Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

medicine, what gcse and a levels do you need, where do you apply?

33 replies

Mummiehunnie · 21/10/2010 09:55

dd is thinking of becoming a gp, so when choosing her gcse's and a levels what should she go for? any other tips? what uni's are considered good?

have not got a degree myself and her father has no contact, so not sure how you go about it all, thanks x

OP posts:
LauraNorder · 21/10/2010 09:58

My DH is a GP. I know she must include maths and science in her choices. She needs a science A level too.

Rosa · 21/10/2010 09:59

For many places she needs at least 10 of which 5 or 6 A* or you will not even be considered .

LauraNorder · 21/10/2010 10:00

this might help

MmeBlueberry · 21/10/2010 10:00

For A-levels, Maths, Chemistry, Biology and another rigorous subject.

For GCSEs, she will be covered by compulsory subjects, and should choose separate sciences if she can.

LauraNorder · 21/10/2010 10:01

and this for A Levels.

northcoastmum · 21/10/2010 10:07

She will likely need all A grades at both GCSE and A level, and would be best to choose triple science at GCSE if this is an option plus at least 2 sciences at A level.

University applications are done through a centralised system - UCAS in the autumn term of her final year.

The current system is 5 years at university to be a doctor, 3+ years in hospital medicine then 1 year as a GP registrar- after more exams she'd be a GP and would then probably locum for a while before getting a partnership/ salaried post.

Obviously this is way in the future, but it may be useful to know that all careers in medicine incl. Years of study. For now she should work hard!

LauraNorder · 21/10/2010 10:09

DH is 42 and is still studying! I don't know how he does it TBH. There's always something he has to do, memberships, diplomas etc etc. Northcoastmum is right, it's years and years of studying and when you get there it's more studying!

senua · 21/10/2010 10:15

Go and search on the 'secondary education' topic - this is covered quite frequently, and in detail, there.

DandyDan · 21/10/2010 11:52

Triple science at GCSE. It's not necessary to take maths or physics at A level unless you are applying to Oxbridge for medicine. But definitely chemistry and biology.

LondonMother · 21/10/2010 13:29

From talking to other people with children applying to do medicine, it sounds as if it's important not just to have good exam grades but also some relevant work or voluntary experience. My friend's son, who's halfway through his medical degree now, worked in a nursing home as a health care assistant part-time during the sixth form and also got the Duke of Edinburgh through scouts. He also got top grades in just about every exam he took (he went to a local comp and then the local sixth form college) and even then only got one offer from his applications. All very daunting!

I'd suggest contacting your GP practice to see if your daughter could do work experience there as a starting point.

Byblyofyle · 21/10/2010 13:53

A'Level Chemistry is a must. Might be a good idea if she does separate sciences at GCSE.
Be prepared that medicine is extremely competitive. My DS failed to get any medical school offers last year and is reapplying this year with A grades in Chemistry, Maths & Biology.

frakkinstein · 21/10/2010 15:11

I agree maths, chem and bio. Medics at my school (30 odd each year got in) were advised to take physics for AS and then possibly something like philosophy and ethics, history or a language to show breadth and cultural awareness. They were supposed to be good talking points at interview.

Practical experience is necessary, volunteer work - I had a prospective medic as a Brownie young leader - often gives opportunities for things like 1st aid training, she could join the junior branch of St Johns Ambulance and in the summer before applying volunteer work overseas in a medical setting would also look good. If she can arrange it then work experience in a medical practice too.

She nerds top grades on top of all of that!

figroll · 22/10/2010 12:07

My DD has just started at uni doing medicine. She had 10 A and 3 As at GCSE and As and A at A level in Chem, biology and Geography. She dropped her Art at AS but got an A in that too.

She did work experience at a GPs every week for 2 years and also 2 weeks at a hospital. She was a guide leader as well to show leadership and team work because she didn't do her D of E. They love it if you volunteer for something or other. My dd asked guides if she could work in an area of high deprivation.

It's very competitive. She was rejected from 2 unis (one after interview (which was very hard, she was so upset about it) and one without an interview) and was accepted for 2 others. I know of others with similar or better results than my dd who didn't get an interview or an offer at all and are reapplying this year.

Good luck.

figroll · 22/10/2010 12:08

Oh and they probably need to do the UKCAT/BMAT too.

Talk about jumping through hoops!

kidsncatsnwine · 24/10/2010 16:47

Mt DD has also just started at Uni doing medicine. Think she had 6A and some As at GCSE and AAA at A level plus an A at AS level. She was rejected from one place because her GCSEs didn't have enough As.., so GSCES are now more crucial than ever. She did Maths, Bio, Chem and Psychology (AS) at A level and the Chem is essential..hardly anywhere takes students without at A in chemistry.

Usual work experience.. DD did a year volunteering in the local community hospital plus several camps with disabled children.

The competition is ridiculous, and we know kids who were more able than my DD (IMO) who were rejected from all 4 (you can only make 4 choices for medicine).. being able to perform well at interview, plus major practice for the UKCAT and possibly the BMAT (entrance tests).

All Universities that teach medicine produce doctors..all have the same registration at the end, so it's a matter of personal preference. Also some are more lecture based (Oxbridge particularly..) some more PBL..problem based learning, so it depends what suits. My DD was definite that she wanted PBL learning, which suits her as she enjoys independent study (lots of that in PBL).

It sounds daunting, but if you daughter is REALLY passionate.. then she should go for it with all her heart and start working hard towards it now!

brimfull · 26/10/2010 22:51

MY dd's friend got no offers despite all A*s and As at gcse and 4 A at Alevel and months and months of volunteeringSad
She is reapplying next yr.

foreverastudent · 26/10/2010 23:01

I knew quite a few medics at uni. They all got A at A level in maths, chemistry, physics, biology and GS. They also did voluntary work/DOE etc. Even then they only got 1/2 offers from unis.

weegiemum · 26/10/2010 23:03

My dh is a GP, a GP trainer (for the postgrad bit) and has taught junior hospital doctors as well. As he is teaching working docs he gets people from all over the country (indeed the world) and at the moment he says the best young GPs/trainees he is coming across are ones which went to ...... Dundee!

Now we're in Scotland so the people he teaches are disproportionatly from up here, but he says that it really is outstanding training, but because it is in Scotland and not seen as a salubrious place to study (ie not Glasgow or Edinburgh or local equivalents) its not quite as competitive to get into - though still massively oversubscribed, of course.

Just worth considering. Just cos a place is old or traditional doesn't mean it is the best up-to-date place to study. The worst doctor I ever had went on and on and on about Oxford and he was a shit!

mamatomany · 26/10/2010 23:31

If it was me I would put down 4 medicine choices with an amazing personal statement and then a Biomedical sciences course because there seems to be as many places for graduates with a 2.1 and life experience as there are under graduate places.
Gives her 2 bites of the cherry.

foreverastudent · 27/10/2010 23:54

Our school told us that Dundee was better then Oxford for medicine. They cloned Dolly the sheep didn't they?

figroll · 28/10/2010 10:05

We were told (for what it's worth) that Oxford is less clinical and more academic than other universities.

figroll · 28/10/2010 11:24

Sorry, I didn't really finish that message as I was called away. We were told that Oxford didn't give the clinical experience that was offered by other unis, although I am sure that the course is still an excellent one.

One of the best in England is considered to be Bristol - my dd didn't even get an interview there.

I am sure Dundee is excellent too, although I don't know anything about that one.

leosdad · 07/12/2010 18:14

It appears that selection is totally random so you can never be certain,

DD has ten A*s/ 4 A grades at AS good BMAT and UKCAT plus all the expected stuff volunteering here there and everywhere got turned down after interview as not gobby enough I hope the goons on the panel get stuck in a snowdrift on the M5/M6 for a very long time

God knows who selected the medics I now have to work with - prescribing penicillin despite patient being seriously allergic, getting out a calculator to add 1 + 1, believing my mother when she says her husband (my father) was killed in the war - I was standing there with her do I look over sixtyfive ffs. The term Tim nicebutdim seems to apply to many of them.

LivinInThe80s · 07/12/2010 18:21

apart from good grades, extra curricular activities are v important, especially volunteering and sports. I don't think selection is random leosdad but the way you come across in interviews is very important.

leosdad · 07/12/2010 19:21

That's is the one thing you can't prepare for is feeling a bit under the weather, bad journey (snow and tube strikes)

There seems to be no logic to the people I know who are selected/rejected - DS1 friend bit dippy okay exam results nowt special but could talk for england

others brighter and have not got in

Swipe left for the next trending thread