Can I do Dentistry without Biology?

Why not? If you're capable of a dental school workload (I'm assuming it's comparable with a med school one), which if they let you apply they presumably think you are, then you're more than capable of doing an extra As.

Biology isn't hugely difficult, I personally think it's the easiest of the 3 sciences (I didn't study physics, but everyone else in my form did and it looked harder then chem!). You might benefit from some lessons if you find independent study very hard, but apart from the practicals I think it would be possible to do the majority of the course in your own time.

Why not? If you're capable of a dental school workload (I'm assuming it's comparable with a med school one), which if they let you apply they presumably think you are, then you're more than capable of doing an extra As.

Biology isn't hugely difficult, I personally think it's the easiest of the 3 sciences (I didn't study physics, but everyone else in my form did and it looked harder then chem!). You might benefit from some lessons if you find independent study very hard, but apart from the practicals I think it would be possible to do the majority of the course in your own time.

I currently do Biology AS with the aim of applying to Dentistry for 2012, and I wouldn't recommend self-teaching.

It isn't necessarily that the subject is difficult, but many people in my year mis-interpret it as being hard when in fact it just has a high workload. I just wouldn't recommend studying alone, as it may sacrifice revision for your other exams. I have the same predicted results as you (A's), and out of all of my exams, Biology is the one that I couldn't self-teach.

Mind you, if you're coping well with your current subjects and have spare time on your hands, I'd say try it, make sure you have the support of tutors in your school and possibly use any frees in college (I assume you have study-periods) to drop in some AS classes?

Good luck, as other have already said I'd take it up as an AS next year, drop your English, and do 3 Science A2s and Biology AS.

I have heard too that there is a lot of content. Thanks for your opinion!

I might find out and see what my college have to say about it. Although I'm wondering if they would be less likely to give me a place purely on just doing AS?

I'm wondering if this would be too much of a risk. !

No problem. The content is the issue, but having said that, the majority of people who did badly and say that Biology is "difficult" are lazy and clearly did not revise thoroughly enough.

Do you know if your college have "fast track" options for certain subjects? My college have one for Maths, which I may take up next year, and it allows me to complete an AS and A2 in Year 13. Maybe your college would have one for Biology? Stressful, yes, but if determined enough, should be fine.

And maybe you could see if any past-Dental students have got in with a Biology AS?

I don't think there is a fast-track option in any subjects apart from picking up AS Further Maths next year, so I don't think that would be an option.

But yes, that is a good idea. I think I'll see what I can find.

When did you decide you wanted to do Dentistry, how did you know?

Well, I got 12A*s at GCSE and did well in my january exams so I'm hoping on As?

Thanks for the reply. I might consider seeing if I could do it at AS then next year, if then I could apply for dentistry. Although with the current applications, people finding it hard to get into dentistry, would I still be unlikely to get a place purely on the basis of not doing the full A level?

You can pretty much do well in biology if you learn the text book off by heart, it's not a case of understanding, but a case of memorizing facts

I don't know, it really depends how good the rest of your application is. Your other options are:
1. Give up on dentistry.
2. Do other science degree, then apply as a postgrad.
3. Take a gap year, do the whole biology A2 and work ex/other impressive things and apply then.

However, doing #3 doesn't mean you can't apply this year. You really don't have anything to lose except £19 of UCAS fees as you can't avoid the fee increase, and if you don't get offers you can use any feedback you get from unis to improve your next application.



Well, yes, but not everyone learns well like that, and as we saw from the 2011 unit 4 AQA papers, you also need to be able to apply your biology knowledge :P

If the coursework part was a practical that was done in class then the OP would need to do that part of the course with the As class, which is the only part I can really see her school having a problem with (if there was a timetabling clash or something).

I can't speak for her school but my school let you fast track A2s in a year and join AS classes, they other option of course is to do AS, then do A2 the year after in year 14, giving you 4 A2 levels applying for 2013 entry

Ahh, mine only let you take up extra As levels when you were doing A2s, you couldn't fast track A levels (unless you were doing maths/further maths).

Yeah, I guess that would work too, especially if she got rejected this time round.

It would also give OP more time to get relevant experience...this is a big deal in dentistry, my friend who got rejected did because she only had one week, some uni's ask for up to a months worth of relevant experience in various branches of dental practice, seeing as there are only 13 uni's in the UK that do dentistry, you've got to stand out as super keen

Yes, but she's still got time to do some for the 2012 cycle. I think her best option would be to get as much possibly work ex for this cycle, and do As bio and try to apply for 2012 entry. If that doesn't work out she's then got a gap year for more work ex and bio A2.

Are you a dental applicant/student btw?

I'm thinking of applying for Dentistry, but since looking at entry requirements, I've realised I'm not doing the subjects wanted...

I'm doing Maths, Chemistry, Physics and English Lit, because when I chose my options I had no idea what I wanted to do, so tried to keep my options open. I'm predicted As in all four of them.

Seeing as I don't do Biology, does that mean I cannot be a dentist? :|

I'm thinking of applying for Dentistry, but since looking at entry requirements, I've realised I'm not doing the subjects wanted...

I'm doing Maths, Chemistry, Physics and English Lit, because when I chose my options I had no idea what I wanted to do, so tried to keep my options open. I'm predicted As in all four of them.

Seeing as I don't do Biology, does that mean I cannot be a dentist? :|

hey,

Ik im a rly late - 9 years after all

but rn I'm in a similar position to you - acc the same

for a levels I did Chem, maths, physics, further maths - as u can see I didn't do bio

im in 1st year dent skl in London - and hate it so much ... the bio knowledge, oh god u 100% need or else it'll just be more hell
I'm thinking of dropping out, not just for this reasons but cuz of workload , stress and how I'm feeling rn

but I'd like to ask - what did u do in the end? what'd you go into?

The OP of this thread last post in 2019 so you’re unlikely to get any answers. You’d be better off starting your own thread.

The OP of this thread last post in 2019 so you’re unlikely to get any answers. You’d be better off starting your own thread.

oh thanks for that - I'm new to TSR so I have no clue how things work

thanks so much

and I see you have neji as ur profile pic - im a big big otaku - wbu?