Art a-level/foundation…followed by medicine?! Is this crazy?

[Flockchaise]

DD a while off having to make decisions, but with an older sibling off to uni in the autumn, she loves to talk and think about it 😂

She is currently set on studying medicine, and has been for several years. She is very academic but also loves art - wins prizes at school blah blah. Two questions-

Dd plans to do biology, chemistry, history and art a-levels. Her school always starts them on four. Might the art a-level work against her? Aware unis usually offer on three - but with medicine being so competitive, surely she’ll be up against candidates with 3 sciences plus maths or whatever? Her sibling has an Oxbridge offer - also does art a-level, and their offer excluded it! 🤪

She is quite keen on doing an art foundation before she starts her medicine degree. Would this be nuts? We are in London so she could live at home…

Totally aware things might change before lots of people tell me this is all premature thinking! But just mulling at this point and thought it would be useful to get thoughts x

Has she considered how she will fund an art foundation year as well as 5 - 6 years at med school? I know you said she could live at home, but really?

when was this and which universities? unfortunately all the universities my students have applied to have required either 3 sciences or bio chem and math.

@Dearover - art foundations are free for under 19s. I think that for medicine, the first 4 years you can get student loans, and for the 5th there are means-tested bursaries? But yes, money is a consideration and she will be looking at a high amount of debt either way I know. We’ll help as far as we can - it might make sense for her to study in London and live at home for at least some of her degree.

@anikarice - in the case of my eldest’s friend, Oxford this year!

You get three years of post sixteen education paid for by the government so she won’t have to pay for it.

I think it’s unfair to take up an art foundation place when you have no intention of following through with it, thus depriving someone else (who does) of the opportunity. I know a few people who have done this and as a designer who did foundation and then an art degree, it really pisses me off.

My DD did three A levels one being Art and got an interview for HSPS at Cambridge. No offer, but C had a ‘preferred’ A level list and wanted two off of it, which she had. Medicine is a different kettle of fish however.
She is at Durham doing Sociology now, but did do an Art Foundation Diploma in London. She originally wanted to do an Animation degree but had a change of heart once she did more research in to it.
She enjoyed her Art year. She went to Morley (in Chelsea), rejecting an offer from UAL. Her co-hort of 40 was more appealing than the 350 at UAL (probably even more now they have moved the Foundation years to the one site). She was also selected to do a months work experience in Lisbon through the Turing Scheme which was a fantastic experience working for a women’s art cooperative. She also made some fantastic friends, one of whom is now doing English at Cambridge.
Art Foundation Diploma is a full time course. But she enjoyed the break from more academic study (she still produced a 12,000 word essay).
Art and medicine is not an unusual combination. My father was a surgeon but also designed furniture and lectured on Art. My sister is a psychiatrist and does fibre art.

I don’t think it’s crazy to both want to do art and become a doctor but I do think it looks indecisive from an applications perspective to do both art and history. One non-traditional medicine route subject would look more like she knew what her plan was, on an application.

If it is a calling for her I dont get the art foundation. It feels.like she wants to be an artist in reality...

Why doesn't she do 3 A levels including Art?

Yes I get that is isn't an unusual combination and I'm totally supportive of studying to.givr you a broad and wonderful life. I'd just be testing what the DD really wants. Is it a perceived prestige factor? Is she at a school with a lot of want to be doctors and lawyers for example?

@Barkcloth - I think that’s a bit ridiculous. I know lots of people who did art foundations, some who went on to do art degrees, others who went on to do unrelated subjects, others who then started working. Surely it’s an age where a year of creativity and a break from more traditional academics can be a great thing?!

@OVienna - no she definitely wants to be a doctor, not an artist. It’s not about prestige- as I said earlier, a lot of medic friends have been more than frank about the reality of it as a career. She just thinks she would enjoy a year doing art before she starts, but it’s probably not going to be a reality all things considered! But she can always do art in her own time, of course…

@mondaytosunday - fascinating! Sounds like your dd is doing brilliantly x

Yep v crazy. Dr of 10yrs. Loved art. Did gcse. Parents stopped me after gcses as the course work is just sooooo time consuming it's not practical. That and you have to do volunteering/extra curricular activities etc to prove your commitment to get into uni in the first place. Draw for pleasure, granted never have since unfortunately, just don't have the time

Cos you won't get into medical school with that

@Destiny123 - thank you for insight. And yep agreed - don’t think she would stand a chance getting in with just bio/chem/art!

Me neither. Granted applied 15y ago

I did the IB higher chemistry biology English, standard maths, history, Italian

DD 1 just finished A-Levels & wants to do Medicine. All the Med Schools we looked at only want 3 A-Levels - they have stated they don't care about / look at the 4th one at all. They also aren't going to read their Personal Statement. Just A-Level Grades & UCAT, followed by interviews.

Her 3rd A-Level is DT and we've been told that's fine - she needed Chemistry & Biology. So Art could work but only as a 3rd not 4th A-Level

It would be madness tbh. Art A level takes up such a lot of time that could be better spent getting relevant work experience and focussing on the A levels she really needs. She can do art for relaxation/in her spare time (that’s if she definitely wants to do medicine)

Focus on the 3 main ones as they are said to be so much harder than gcse.

Why not if you can help with the funding or she’s prepared to take on the debt?!
She’s pursuing both passions. Better that one is not left behind to become a regret.

@1stWorldProblems - hmmm. Yes the med schools all offer on 3 and the UCAT score/interview performance are massive factors. But a fair number of candidates do apply with 4. Art is seen as a ‘less academic’ subject by a lot of unis unfortunately…I know for a fact that ‘just’ biology/chemistry/art wouldn’t work in her favour when it comes to offers.

Many of them don't actually care what the third subject is.

I'm puzzled why anyone would do a Foundation course if not to continue along an art & design path? When I did it (20+ years ago) it was a portfolio based course, the whole purpose was to build up a body of work that would successfully get you into an art degree. It would be a lot of work for nothing if she's not planning on pursuing it.

I know nothing of medicine requirements, but A level Art is full on!

What would be the point of doing an art foundation year before uni? Just for the fun and enjoyment of it? That feels very self indulgent to me, why delay an already long degree? And what about funding? Do you have unlimited funds to support her art for fun, or would she propose to suppprt herself by having a job alongside it.

I wonder if admissions tutors might query her commitment and passion to medicine if she's got that as a gap year plan tbh,