Is it worth applying to Cambridge for medicine if I only take 2 sciences?

For reference I take bio,chem, and history. Is there a higher chance that I won't be invited to interview at all? Or is it just that due to the majority of applicants having 3 sciences, there's a higher percentage of them that get in.

This is ofc along with the notions I'm predicted A*A*A with good references and PS and all the rest.

Thanks guys.

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

Original post by quilapo

For reference I take bio,chem, and history. Is there a higher chance that I won't be invited to interview at all? Or is it just that due to the majority of applicants having 3 sciences, there's a higher percentage of them that get in.

This is ofc along with the notions I'm predicted A*A*A with good references and PS and all the rest.

Thanks guys.

i know someone in oxford doing medicine who did biochem and art so there's always a chance!

Reply 2

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by quilapo

For reference I take bio,chem, and history. Is there a higher chance that I won't be invited to interview at all? Or is it just that due to the majority of applicants having 3 sciences, there's a higher percentage of them that get in.

This is ofc along with the notions I'm predicted A*A*A with good references and PS and all the rest.

Thanks guys.

No, effectively. They previously advised this (dated from 2020):

"Please note that in the past three admissions rounds, 95% of applicants for Medicine (A100) offered three or more science/mathematics A Levels and, of these, 25% were successful in obtaining a place. Of the 4% of applicants who offered only two science/mathematics A Levels, just 5% were successful in gaining a place."

So while the vast majority of applicants are doing 3 STEM subjects (or more), it's especially worth noting that those who only offered 2 were significantly less successful - as of the 4% who applied with those, only 5% of that 4% were successful. So in total about 0.2% of the total applicants were successful with that background.

Cambridge ATs on here have also stated that while it's not a formal requirement, the end result is that those without 3 STEM subjects at A-level simply don't achieve competitive scores in the BMAT to get invited to interview, or if invited to interview can't achieve a competitive score in interview, compared to those who do 3 STEM subjects.

Since medicine is already so competitive you need to just be realistic and recognise that if you want to succeed in getting into medical school and becoming a doctor, you need to apply tactically and in this case applying to Cambridge is not a rational choice to achieve your end goal.

Also, as always, I will point out that where you go to medical school does not directly affect your career as a doctor since the GMC considers all medical schools equal, and the NHS is the only provide of graduate medical training in the UK and takes the GMC stance, and to ensure no bias they blind recruiters from your medical school to ensure that it can't influence the decision. So not going to Cambridge isn't going to make it harder or easier to go into whatever specialty for example.

Spoiler

Original post by Anonymous

i know someone in oxford doing medicine who did biochem and art so there's always a chance!

As above Cambridge is a bit of an anomaly among UK medical schools and the third subject does seem to change the admissions picture a lot. As you note though Oxford (and indeed every other medical school) have no such qualms (other than a couple preferring the third subject being an "academic" subject, but even that's just one or two).

(edited 7 months ago)

Is it worth applying to Cambridge for medicine if I only take 2 sciences?

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