Will choosing a non-academic subject at GCSE go against dd if she applies to do something like medicine in the future?

[BitOfFun]

She is a bright girl, won the History prize in year 8 of her state comp, and is now deciding on her options. She will do all the sciences, but the choice she is having trouble with is History versus Textiles.

Pros for Textiles- it's enjoyable, her friends are doing it, she will probably do quite well, and it's the only "creative" subject she would be doing.

Pros for History- she's really good at it, it's good for general knowledge, it's a solid academic subject. On the downside, she hasn't enjoyed the topics much this year, which will be focussed on further next year, and she finds the teacher she'll have a bit dull and uninspiring.

So, I have told her I will harness the wisdom of mumsnet for some perspectives- particularly if anyone knows if choice of GCSEs impacts on University options further down the line...

TIA

I don't think History GCSE gives you good general knowledge either - I studied it 20 years ago & I remember very little of it - actually I remember very little of my degree either but that could be the result of a brain pickled in alcohol. I believe good general knowledge comes from a continued interest in the world around you rather than formal study at school between the ages of 14-16.

I've never know a poor doctor either

Deffo History if even vaguely considering med school

I agree that a lot of her compulsory subjects are, erm, on the soft side. Such a shame but unless the school are prepared to budge over that I would say History is better.

Agreed - OneMore. History GCSE isn't that great.

Much would also depend on what they'll be studying - History is such an enormous subject. I might actually lose the will to live if I had to do months and months of Tudors but perk up a bit if we were doing the Spanish Civil War.

ps There was a round on Universally Challenged t'other week on my degree subject and I couldn't answer a single question

I have no idea how it all works these days, as I did my O-levels during the Stone Age, but would it be completely unrealistic to do another GCSE outside school - ie tutor/home study?

I know that secondary schools generally do load on the homework, but with so much of her timetable taken up by the softer subjects, could she follow her genuine interest in History outside school, and still get the necessary clutch of A*s?

(realise that cost may be a factor as well as time)

Bugger, what's wrong with DH's practice , his predicted earnings as a GP this year is about half ofthe mentioned £120,000000

half of 120K that is..

I would let her do what she wants tbh. She is only potentially considering medicine atm anyway, and if she does do medicine, it's better for them to be 'rounded people' than utterly academic.

I can tell you my experience - I was applying for university in 1993/4. At that time we had 8 choices as Ucca and Pcas had just merged. The med courses advised that you only put 5 choices down for medicine. I filled up the other 3 with music, which I was doing for A level along with Maths, Physics, Chemistry. All 'good' med schools - Nottingham, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Glasgow, Leicester (not sure why that last one though!).

Anyway, they all quizzed me about 'why music'. I was honest and said I really enjoyed music and it was my other option if the medicine didn't work out.

Of the other people in my year, they all got 1 offer only. I got 4/5 which was UNHEARD of at that time. In the end I ended up turning them all down and doing music anyway, because I decided I'd rather do that!

@ £120,000000

BOF my DD is thinking of applying for medical school. She took mainly academic subjects for GCSE including History and Geography, no languages though, then chose Drama and Business Studies as softer options. Business Studies has been good for her as she will get 2 A* without having to sit an exam.

I do think History is an important subject especially as their syllabus included history of medicine which DD was fascinated in. She is going on to take History A2 level as well as two sciences and maths.

I can only tell you my experience; I took three sciences at O-grade because I wanted to be a vet, I was good at Art but was told i was should just do it as a hobby later in life, two years on I got good marks for my sciences but realised that I wasn't high flying enough to keep up the grades at the next level. I then had to do higher Art in one year so that i could go to art school, it was a struggle and I wish I had not dropped it earlier.

By the way, most Scottish comps still insist that you do Geog/Hist and a MFL at our equivalent of GCSE.

thirdname - my cousin is a GP in a large London practise and clears a lot more than £120k. However, she falls some way short of £120,000000!

Does history still involve history of medicine? All the medics at my school did it as their humanity for that precise reason.

The important options are at A-level when she will be expected to do certain A-levels. (probably biology and chemistry and one or two others)

I think that - if you dd is wanting to do medicine - choosing between history and textiles won't matter. Also, many schools lump history in with RE and Geog. so if a child is doing RE, they wouldn't be able to choose History as well. All three are often counted as 'humanities'.

Plus, medicine is a long slog, so nice to follow some other interests now. Textiles may be more relevant anyway! (Lots of sewing people up).

She will find textiles harder work than history; lots of projects to complete.

I speak from some experience. My sister and I are both Cambridge grads and she is a doctor. (I think she did textiles...)

claricebeans mum - very few people do latin, greek etc. so I wouldn't worry about the competition there.

If you are applying to an elite university, they really don't care what you've done at GCSE - they are looking for application and intelligence.

I never met a single medical student who had done latin or greek at GCSE.

The important thing is the three separate sciences (makes A-level easier) and getting all As at GCSE.

Wow, this is great- thanks for all the replies- I will show dd this thread and use it to have a good chat about all the options. You've all been so helpful- thankyou!

History covered History of Medicine for GCSE this year.

At Some Medical Schools, Humanities Join the Curriculum

www.nytimes.com/2006/04/17/arts/design/17sina.html
I'm sure there was something similarabout UK medical schools, morerecently but can't find it.

TheBOssOfMe: Hm, yes, that's London for you. But read last week or so, only top 4% or so of GPs earn these figures. I think DH must be in the bottem 4%

Doing a non academic subject would probbalt y be good for her. DD1 took art for one of her GCSE's.She also did triple science. She did Physics ,Chemistry,Biolagy and Art for her As levls. Dropped Art for A2, She then did Zoology at University and is now doing a PGCE in Biology.