The Student Room Group

My gcse options - are they good for medicine?

My gcse options are:
Geography
Spanish
French
Further maths

I REALLY want to do history but my school won't allow it. If anyone could help me find tuition for GCSEs, I would really appreciate it. Is there any way I could study history outside of school and still take the GCSE exam?

Thanks!
Medical schools do not care what subjects you choose for GCSEs. They only potentially care about the grades, and even then not all medical schools score GCSEs (e.g. UCL and Imperial do not). Literally not something worth spending even one iota of mental energy on whatsoever. Take whatever subjects you like, just aim to get 8/9 grades in them if you can.

In fact I would note, particularly for posterity - no one cares what subjects you choose at GCSE. The only subjects anyone (universities or workplaces) care about are ones that are mandatory (English language and maths principally; occasionally science for certain degree subjects although much rarer now). It will literally never come up, ever, whether you got a given grade in GCSE Theoretical Quantum Biology vs in GCSE General Studies. Never.
(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 2

Original post by artful_lounger
Medical schools do not care what subjects you choose for GCSEs. They only potentially care about the grades, and even then not all medical schools score GCSEs (e.g. UCL and Imperial do not). Literally not something worth spending even one iota of mental energy on whatsoever. Take whatever subjects you like, just aim to get 8/9 grades in them if you can.
In fact I would note, particularly for posterity - no one cares what subjects you choose at GCSE. The only subjects anyone (universities or workplaces) care about are ones that are mandatory (English language and maths principally; occasionally science for certain degree subjects although much rarer now). It will literally never come up, ever, whether you got a given grade in GCSE Theoretical Quantum Biology vs in GCSE General Studies. Never.

Thank you! I'll keep that in mind 🙂

Reply 3

Original post by Sonia334
Thank you! I'll keep that in mind 🙂
u
I wouldn't bother with level 2 F Maths [it's not a GCSE] focus on getting top grades in the others.

Reply 4

Original post by Sonia334
My gcse options are:
Geography
Spanish
French
Further maths
I REALLY want to do history but my school won't allow it. If anyone could help me find tuition for GCSEs, I would really appreciate it. Is there any way I could study history outside of school and still take the GCSE exam?
Thanks!

why dont u do triple science?

Reply 5

Original post by evieparkes
why dont u do triple science?

I do triple science, eng lit and lang ofc, and top set maths. Those are compulsory tho

Reply 6

Original post by Sonia334
I do triple science, eng lit and lang ofc, and top set maths. Those are compulsory tho

I'm going into year 10 in September so haven't started yet

Reply 7

Original post by Sonia334
I'm going into year 10 in September so haven't started yet

But our teachers have given us an idea of what we'll get, my predicted grades are all 9
Original post by evieparkes
why dont u do triple science?

Also just to follow on from my previous comment - that also extends to triple vs combined science. Literally nobody including medical schools care which of the two you do. The material they expect you to know from GCSE science is all covered in combined science, and the A-level sciences don't in terms of the syllabus expect any knowledge of material beyond combined science.

Reply 9

Original post by artful_lounger
Also just to follow on from my previous comment - that also extends to triple vs combined science. Literally nobody including medical schools care which of the two you do. The material they expect you to know from GCSE science is all covered in combined science, and the A-level sciences don't in terms of the syllabus expect any knowledge of material beyond combined science.

Ok, thank you. Is doing 4 A-levels a good idea?
Original post by Sonia334
Ok, thank you. Is doing 4 A-levels a good idea?


No, I believe there are only one or two medical schools that give any kind of benefit to taking more than 3 A-levels (I think Queen's University Belfast used to be one and maybe Cardiff or one in the North? That has changed a few times over the years, although certainly it's true for the vast majority it's a non-factor).

Moreover, by taking 4 A-levels you run the risk of stretching yourself too thinly and getting worse results over 4 than excellent results in 3 - which is what you should be aiming for. A*ABC is much worse than A*AA as far as universities are concerned. This is true of essentially any course, not just medicine.

Reply 11

Original post by artful_lounger
No, I believe there are only one or two medical schools that give any kind of benefit to taking more than 3 A-levels (I think Queen's University Belfast used to be one and maybe Cardiff or one in the North? That has changed a few times over the years, although certainly it's true for the vast majority it's a non-factor).
Moreover, by taking 4 A-levels you run the risk of stretching yourself too thinly and getting worse results over 4 than excellent results in 3 - which is what you should be aiming for. A*ABC is much worse than A*AA as far as universities are concerned. This is true of essentially any course, not just medicine.

Thanks!

Quick Reply