A level subjects - Medicine vs Biomedical engineering

3

hi, I am deciding which subjects to choose for A level according to the requirements of studying medicine/biomedical engineering in university.
So I want to study medicine in the future, but I thought about doing a biomedical engineering degree as well. Also I like maths a lot so I am definitely doing further maths A level.The problem is that I can only choose up to four subjects for A level in the college I want to apply for. If I choose biology chemistry further maths maths I would not be able to do physics which means that I can't do biomedical engineering as it requires physics.
Would you recommend me to study medicine or biomedical engineering?

Reply 1

stilllearning123

16

Original post

by nicole07.

hi, I am deciding which subjects to choose for A level according to the requirements of studying medicine/biomedical engineering in university.
So I want to study medicine in the future, but I thought about doing a biomedical engineering degree as well. Also I like maths a lot so I am definitely doing further maths A level.The problem is that I can only choose up to four subjects for A level in the college I want to apply for. If I choose biology chemistry further maths maths I would not be able to do physics which means that I can't do biomedical engineering as it requires physics.
Would you recommend me to study medicine or biomedical engineering?

For medicine, you don't even need 4 a-levels, only 3, same for any uni course unless specifically stated on their website they are looking for more. If not, they will not look more favourably on someone with an extra a-level.
However, further maths counts as more like half an a-level compared to others as you already take maths, so its not something to worry about.

If you want to do medicine, all you should apply to is medicine. If you do biomedical engineering the only way you will make it into medicine is through a graduate entry medicine course, so it is much easier to just apply from the start and with your 5th choice (you can only apply to 4 medical schools and one separate course) use it as a safety.

I would hope you know this, but medicine relies on far far more than just your a-levels, as there are thousands of applicants for each medicine course at each uni, something like 1 in 8 get a place, and everyone has all As at a-level.

If you need any more help with what you should be doing to get into medical school, just ask and I can help, I don't want to just say loads of stuff you might already know.

Best of luck to you!

Reply 2

McGinger

20

2025 entry requirements for each Med School - check the entry requirements and you'll see that you dont always require both Chem and Bio : Entry requirements | Medical Schools Council

Its worth trying to get some Care Home or Hospital voluntary work-experience over the summer to see if Med work appeals or not. If it doesnt, you could then decide to take BioMed /BioEng appropriate A levels in September.

Reply 3

user298591

11

Biomedical engineering defo, med school is too long and being a med applicant is SO long.

Reply 4

nicole07.

OP

3

Original post

by stilllearning123

For medicine, you don't even need 4 a-levels, only 3, same for any uni course unless specifically stated on their website they are looking for more. If not, they will not look more favourably on someone with an extra a-level.
However, further maths counts as more like half an a-level compared to others as you already take maths, so its not something to worry about.
If you want to do medicine, all you should apply to is medicine. If you do biomedical engineering the only way you will make it into medicine is through a graduate entry medicine course, so it is much easier to just apply from the start and with your 5th choice (you can only apply to 4 medical schools and one separate course) use it as a safety.
I would hope you know this, but medicine relies on far far more than just your a-levels, as there are thousands of applicants for each medicine course at each uni, something like 1 in 8 get a place, and everyone has all As at a-level.
If you need any more help with what you should be doing to get into medical school, just ask and I can help, I don't want to just say loads of stuff you might already know.
Best of luck to you!

hi! thanks for the information. The only thing I know that I should do to get into medical school is to get as much experience as possible through work experience/volunteering/shadowing. Is this enough if I want to apply for Oxbridge though?
Also I am worried about the time it takes to study medicine as it's very long. If I study biomedical engineering it would take less time but I am actually not sure if I can get a job...

Reply 5

stilllearning123

16

Original post

by nicole07.

hi! thanks for the information. The only thing I know that I should do to get into medical school is to get as much experience as possible through work experience/volunteering/shadowing. Is this enough if I want to apply for Oxbridge though?
Also I am worried about the time it takes to study medicine as it's very long. If I study biomedical engineering it would take less time but I am actually not sure if I can get a job...

Do you not know about the UCAT?? Probably the most important decider in medical school and if not you should look into it ASAP.
Biomedical engineering would take less time to study for in uni,but there is no way that you end up at a doctor without a medicine degree. The best you could hope for with the biomedical degree is working in a lab as a scientist. It is also true that there are basically no science jobs right now so take that into mind.

Reply 6

nicole07.

OP

3

oops I forgot about UCAT. I don't know much about it but is it just a test about medical stuffs that I need to take in order to get into medical school? Do you any good resources to help me pass it with high scores?

Reply 7

stilllearning123

16

Original post

by nicole07.

oops I forgot about UCAT. I don't know much about it but is it just a test about medical stuffs that I need to take in order to get into medical school? Do you any good resources to help me pass it with high scores?

I would recommend Medentry, it is a paid resource but you only pay for it for a month or two before the test date and it is pretty cheap. You won't want to start studying until around 6 weeks before the date, or you will end up burning yourself out.
The thing is, you would probably want to have a look at the questions, there are free ones on the UCAT website, as the UCAT is a pseudo IQ test, so some people are destined to not do well, or at the minimum above average, which is needed to get into almost any medical school.

Best of luck.

Reply 8

nicole07.

OP

3

wow thank you so much!!

Reply 9

Crispy=7

1

Hi, most biomedical engineering courses don't need physics, they usually just require maths plus one science (physics, or biology or chemistry), so if you want, you can choose further maths, maths, chemistry and biology, keeping your options open for both medicine and biomedical engineering. Please check individual university's A-Level requirements, but you should be fine for both courses without physics. :smile:

A level subjects - Medicine vs Biomedical engineering

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