Tricky A-level decisions

[PetalsAndPears]

My daughter did great in her GCSEs and is lucky she can take any A-levels she chooses at this point.

For a long time she’s wanted to be a doctor and has secured great work experience already, regularly volunteering at a centre for kids with learning difficulties.

Since getting her results, though, she’s suddenly questioning whether she does want to do medicine. Though it could just be a phase, she doesn’t know.

Her dilemma is she needs biology and chemistry for medicine. She got 9s in both subjects. But she loves history and English more than chemistry, and would do very well in those subjects too. She’s worried though that if she chooses those, she might regret closing off medicine - something she’s been passionate about for a long time - but is having a bit of a wobble about.

For now she’s doing 4 A-levels with the idea of dropping one very soon. But she’s got herself in such a state worrying that she has to decide now, at 16, about dropping chemistry / or history or English - and I’m not sure how best to advise her.

I’d get her to look at the set texts for English and the subject areas for history (there are 3) and see.

she can still do an EPQ and put that subject she’s not doing into that - whilst still making it relevant for medicine. For example she could do something around history of medicine or around language and communication in healthcare settings.

Conversely I loved Chemistry at gcse (saw myself maybe studying at degree level) and found A level both difficult and boring.

I think there’s a risk with all a levels that there’s a big jump / change from gcse.

When i applied for medicine several years ago chemistry was required. Not sure if it is now. If she drops that I don't think it can be on her short list. Medicine is a tricky career and I would encourage anyone wanting to do it to shadow a junior doctor in a couple of settings. In a&e and on nights if possible. So it is clear what you are letting yourself in for. Wish her luck.

If she's already not doing maths I would have thought she would need to keep 2 sciences if she wants to be a doctor.

I'd suggest she leaves it until half term to make a decision. I believe from my YP that did science A levels that the step up from gcse to A level chemistry is significant and that there's quite a bit of maths involved. How would she feel about this?
Medicine in the UK is not for the faint hearted for sure, but if it's always been her dream, she should give it a bit longer to decide and try to get some direct experience as already suggested. Having Chemistry A level would give her many more medical schools to apply to,

My DD was in a similar position, she liked sciences and arts. In the end she dropped English because she couldn't face tearing to pieces books she liked (I mean by analysis) and kept history, which in some ways is a bit like science. She also did maths, don't know if you need that for medicine, or to help with the other science subjects they can get a bit mathematical.

You don't close off medicine by doing English. In a class of 10 Literature students I have two medical applicants. They are likely to do well. Their applications are very strong. And well written. You don't need only STEM.

Definitely do 4! It’s not that big of a deal - most people doing medicine will.

Leaves options opens and she can drop one if she wants to down the line. It’s a no-brainier really.

I believe from my YP that did science A levels that the step up from gcse to A level chemistry is significant and that there's quite a bit of maths involved. How would she feel about this?

It's not really hard maths at A level stage, I'd be quite worried about any doctor who couldn't manage it!

Imo the sciences all get more and more interesting the further you go into them. That may apply to history and English literature too, but I think it's not so impossible to retain and develop an interest in those without formal teaching

If she wants to do English because she loves to read, I’d strongly discourage it as an A Level! I did English Lit as my first degree and hated it so much that it sucked all the joy out of reading for me for years afterwards, and I’m only just getting back into reading for pleasure now.

Well for now she is doing 4, as long as she is handling the workload and getting good enough grades the best option is to continue with the 4 for year 12 or at least until Christmas when she has more of an idea what the courses are like.
Loving history and English is great but career prospects are better if she does a science degree even if it's not medicine. I would be advising her to decide whether she likes English or history more and drop one of them.
I wanted to do medicine when I started year 12 but then changed my mind, but I did do a biological science degree and then a PhD and now work as a scientist in industry. Loads of options with Biology and Chemistry A levels.
I'm probably biased having taken a science route myself but I just think science opens up many more options. I was a bit of an "all rounder" in school too and could have done history, art etc A levels but I think life would have been harder if I had.

The notion that English or History is bad for your career is totally false.
A good grade in English will get you a lot further than an C-E in Chemistry.

Has she checked the requirements for medicine, I thought a lot of Universities required maths A level as one of the two STEM subjects required.

I completely agree that making children chose at 16 is ridiculous. DD1 and I spent a lot of time going through potential degrees and their requirements. She's doing biology, chemistry and history at A level which allows her a reasonablechoice across science and humanities. But not doing maths prevents her doing medicine and architecture and engineering at the better universities. I'm Scottish and completely changed my mind at 17 about what I wanted to study at University but with Highers this isn't a problem at all because we study more subjects. In England I couldn't have made the change I wanted. It's really hard for all rounders who don't have a clear career path.

Not read full thread. There are approx 7 unis where you can study Medicine without Chemistry A level - one of them is UEA, I think another might be Leicester? Not sure about the others - might be worth researching.. I noticed some pps suggested switching to IB; but you need to be aware that it is only really the 3 higher level subjects that ‘count’ in terms of subjects required for onward study (so if History A level is required to do a history degree, then having History at only standard level may not be acceptable). But generally speaking in terms of uni offers, with IB, it is usually the 3 HL grades plus the overall point score, or sometimes just the overall point score that is offered), but there may be specific subjects required at HL depending on course.

I had this dilemma many years ago after getting A*s in pretty much every GCSE (apart from A in maths!)

I did what I thought I should do (maths and science) rather than what I wanted to do (english and history.) I ended up hating my science degree and switching to an arts subject after the first year. I did well and have done okay afterwards but job prospects are not so clear, obviously.

so if History A level is required to do a history degree, then having History at only standard level may not be acceptable

It might not be a requirement, if you've done another essay subject. For sciences, you need to build on what you learnt at school, but you can be studying all sorts of areas of history which differ hugely in time and place, so it's not the same - but you would need to check current course requirements with universities you're interested in.

I'm doing medicine at uni this year having just done my A levels of Biology, Chemistry and Maths. I was fortunate to get 3A* and found Maths to be the easiest by far. However if your daughter is naturally good/likes a certain subject taking it would help. I preferred A levels as I was only doing 3 subjects rather than lots of GCSEs i disliked and its for sure easier to do well in a subject you like - for me that was biology. I found chemistry boring but if doing AQA it is just a memorisation game so will be okay

I sympathise with your dilemma, for me I always knew I wanted to do medicine but if your even slightly on the fence it's so hard because you have to prepare so early for it and in this case make a decision about which A levels you want to do so early

If you have any questions feel free to let me know. There is also another great thread about medicine here.

I don’t think not doing maths rules out medicine. Most universities require chemistry, biology and one other subject, be it a science, maths or something else. A few require maths but many good unis, like Edinburgh or Oxford even, don’t.
Envious of the Scottish highers system, makes a lot of sense!

Thanks for this. My daughter may have some questions for you! Good luck with your degree.
Can you direct me to the medicine thread you mean?

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5152353-medicine-2025-entry-part-2?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

Hopefully this will work its part 2 as the first part maybe got the maximum comment number I'm not sure.

I applied and had offers from Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham and York in case your thinking of those.

Thank you @Medicalstudentandchemtutor That’s very helpful, I’ll have a read!
You must be excited to be setting out with your training… all the best.

Not doing science at a’’Level doesn’t necessarily close off medicine,

yes it won’t be the a’level to uni traditional route, it may take longer, but it won’t mean no medicine ever.

Scottish uni’s (at least in my day) had a “pre med”’year where those with arts highers/a levels did a science foundation year. I believe there are now other unis that do similar: there are access courses and other routes into medicine other than a’”levels.

and of course you can always do more a’levels. If money allows you can do a science degree then post grad medicine, or even apprenticeships now.

if she isn’t sure doing what she loves and investigating non traditional options will give her time to decide.

Does she want to do medicine because she said she did as a little girl, got lots of positive encouragement, and then it became her thing, or because she loves science and thinks the a life of dealing with people’s ailments is her thing?

i would say if she wants to do English and history to do them. I did an English degree, and I loved it. I loved analysing them and looking for meaning. I then went on to do psychology. Doing what you love is 100% the route to finding a career you love.

@Undercoveragents She’s always been fascinated by medicine. When her 12-year old friends were trying to watch stuff they shouldn’t, I’d find her watching ‘GPs behind closed doors’!

I’d say it’s not so much about the science but about the human condition. The feeling of helping people perhaps. She likes science but I wouldn’t say she loves it… but I guess being a doctor is about much more than that.

I did English at uni too and loved it. I think she would too … psychology would be a good fit too, she's interested in human behaviour.

It’s a tricky choice at such a young age.