Help Please ! A-level Choices

I am doing 10 Gcse's and my predicted grades are a mix of 7/8s.
Realistically , i hope i can do better and i am aiming for mostly 9s and some 8s.

A-level Choices

- I HAVE to take maths ( It is not a choice)
- I would like to do biology and physics ( i enjoy these subjects)
- I currently want to do medicine ( I know this can change)

I have a problem , to do medicine literally anywhere and to get into the top unis you need to to CHEMISTRY.
I HATE chemistry though , i find it hard and boring ( I want to get better but i am really struggling).
I dont know what to do though ..

I want to do maths , phy , bio
but
feel inclined to do chem , bio , maths

1) What can i do at top unis if i do maths , phy , bio ?
2) Is there anyway around this ?

Reply 1

TSR Hippocrates

Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum. :biggrin:

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Reply 2

DerDracologe

Study Forum Helper

Original post

by oxford27

I am doing 10 Gcse's and my predicted grades are a mix of 7/8s.
Realistically , i hope i can do better and i am aiming for mostly 9s and some 8s.
A-level Choices
- I HAVE to take maths ( It is not a choice)
- I would like to do biology and physics ( i enjoy these subjects)
- I currently want to do medicine ( I know this can change)
I have a problem , to do medicine literally anywhere and to get into the top unis you need to to CHEMISTRY.
I HATE chemistry though , i find it hard and boring ( I want to get better but i am really struggling).
I dont know what to do though ..
I want to do maths , phy , bio
but
feel inclined to do chem , bio , maths
1) What can i do at top unis if i do maths , phy , bio ?
2) Is there anyway around this ?

Hi again!
With bio, physics and maths you should be able to do a broad variety of degrees! For Oxford for example you should meet the subject requirements for all STEM degrees except Biochemistry, Chemistry and medicine. This gives you around 15 degrees there alone if you’re going into STEM (assumed based on your choices). Other unis will also have more options so there’s plenty for you to look at without having to take Chem which you wont enjoy. You could study engineering, computer science, biology, physics, something in ecology, biomedical science at a number of places etc, you’ve still got lots of options even without chem. Have a great day :smile:

Reply 3

username6990201

Original post

by oxford27

I am doing 10 Gcse's and my predicted grades are a mix of 7/8s.
Realistically , i hope i can do better and i am aiming for mostly 9s and some 8s.
A-level Choices
- I HAVE to take maths ( It is not a choice)
- I would like to do biology and physics ( i enjoy these subjects)
- I currently want to do medicine ( I know this can change)
I have a problem , to do medicine literally anywhere and to get into the top unis you need to to CHEMISTRY.
I HATE chemistry though , i find it hard and boring ( I want to get better but i am really struggling).
I dont know what to do though ..
I want to do maths , phy , bio
but
feel inclined to do chem , bio , maths
1) What can i do at top unis if i do maths , phy , bio ?
2) Is there anyway around this ?

Regarding other courses, does your school offer further maths? If it does, competitive universities may not be too keen on you for courses like physics, engineering and computer science if you have chosen to avoid further maths because they want people who enjoy maths and are good at it.

Regarding medicine, for what it's worth, i've heard from a lot of prospective medicine students that they don't like chemistry either, and just do it because it's a requirement and they want to study medicine.

I think you should try to figure out whether or not you want to do medicine before you start your A levels, because if you do you'll have to take chemistry, which would be a waste if you change your mind about medicine later. Try to read some books and watch some lectures about medicine, ideally try to get some work experience if this is possible? To get a flavour and help you decide if you want to do it. If you decide no to medicine, you'll be able to do subjects you enjoy with peace of mind, but if you decide yes, you'll have to figure out a way to take on Chemistry.

Reply 4

George&Mary

Original post

by oxford27

I am doing 10 Gcse's and my predicted grades are a mix of 7/8s.
Realistically , i hope i can do better and i am aiming for mostly 9s and some 8s.
A-level Choices
- I HAVE to take maths ( It is not a choice)
- I would like to do biology and physics ( i enjoy these subjects)
- I currently want to do medicine ( I know this can change)
I have a problem , to do medicine literally anywhere and to get into the top unis you need to to CHEMISTRY.
I HATE chemistry though , i find it hard and boring ( I want to get better but i am really struggling).
I dont know what to do though ..
I want to do maths , phy , bio
but
feel inclined to do chem , bio , maths
1) What can i do at top unis if i do maths , phy , bio ?
2) Is there anyway around this ?

Hi,

It is always good to keep your options open I think, and if you are thinking about medicine, do try and get a bit of work experience or do some research because it is a long hard slog if you then decide it’s not for you.

All medical schools are GMC accredited or supported. There is done to a consistent standard so there is no top-uni for medicine. The best uni for medicine is the med school which you can get a place at. That means applying strategically.

This means not being stuck on any particular med school at the outset, and choosing the one that works best for you at that time with the biggest chance of success. As it stands now, not all medical schools require chemistry A level at all. Although not doing chemistry will limit your choice slightly, and you may need to do well in your entrance exams or do a bit of volunteering and work experience to support your application as they may look at you in the round not just your grades.

The important thing is to have three strong A levels, and if you don’t do chem then I would strongly suggest Bio and one or ideally two of phys or maths.

Just throwing that in there, because it isn’t ESSENTIAL to do Chem to do med, but it will certainly help keep your options open.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 5

lalexm

Original post

by oxford27

I am doing 10 Gcse's and my predicted grades are a mix of 7/8s.
Realistically , i hope i can do better and i am aiming for mostly 9s and some 8s.
A-level Choices
- I HAVE to take maths ( It is not a choice)
- I would like to do biology and physics ( i enjoy these subjects)
- I currently want to do medicine ( I know this can change)
I have a problem , to do medicine literally anywhere and to get into the top unis you need to to CHEMISTRY.
I HATE chemistry though , i find it hard and boring ( I want to get better but i am really struggling).
I dont know what to do though ..
I want to do maths , phy , bio
but
feel inclined to do chem , bio , maths
1) What can i do at top unis if i do maths , phy , bio ?
2) Is there anyway around this ?

Sorry to be blunt, but taking Chemistry when you hate it and find it hard and boring will be recipe for disaster. You will probably not get the min A grade needed to have any chance of getting into medical school, plus you would have had 2 years of doing a subject you hate, plus you will have closed doors to other degrees that needed the subjects you liked.

Are you sure you want to do medicine?

Reply 6

NotRike

Original post

by oxford27

I am doing 10 Gcse's and my predicted grades are a mix of 7/8s.
Realistically , i hope i can do better and i am aiming for mostly 9s and some 8s.
A-level Choices
- I HAVE to take maths ( It is not a choice)
- I would like to do biology and physics ( i enjoy these subjects)
- I currently want to do medicine ( I know this can change)
I have a problem , to do medicine literally anywhere and to get into the top unis you need to to CHEMISTRY.
I HATE chemistry though , i find it hard and boring ( I want to get better but i am really struggling).
I dont know what to do though ..
I want to do maths , phy , bio
but
feel inclined to do chem , bio , maths
1) What can i do at top unis if i do maths , phy , bio ?
2) Is there anyway around this ?

In that case, just take maths, bio, physics. You can always go into biomedical engineering if you so wish, and if you really hate chemistry with a vengeance don't take it, as you won't learn as efficiently.