GCSE options

[1stTimeMummy3298]

So my DD really wants to be a doctor and she has to make her GCSE options in a few months and is already worrying about what to pick. I don't know how to help her because I never had any interest in being a doctor. She wants to take health and social care, psychology and drama (she just likes drama 😂) so she's set on those but is wondering if it's better for med school application to take a humanity and a language as well. Any ideas? :)

[wheresmyphone]

In all of these posts I see on MN I always give the same bit of advice. Phone up a couple of universities yourself. They are usually really happy to give guidance. I often see bits of terrible advice on here because some of us are out of date or repeat urban myths. Give them a call. Have told mates to do that over the years and they have always had help on various bits. Good luck.

[TeenTimesTwo]

Presumably triple science is a given?

[toocool4cats]

Erm biology

[Witchend]

I believe Biology isn't required for medicine but Chemistry is. But as other said, go and check with admission tutors.

[TeenTimesTwo]

This is GCSE not A level we are talking about!
Triple science should be a given for GCSE for a potential doctor!

[Chocolatecake12]

Has she had the list from school yet with the option boxes?
When my ds took his options it was fairly limited - i.e. If he was doing triple science then he could only have 2 other choices.
It's nice to have something more creative like drama - imo but it's not going to help her get into medical school! However her GCSE choices and grades will set her up for her A level or next qualifications and then they will lead to uni courses do as a pp suggested it's a good idea to see what a uni suggest and work back from there.

[superram]

She must take triple science. They might be looked on as 'soft' options but at gcse it isn't as much of an issue as st a level. Is hsc a gcse or btec? I wouldn't recommend btec-I've taught it and although meant to be equivalent to a gcse no one actually thinks that.

[titchy]

How many will she do? Those options, without a humanity or MFL, look decidedly weak even with Maths, two English, and triple science.

[poisonedbypen]

It is perfectly possible to do medicine with only double science, some schools don't do triple.

[LonginesPrime]

I would go for a humanities and a language to keep as many options as possible open. I know one of the vet courses specifies you need a language at GCSE, but it's worth checking that for medicine.

My personal preference would be to go for more traditional GCSE subjects too instead of Psychology and Social Care, because when I was at school (admittedly, a looong time ago) we were told not to even do psychology or sociology A-levels and to stick to 3 sciences and maths for medicine.

As I understand it, double science doesn't preclude someone taking 3 sciences for A-level, but if she's got the option of single sciences, I would go for those - in some schools, that counts as one option.

As long as you've got one humanities and one language, I think it's fine to have arts and whatever else for the others. The key will be getting outstanding grades!

[Greenbucket]

I wouldn't recommend btec-I've taught it and although meant to be equivalent to a gcse no one actually thinks that.

[LIZS]

I would definitely recommend a humanity ( maybe RS) and language. Medics generally have a broad set of gcses and specialise later. Health and social care might not be worth it as long as she has strong sciences.

[AuntieStella]

What sort of academic 'core' does her school insist on?

For medicine, you need maths and triple sciences then 2xEnglish. I'd recommend showing academic roundeness by adding a language (MFL or Latin) and a humanity. That's 8 subjects. How many doe sthe schoo, do these days? 10?

Go for the two she likes best from the 3 you've listed. I think drama could be a good choice, especially if she is passionate about it. HSC is the one I would lose, but if she's really keen on it, then she should do it, because the teen years are complicated enough without adding 'meh' subject choices to it.

For A level, she'll be best positioned if she has chemistry and maths amongst her A level choices.

[BertrandRussell]

"She must take triple science."

Not if her school doesn't do it!

Just let he choose the subjects she likes, OP, so long as she has a good core of "hard" subjects.

[HolyMerlot]

University degrees in Medicine will obviously have their own criteria that must be met so I suggest looking at courses for a range of Universities online/their prospectuses/calling them up, however, my Mum is in charge of accepting Medical Students to be taken on at a hospital, including a work experience programme for GCSE and A Level aged children.

I know that at her hospital she gets a ton of parents calling up on GCSE results day to book their child onto the medical work experience programme as the places fill so fast and my Mum has to turn away anybody who hasn't had all A Grades at GCSE (Straight A*s are obviously even more preferable). My Mum clearly isn't the one who sets this criteria but I'm just trying to explain that it is often the grades not the subjects that matter (outside of your typical Science, Maths, English core subjects of course - my Mum is told to check that the student holds GCSEs/A Levels in these subjects - even though they're compulsory at GCSE). This probably doesn't help, sorry

[AuntieStella]

Yes, Bertrand, I wrote badly because of course that's what I meant.

Most schools do offer triple, and not doing triple in a school which offers it would not enhance her academic record.

[Vixnixtrix1981]

I work at Manchester Uni, it is fairly easy to look online at various institutions to find their requirements. For example here, these are our requirements (so Triple Science is not a must)

We require at least five GCSEs at grade A or A*.
English Language, Mathematics and at least two science subjects are required at GCSE minimum grade B. If Dual Award Science or Core and Additional Science are offered, the minimum required is BB.
If you are resitting any GCSE subjects, you must explain the circumstances that prompted this.
We do not currently accept short courses; however, Level 2 BTEC qualifications are acceptable (at distinction grade or above) in lieu of one GCSE.

[Rose0]

I think as long as she has triple science (and obviously English/maths) the rest of the options don't matter as much - it's A level choices that matter more and the grades she gets in the subjects. I would recommend taking a language as it's often useful and well regarded (I know UCL say they like a B in a language, but then again a girl in my daughter's year got an offer with a D in her GCSE language so it seems they're not actually too concerned by it.) but her options won't affect her chances of getting into medicine provided she's covered the base subjects. I wish her the best of luck!!