The Student Room Group

Languages useful when applying to med school?

I was wondering if language skills are worth mentioning when applying to med school in the UK.

At the moment I'm doing the IB with A1 English and my other mother tongue as a B language. Apart from those I speak three other languages, not quite fluently but decently. I could get a separate diploma from those languages, but I don't know if they will be of any use when applying. So my question is, will the unis just ignore the diplomas from different languages, or will they take it as a nice plus?
The IB is difficult enough as it is without making it more complicated, and I doubt any languages above the two required will improve your chances. When you say a "seperate diploma", do you mean a IB single-subject certificate? These will be extra work (regardless of if you already speak the languages, you will need to do coursework etc) and you would be better off spending your time getting extra work experience and working on your HL chem + bio. If you already speak these other languages, sure mention it in your PS but I would encourage you strongly to not make more work for yourself than necessary.
Reply 2
No, not a IB single-subject certificate, that would mean too much work :biggrin: Basically I will have to just revise these languages before taking the exam (part of the Finnish matriculation exam), and then after that one test I will get a grade for it.
i would sayyy no point, as the IB is plenty for UK med school if you do well. What have you chosen for your subject choices. Oi Suomi. Pidän siitä, että maassa.
Reply 4
Ok, good to know. My IB subjects are:
HL English A1, bio, chem and B french
SL physics, maths
+ B Finnish HL
well UCL do say a requirement is a language at GCSE at least............
Reply 6
Original post by korvelle
Ok, good to know. My IB subjects are:
HL English A1, bio, chem and B french
SL physics, maths
+ B Finnish HL


I'm an IB Student as well, but I do German B SL for foreign language and English A1 SL for first language. How on earth do you do 3 sciences? And don't you do a humanity?
Reply 7
IB is good enough for medical school imo. I still regret dropping out of IB and going for A levels. I would have enjoyed the breadth and variation of subjects.

If any language had to be remotely useful or related to medicine I would say Latin.

I'm trying to teach myself to get a Level 2 certificate in Latin Language. (Equivalent to a GCSE)

But that said UCL wants all applicants for 2012 and onwards to have a language at GCSE
Reply 8
short answer: no
longer answer: not really
I wish I'd spent more time learning makaton, British sign language etc

Very useful for those with learning disabilities, hard of hearing or those with tracheostomies.
Original post by subbra
I'm an IB Student as well, but I do German B SL for foreign language and English A1 SL for first language. How on earth do you do 3 sciences? And don't you do a humanity?


Sorry for gegging, but some schools allow their pupils to swap some subjects in diffferent categories, like humanities for science or another language, so you don't always have to do a subject from each category.
Reply 11
Original post by subbra
I'm an IB Student as well, but I do German B SL for foreign language and English A1 SL for first language. How on earth do you do 3 sciences? And don't you do a humanity?


Instead of the regular diploma I'm doing the irregular diploma, which means that IBO has given me the permission to do three sciences. In my school about 1/3 take three sciences.. And no, I dont do a humanity, but I would take history if I wouldn't already have 7 subjects.

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