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A-Level help

So i’m retaking some A-Levels this year in hopes of getting into medicine. I’ve found out i’m eligible for contextual offers at most universities, so i’d be retaking either Chemistry AQA or Biology OCR. I needed some help with deciding which one to drop. Biology is a lot more work in terms of memorisation, and I found that I was generally better at biology because of this. However after sitting my A-Levels and looking at my papers, i’ve realised it’s a lot easier to pick up marks in AQA Chemistry than OCR. I lost a lot of marks in Biology despite knowing the content, just because of particular words/phrases, but chemistry are a lot more lenient. So essentially chemistry does feel slightly harder content wise, but i feel like it’s easier to do better in if that makes sense? After achieving As and A*s throughout year 13 I ended up with a B in biology and B in chemistry, being 3-4 marks off an A in chemistry and 2 marks off a C in Biology.

Any help would be appreciated! (:

Reply 1

Original post
by hotpud
Why do you specifically want to go into Medicine of all the multitude of healthcare professions?
The only reason I say this is that you appear to be looking for shortcuts. With respect, I am not sure I want to be a treated by a doctor who cut corners in their studying. Similarly, you are going to be going through this every year now for at least the next 10+ years. Exams of greater and greater depth and high stakes and there comes a point where if you don't pass the exam, that is it. Career over.
Some people are destined to go into medicine. Others are not. I am definitely in the not camp but if I were serious about going into health care because presumably you are motivated by helping others, there are a multitude of well paid alternative pathways that don't have quite such a rigorous exam route. Plus, the pay for doctors these days is shockingly poor given the skill level and ongoing self-financed exams you have to take.


i don’t see how this is me looking for a shortcut? i’ve been given contextual offers. i have to pay to resit these exams - around £600-700 as my school don’t provide resits. i’m looking to see what subject is the best to take, since i don’t want to resit both if i don’t have to. please tell me who would choose to resit all 3 subjects if they’ve already got the grades for one? furthermore, id much rather prefer a doctor that has gone to the efforts to get the grades. there are contextual schemes for medicine where you can get in with lower than B’s - however i’ve chosen to do this the more difficult way instead of applying for courses with reduced grades. i was simply asking for advice on what subjects to take, if you can’t give any help then i don’t see what the purpose of your comment was. i have considered other professions, but i’m here, willing to retake my exams and do it all again for medicine.

Reply 2

Original post
by hotpud
Why do you specifically want to go into Medicine of all the multitude of healthcare professions?
The only reason I say this is that you appear to be looking for shortcuts. With respect, I am not sure I want to be a treated by a doctor who cut corners in their studying. Similarly, you are going to be going through this every year now for at least the next 10+ years. Exams of greater and greater depth and high stakes and there comes a point where if you don't pass the exam, that is it. Career over.
Some people are destined to go into medicine. Others are not. I am definitely in the not camp but if I were serious about going into health care because presumably you are motivated by helping others, there are a multitude of well paid alternative pathways that don't have quite such a rigorous exam route. Plus, the pay for doctors these days is shockingly poor given the skill level and ongoing self-financed exams you have to take.

You don’t have to shut them down, they are asking for some advice on what to drop as they have been given an opportunity to do what they want to do with the grades they already have. It’s not fair for you to tell them to give up on doing medicine, tbh them doing retakes shows that they are determined even if they didn’t get in the first year which is a good value to have as a doctor.

Reply 3

Original post
by MrTickleToes
You don’t have to shut them down, they are asking for some advice on what to drop as they have been given an opportunity to do what they want to do with the grades they already have. It’s not fair for you to tell them to give up on doing medicine, tbh them doing retakes shows that they are determined even if they didn’t get in the first year which is a good value to have as a doctor.


thank you for this honestly 😃 i’ve known people with D’s and E’s go on to be the best medics/dentists. i believe it’s all about intention really, TSR seems to have quite a toxic community lol.

Reply 4

Original post
by v3lia
So i’m retaking some A-Levels this year in hopes of getting into medicine. I’ve found out i’m eligible for contextual offers at most universities, so i’d be retaking either Chemistry AQA or Biology OCR. I needed some help with deciding which one to drop. Biology is a lot more work in terms of memorisation, and I found that I was generally better at biology because of this. However after sitting my A-Levels and looking at my papers, i’ve realised it’s a lot easier to pick up marks in AQA Chemistry than OCR. I lost a lot of marks in Biology despite knowing the content, just because of particular words/phrases, but chemistry are a lot more lenient. So essentially chemistry does feel slightly harder content wise, but i feel like it’s easier to do better in if that makes sense? After achieving As and A*s throughout year 13 I ended up with a B in biology and B in chemistry, being 3-4 marks off an A in chemistry and 2 marks off a C in Biology.
Any help would be appreciated! (:


Hi , I’m not one to speak as I don’t seem to being doing exactly well in my A levels(chem , bio AQA and geo edexel )However I have noticed that chem is very repetitive and I have seen to familiarise myself with the types of questions . I want to work in the healthcare industry and be a dentist !!! I wish you well on your journey to medicine !!!

Reply 5

Original post
by anonymous561
Hi , I’m not one to speak as I don’t seem to being doing exactly well in my A levels(chem , bio AQA and geo edexel )However I have noticed that chem is very repetitive and I have seen to familiarise myself with the types of questions . I want to work in the healthcare industry and be a dentist !!! I wish you well on your journey to medicine !!!


yesss exactly what i was thinking which is why i was considering chem a bit more! it seems doing past papers really helps. and as for your A-Levels honestly dont worry too much, a lot can change in a small amount of time if you put in the work (sometimes for the better or for the worse😭) like for me i was really bad at chem, was getting Cs for all of year 12 and only hit an A once, but getting A*s-A in bio consistently then I ended up with B’s in both. and wow dentistry is very difficult too, i wish you all the best and thank you for your response (:

Reply 6

Thank you for responding , do you have any other advice besides doing past paper ?

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