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Need some advice choosing my A-levels

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Original post by RonnieRJ
Also if he takes physics instead of bio then he can't do medicine tho

He can. Usually, the standard line is that the medical school requires chemistry at A2 and at least one other science subject up to AS or that 2 science subjects must be taken to A2.

There is some variation and it's better to take bio than going half-way but bio isn't a definite requirement.
Original post by dairychocolate
He can. Usually, the standard line is that the medical school requires chemistry at A2 and at least one other science subject up to AS or that 2 science subjects must be taken to A2.

There is some variation and it's better to take bio than going half-way but bio isn't a definite requirement.


Yeah maybe not "can't do bio" but it limits them
And also it's easier to just do a more relevant subject to have a good basis of it for uni
Original post by RonnieRJ
Yeah maybe not "can't do bio" but it limits them
And also it's easier to just do a more relevant subject to have a good basis of it for uni

It's a small bonus as it slightly increases the number of options you have, yeah.

To be honest, the first part of many medical courses is just getting everyone to the same level academically and teaching basic consultation skills so A level choices don't really help in that respect.
Original post by dairychocolate
It's a small bonus as it slightly increases the number of options you have, yeah.

To be honest, the first part of many medical courses is just getting everyone to the same level academically and teaching basic consultation skills so A level choices don't really help in that respect.


How are you saying biology doesn't help for medicine... Lmao
Original post by RonnieRJ
How are you saying biology doesn't help for medicine... Lmao

Yeah, it makes basically no difference. Come at me.
Original post by dairychocolate
Yeah, it makes basically no difference. Come at me.


Lol ok, that's a bit illogical

Biology most definitely helps to give you a biological basis, especially Human Biology a level
Original post by RonnieRJ
Lol ok, that's a bit illogical

Biology most definitely helps to give you a biological basis, especially Human Biology a level

Someone who has got into a medical school can pick up the necessary info in the first few weeks of the course, where everyone is being taught the very basics, especially if it's a non-integrated course and the students don't need to worry about much clinical work to begin with.

There is so much irrelevant stuff in Bio that it's just not worth it for some people. If it was at all a big deal, all medical schools would demand it.
Original post by dairychocolate
Someone who has got into a medical school can pick up the necessary info in the first few weeks of the course, where everyone is being taught the very basics, especially if it's a non-integrated course and the students don't need to worry about much clinical work to begin with.

There is so much irrelevant stuff in Bio that it's just not worth it for some people. If it was at all a big deal, all medical schools would demand it.

Yes it's not a big deal but it
H E L P S
Original post by RonnieRJ
Yes it's not a big deal but it
H E L P S

As I said before, it makes 'basically no difference'. You can interpret that however you want.

You've gone from 'if he doesn't do bio, then he can't do med' to 'it's not a big deal but it helps'. Just give it up, lmao.
Original post by dairychocolate
As I said before, it makes 'basically no difference'. You can interpret that however you want.

You've gone from 'if he doesn't do bio, then he can't do med' to 'it's not a big deal but it helps'. Just give it up, lmao.


Omg I'm not giving it up, if you're sensible and want to do medicine you do bio A level, that's just what helps

There's a lot of human biology in the A level and if you want to study medicine it should be something that interests you, you should be inclined to take bio

Stop arguing over nothing, personally I think biology should be a preference in selection criteria
Original post by RonnieRJ
Omg I'm not giving it up, if you're sensible and want to do medicine you do bio A level, that's just what helps

I'm literally just saying that the help from taking bio at A level is going to make 'basically no difference'. You do bio at A level because you find it interesting and because it's generally easy UMS, not because it will provide some potential negligible benefit at uni if you keen out bio revision right before starting the medicine course.

I got 98% in A level bio and I can barely name the 4 major blood vessels connected to the heart. Someone who didn't do A level bio would be able to pick up the relevant info quickly and without real disadvantage, especially since that's what would be taught first in the medical course. Actual medical students have told me that.

There's a lot of human biology in the A level and if you want to study medicine it should be something that interests you, you should be inclined to take bio

I agree with that it's something a potential medic would be interested in but, even then, most of bio is non-human. Botany, animal behaviour and whatnot are wholly irrelevant to medicine.

Stop arguing over nothing, personally I think biology should be a preference in selection criteria

I think that there should be a preference for chem/bio/phys/maths in general, and there is.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by dairychocolate
I'm literally just saying that the help from taking bio at A level is going to make 'basically no difference'. You do bio at A level because you find it interesting and because it's generally easy UMS, not because it will provide some potential negligible benefit at uni if you keen out bio revision right before starting the medicine course.

I got 98% in A level bio and I can barely name the 4 major blood vessels connected to the heart. Someone who didn't do A level bio would be able to pick up the relevant info in no time, especially since that's what would be taught first in the medical course.


I agree with that it's something a potential medic would be interested in but, even then, most of bio is non-human. Botany, animal behaviour and whatnot are wholly irrelevant to medicine.


I think that there should be a preference for chem/bio/phys/maths in general, and there is.


Hun just because YOU do a levels wrong doesn't mean the medics will do...

You only got high UMS because you didn't bother learning or caring about the subject, you just memorised it for the exams. That's not the point and that's not what a medic should do. They'd be encouraged to read around the subject more especially on things like human anatomy. There is a huge bit of genetics, anatomy and the lot in biology, which may be relevant as soon as the start the course.

Saying an medicine applicant is alright without bio is like saying a physics applicant is alright without further maths. Yeah sure, they're alright to apply, but realistically taking more relevant subjects, whether or not this will be covered in the first term, will help someone get in. It's just like when Oxford say they have a preferance for FM with physics application despite everyone being brought up to the same level in the first term

Anyway I'm not arguing over this again, pointless argument, op will pick what they want I guess (but hopefully will listen to good old ronnie bc I know better sorry not sorry)
Original post by Speckle
I'd say Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry. If you're ok with ruling out medicine, I'd swap Chemistry for Economics.


Yeah obviously not for medicine but it will probably be nice to to have a bit of difference with an essay based subject like ecomonics and philosophy and ethics. Dont really know much about economics tho apart from you write essays because they dont offer it at my school
Original post by RonnieRJ
Hun just because YOU do a levels wrong doesn't mean the medics will do...

How do you know that 'the medics' approach A levels any differently to me, someone who has also applied for medicine?

You only got high UMS because you didn't bother learning or caring about the subject, you just memorised it for the exams. That's not the point and that's not what a medic should do.

First of all, you have no idea about whether I cared about the subject. In fact, as I said in my last comment, half of the reason I took it is because I found it interesting.

They'd be encouraged to read around the subject more especially on things like human anatomy. There is a huge bit of genetics, anatomy and the lot in biology, which may be relevant as soon as the start the course.

Yeah, I read about medically-related subjects and did extra work on areas I enjoyed. In fact, I wrote an 8,000 word EPQ on an interesting biomedical subject so it's not like I'm just a passion-less robot churning out grades.

As I keep saying, covering that info in year 12 and 13 (and then basically taking 4/5 months to unwind before uni) doesn't confer any significant advantage to a medic.

If someone desperately wants a bit of an edge, they can read up on some anatomy or relevant subjects before they start the course or before a term starts, but then anyone can do that; it doesn't require a 2 year A-level.

Saying an medicine applicant is alright without bio is like saying a physics applicant is alright without further maths. Yeah sure, they're alright to apply, but realistically taking more relevant subjects, whether or not this will be covered in the first term, will help someone get in. It's just like when Oxford say they have a preferance for FM with physics application despite everyone being brought up to the same level in the first term

That's only relevant for unis that actually specify they have a preference for biology.

Anyway I'm not arguing over this again, pointless argument, op will pick what they want I guess (but hopefully will listen to good old ronnie bc I know better sorry not sorry)

Keep in mind that I told OP that biology and chemistry would be ideal on the first page of this thread. I just believe that you should study biology because you enjoy it and are good at it, not because of the idea that it's going to give you a real edge when you start medicine.

Lmao, you obviously don't know better. You're the one who originally said you couldn't do med without bio. pls
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 34
Original post by m.dani
Right so I'm on my last year of GCSE's and have started attending Post 16 opening evenings.

I have decided that I will be carrying on education in sixth form (preferably at the same school) and we are now starting to decide what 4 A-levels to choose. I don't really know what career I want to follow but I am currently considering medicine, teaching or something computer related seen as I enjoy working with others and helping people. My strongest subjects by far are Maths, Computer Science/ IT and Business. I have no idea what A-levels I should choose however I have managed to narrow the subjects down to Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, Philosophy & Ethics, Maths and Further Maths. Can anyone that has taken these subjects or has considered taking them possibly give an opinion on which of these 7 subjects I should choose as my 4 A-levels based both on difficulty and the benefit in terms of applying for universities?

Also a subject leader suggested I did economics as he thinks I would do well in it and earn a fair amount of UCAS points, does anyone think this would be a good idea?

Any advice is greatly appreciated and thank you :smile:



Hi, I am currently doing my first year of a level (Further maths, Biology, Chemistry and Economics) and am planning to do medicine. I have also done ICT, business & economics and R.Ethics in gcse and have similar struggle as you while I was deciding on my subject choice a year ago.

As most people here have said before if you are looking into medicine, you will need chemistry and preferably biology and maths/ physics.

Further maths is pretty much optional if you are not considering doing maths in uni, although it does make your combination more competitive, most medicine courses don't look at further maths and maths as separate subjects. However, if you feel like you can cope with it easily, by all means go ahead and do it. Im not sure about your school, but in mine, by the end of the first year a level Fmaths, we would have sat our A level normal maths --meaning that I have the option to quit Fmaths after a year if I want and still hold an a level maths grade for uni.

I have also started my a level year doing Physics (instead of economics), as it was my strongest science, but then I felt like my choices are too science heavy and I enjoy economics much more, so I switched. As your career choice doesn't seem to need Physics or philosophy, I would say decide whether to do it or not base on your interest, (and also see if you might consider doing anything like engineering, than Physics is a yes). Both of these subjects will strengthen your UCAS but since you are deciding on so many subjects, you might want to eliminate those that won't be required for your uni course.

In terms of economics, as you are good at business and from what your teacher said, there is a fair chance you will be good at it. But then doing it just because of UCAS points, while you are not originally considering taking it, seems like a waste when you could have filled that option with a subject you like more and get the same high score as you would in economics.

As for computer science, if you are passionate and good at it then definitely keep it.

My advice will be let yourself time to figure out what you enjoy most and what career path you want to go down to, then decide on your subjects from there. Everyone is going to give different opinion, but at the end of the day, you are the one who know what works best for you. Good luck.
Your best and most flexible bet is to stick with what most universities prefer.

No point in taking subjects like CompSc which is not being 'counted' or taken seriously by the Admission when they compare you with other applicants. It would be sort of wasted effort. A grade A in Economics or Physics carries more weight than an A or even A* in Comp Sc. Admissions allocate points to them in an effort to compare different applicants.

Maths, Chemistry and Biology for sure,
and Physics or Economics

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