4th a level for medicine, economics or physics?URGENT!

Scroll to see replies

Oxbridge and Imperial are the only medical schools who care about science A levels beyond Chemistry and Biology (and UCL actively state they favour a non-science 3rd A level) and this they now only go as far as a requirement for a 3rd A level being a science subject/maths (98% successful applicants at Cambridge have 3 or more science/maths A levels). Since the start of reformed A levels, there is only QUB and Manchester (I think) that require a 4th AS or A level (or similar), though Oxbridge will consider it if it is there. So if you have to do one, do the one you are most likely to get the highest grade in, as you are more likely to be looked down on for a B in Physics than you are for an A in Economics

Thank you for your advice.So they won't care if I do economics as my 4th then,even though it's a soft subject (Cambridge/Imperial),Im also doing biology,chemistry and maths.

Reply 21

GANFYD

Original post by Anonymous1502

Thank you for your advice.So they won't care if I do economics as my 4th then,even though it's a soft subject (Cambridge/Imperial),Im also doing biology,chemistry and maths.

Nope, Imperial won't even look at it, and Cambridge will just want high UMS/grades/raw marks in whatever 4th AS you have-and any others you have sat at the end of Year 12, too (in fact, looks like Imperial have removed their 3rd science stipulation, too)

No it doesn't!

do the easier one ... economics is easier
... bt nt easy ... no A level is easy

Reply 24

Anonymous1502

Original post by GANFYD

Thank you for your advice it is very much appreciated!!!!What a levels did you do and what uni did you go if you don't mind me asking?

Reply 25

Jakir

Tbh Physics will help u if u are sitting BMAT in a years time..

Reply 26

GANFYD

Original post by Anonymous1502

Thank you for your advice it is very much appreciated!!!!What a levels did you do and what uni did you go if you don't mind me asking?

Chemistry, Biology and Maths and the University of I've-Been-A-Dr-Longer-Than-You've-Been-Alive!! (Newcastle, but I graduated a LONG time ago!)

Reply 27

Jakir

Oxford and Cambridge is also quite Physics heavy for their pre-clinical years with the need to be able to understand physics concepts such as the Bernoulli Principle

Reply 28

Anonymous1502

Original post by GANFYD

Chemistry, Biology and Maths and the University of I've-Been-A-Dr-Longer-Than-You've-Been-Alive!! (Newcastle, but I graduated a LONG time ago!)

What was your AS level in for the 4th option if you did one?That's amazing by the way!What do you specialise in?

Reply 29

usycool1

I highly doubt it. Here at Imperial, I can think of no physics at all that we've done in our pre-clinical years. Nor will it help in clinical.

Reply 30

username334839

As long as you do A-level Bio and Chem you will be fine. They dont care about the 3rd A-level.

Reply 31

GANFYD

I can legit tell you that in over 100 years of medicine between us, the straw poll of medics I have just done have never used anything beyond GCSE Physics! And even then not anything you couldn't learn in 1 lecture at med school. Trust me, the med stats is much more challenging, but nobody suggests you must do statistics!! (an anaesthetist, consultant medic, radiologist and GP).
If you enjoy Physics, by all means do it, but not because you think there is a lot of it in Medicine!

Reply 32

Anonymous1502

Original post by usycool1

I highly doubt it. Here at Imperial, I can think of no physics at all that we've done in our pre-clinical years. Nor will it help in clinical.

So you recommend I do economics and that imperial won't care what I do as my 4th or do you think they will?

Reply 33

GANFYD

Original post by Anonymous1502

What was your AS level in for the 4th option if you did one?That's amazing by the way!What do you specialise in?

Sorry, no such thing as ASs when I did A levels! I am now a GP, but have had a bit of a "Portfolio Career" along the way!!

Reply 34

usycool1

Original post by Anonymous1502

So you recommend I do economics and that imperial won't care what I do as my 4th or do you think they will?

They won't care a bit, provided you score a decent grade in it. Plenty of my friends have done Economics at A-Level and are here. A fair few also don't have A-Level Physics.

Reply 35

Xilogreen

I would recommend continuing economics if you are better at it. I myself dropped physics and continued economics. It also depends which teachers are better.

Reply 36

GANFYD

I have never heard a CT scanner talk about anything! Even on my "Ionising Radiation" Courses. Fancy that being Physics! Who knew??? And THAT is what a sphyg is for?? I wish this had been explained to us poor doctors before *sigh* Seems Physics is all around us :biggrin:

I am glad we are all agreed it isn't necessary.........
As we say, if you enjoy Physics, by all means study it, but you don't need it for medicine

Reply 37

umbrellala

Universities Forum Helper

Most unis don't really look at your 4th A-Level because they don't like to give people with a 4th subject an unfair disadvantage. Honestly it really doesn't matter as long as you have bio and chem, but workload-wise economics is probably the best bet.

Reply 38

username2199397

1) calm the **** down. Even if you hate your option you will have the chance to change it within the first few weeks of sixth form so it doesn't matter if you choose a wrong option/a subject you don't like.

2) economics is pretty much business studies with a bit more maths/graphs. If you like that kind of stuff go for economics. Physics well you know that **** from doing gcse. It's a bigger step up at alevel and is considered one of the most hardest alevels. If you think you can cope with it then go for it.

3) which ever you pick, it won't affect your chances of getting into medicine cuz they only want the 2 main subjects Chem and bio. The other 2 alevels are up to the students choice and won't affect their chances of getting into medicine.

If you have been researching and checking the entry requirements on the Internet you would already know that. And also your alevel options isn't what's gonna stop you from getting into, it's the grades you get in them and also you as a person. If you have done work experience, volunteering and extra curricular activities. The activity your passionate about. It doesn't have to be a bunch of them. If you can talk for at least 10 minutes passionately about 1 of your extra curriculars, that is more than enough than just giving a couple of sentences about several extra curriculars you don't even enjoy.

These are the things you need to be worrying about. Also make sure you smash your bmat/ukcat cuz that would help a lot. The ukcat is really hard and requires a lot of practice. It's not a knowledge based test, it actually requires skills such as Timing, ability to solve patterns, quick reading and decision making.

Reply 39

Democracy

Why are you lecturing us on what medical school is like and what being a doctor is like when we've gone through it and you haven't?

The only time they properly teach you the physics behind a CT scan (not CAT, they don't only work in the axial plane anymore) is if you're a radiology registrar. And even then, it's not physics like you're taught in school.

Stop creating pointless arguments please.

(edited 6 years ago)