The Student Room Group

Medicine entry requirement

Hi everyone
I’m new here, I’m planning getting back to uni ,I have just arrived about a year now and is really bit confusing for me,im planning of sitting for A levels exam for medicine.I understands i need chemistry ,biology and physics or mathematics in A levels.but I’m not sure of the GCSE courses and the different exam boards of a thing.please can someone throw some light on it
Reply 1
Original post by Best 12
Hi everyone
I’m new here, I’m planning getting back to uni ,I have just arrived about a year now and is really bit confusing for me,im planning of sitting for A levels exam for medicine.I understands i need chemistry ,biology and physics or mathematics in A levels.but I’m not sure of the GCSE courses and the different exam boards of a thing.please can someone throw some light on it


For a levels you you don’t necessarily need those subjects. I recommend you to look at the universities you would like to go to and look at the entry requirements on their sites. Most will ask for Biology Chemistry and then a third subject which can be mostly anything. Whilst you will be on the sites for the entry requirements you will be able to find the GCSE entry requirement too and be able to see how they are scored and if you have a chance or not. Lastly you will have to prepare for the UCAT the year before you start medicine, for example I have applied for next year entry(2025) but I sat the UCAT this year in August(2024).

Most unis requirements are different play to your strengths in order to give yourself the best chance possible.
Original post by Best 12
Hi everyone
I’m new here, I’m planning getting back to uni ,I have just arrived about a year now and is really bit confusing for me,im planning of sitting for A levels exam for medicine.I understands i need chemistry ,biology and physics or mathematics in A levels.but I’m not sure of the GCSE courses and the different exam boards of a thing.please can someone throw some light on it

Some of your assumptions are incorrect.

A-level requirements for UK medical schools do vary - most just require two sciences, however which are not always specified (usually it's either chemistry or biology plus another). Typically it's recommended to pick chemistry and biology at A-level as that gives you the option of every medical school regardless of your third subject which can be anything (except for Cambridge who are the only medical school requiring a third STEM subject to be competitive).

You can read more about medical school A-level requirements here: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5611422

For GCSE options it doesn't matter. The only required subjects will be UK national curriculum subjects you have to take anyway if you're a UK student i.e. maths, English language, and combined (double) science or each of the three sciences separately (there is no preference between the two options). Just take whichever subjects you think you'll get As or A*s (7-9) grades in as your options.

Exam board doesn't matter. Usually UK students have no choice over what exam board they take for a given subject as it's decided by the school.
(edited 3 months ago)
Reply 3
Original post by artful_lounger
Some of your assumptions are incorrect.
A-level requirements for UK medical schools do vary - most just require two sciences, however which are not always specified (usually it's either chemistry or biology plus another). Typically it's recommended to pick chemistry and biology at A-level as that gives you the option of every medical school regardless of your third subject which can be anything (except for Cambridge who are the only medical school requiring a third STEM subject to be competitive).
You can read more about medical school A-level requirements here: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5611422
For GCSE options it doesn't matter. The only required subjects will be UK national curriculum subjects you have to take anyway if you're a UK student i.e. maths, English language, and combined (double) science or each of the three sciences separately (there is no preference between the two options). Just take whichever subjects you think you'll get As or A*s (7-9) grades in as your options.
Exam board doesn't matter. Usually UK students have no choice over what exam board they take for a given subject as it's decided by the school.


Thank you very much, it was helpful I'm planning of applying for university of Glasgow they require AAA for chemistry and biology or physics or mathematics, I had go with physics, the GCSE is English at B .so I don't need doing other GCSE right?
Original post by Best 12
Thank you very much, it was helpful I'm planning of applying for university of Glasgow they require AAA for chemistry and biology or physics or mathematics, I had go with physics, the GCSE is English at B .so I don't need doing other GCSE right?

Did you not do GCSEs before your A-levels? Or if you are based in Scotland, Nat 5s and highers?
Reply 5
Original post by artful_lounger
Did you not do GCSEs before your A-levels? Or if you are based in Scotland, Nat 5s and highers?


No I didn’t do my GCSE here in Scotland, I have just relocated here
Original post by Best 12
No I didn’t do my GCSE here in Scotland, I have just relocated here


Ah, they will probably assess that level of education against whatever education system you came from. It may be worth contacting the uni to ask specifically what they would be looking for from your background in case you do need to take something. Note that Scotland has a different education format and typically students there do Nat5s/highers/advanced highers rather than GCSEs/A-levels.

May I as where you relocated to Scotland from? Within the UK or abroad?

Just as the situation is a bit more complex for both medicine and Scotland as medicine in general is one of only a small number of courses that have government imposed student number caps, and also government imposed quotas on the number of home fees vs international fees students. Scottish medical schools add another layer of complexity as they consider Scottish students separate to "RUK" (rest of UK) students separate to international students. So if you are an RUK or international student applying to a Scottish medical school it may be much more competitive.

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