Can you get into medical school with 8 GCSEs?

[sheep73]

Just that really..

The school is likely to push DDs science set into dual award rather than triple award sciences which will leave her with 8 rather than 9 GCSEs. Will this leave here at a disadvantage for A levels / medical school? She will cover the triple award material but likely sit the dual award exam.

Many thanks

If she will cover the material, why won’t they let her sit the exam?

Is there a set which does sit the triple exam?

Yes she can, no problem at all.

More concerning that she is presumably in the lowest science set?

I'd be thinking will she be allowed to sit the A levels required and would she get the required grades if so? My understanding was that 6th formers who apply for medical school are the real high flyers.

She will need to do all science a levels for medical school. Is she strong in science or not in the top set? She might struggle at a level with sciences.

This. You can of course go onto science A-levels with combined science GCSE, but why are they pushing her into combined science?

This wouldn't mean the lowest science set in my school but it would most definitely mean not the top science set, and our school wouldn't do this unless the student wanted it or they felt the student wouldn't achieve a 6 at separate science. Appreciate there might be something other than academic ability at play.

She will need to do chemistry and biology. I don’t think there’s anywhere which requires physics.

Schools these days are playing the system. Grades are allocated on a normalised distribution. If you put the students who would normally do separate/triple into the combined/double exam they’ll likely get higher grades.

We are having the same issue here.

She can, my DS did three science subjects at A level after double award science and is now doing biomedical science at university(he didn’t get in to medicine but not due to qualifications it’s very competitive). He was in set one at a school that didn’t offer triple, I would manage your daughters expectations as if if the school don’t want her to do triple but they do run it then there will be a reason. It might be staffing but equally it might be that set’s ability isn’t where it needs to be.

Not necessarily. Some schools are playing the system - If their best kids are entered for combined science alongside everyone else’s average students, they’ll do better. It’ll make it harder for everyone else to achieve, but this hasn’t been considered.

The rationale is that grade 9s in combined is ‘better’ than grade 8s in separate. better for school league table data

A little misunderstanding on this thread. It is absolutely fine to have 8 gcses. It's the A-Level choices that are important. Chemistry is compulsory plus another science (biology is obviously a sensible choice). The third subject can be more open. Separate science covers.more content than triple so in a way is an advantage, but I've always found ability level and work ethic to be far more important for A-Level success. She will need very high grades across the board at gcse and generally As/A* at A-Level. That is where the doors are.more likely to close for your daughter. Encourage her to work hard, get the highest grades possible, do work experience in 6th form and have a sensible back up plan if her results aren't good enough.
My only concern here is that if she isn't academic enough to be considered for separates, she may not have what it takes to get the grades required for medical school. In actual fact, sitting 8 rather than 9 gcses may be an advantage as she will have more time to revise each subject. Best of luck!

Yes for sure medical school with 8 GCSEs is fine.

A level science after taking double award for GCSE is also fine. Agree ideally she should take biology and chemistry and then something else.

I agree with others tho – is she being put into double bc of ability or effort issues? If so then that is what may be a problem. If tho the school is indeed taking the view that 9-9 is better than 8, 7, 6 (I mean it is) then that's all good.

8 is usually the number that count.

Don't worry GCSEs. A levels counts for university.

GCSEs absolutely count for medical school - some will score them (in which case unless they are straight 8/9s you won’t get in) but they all look at them when selecting for interview.
Doing 8 in total /dual award is not a problem (those that score look at top 8 grades) but if she’s not in a top set and on track for very high grades that makes medical school unlikely.

Our DS is in medical school. They were very little concerned about his GCSEs when exam was averagely good (and most pupils' are if they opt for medical school). It was A level based. And of course all the other competition based stuff.

The school appears to be gaming the system as people have suggested and entering above average kids in the dual award so they can come out with better grades. She is predicted 8s and 9s.
Initially we weren't concerned as she was doing 9 GCSEs but now the surprise with the dual award so then she would only get 8 (this is not set in stone yet but one of the teachers has warned me the school may do this).

I thought medical schools look at Gcses to show a schoolleaver applicant's 'bandwidth'- evidence of ability to perform very well over a wide range of subjects alongside extracurricular achievements. I think only having 8 will stand out like a sore thumb.

I really don’t think it will. More and more schools are only offering 8 GCSEs. In 2024 25% of students sat 8, with 28% sitting 9 so it’s not unusual to take 8.

Why presume this? I did the dual award (got double A) and was in the top set. The school didn't offer the triple.

At both my children's school dual/triple was a totally free choice and they entered students for both Foundation And Higher in both exams.

9 GCSE's is the most common number, but lots of schools only do 8.

As others have said, since the change in syllabi schools are tending to offer fewer GCSEs. Last year just over 25% of pupils sat 8, compared to 28% who did 9. A little over 12% sat 10 subjects and less than 2% did over 10. The Mumsnet experience doesn't seem to reflect the national picture. There seems to be a disproportionate number of posters whose DC do 10 or more subjects here so when you read threads about exams it is easy to think that 8 is in some way deficient. But in the real world 8 or 9 is very normal.
There will be plenty of extremely able children attending schools that routinely enter their pupils for 8 subjects, just as there are plenty of schools that offer only double award science. It would therefore be very unfair, not to mention foolish, for Universities, including Medical Schools, to discriminate against either of these things. Let's face it, for a great many pupils their "choice" about GCSEs is rather limited nowadays and is more likely to be down to school policy than decisions made by the individual. I'm sure Universities are more than aware of that. I can't imagine that 8 good grades will put your DD at any disadvantage OP - A levels and UCAT performance etc will be much more important anyway.

My daughter is year 10, is planning on doing medicine, and has already decided to do biology, chemistry and psychology at Alevel.i think you only possibly need three science type subjects for Cambridge, and even then maths will do.

My daughter is doing 9 GCSEs, including physics/biology/chem. she is at a good state school.
Her two brothers both did 10 at the same school and were given more choice

Just remember she will be competing against those with 11 and 12 or more.