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Number of GCSE's for Medicine

My son is studying 10 GCSE's but considering dropping one which he struggles most at to focus on the other 9 and achieve the best grades he can. He would eventually like to study medicine. From what I have read most universities consider no more than your best 9 GCSE's. His school is advising to stick with the 10 as it will look better. Any help appreciated!
(edited 9 months ago)
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Reply 2
Original post by Anne_mcgrath2000
My son is studying 10 GCSE's but considering dropping one which he struggles most at to focus on the other 9 and achieve the best grades he can. He would eventually like to study medicine. From what I have read most universities consider no more than your best 9 GCSE's. His school is advising to stick with the 10 as it will look better. Any help appreciated!

I understand why you want to drop ,but you don't leave any room for movement as he needs to do well in the 9 subjects. Also it depends on the subject he is dropping and if it is opening any A level subject.
Reply 3
Original post by Ibmoahsa
I understand why you want to drop ,but you don't leave any room for movement as he needs to do well in the 9 subjects. Also it depends on the subject he is dropping and if it is opening any A level subject.

It's a language (compulsory to pick one at his school). The other 9 subjects are going well but to get near an A in the language it will be a lot of work.
Original post by Anne_mcgrath2000
My son is studying 10 GCSE's but considering dropping one which he struggles most at to focus on the other 9 and achieve the best grades he can. He would eventually like to study medicine. From what I have read most universities consider no more than your best 9 GCSE's. His school is advising to stick with the 10 as it will look better. Any help appreciated!


Really variable depending on medical school. Some score all GCSEs (e.g. Oxford), some only score a set number (e.g. Birmingham), some don't score any at all and just have minimum requirements (e.g. UCL, Imperial). Others are holistic and consider all the information (e.g. Cambridge).

It's fine, he can drop it and focus on doing as well as he can in the rest. He'll have plenty of options later still, he just may want to avoid one or two potentially).
Reply 5
Original post by artful_lounger
Really variable depending on medical school. Some score all GCSEs (e.g. Oxford), some only score a set number (e.g. Birmingham), some don't score any at all and just have minimum requirements (e.g. UCL, Imperial). Others are holistic and consider all the information (e.g. Cambridge).

It's fine, he can drop it and focus on doing as well as he can in the rest. He'll have plenty of options later still, he just may want to avoid one or two potentially).

Thanks appreciate the advice!
Original post by Anne_mcgrath2000
My son is studying 10 GCSE's but considering dropping one which he struggles most at to focus on the other 9 and achieve the best grades he can. He would eventually like to study medicine. From what I have read most universities consider no more than your best 9 GCSE's. His school is advising to stick with the 10 as it will look better. Any help appreciated!

Hi, I currently study medicine at UoM.

Number of GCSEs is generally irrelevant, the expectation is generally at least 5 GCSEs at grade 7.

It's much more important to get those higher grades than have a 10th GCSE
Reply 7
Original post by Anne_mcgrath2000
My son is studying 10 GCSE's but considering dropping one which he struggles most at to focus on the other 9 and achieve the best grades he can. He would eventually like to study medicine. From what I have read most universities consider no more than your best 9 GCSE's. His school is advising to stick with the 10 as it will look better. Any help appreciated!


Im in y13 and I’ve applied for medicine and have had 3 interviews and one rejection. I did 9 GCSES and got 5 8s, 3 7s and 1 grade 3. So from my personal experience I genuinely think if he’s getting overwhelmed by 10, he can easily drop 1 and jus focus on getting 7 or above on the other 9 subjects, bc as other people have said the grades are much more important than the quantity of subjects he does. Most Unis don’t really look at GCSEs ( you jus need grade 6 or above in 5 subjects). But some do such as Oxford, Cambridge but even then 9 GCSEs are fine. Most of the focus is on work exp, UCAT, and A levels
Reply 8
Original post by Arii256
Im in y13 and I’ve applied for medicine and have had 3 interviews and one rejection. I did 9 GCSES and got 5 8s, 3 7s and 1 grade 3. So from my personal experience I genuinely think if he’s getting overwhelmed by 10, he can easily drop 1 and jus focus on getting 7 or above on the other 9 subjects, bc as other people have said the grades are much more important than the quantity of subjects he does. Most Unis don’t really look at GCSEs ( you jus need grade 6 or above in 5 subjects). But some do such as Oxford, Cambridge but even then 9 GCSEs are fine. Most of the focus is on work exp, UCAT, and A levels

Not entirely true
13 med schools score GCSE (14 at least, next year)
Another 9 have GCSE minimum requirements higher than 5 x 6s.
Cambridge has no definitive GCSE requirements

But better to do well in 9 than less well in 10, so dropping one is almost certainly the best option
Original post by Anne_mcgrath2000

It's a language (compulsory to pick one at his school). The other 9 subjects are going well but to get near an A in the language it will be a lot of work.


wht language is he studying ??
Reply 10
Original post by sara572729
wht language is he studying ??

Irish
Original post by Anne_mcgrath2000

Irish


nvm was gonna say if it’s Spanish I could help but it’s not. Good luck w Irish though :smile:
Reply 12
Original post by GANFYD
Not entirely true
13 med schools score GCSE (14 at least, next year)
Another 9 have GCSE minimum requirements higher than 5 x 6s.
Cambridge has no definitive GCSE requirements

But better to do well in 9 than less well in 10, so dropping one is almost certainly the best option

is this some insider info you have that Newcastle will next year move scoring GCSEs now ? why do you think newc are changing their entry requirements , is it too many applicants / without GCSE requirements not qualified enough applicants ?
Reply 13
Original post by examboard
is this some insider info you have that Newcastle will next year move scoring GCSEs now ? why do you think newc are changing their entry requirements , is it too many applicants / without GCSE requirements not qualified enough applicants ?

I think they have been pretty open about it at open days, etc. I don't know their reasoning for the change, for sure, but they are planning on scoring 8s and 9s differently, so may feel it adds some academic certainty
Original post by Anne_mcgrath2000
My son is studying 10 GCSE's but considering dropping one which he struggles most at to focus on the other 9 and achieve the best grades he can. He would eventually like to study medicine. From what I have read most universities consider no more than your best 9 GCSE's. His school is advising to stick with the 10 as it will look better. Any help appreciated!

do 10 if it is compulsory but focus on the cores
I achieved 8 9's and an 8 at gcse but scored a 6 in english language so I couldn't apply to GCSE heavy unis due to this GCSE
so I stay stick to 10 but focus on the cores and 2 of the options instead as no med school cares if you have a 9 in german if you have a 6 in english language:/
Original post by Arii256
Im in y13 and I’ve applied for medicine and have had 3 interviews and one rejection. I did 9 GCSES and got 5 8s, 3 7s and 1 grade 3. So from my personal experience I genuinely think if he’s getting overwhelmed by 10, he can easily drop 1 and jus focus on getting 7 or above on the other 9 subjects, bc as other people have said the grades are much more important than the quantity of subjects he does. Most Unis don’t really look at GCSEs ( you jus need grade 6 or above in 5 subjects). But some do such as Oxford, Cambridge but even then 9 GCSEs are fine. Most of the focus is on work exp, UCAT, and A levels

I find your post very relieving for me as I was super anxious about my GCSE grades to apply to medicine. I have got very similar grades of you 5 8s, 3 7s and 2 6s. But 1 6 is in English language. Do you think it would be problem in applying for medicine. Would you please share your journey to apply to medicine?
Reply 16
Original post by Arii256
Im in y13 and I’ve applied for medicine and have had 3 interviews and one rejection. I did 9 GCSES and got 5 8s, 3 7s and 1 grade 3. So from my personal experience I genuinely think if he’s getting overwhelmed by 10, he can easily drop 1 and jus focus on getting 7 or above on the other 9 subjects, bc as other people have said the grades are much more important than the quantity of subjects he does. Most Unis don’t really look at GCSEs ( you jus need grade 6 or above in 5 subjects). But some do such as Oxford, Cambridge but even then 9 GCSEs are fine. Most of the focus is on work exp, UCAT, and A levels
Which universities did you get accepted by?

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