To ask for a level choice advice for medicine?

[Spaghettionaspoon]

Dd has to pick her a level options tomorrow and is struggling at the moment as she wants to do medicine and so has always said that she’d do biology chemistry and maths with an AS in Spanishbut has started toying with the idea of biology chemistry and history with an AS in maths this morning. She really loves history and unfortunately her school doesn’t offer it as an AS but is sure she wants to study medicine and so doesn’t want to put herself at a disadvantage in applying. Would not having the full maths a level do this? We know the unis say that maths isn’t necessary if have biology and chemistry but we’re wondering if it’s a sort of unwritten preference
Sorry to post on here but looking for the traffic

It won't make any difference (I'm a doctor)

Not at all. Usual requirements are two sciences: sometimes Chemistry is the essential and then a choice of science is given, but some also stipulate Biology. I'm a head of sixth form and last year a student of mine received three offers for medicine with Biology, Chemistry and another "facilitating" subject - not history but similar. Check out the Medical Schools Council entry requirements for information on individual medical schools' requirements. If I remember correctly only Cambridge has alluded to a preference for three sciences.

In addition, although Russell Group universities did recently clarify their position on these so-called facilitating subjects, history is a well regarded A Level in its own right. Some universities will state that they exclude certain A Levels as the third, but history is not one of them.

Dd knows that the universities don’t explicitly say they require maths but has heard that they favour it so if there is a candidate equal to her in all ways and she has history and they have maths she’s saying they would pick the other one. My question is pretty much if this is true?

I don't think it'll matter for getting a place- but it's helpful to be numerate and have some statistics knowledge to get through the course. However, AS ( with stats as the option) would provide this. History DD1 found history super- hard work though and the marking can be more erratic than in science subjects!!

I think maths would be better (and I say this as a history lover). You generally get an easier ride if you do complementary subjects. But I also think languages are hard as an AS as time really helps and the jump up from GCSE is massive.

userzzzzz I think dd knows in her head that maths would be the better choice as would also help with chemistry- she just loves history (and the teacher) and is so sad at the thought of missing what is on that course.
The Spanish AS isn’t too much of a worry as languages are something that come very naturally to her- coasted through gcse with zero revision (while she worked very hard for all her other subjects) so a challenge with it may be nice

My advice to Sixth Formers is always “chemistry, biology and the one it will take you the least time and effort to get an A in”. That bit is then personality dependent, for some the smaller amount of written work in maths appeals for others having a bit already done with an NEA in history or geography feels better. One last year did Art, high time requirement but they also found it relaxing, got 3 offers.

My daughter is in her third year, her A level choices were, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. Hope that helps.

I'm not sure about medicine but in recent years PhD applicants in biosciences have been told that they must have a level maths - a few applicants were sitting it alongside their degrees this year, I would highly recommend it

Conflicting opinions! Dd is going back and forth with it and coming up to me every 2 minutes with her new decision

Doctor here, I did chemistry, biology and history with an AS in physics.
It's the grades they are after the subjects are less important

What does she find easier and being tactical, what are the school’s grades like in the different subjects. If they have a history of getting lots of As in one but not another, that might tempt me one way or another.

Userzzzzz she’s an annoying all rounder but is naturally very good at the essay subjects like history and English possibly better at them than maths. The school does very well in both with over 70% getting A*-B in both maths and history but she does really love the history teacher and how he teaches.

Could she do history as an extra? I had the exact same dilemma but with english lit. Persuaded school to let me do English as a 4th a level and got 4 A's (before A*s) and studied medicine at Cambridge.

Just to clarify my other a levels were biology, maths and chemistry. It was a great decision to do all four. The English kept me sane while I knuckled down and just got through the sciences which I was good enough at but certainly didn't love.

elspethmcgillicuddy she could maybe do 4 a levels but isn’t keen on the idea as scared of getting 4 less good grades

Chemistry, Biology and any other A level that is not general studies.

For most places, 3 A levels is enough and they don't care about AS. It's hard to work towards 3 As/A*s in addition to gaining work experience.

Ds1 is doing vet med so very similar. He did chemistry, physics, biology and as maths.

Im a doctor- do history! I did maths, I dropped history and it would have been much easier for me to get an A in history, so much wasted work on maths.

History is just as applicable as maths to medicine; analysis of a problem and report writing is a lot of my job now.

It depends on the uni. Some actively encourage a humanity subject. Others insist on maths or physics but it will day on the website. My DD did biology, maths and history. She had offers from 3 places. As long as your DD chemistry and biology the grades are more important than the subjects.

I think she’s better doing a third subject that she loves! History is a strong subject. If I were her I would either look on the websites for entry requirements or email the admissions department to ask if those subjects would be considered when she comes to apply for UCAS. Two years is a long time and I think she’s better off doing a subject she enjoys.

I’m a doctor. I didn’t do maths A-level. There are lots of very qualified candidates at interview and in my opinion having something different could be a good thing (as long as her core academics are solid) because they like us to be “well rounded” (hilarious considering the working hours, hobby, what hobby) hence lots of people do volunteering, sports, music etc. If she can speak well about her enjoyment of history and maybe do a few bits outside of the course I think that could be good, but she would have to be prepared to be able to sell it to them

I’d have a look at the UCAS requirements for the unis she’s interested in applying to. A lot will state if there are particular A-Levels she should take

LegallyBrunet the ones she’s interested in all say chemistry as a definite with a second out of biology maths and physics but she’s wondering if it’s a kind of unwritten rule that maths is required as so many applicants have the a level

I agree with seventytwo. Having done a humanity was a plus as everyone was interested in my reasons etc at interview and it certainly made me more rounded.