Medicine or law

I am currently on summer holidays, about to go into year 11 - meaning that I will be picking my a-levels soon, and I don't know what to pick. This is because I am struck between two completely different career choices that I'd need to pick different a levels for. I'd either focus on going into:
Law - I'd pick law, politics and history
or Medicine - I'd pick chemistry, biology and math
I feel like these a levels are really important as they will shape the career that I go into in the future
I'd think I'd prefer to pick the medicine route for a levels, as I enjoy the science/math kind of stuff and I am a predicted 9 for those subjects in gcse. So I could defo perform well for those on a-levels. I feel like taking the law route for a levels would be a lot harder as they are all essay based subjects and I might find them boring - I am a predicted 9 for gcse history though. So overall I'd prefer to take biology, chemistry and math for a-level as they are more interesting and I'd do better on them.
However, this would mean I'd be going the medical route - which would mean 11 years(I think) in med school - and from what I've heard underpaid and overworked. Meanwhile law, only a couple years in uni and generously payed. So the law route sounds more convincing career wise
Overall, I'd rather take medicine-related a levels but not sure if it is worth it as a career in law seems a lot better then one in medicine

Reply 1

annabel whittle

you can pick the a levels for medicine especially since you prefer it and still go into law because you don’t need a law degree to be a lawyer you just need to go to law school also the options for medicine are more competitive and respected (in my opinion) and also you don’t need any specific subjects for law so if you get good grades in your a levels for medicine and decide on law instead you can still go and do a degree in law if you want so i would suggest taking the a levels for medicine (you can switch during beginning of year 12 if you hate them) hope this helps <33

Reply 2

44444

Original post

by annabel whittle

So law schools won't mind if I have taken science and math subjects that don't really have anything to do with law?

Reply 3

annabel whittle

Original post

by 44444

So law schools won't mind if I have taken science and math subjects that don't really have anything to do with law?

well ig they would prefer at least one essay based subject but there are no actual subject requirements so if you got 3 A*s with your options for medicine and someone else got 3 A’s with your options for law then you would get in and they wouldn’t so grades are really the most important law school itself doesn’t require any a levels and don’t care at all what degree you did before or what a levels but if you want to do a law degree you can bear that in mind

Reply 4

McGinger

Original post

by 44444

So law schools won't mind if I have taken science and math subjects that don't really have anything to do with law?

There are NO requited subjects for Law.
Many people find an essay subject useful for skills/LNAT but this is not essential.
Science-heads make good Law students - its all to do with logic.

Reply 5

George&Mary

To add to the very good points above. GCSE Maths is not at all like A level maths.

A level Maths is NOT necessary to do medicine.

The best range of medical schools available would be got from Biology and Chem and one other - and most don’t care what that is. Oxbridge might like 3 sciences but they are an outlier. Most others want a combo of Bio / Chem and AN.Other.

So one option would be to do Bio/Chem and a third more narrative /essay writing based A level which will support and enhance your narrative / critical thinking skills which will be useful in Law.

Keep your options open and explore the two professions to see which interests you.

Reply 6

McGinger

List of entry requirements for all UK Med Schools :
Entry requirements | Medical Schools Council (medschools.ac.uk)

Reply 7

annabel whittle

Original post

by George&Mary

To add to the very good points above. GCSE Maths is not at all like A level maths.
A level Maths is NOT necessary to do medicine.
The best range of medical schools available would be got from Biology and Chem and one other - and most don’t care what that is. Oxbridge might like 3 sciences but they are an outlier. Most others want a combo of Bio / Chem and AN.Other.
So one option would be to do Bio/Chem and a third more narrative /essay writing based A level which will support and enhance your narrative / critical thinking skills which will be useful in Law.
Keep your options open and explore the two professions to see which interests you.