The Student Room Group

a level choices for cambridge medicine

I have done a level biology chemistry and business and i am predicted three a stars. How bad is the fact that i did A level business going to be for my application as on the Cambridge entry requirements page it says only a few colleges accept only doing 2 science/maths subjects and only 3% who do 2 get in. Is it a waste of an application.
Thank you,
Original post by rotaryfd3s
I have done a level biology chemistry and business and i am predicted three a stars. How bad is the fact that i did A level business going to be for my application as on the Cambridge entry requirements page it says only a few colleges accept only doing 2 science/maths subjects and only 3% who do 2 get in. Is it a waste of an application.
Thank you,

I would argue that unless the rest of your application is exceptional even compared to other Cambridge applicants, it would be very unlikely that you would be able to get in. Medicine is already quite competitive so it may be more advisable to consider applying elsewhere.
Reply 2
Original post by rotaryfd3s
I have done a level biology chemistry and business and i am predicted three a stars. How bad is the fact that i did A level business going to be for my application as on the Cambridge entry requirements page it says only a few colleges accept only doing 2 science/maths subjects and only 3% who do 2 get in. Is it a waste of an application.
Thank you,

Which bit of the website are you looking at? My understanding is that from 2025 entry, Medicine applicants require 3 STEM subjects at A level, and Business does not appear in the list of valid subjects:

Medicine, MB and BChir | Undergraduate Study (cam.ac.uk)
Reply 3
Original post by davros
Which bit of the website are you looking at? My understanding is that from 2025 entry, Medicine applicants require 3 STEM subjects at A level, and Business does not appear in the list of valid subjects:
Medicine, MB and BChir | Undergraduate Study (cam.ac.uk)

To apply to Corpus Christi, Gonville and Caius, Fitzwilliam, Girton, Homerton, Murray Edwards, Newnham, Robinson, or Selwyn, you will need A level/IB Higher Level or the equivalent in:

Chemistry

At least one other science or mathematics subjects from:

Mathematics

Biology or Human Biology

Physics

Further Mathematics

Please note that in the past three admissions rounds, 93% of applicants for Medicine offered three or more science/mathematics A Levels and, of these, 19 per cent were successful in obtaining a place. Of the applicants who offered only two science/mathematics A Levels, fewer than 3% were successful in gaining a place.
Reply 4
Original post by rotaryfd3s
To apply to Corpus Christi, Gonville and Caius, Fitzwilliam, Girton, Homerton, Murray Edwards, Newnham, Robinson, or Selwyn, you will need A level/IB Higher Level or the equivalent in:

Chemistry

At least one other science or mathematics subjects from:

Mathematics

Biology or Human Biology

Physics

Further Mathematics

Please note that in the past three admissions rounds, 93% of applicants for Medicine offered three or more science/mathematics A Levels and, of these, 19 per cent were successful in obtaining a place. Of the applicants who offered only two science/mathematics A Levels, fewer than 3% were successful in gaining a place.

Well that's interesting, because there's another Medicine thread farther down in this forum where people who know far more about the current admission process than me are absolutely adamant that 3 STEM subjects are now required for Cambridge medicine!

My only advice now is for you to contact the Admissions Tutors of a few of those colleges and make sure that that website information is absolutely up-to-date.

At first glance, I would say your application would be "uncompetitive", but you never know until you ask :smile:
Original post by rotaryfd3s
I have done a level biology chemistry and business and i am predicted three a stars. How bad is the fact that i did A level business going to be for my application as on the Cambridge entry requirements page it says only a few colleges accept only doing 2 science/maths subjects and only 3% who do 2 get in. Is it a waste of an application.
Thank you,

So interestingly they do seem to have updated to reflect that a handful will in principle consider those with just 2 science/maths subjects (as earlier this year I'm pretty sure when I looked it simply said across the board 3 STEM subjects are required, which was a change from previous where they didn't specify it but did provide the caveat of how less likely to be successful they are).

However realistically you will be non-competitive and it's a waste of one of your 4 medicine slots to apply there with only 2 science/maths subejcts. Note also the 3% who succeeded with 2 schence/maths subjects are not 3% of the total - it's 3% of the only 7% who had 2 science/maths subjects to begin with. Out of all applicants, it's only 0.0021% who ultimately are successful that only have 2 science/maths subjects. Less than a half of a single % point of the total cohort - this is realistically going to be at most 1 person a year out of every person who applies to medicine for Cambridge. Medicine is about applying tactically and maximising your chances of an interview and offer. Don't waste that if you are already considerably less likely to be successful at one choice.

Ultimately in the UK where you do your medical degree doesn't matter. All medical schools are considered equal by the GMC, and the NHS takes the same position and to ensure no bias, they blind recruiters from your medical school for specialty training applications (and it is not factored in at all for foundation post placement) - and as the NHS is the only provider of graduate medical training posts, their opinion is the only one that really matters.
Reply 6
The 3 STEM for Cambridge medicine is a bone of contention, having been mandated by someone without the authority to do so. A ‘disagreement’ has erupted and this requirement will not be enforced for 2025 (though individual colleges may do so, as they’ve always been able to). What will transpire for 2026 is up for further discussion. If this affects you, talk to the admissions tutor at your preferred college(s) but don’t be surprised if there’s still some internal confusion over this!
Reply 7
Original post by artful_lounger
So interestingly they do seem to have updated to reflect that a handful will in principle consider those with just 2 science/maths subjects (as earlier this year I'm pretty sure when I looked it simply said across the board 3 STEM subjects are required, which was a change from previous where they didn't specify it but did provide the caveat of how less likely to be successful they are).
However realistically you will be non-competitive and it's a waste of one of your 4 medicine slots to apply there with only 2 science/maths subejcts. Note also the 3% who succeeded with 2 schence/maths subjects are not 3% of the total - it's 3% of the only 7% who had 2 science/maths subjects to begin with. Out of all applicants, it's only 0.0021% who ultimately are successful that only have 2 science/maths subjects. Less than a half of a single % point of the total cohort - this is realistically going to be at most 1 person a year out of every person who applies to medicine for Cambridge. Medicine is about applying tactically and maximising your chances of an interview and offer. Don't waste that if you are already considerably less likely to be successful at one choice.
Ultimately in the UK where you do your medical degree doesn't matter. All medical schools are considered equal by the GMC, and the NHS takes the same position and to ensure no bias, they blind recruiters from your medical school for specialty training applications (and it is not factored in at all for foundation post placement) - and as the NHS is the only provider of graduate medical training posts, their opinion is the only one that really matters.

i have just done my ucat and have received a very high score does this change things
Original post by rotaryfd3s
i have just done my ucat and have received a very high score does this change things

Doubtful. I'd consider it a wasted choice if you don't have 3 STEM subjects at A-level.

Fortunately which medical school you ultimately go to doesn't matter, and having a high UCAT should make it easier to actually get into a medical school somewhere. So just pick those where your high UCAT benefits you and apply to 4 such choices to maximise your chance of actually becoming a doctor in the end :smile:
Reply 9
Original post by artful_lounger
Doubtful. I'd consider it a wasted choice if you don't have 3 STEM subjects at A-level.
Fortunately which medical school you ultimately go to doesn't matter, and having a high UCAT should make it easier to actually get into a medical school somewhere. So just pick those where your high UCAT benefits you and apply to 4 such choices to maximise your chance of actually becoming a doctor in the end :smile:

im in the 99th percentile
Original post by rotaryfd3s
im in the 99th percentile

That doesn't change that as they have stated, those with only 2 STEM subjects at A-level tend to not be able to achieve competitive scores in the interview. And ultimately only 0.0021% of those with 2 STEM subjects are on average successful each year (i.e. less than one person per year).

It simply makes no sense. You only get 4 choices for medicine, you have a lest than half a % of a chance of success statistically whether you get interviewed or not at Cambridge, and since where you go to medical school makes zero difference because the NHS which is the only provider of graduate medical training posts makes it so recruiters can't see your medical school to ensure no bias, you are taking a huge gamble (or not even a gamble really at those rates, it's almost certainly a rejection) for literally zero benefit.

If you want to apply to Cambridge take a gap year and do some more science A-levels. Otherwise think about whether being a doctor is more important to you than applying (and most likely being rejected) from Cambridge.

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