Advanced higher subjects for medicine/dentistry

I'm applying to medicine and sitting 3 advanced highers, however my school has other applicants sitting two advanced highers and two highers. To be honest, a uni will be just as happy to take you with two advanced highers and a higher, as long as the higher is a crash higher, not one you did at Nat 5. You'll be fine, either path will fulfil the requirements

Thanks a lot for the reply. I wasn't aware it had to be a crash higher. Does it have to be as I was thinking of taking admin and IT at higher (in S6) but I did it at Nat 5?

I think it does need to be crash for some unis e.g. edinburgh but I would double check that if i were you, i may be wrong. Edinburgh certainly is BB advanced higher B higher, glasgow is just AB advanced so you'd be fine with that regardless

Thank you so much for all your help. I was wondering if you could please tell me more about what you have done. Like what subjects did you take at highers and what are you taking now? Also what were your grades and what other extra curricular things have you done to enhance your application? Thanks again! It is much appreciated

At Higher; i did English, History, Chemistry, Human Biology and Maths and got AAAAB out of it, disappointing for a medical applicant but still miraculous for me as i was failing maths all year!
This year, I'm doing advanced highers in Chemistry, Biology and History, I'll need BBB if i get a conditional, got ABB in my prelims and am predicted AAA by my teachers for the final exams.
In terms of extra curricular, I have volunteered with Barnardos for years, I help out at the Ayrshire Hospice on a weekly basis, I am undertaking Gold Level Duke of Edinburgh, I did two days work experience in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital anaesthetics department, have undertaken peer mentoring within my school for the last year and a half and was part of the stage crew for my school show.
I applied to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee for medicine. I've had interviews at Aberdeen and Dundee (Edinburgh don't interview) and am currently optimistic about my chances, despite my UKCAT not being the best (Average 617 STJ Band 3)
My best advice is to get as much clinical work experience as you possibly can, and make sure you're involved in everything and anything you can be to ensure that you have plenty to talk about at interview.

Those are still very good results and I wish you the best of luck in getting into medicine! I too have volunteered at my local Bernardo's for the past two years and I'm also doing my Silver Duke of Edinburgh's award. I previously did about a week of shadowing at my local hospital and I do paired reading at school which is just basically helping the younger ones to get more involved in reading. I also play guitar as a hobby but that's it. I'm also not the best at maths but I'm not the worse and this is why I was considering taking it at advanced higher alongside biology and chemistry. However, I think I might just do the two and leave maths behind for two other highers, admin and IT and possibly RMPS.

Thank you! But. Having spoken to people I know who do advanced maths, if you're not totally into maths and have a flair for it, don't do the advanced higher. I know people who were pulling 90%s all through Higher and have been floored by advanced higher. If you want a third advanced higher pick a subject you're strong in or in my opinion take the crash higher/higher option

I don't want anything compromising the chances of me getting A's next year so I think I am leaning against that option. It looks like I will end up taking Advanced Higher Biology, Advanced Higher Chemistry, Higher Admin & IT and possibly Higher RMPS. I'm still thinking on whether or not to do RMPS because my school doesn't offer it so i'll end up having to network. But thanks for all your help, you don't understand how much you have helped!

I travel for Advanced Chemistry, coping fine and I get a period less than the rest of my class so definitely do that if you can.

Thank you! But. Having spoken to people I know who do advanced maths, if you're not totally into maths and have a flair for it, don't do the advanced higher. I know people who were pulling 90%s all through Higher and have been floored by advanced higher. If you want a third advanced higher pick a subject you're strong in or in my opinion take the crash higher/higher option

Thank you! But. Having spoken to people I know who do advanced maths, if you're not totally into maths and have a flair for it, don't do the advanced higher. I know people who were pulling 90%s all through Higher and have been floored by advanced higher. If you want a third advanced higher pick a subject you're strong in or in my opinion take the crash higher/higher option

Don't assume this is true for everyone. Im in Advanced Higher just now, everyone in my class got an A at Higher last year and we are all doing well at Advanced Higher. In fact they tell me that Advanced Chemistry and Physics are much harder.

I'm not intentionally making assumptions or trying to belittle your achievements, but I know Oxbridge math applicants who have struggled so thought it best to highlight that issue could arise there seeing as thread starter said maths wasn't their strongest area

Thanks for the helpful advise from everyone. It did really help to finally decide and confirm what subjects I will be taking next year. I decided to choose Advanced Higher Chemistry and Biology and Higher Admin and IT. As I want to dentistry, those shall be quite enough for my application and besides like I said before, I'm not the best at maths so I didn't see the need to take it. I feel like it'll just jeopardize the chances of me getting the A's I need at Advanced Higher Chemistry and Biology. I took Admin and IT at higher because I previously did it at Nat 5 and I really enjoyed it. I got a smashing 92% in the final exam for it so I know I'm quite good at it as well. Thanks again tho

Best of luck!

Well we must have different experiences, I know people from other local schools who say that its not as bad as people make it out to be, and I agree.

I didn't find AH Chemistry or Maths that hard tbh