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If I want to be a doctor, do I need to do Maths A Level

Okay so I just did my maths gcse paper and that exam was beyond tragic. I can’t do that again. My current A Level choices are Biology Chemistry Physics and Maths. Do I need maths for medicine or can I switch for Psychology or just drop it?

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Reply 1
Avatar for Svesh
Svesh
18
Yh don't need maths so can do psychology at As and drop physics or psychology at A-level if you do not want to continue with it
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 2
Avatar for iras
iras
15
You don't need to do maths A level to do medicine so yeah feel free to switch to psychology or just drop it as you don't need to do 4 A levels either.

I'd also recommend considering whether you actually want to do physics A level as well. There's a lot of A level maths involved in it, and on top of that the physics theory is quite tough as well. I've done it for the past two years whilst applying for medicine and imo it's been awful and I would've picked a different subject if I could go back. But it's up to you, just see whether you're up for it and if it seems appealing to you then go for it
if you struggled with math GCSE, you're definitely gonna struggle with a level
no, maths is not needed for medicine. i wouldn't do physics if you find maths hard.
Reply 5
Avatar for Sinnoh
Sinnoh
22
You do not need four A-levels. The only necessary subjects for medicine at A-level are biology and chemistry. So I'd recommend biology, chemistry and psychology for you. If you don't enjoy a subject then don't take it at A-level.
Original post by iras
You don't need to do maths A level to do medicine so yeah feel free to switch to psychology or just drop it as you don't need to do 4 A levels either.

I'd also recommend considering whether you actually want to do physics A level as well. There's a lot of A level maths involved in it, and on top of that the physics theory is quite tough as well. I've done it for the past two years whilst applying for medicine and imo it's been awful and I would've picked a different subject if I could go back. But it's up to you, just see whether you're up for it and if it seems appealing to you then go for it


I wasn’t sure whether I was going to do physics but my teachers advised me to do it for the first year then drop it so I know enough theory for the bmat/ukcat
Original post by entertainmyfaith
no, maths is not needed for medicine. i wouldn't do physics if you find maths hard.


Original post by medic18
if you struggled with math GCSE, you're definitely gonna struggle with a level


Generally I think maths is easy I got an 8/a* in mocks but gcses really threw me, it was like nothing I have ever done before, it was ridiculously hard
Original post by Svesh
Yh don't need maths so can do psychology at As and drop physics or psychology at A-level if you do not want to continue with it


I think I’m going to do that with physics but do universities look down on a psychology A Level for medicine?
Dropout and go underground. to prepare yourself for the world of a rogue doc, i suggest taking notes on Grey's Anatomy, they pretty much cover the whole A Level spec up till degree level. For extra practice watch this korean drama called Doctor Stranger, they'll teach you how to diagonse the symptoms from just touching the patients, which is a valuable skill that most docs dont have nowadays.

No you do not need Maths, but chemistry is essential if you want to be accepted by most. Try Chemistry, Biology and Psychology, if you want to maximise your chances then Physics. You'll be dealing with maths from the subjects in one way or the other but they aren't as in depth compared to A level Maths of course.
OK let's be real. Maths is essential. If you don't do maths, your ****ed for every subject you take. Even the maths in biology will be hard lol. Chemistry and especially Physics? I wish you all the best :smile:
Reply 11
Avatar for Svesh
Svesh
18
Original post by h.annahtamara
I think I’m going to do that with physics but do universities look down on a psychology A Level for medicine?


not at all as long as you get an A or above it should be fine
to be a competent medic you have to know your way around numbers ....
You by no means NEED Mathematics as an A-Level qualification for Medicine but it's highly recommended you take Mathematics alongside Physics or you may struggle with that subject; otherwise, play to your strengths and gain fantastic A-Level grades in subjects you enjoy.
Original post by Sahyun
Dropout and go underground. to prepare yourself for the world of a rogue doc, i suggest taking notes on Grey's Anatomy, they pretty much cover the whole A Level spec up till degree level. For extra practice watch this korean drama called Doctor Stranger, they'll teach you how to diagonse the symptoms from just touching the patients, which is a valuable skill that most docs dont have nowadays.

No you do not need Maths, but chemistry is essential if you want to be accepted by most. Try Chemistry, Biology and Psychology, if you want to maximise your chances then Physics. You'll be dealing with maths from the subjects in one way or the other but they aren't as in depth compared to A level Maths of course.


Your initial advice is amazing, I’ve decided to drop out of school completely and pursue no further education :smile: haha ur funny
Reply 15
Avatar for S2M
S2M
22
Original post by h.annahtamara
Okay so I just did my maths gcse paper and that exam was beyond tragic. I can’t do that again. My current A Level choices are Biology Chemistry Physics and Maths. Do I need maths for medicine or can I switch for Psychology or just drop it?


You don’t need Maths. You only need Biology, Chemistry and a third A-Level.
Original post by medic18
if you struggled with math GCSE, you're definitely gonna struggle with a level


I scrapped a B in my Maths GCSE, I do bio & chem and I’m doing okay, Chemistry maths is a lot different to GCSE maths so as long as OP knows how to rearrange an equation etc they should be fine
Original post by chocochip_
I scrapped a B in my Maths GCSE, I do bio & chem and I’m doing okay, Chemistry maths is a lot different to GCSE maths so as long as OP knows how to rearrange an equation etc they should be fine


i meant struggle with maths a level, not a levels in general
Reply 18
Avatar for iras
iras
15
Original post by h.annahtamara
I wasn’t sure whether I was going to do physics but my teachers advised me to do it for the first year then drop it so I know enough theory for the bmat/ukcat


Haha I personally found year 12 physics to be of little to no use for my BMAT. It's gcse level, so you just need to revisit it and you get given an online revision guide which has everything you need to know for the BMAT, so don't worry about the physics in bmat. You could do that though it'll just be extra workload throughout year 12, but it depends on if you can manage your time well.
And ukcat doesn't test any technical knowledge in any subject
You don't need A level Maths, but what I'm finding is that most Medicine courses want applicants to have at least a grade 6 in GCSE Maths, some even want a 7 (like Southampton I believe). So I guess pray you get a six or your college/sixth form will be running a Core Maths course. I'm looking into Medicine but I got a 5 in Maths GCSE, but as I'm doing Core Maths at A Level, the uni's I've contacted say that if I get a B in Core Maths it will compensate for my GCSE grade...

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