5th Year Choices in Scotland- (Hoping to do Medicine at Glasgow)

Hey all! Just signed up... approximately 5 minutes ago to the student room!
Got a pretty big question to ask, and this goes out to all Scottish Medical students or others who know what I'm rambling on about!

I got 8A's at intermediate 2 in my 4th year- Great! and for my highers I picked English, Maths, Chemistry, Biology and History. All well? Cool.

Now I hit what I deem to be a snag (this is where I need your clarification)
I really struggled with maths last year- got a fantastic tutor and with an inhuman amount of studying I got an A!

So with all the naivety possible I went into higher maths feeling reasonably confident of my chances of success. HOW I WAS WRONG. I spent 2 weeks in the class panicked and dropped out. I picked up Geography instead which to my teachers delight I got full marks in my exam in the previous year. So this was the natural choice to replace maths. I'm now doing really well and I am predicted for 5 A's, got elected Year captain and I'm now going to Malawi and working in my local Hospital and GP! Great , but I feel annoyed at myself for dropping maths but I told my Maths teacher I was dropping it under the condition I am picking it up again in 6th year whilst hopefully doing Adv higher Biology and Chemistry.

So! A long story short I must ask the questions:

1. Does getting 5A's in 5th Year and an A in maths in 6th year put me at a disadvantage to other prospective medical applicants who got their 5A's inc. Maths in 5th year?

2. I really want to do Adv higher Bio and Chem but what I want to know is- are they a necessity to get into Glasgow and cope with the course?


I would really appreciate if somebody/some people could reply and help put me at easy or at worst give me some clarification

Sorry about the long read guys and hope you are all well

Martin Laird

I think all Scottish medical schools require 3 sciences/maths at Higher level, so in your situation you would have to do Maths and/or Physics in S6 to meet the requirements and will probably get a conditional on it, probably a B. Also you would be expected to take at least two Advanced Higher subjects - Biology and Chemistry would be the most relevant but this is not a requirement. From my experiences of 1st year medicine at Edinburgh so far, Advanced Higher biology has proven very useful and Chemistry less so - you could get by with only Higher knowledge.

Hey all! Just signed up... approximately 5 minutes ago to the student room!
Got a pretty big question to ask, and this goes out to all Scottish Medical students or others who know what I'm rambling on about!

I got 8A's at intermediate 2 in my 4th year- Great! and for my highers I picked English, Maths, Chemistry, Biology and History. All well? Cool.

Now I hit what I deem to be a snag (this is where I need your clarification)
I really struggled with maths last year- got a fantastic tutor and with an inhuman amount of studying I got an A!

So with all the naivety possible I went into higher maths feeling reasonably confident of my chances of success. HOW I WAS WRONG. I spent 2 weeks in the class panicked and dropped out. I picked up Geography instead which to my teachers delight I got full marks in my exam in the previous year. So this was the natural choice to replace maths. I'm now doing really well and I am predicted for 5 A's, got elected Year captain and I'm now going to Malawi and working in my local Hospital and GP! Great , but I feel annoyed at myself for dropping maths but I told my Maths teacher I was dropping it under the condition I am picking it up again in 6th year whilst hopefully doing Adv higher Biology and Chemistry.

So! A long story short I must ask the questions:

1. Does getting 5A's in 5th Year and an A in maths in 6th year put me at a disadvantage to other prospective medical applicants who got their 5A's inc. Maths in 5th year?

2. I really want to do Adv higher Bio and Chem but what I want to know is- are they a necessity to get into Glasgow and cope with the course?


I would really appreciate if somebody/some people could reply and help put me at easy or at worst give me some clarification

Sorry about the long read guys and hope you are all well

Martin Laird

Great thanks for your help!
Do you know of anyone that has done it this way? i.e maths student in 6th year?

Great thanks for your help!
Do you know of anyone that has done it this way? i.e maths student in 6th year?

No idea if this helps but my friend is applying for medicine this year. (we are 6th years) and last year she did Maths, English, Biology, Chemistry and Geography. This year she is doing Biology, Advanced Maths, Advanced Chemistry and Psychology.

so im pretty sure you take up maths in S6 But Maths is so much fun!! Im sure u'll do well in it in S6.

dunno if that helps^^

ALSO: sorry i have to say this, I am Malawian

Loads of people do this! Lots of medics really struggle with maths.
Doing Maths in 6th year instead of 5th year won't disadvantage you at all. And you don't even need to do Maths. One of either physics or maths would sort you out, just like Asklepios said.

As of recently, you do need Biology and Chemistry Adv. H. to get into Glasgow (at AB minimum), but I don't think they're necessary to cope with the course. Advanced Higher Biology is very helpful, but you can pick it up as you go along. I don't think AH Chemistry is very helpful at all (like 1 part of unit 2 is useful, and then that's it).

I really appreciate all the replies guys! It really puts me at ease! from personal experience does doing higher maths really help when doing medicine? is it really that necessary?

What do you think would be a better subject to do Maths or Physics in terms of difficulty, I know its quite a vague question sorry.

Yeah that helps a lot! WOW no way! whereabouts in malawi are you from??

Not in the slightest. Higher Maths skills have never been required in all my time at the course (and right now, at the science heavy bit, is where you'd expect it to be). Your Standard Grade will get you through.

Wow? I really need to wonder why the hell its needed in the entry requirements for glasgow and edinburgh! its probably because its so competitive its just an added challenge


Whichever you enjoy most. If you struggle with maths, then that might be physics! Have you ever taken physics before?

I've not done physics since 1st year so I would most certainly be crashing it lol haha

I really appreciate all the replies guys! It really puts me at ease! from personal experience does doing higher maths really help when doing medicine? is it really that necessary?

But then again its not of the question! I'll speak to my year head teacher and see what they think come the end of the year