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Non-science A Level as 3rd subject for Medicine at Imperial?

Does Imperial College School of Medicine show preference to taking Maths or/and Physics at A Level in addition to Biology and Chemistry?

I want to take History as my 3rd A Level but I feel this will jeopardize my chances of getting in to Imperial as they seem to be much more science related.

I did achieve a 9s in Maths and Physics at GCSE but they never have been subjects that I'm confident with therefore I wouldn't really want to risk it at A Level. I just think there are higher chances of getting an A* in History A Level.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 1

Rufuscat

I’d like to know if physics or maths is best as a third A level? Not keen to do 4

Reply 2

avacados1

I think u really need to be thinking of doing maths and physics for a good chance tbh

Reply 3

2500_2

Original post by katherine_p2

Does Imperial College School of Medicine show preference to taking Maths or/and Physics at A Level in addition to Biology and Chemistry?

I want to take History as my 3rd A Level but I feel this will jeopardize my chances of getting in to Imperial as they seem to be much more science oriented. I did achieve a 9 in GCSE Maths but Maths has never been a subject that I'm confident with therefore I wouldn't really want to risk it at A Level.

I'm not sure why so many students seem to distrust what the unis say. All medicine courses are hugely transparent about what they need (doctors care about ethics), there are no hidden agendas.

Imperial says:
Minimum entry standards
Our minimum entry standard for 2020 entry is AAA overall, to include:
A in Biology
A in Chemistry
A in a third subject
The minimum entry requirements must be met in one examination sitting.
General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted.
Typical offer range
As a guide, here are the typical offers made in 2018 to at least 85% of applicants studying A-levels:
Three A-level offer: A*AA (including an A* in either Biology or Chemistry).

Assessing your application
Admission to medicine at Imperial is highly competitive. We receive well over 2,400 applications for entry and interview about 850 candidates. We make approximately 600 offers.
We use a range of criteria to assess candidates. Candidates must meet the minimum academic requirements outlined in the section on entrance requirements and have high marks for the three sections of BMAT. No offers are made without applicants attending a competitive interview.
Candidates must:
have obtained or be predicted to obtain grades in A-levels, International or European Baccalaureate, or other acceptable qualifications that satisfy the School of Medicine’s academic criteria (see Entry requirements section, above)
sit the BMAT examination
apply by the deadline
If a candidate fulfils the minimum entry requirements and has scores in the top rankings for all three sections of the BMAT, the candidate's application form will be considered at the next stage of the selection process.
Selection panel
The selection panel comprises of teachers in undergraduate education with experience in the admissions process, who will decide whether to offer the candidate an interview. These decisions are ratified by one of the admissions tutors. The following criteria may be considered when assessing applications:
A-level or equivalent predicted (or achieved) grades
BMAT scores
Evidence of commitment to the values of the NHS Constitution
Motivation and understanding of medicine as a career
Community activities
Leadership and teamwork
Extracurricular interests
Referee’s report

All of which tells you History as your third Alevel is absolutely fine, indeed is the wiser choice if it's more likely to get you the higher grade and enable you to discuss and develop your values.
The only area you would need to be careful of is the BMAT which has both maths and physics sections. You can work specifically on those rather than needing an Alevel.