWinItGetIt?

Original post by ballsack

Depends what exam board you're on but here's the rundown:
WJEC: twice A fish and a heart
AQA: twice A fish and a frog
EdExcel: none

not sure on other exam boards.

My school does Edexcel and we dissected a heart in Year 12, so it must be dependent on your school.

Reply 14

miledd

Original post by joshed

It all depends on who your teacher is. But you can always refuse to do them if you feel uneasy about it.

Au contraire! I really liked the dissections we've done so far.

Reply 15

wolfspirit

AQA- heart twice, kidney, lung. It's dependent on your school though, but if you've done dissections already, it's likely you'll continue to do them during your A level course. More importantly, if you are thinking of becoming a surgeon, make sure you get relevant work experience so you know what you're getting yourself into and know the reality of a surgical career! :smile:

Reply 16

beanstalkgirl_24

Ooohh...we're doing OCR (I'm Y12 doing AS's) and already we have done a heart, lungs, trachea, liver and kidney.

Quite awesome. Our teacher is a legend and as there is only 12 people in our set its even better :biggrin:

.

Biology is a great choice: its quite hard work (some of the concepts are a bit tricky), but I wouldn't change it for the world - its my favourite subject. :biggrin:

Reply 17

Eloades11

AQA half way though the A2 and we've dissected lungs, pigs hearts and kidneys.(well teacher done the kidney) But im sure we get to disect something else before the long unit 5 exam in the summer.

I liked the dissections, but I definately don't want to be anything like a surgeon :smile:

I couldnt cut open a person who is alive and shove my hands in them