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Reply 1
I m sure a competitive course like Medicine would require you to do maths (probably at AS and A2 level) but don't take my word for this. Why don't you check out the Cambridge Undergraduates Admissions website?
Reply 2
Cambridge Undergraduate Admissions
All Colleges strongly prefer applicants to have Chemistry A level.

All Colleges prefer applicants to have two science/mathematics subjects at A level – note that most applicants for Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge have at least three science/mathematics A levels. Applicants with two science/mathematics A levels will be expected to have scientific ability comparable with those who are taking three and will, wherever possible, be considered equally with them.

The following Colleges prefer applicants to have three science/mathematics subjects at A level: Christ’s, Jesus, Magdalene, Newnham, St John’s, Trinity. In the case of Magdalene, this must include A level Mathematics.

Colleges (except Christ's, St John's and Trinity) will, exceptionally, consider applicants taking only one science subject at A level, provided this subject is Chemistry. In this case you will still be expected to show a very high level of scientific ability. You are likely to be disadvantaged in all Colleges when compared with those of comparable ability taking more science/mathematics A levels.


It's all in the prospectus. From anecdotal evidence I've rarely met a Cambridge medic with 2 science A levels, although I know a few Oxford ones.
Reply 3
thanks. yeh, i ended up checking that out. wonder if i can come across any of the few people that got accepted with just the two!

oxford just wants the two. no maths needed. :smile:
Reply 4
Apply to Oxford. :p:
Reply 5
People who are applying cambridge for medicine. Which college you applying to and wat are your grades gcse and As levels.
Reply 6
beansontoast
i was just wondering if anyone could tell me whether cambridge medicine admission necessates maths to be taken as an as/a level and if anyone has been accepted with only two science a-levels?


thanks for your help!! :redface:


I've been on a quite a few open days, visits and other programmes to get in touch with a few Cantab medics and even though you could scratch through in theory with 2 science A levels, 'almost' all had three (Maths, Chem + Bio) being the popular combo. Some even had four which included Physics.

Play to your strengths, if you don't want to do Maths AS/A2 level then don't. Take a subject which is respected and you would do well in (maybe a humanities or an arts subject like History, a MFL, English, etc.)
Reply 7
Excalibur
It's all in the prospectus. From anecdotal evidence I've rarely met a Cambridge medic with 2 science A levels, although I know a few Oxford ones.


It's mostly true- i don't know any cam medics with less than 3 science A-levels. Most have at least 3 if not 4 and/or an art. However if you only have two then there is no reason why you will be disadvantaged- remember its all about potential and many other factors...
Reply 8
*Points to Medics Forum, home of the Cambs and other medics*
Reply 9
hey, i've been given a book to get before i go to cambs called "essential cell biology", i'm a fresher. however, i heard this book isn't really needed until the second year, is this true and what books do you actually needed for the first year?

also when should i buy the books?

*bit off topic but didn't needed a whole thread to itself*
Reply 10
jason_88
hey, i've been given a book to get before i go to cambs called "essential cell biology", i'm a fresher. however, i heard this book isn't really needed until the second year, is this true and what books do you actually needed for the first year?

also when should i buy the books?


Ok, well for anatomy you don't need any books as you'll get a dissection guide which has everything you need to know. You may want to/have to read extra for supervisions in which case books such as 'Clinically orientated anatomy' by Moore and Dalley and 'Instant Anatomy' by Whitiker are useful. You probably don't want to buy these as your college library will have them.

For biochem (MIMS) again the notes are pretty comprehensive. To copmplment the course a book reffered to as 'VVP' (actually called fundementals of biochemisty, authors are Voet, Voet and Pratt) is recomended. Your book essential cell bio would be useful for a small amount of lectures on the cell cycle/DNA replication/protein synthesis after Christmas.

For physiology (HOM) again the notes are enough. It's hard to recommend a single book but if i had to id say 'physiology' by Berne and Levy as i think it's better than the alternative Gyton and Hall. Having said that some of the books which cover topics individually such as 'Neurophysiology' by Carpenter, 'Introduction to cardiovascular physiology' by levik, etc... often can be helpful to get out of the library.

Tbh i wouldn't buy the books until a few weeks into term. This may sound crazy but if you buy one anatomy book then discover you actually get more out of another you could have wasted £40-50! For this reason i'd advise you use your college library for the first few weeks to make an informed decision. As Dr Carpenter, a HOM lectureer, once said to us in an email about this 'So buying a textbook is highly personal: it's a bit like choosing a partner!
You wouldn't buy a wife from a Heffer's cut-price sale.'...
Reply 11
cool, cool. i was expecting something like that. in my letter they basically told me to buy the book now and study the thing before i arrive which i thought was a bit premature.
Reply 12
I think it would be good to have a textbook for Anatomy to refer to at first - I was actually rather lost for the first couple of weeks because the dissection guide assumes some prior knowledge... which I didn't have! So I was actually using Snell instead of the dissection guide for the first couple of weeks before the dissection guide became more useful for me. And a textbook is good for Anatomy essays as well... The Anatomy colouring book can be fun but isn't really very useful...

I survived MIMS without VVP. Essential cell biology was REALLY useful for the lectures on cell signalling though, where the lecturer only gave out brief notes on the topic. Otherwise the notes are very good. =)

I regret buying textbooks for HOM - I bought Guyton+Hall and Ganong last year and hardly used them. The lecture notes are pretty good for HOM, at any rate - a friend from Oxford was practically begging me to send her our HOM lecture notes!
I was advised to take 3 science/maths subjects at my school - so therefore you'd be allowed to go to any uni :smile: . I think I read in the Cambridge prospectus that some of their colleges DO prefer you to have 3 science/maths subjects.

K xxx
Reply 14
jason_88
cool, cool. i was expecting something like that. in my letter they basically told me to buy the book now and study the thing before i arrive which i thought was a bit premature.


Lol, i think they're having a laugh! Best thing to do is make sure you know everything on that list of concepts they send you, if they still do that.
Reply 15
by the way - for cambridge medics who have all sciences at A-level, have any of you been required to get a specific grade in general studies?

someone at my sixth form this year got an offere conditional upon getting AAA at A-level plus a B in gen studies - has anyone else been in the same sitation? apparently this is due to the admissions tutor wanting to see whether the applicant can write essays properly.
psyche87
I think it would be good to have a textbook for Anatomy to refer to at first - I was actually rather lost for the first couple of weeks because the dissection guide assumes some prior knowledge... which I didn't have! So I was actually using Snell instead of the dissection guide for the first couple of weeks before the dissection guide became more useful for me. And a textbook is good for Anatomy essays as well... The Anatomy colouring book can be fun but isn't really very useful...

I survived MIMS without VVP. Essential cell biology was REALLY useful for the lectures on cell signalling though, where the lecturer only gave out brief notes on the topic. Otherwise the notes are very good. =)

I regret buying textbooks for HOM - I bought Guyton+Hall and Ganong last year and hardly used them. The lecture notes are pretty good for HOM, at any rate - a friend from Oxford was practically begging me to send her our HOM lecture notes!


I agree with all of this (except the anatomy colouring book, I thought it was great!) In anatomy a text book is REALLY useful: in theory you can pass if you just learn everything in the dissection manual, but it's almost impossible to *understand* stuff using just the manual. A text book with good illustrations gives you a much better idea of how everything fits together, and makes it a lot easier to learn. But I'd say don't buy for a couple of weeks at least.

I worked in the college library a lot last year rather than in my room, and especially for HOM and MIMS this was really useful, because different text books tend to be good for different topics, so I'd be lookign at 2 or 3 for a HOM essay, say. It's harder if you work in your room a lot, because it's a pain to be dragging piles of fat textbooks back and forward!
Reply 17
parsleythelion
I worked in the college library a lot last year rather than in my room, and especially for HOM and MIMS this was really useful, because different text books tend to be good for different topics, so I'd be lookign at 2 or 3 for a HOM essay, say. It's harder if you work in your room a lot, because it's a pain to be dragging piles of fat textbooks back and forward!


Totally agree- stops you going slowly mad on your own as well!
Reply 18
You don't need 3 a levels for medicine. I'm a medic and I did Maths, English, French, Bio and Chem at as-level (scottish highers really but similar) and english, bio and chem for advanced higher and got an AAB offer. Some colleges require three science a levels right enough. I wasn't at a disadvantage at all with regards the nature of the work because I didn't do adv higher maths.

Don't be scared by the anatomy manual when they first give you it and tell you to read the first session by the next day or whatever. Everyone is baffled by it-I remember thinking it might as well be written in another language! Have a go at it with a medical dictionary or google's define function but don't worry if you're still a bit lost-all will become clear in dissection. Within a few sessions you'll be recognising the words and it will make much more sense! And i agree with the tb choices above and most of our lecture notes are superb. All of the pictures inMcMinn's colour anatomy are from cadavers dissected in cambridge which is great because its similar to the specimens you get in the exam. I also bought netter's flashcards which are really good and handy because you can put them in your lab coat pocket and use them during dissection/procedures.
Reply 19
Hi, I was just wondering, do people often get into medicine with scottish highers and advanced highers? Will i be at a disadvantage?

Also, is it worth going to cambridge when i will have to pay tuition fees there but wouldn't as a scottish student?
nce
The other thing is, would i have to pay tuition fees up front or do i get a loan to cover it unitl i'm earning. My parents are both GPs so if the loan was income assessed i don't think i would be eligible.

Sorry for all the questions and thank-you in advance!