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Human Biology vs. Biology

What is the difference between Human Biology and Biology at A-Level (apart from the course content)?
Is biology really more accredited than Human Biology? I'm looking to medicine at uni and I want to get into a good one, will taking Human Biology affect my application.
Please help! Every teacher tells me something different and it's very confusing!:confused:

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Reply 1
Yes, biology is looked at more highly than human biology. I'm saying this as a potenial medic.
Reply 2
Hey snozzler, I agree with navarre. Biology is viewed more highly than Human Biology..sounds harsh but it is the truth. Plus if medicine doesn't work out, at least Biology will give you more options/freedom than Human Biology..as Human Biology is a bit too specific in my opinion. Plus..most medical schools ask for Biology A-Level as opposed to Human Biology (I think). So it's worth doing..if you wanna go into medicine!
Reply 3
Thanks for the help, biology sounds broader and more accredited, so i think i'll go with that!
Thanks again
Reply 4
Original post by navarre
Yes, biology is looked at more highly than human biology. I'm saying this as a potenial medic.



Original post by unity93
Hey snozzler, I agree with navarre. Biology is viewed more highly than Human Biology..sounds harsh but it is the truth. Plus if medicine doesn't work out, at least Biology will give you more options/freedom than Human Biology..as Human Biology is a bit too specific in my opinion. Plus..most medical schools ask for Biology A-Level as opposed to Human Biology (I think). So it's worth doing..if you wanna go into medicine!


They are wrong. All universities are fine with Human Biology for Medicine. <---Last year medic, offers from 3/4 of my unis (stupid UCL :/).
Original post by snozzler
Thanks for the help, biology sounds broader and more accredited, so i think i'll go with that!
Thanks again



Original post by navarre
Yes, biology is looked at more highly than human biology. I'm saying this as a potenial medic.



Original post by unity93
Hey snozzler, I agree with navarre. Biology is viewed more highly than Human Biology..sounds harsh but it is the truth. Plus if medicine doesn't work out, at least Biology will give you more options/freedom than Human Biology..as Human Biology is a bit too specific in my opinion. Plus..most medical schools ask for Biology A-Level as opposed to Human Biology (I think). So it's worth doing..if you wanna go into medicine!


They are wrong. All universities are fine with Human Biology for Medicine. <---Last year medic, offers from 3/4 of my unis (stupid UCL :/).

It's not more credited or anything lol. It's much more interesting if you want to study medicine, that's about it really. Do it if you like it :smile:
Reply 5
Original post by Doctor.
They are wrong. All universities are fine with Human Biology for Medicine. <---Last year medic, offers from 3/4 of my unis (stupid UCL :/).








They are wrong. All universities are fine with Human Biology for Medicine. <---Last year medic, offers from 3/4 of my unis (stupid UCL :/).

It's not more credited or anything lol. It's much more interesting if you want to study medicine, that's about it really. Do it if you like it :smile:

How can a last year medic offer any form of relevant advice when they went through the process 5 years ago? It changes by quite a bit, the requirements, each year, ie it gets harder, and as such, it is much harder then when you applied.

One of the things that are harder is subject requirements, it's no longer acceptable to have human biology as opposed to biology.
Reply 6
Original post by navarre
How can a last year medic offer any form of relevant advice when they went through the process 5 years ago? It changes by quite a bit, the requirements, each year, ie it gets harder, and as such, it is much harder then when you applied.

One of the things that are harder is subject requirements, it's no longer acceptable to have human biology as opposed to biology.


I applied last year, but missed out by a grade lol :tongue:. So I guess it is sort of relevant :smile:. Human biology is accepted. Ring up and find out if you must. There are only minor differences in the Biology and Human biology spec now.

The diseases you'll cover in human biology are more human based, we remotely cover plants and the rest of the rubbish in Unit 5. Other than that. It's not easy, it's on the same level as normal biology. I would recommend doing it though, it's more enjoyable in my opinion. :smile:

If you enjoy the human side of things, human biology is for you :smile:
Reply 7
Original post by Doctor.
I applied last year, but missed out by a grade lol :tongue:. So I guess it is sort of relevant :smile:. Human biology is accepted. Ring up and find out if you must. There are only minor differences in the Biology and Human biology spec now.

The diseases you'll cover in human biology are more human based, we remotely cover plants and the rest of the rubbish in Unit 5. Other than that. It's not easy, it's on the same level as normal biology. I would recommend doing it though, it's more enjoyable in my opinion. :smile:

If you enjoy the human side of things, human biology is for you :smile:


Erm no I don't think so..med schools prefer biology to human biology..biology covers more ground...human biology is too specific! remember med schools are interested in breadth of knowledge
Reply 8
Original post by unity93
Erm no I don't think so..med schools prefer biology to human biology..biology covers more ground...human biology is too specific! remember med schools are interested in breadth of knowledge


Have you studied it? Also I got 3 offers from med school last year lol so I don't really see how that is possible?

Also Human Biology isn't really that specific. We just don't focus as much in plants. We still cover the ecology based stuff. Plants in subbed for muscles etc. The old Human Biology was very specific. Not anymore.

We still have to do the synoptic essay :angry:
Reply 9
Original post by Doctor.
Have you studied it? Also I got 3 offers from med school last year lol so I don't really see how that is possible?

Also Human Biology isn't really that specific. We just don't focus as much in plants. We still cover the ecology based stuff. Plants in subbed for muscles etc. The old Human Biology was very specific. Not anymore.

We still have to do the synoptic essay :angry:


I've just finished my Biology A-Level.. but no I didn't do human biology! I guess it is more relevant to medicine
Reply 10
Original post by Doctor.
Have you studied it? Also I got 3 offers from med school last year lol so I don't really see how that is possible?

Also Human Biology isn't really that specific. We just don't focus as much in plants. We still cover the ecology based stuff. Plants in subbed for muscles etc. The old Human Biology was very specific. Not anymore.

We still have to do the synoptic essay :angry:


First you say you're a fifth year medic, then you say you applied last year.

Please do not give faulty advice to others. Human biology simply isn't acceptable at most medical schools. Most diseases in the biology spec are human, ie cholera, diabetes, cancer etc. It just proves to the unis your broad range of knowledge.
Reply 11
Original post by navarre
First you say you're a fifth year medic, then you say you applied last year.

Please do not give faulty advice to others. Human biology simply isn't acceptable at most medical schools. Most diseases in the biology spec are human, ie cholera, diabetes, cancer etc. It just proves to the unis your broad range of knowledge.


Faulty advice? I never said I was a fifth year medic. Try reading?

"isn't acceptable at most medical schools. "- What are you on about of course is it. I suggest you actually find out before saying utter bull****. No offense. YOU'VE not even read the HBIO spec lol.

"Most diseases in the biology spec are human, ie cholera, diabetes, cancer etc."-we cover them and quite a bit more tbh. Muscle contraction theory is probably the most interesting tbh.


Either way both normal Biology and Human biology don't really help you with medicine. You'll practically learn everything in millions more detail. Regarding acceptability- I got 3 offers LAST year. It's clearly acceptable, don't be put off by people who THINK they know, when it's clear they're just retarded.


Rant over :smile: <3
I couldnt comment for medecine. In fact as with all University degree applications it will pay dividends to ask them directly as to what they prefer. Take Portsmouth for Biomedical Science for example. It says on their site for the Biomed degree "BBC from 3 A levels including Biology plus one other pure Science subject or Mathematics." Yet the admin tutor e-mailed me back with :

"I would advise this student to study any of the following options within the access course, as these will be beneficial when applying for the BMS degree:
Human Biology
Chemistry
Further Chemistry
Health Studies

Biology could be an option but is mainly based on plants, human biology would be much more beneficial as the BMS degree will be concentrating on the human body."

I took, in the end, Human Biology, Biology, Chemistry an Further Chemistry. Left nothing to doubt.
Reply 13
Original post by Doctor.
Faulty advice? I never said I was a fifth year medic. Try reading?

"isn't acceptable at most medical schools. "- What are you on about of course is it. I suggest you actually find out before saying utter bull****. No offense. YOU'VE not even read the HBIO spec lol.

"Most diseases in the biology spec are human, ie cholera, diabetes, cancer etc."-we cover them and quite a bit more tbh. Muscle contraction theory is probably the most interesting tbh.


Either way both normal Biology and Human biology don't really help you with medicine. You'll practically learn everything in millions more detail. Regarding acceptability- I got 3 offers LAST year. It's clearly acceptable, don't be put off by people who THINK they know, when it's clear they're just retarded.


Rant over :smile: <3


Yes, you did. Well, last year, but most medical courses are five years:

Last year medic, offers from 3/4 of my unis (stupid UCL :/).


You were either lying then, or you are lying now. Not that that's unlikely. I find it hard not to suspect anyone claiming to have 3 medicine offers of flat out lying, especially someone stupid enough to think human biology is still an acceptable requirement into medicine.
Reply 14
When I wanted to do Medicine I was told Human Biology would be better because it's more specific than Biology. I took Human Biology and this is my A2 and I love it, to be honest Universities accept both they usually ask for a biological science and chemistry, so just find out which one you'd be more interested in.
Reply 15
''Doctor'', you keep claiming how you got 3 offers for medicine last year..well done to you for that. However, just because you did get those offers..it doesn't mean they made them based on the fact that you took human biology...there may have been something else in your application that they liked! The bottom line is..most med schools say ''Biology'' as opposed to 'Human Biology'..so if they really favoured the latter..they would just mention that in the first place! So this leads people to believe that they prefer Biology to Human Biology! They may not prefer either..but best to be on the safe side and just take Biology..as that's what it says in the entry requirements! In Biology we learn a great deal about the human body!
Reply 16
Original post by unity93
''Doctor'', you keep claiming how you got 3 offers for medicine last year..well done to you for that. However, just because you did get those offers..it doesn't mean they made them based on the fact that you took human biology...there may have been something else in your application that they liked! The bottom line is..most med schools say ''Biology'' as opposed to 'Human Biology'..so if they really favored the latter..they would just mention that in the first place! So this leads people to believe that they prefer Biology to Human Biology! They may not prefer either..but best to be on the safe side and just take Biology..as that's what it says in the entry requirements! In Biology we learn a great deal about the human body!


They don't care if its Human Biology or Biology. FACT is that the governing body for all exam bored have basically ruined human biology. It's so similar to normal biology nowadays. PS maybe I should have said, I emailed/rang all the medical universities last year and they said either human biology and/or biology is fine. -Just don't take both, that's just a no no.

So tbh, pick whichever interests you, they're both interesting if you put your head into it! :tongue: If you do pick Human Biology, you'll LOVE muscle contractions.
Original post by navarre
Yes, you did. Well, last year, but most medical courses are five years:


You were either lying then, or you are lying now. Not that that's unlikely. I find it hard not to suspect anyone claiming to have 3 medicine offers of flat out lying, especially someone stupid enough to think human biology is still an acceptable requirement into medicine.


My brother got into the University of Southampton to study medicine with A levels in Chemistry, Maths and, wait for it, Human Biology. They specify either Human Biology or Biology.
I honestly do not know where this broad sweeping statement that Human Biology is not acceptable for Medicine has emerged from, but it certainly is laughable. It varies from University to University, thats just a fact, and if we take Southampton as a prime example, they clearly dont give a damn which you take provided you meet the required standard.

To the OP, either should be fine and anyone that tells you otherwise probably hasn't checked the requirements of each and every institution offering a degree in Medicine. I'm afraid opinions are like ars****es, everyone has one.
I'm a medicine applicant and as far as I know, more or less all unis will accept either, to quote the admissions tutor at the Leicester open day "Doesn't matter what kind of biology, any biology will do".
If it doesn't mention it in their prospectus or on their website (most will say Biology and don't specify any further) email them to check before you apply.
But OP you should be perfectly fine with either course, my advice is to choose the one you enjoy the most and think you will be able to achieve the necessary A grade in, otherwise it all becomes irrelevant anyway.
:smile:
Reply 19
Original post by Mortimer_01
My brother got into the University of Southampton to study medicine with A levels in Chemistry, Maths and, wait for it, Human Biology. They specify either Human Biology or Biology.
I honestly do not know where this broad sweeping statement that Human Biology is not acceptable for Medicine has emerged from, but it certainly is laughable. It varies from University to University, thats just a fact, and if we take Southampton as a prime example, they clearly dont give a damn which you take provided you meet the required standard.

To the OP, either should be fine and anyone that tells you otherwise probably hasn't checked the requirements of each and every institution offering a degree in Medicine. I'm afraid opinions are like ars****es, everyone has one.



Original post by Alison1075
I'm a medicine applicant and as far as I know, more or less all unis will accept either, to quote the admissions tutor at the Leicester open day &quot;Doesn't matter what kind of biology, any biology will do&quot;.
If it doesn't mention it in their prospectus or on their website (most will say Biology and don't specify any further) email them to check before you apply.
But OP you should be perfectly fine with either course, my advice is to choose the one you enjoy the most and think you will be able to achieve the necessary A grade in, otherwise it all becomes irrelevant anyway.
:smile:


WOOOO my backup has arrived lol :redface: :biggrin:

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