Scottish Highers Required For Medicine?

What are the typical Scottish highers required for medicine? If i achieve all A's in the following subjects (I'm going into S5) do I have a decent chance on getting in?

English
Maths
Human Biology
Chemistry
RMPS (religious, moral & philosophical studies)

Thank you

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Reply 1

LPScot

Yes your subjects are fine and As in 5 scottish highers in 1 sitting would be required for almost all medical schools (some allow AAAAB). In terms of having a "decent chance" it all depends on your UKCAT score, work experience, extracurricular activities etc.. Plenty of people with all As get rejected from all 4 of their choices because other parts of their application weren't strong. Hope that helps!

Reply 2

kohler1994

Probably best to try get work experience in hospitals etc if possible to strengthen up your application :smile:

Reply 3

username600675

They're all fine.
Make sure you try get at least AAAAB in the exams, then you can start to practice for the ukcat and focus on getting some decent work exp/volunteering done if you haven't started already :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 4

username356927

Original post by carmen_

Original post by atomos

They're all fine (although I'm not 100% sure on rmps, sure its fine though - double check with unis if it is accepted if in doubt).
Make sure you get at least AAAAB in the exams, then you can start to practice for the ukcat and focus on getting some decent work exp/volunteering done if you haven't started already :smile:

You'll be fine with those. The grades are more important than the actual subjects (To an extent. Any science, humanity or language) , unlike A-Level where certain subjects are viewed as 'sub standard'. Try to get 5As...it makes things so much easier :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 5

username600675

Original post by TooSexyForMyStethoscope

You'll be fine with those. The grades are more important than the actual subjects, unlike A-Level where certain subjects are viewed as 'sub standard'. Try to get 5As...it makes things so much easier :smile:

ah, there you go then OP, you'll be fine - now just to get the grades :tongue:

Reply 6

Chiringuito

Original post by carmen_

As others have said, you need either AAAAA or AAAAB in your highers in order to apply to all of the Scottish universities that offer Medicine (Edinburgh, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee, although of Dundee they will look at applicants with AAABB). For some of them (Edinburgh) you get given points depending on your grades (so obviously 5As is preferable to 4As and a B) whilst for others (eg Glasgow) you merely have to obtain the minimum and then after that it isn't looked at again.

Your subjects look good, apparently they like people who have something a bit different to just the standard maths, English and three sciences, so your RMPS might be something interesting to talk about at interview etc.

As well as highers, it's important to have top marks in your standard grades, a good UKCAT and a good personal statement/reference.
Getting into medical school is extremely competitive so it's important to do you best in all of these areas.

Another thing to bare in mind is your subject choices for S6. If you apply to Scottish unis, it's likely that they'll give you an unconditional based on your highers (or in the case of Glasgow, a low conditional based on three subjects taken in S6). For English universities, on the other hand, you might either be given an unconditional based on your highers, or more likely, a conditional offer of AAA based on Advanced Highers.

If you want any help with applying, feel free to ask me, I've been through the application process this year so have some hints and tips (Scottish student, 4As and a B at higher and 4 offers to Scottish Medical Schools) :biggrin:

Reply 7

username356927

Original post by Chiringuito

As well as highers, it's important to have top marks in your standard grades, a good UKCAT and a good personal statement/reference.

What do you mean by 'top marks'?

What do you mean by 'good UKCAT'?

There are people in my year with AAABB and even a couple with AABBB. Aberdeen will consider people with those grades.These are clearly exceptional cases but never let it be said that it was impossible :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 8

Chiringuito

Original post by TooSexyForMyStethoscope

Top marks = the best you can do, as many 1s/As as possible.

Good UKCAT = again, the best you can do . I'm not expert but it seems like anything above 650-ish puts you at an advantage, and the higher the better. But that said, I'm sure plenty of people get in with lower.

Grades for Aberdeen = sorry, I didn't apply there so don't know much about the specific academic requirements. I've now read their admissions page and know now that, unlike many other medical schools, they do look at applications with AAABB, AAAAC etc, providing the person has certain predicted grades for S6.

Sorry for being vague/inaccurate, I was just trying to help...

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 9

username943587

Thank you for all your help! RMPS is in the same column as physics, should I maybe choose this and study RMPS in sixth year?

Reply 10

username943587

How many points is a 1 in standard grade or an A at intermediate 2? In English, Biology, Physics, Chemistry & Art I am sitting standard grade but Maths, Modern Studies an French at intermediate 2 :-)

Reply 11

username356927

Original post by carmen_

Thank you for all your help! RMPS is in the same column as physics, should I maybe choose this and study RMPS in sixth year?

As Chiringuito has said, taking three sciences is very much the common thing to do. In my opinion it is rather boring and limiting. Eng, Maths, Chem, Bio/Phys and a humanity is a much more interesting combination in fifth year. You will not be disadvantaged and it does leave your options open should you choose not to study medicine later on :smile:

I chose to study Eng, Maths, Chem, Phys and Geography in my fifth year. Not doing Biology until sixth. I reasoned that biology was the easiest to return to after a year out. Unlike Vet med, Advanced Higher Bio is not mandatory for medicine applicants (FOR SCOTTISH UNIS! If you intend to apply south of the border, Adv Bio may be required)

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 12

username943587

Okay thank you very much for your help! I'll choose either RMPS or modern studies then probably :-)

Reply 13

spacepirate-James

Someone can correct me on this, but is Biology not better to take than Human Biology? :erm:

Reply 14

username356927

Original post by spacepirate-James

Someone can correct me on this, but is Biology not better to take than Human Biology? :erm:

Universities usually class them as the same subject i.e if you did both, they count it as one Higher not two. There is no real advantage in taking either :s-smilie:

Over the other.

Reply 15

username943587

How many points is a 1 in standard grade or an A at intermediate 2? In English, Biology, Physics, Chemistry & Art I am sitting standard grade but Maths, Modern Studies an French at intermediate 2 :-)

Reply 16

username356927

Original post by carmen_

How many points is a 1 in standard grade or an A at intermediate 2? In English, Biology, Physics, Chemistry & Art I am sitting standard grade but Maths, Modern Studies an French at intermediate 2 :-)

Every university will have a different way of analyzing academic results. I would not worry about it, some schools only do Int 2s. An A at Int 2 and a 1 at SG will be very similarly weighted. As long as you are doing 8 or more subjects it will be fine :smile:

Reply 17

username943587

Original post by TooSexyForMyStethoscope

Thank you! Are you an aspiring medical student or a medical student? should I take physics in 6th year or is it not required? :smile:

Reply 18

username356927

Original post by carmen_

Thank you! Are you an aspiring medical student or a medical student? should I take physics in 6th year or is it not required? :smile:

I am in my second year at Aberdeen.

It really depends what you want to study. Physics at Higher is not a requirement for any medical school, nor will its absence put you at any disadvantage since you will have Chem, Bio and Maths.

Personally, I think physics would be a useful thing to study in sixth year if you have the time. There is more physics in medicine than one might think :smile:

Be aware that you should take three Advanced Highers to give yourself a good predicted grade score when applying. To take four subjects in sixth year is a lot of work...but more than possible to do.

Reply 19

stumcd

All of my friends that have got onto medicine have got five A's at first sitting, are predicted to get straight A's in their second sitting/advanced highers and got really good UKCAT scores.

Shockingly though, some of them that did all of those things still did not get a place!