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

@SuperSue77 will not disadvantage her at all. They genuinely don’t care. It’s about the person.

@Namechangedasouting987 welcome to my world. The rubbish that gets posted about medicine is ridiculous. No wonder so many kids get put off (amongst the rest of the mess of doctor life these days).

She won't be disadvantaged by studying maths and she is doing the right thing by having her third subject as a subject she loves and finds easy. That is what everyone should do (unless particularly set on applying to Cambridge who need three STEM subjects).

@Unexpecteddrivinginstructor only some colleges.

I have experience of one DS doing medicine and one DS who did an Art Foundation and now an art degree.
There are good threads on both options on the Higher Education board which it would be worth looking for OP.
People who say 'do Art in her spare time' have no concept of what A level, an FAD or Art degree can and do offer.
No one ever says someone should study Maths 'for fun' or 'as a hobby'. Art is an academic subject. If she likes it and wants to learn more she should absolutely do A level. This dismissal of a valuable A level, which assumes it is not 'worth as much as maths' boils my piss tbh

Stop? Who rattled your cage? No need to be rude.

I agree with those who say there are a lot of points presented as fact on this thread that are misleading and incorrect. I wish people would clarify sometimes that their experience or information is from years ago – there's no point me posting about my A-level French which I took in 1982 (except in an "isn't this interesting" kind of way!)

This is not my area of expertise, but I know of a number of YP who have had offers for medicine, and while some have indeed take bio chem and maths, others have taken bio chem and history, or drama, or eng lit, or yes, art. It really doesn't seem to matter to unis what the third A level is in, so @Flockchaise if your dd takes bio chem and art because that will see her get the best grades and have then best sixth-form experience, then that is what she should do. Better than IMO than four A levels because of fears that art will not be accepted.

Unless anyone has that info direct from the admissions people at uni x or y then they should stop stating it as fact – when it is nothing of the kind.

(edited for grammar!)

Sounds like she isn’t committed to medicine.

Or maybe is multi-talented and medicine will be lucky to have her.

Thanks so much everyone. Massively helpful to hear all the considered responses - we will take time to properly absorb and think!

Also happy to have generated such debate 😂 ….thank you all once again xx

What with bio/chem/art as the 3 alevels? Amazed that was deemed adequate, which uni out of interest?

I'll say it again..
Most medical schools require A level Chem
Nearly as many require a second science A level
Nearly all do not care what the 3rd A level is..
It can be anything. (Exept the usual General Studies, Critical Thinking)
You could get into med schools with Chem/Bio/ Art as easily as Chem/ Bio/ Maths.
The predicted grades matter. UCAT matters the most.
Please stop spreading out of date or just plain wrong info..

And to add to what @Namechangedasouting987 said, some unis actively encourage a non-science/maths third subject as it demonstrates a well-rounded applicant well suited to the complex nature of medicine.

Of course I did 6 subjects (bio chemistry English maths history Italian, then cas (50h "creativity, activity, service"), theory of knowledge and extended essay ontop of Duke of Edinburghs and years of volunteering etc. Just wouldn't have got in with the 3rd being art in my day (2009) from the suggested options

That was 2009. Now its 2025...
We are no longer in that world. I doubt anyone is sifting through applications considering what the 3rd A level is. If you meet their criteria, you meet the criteria. Then it comes down to UCAT score at most places
That gets you interviews. Then having some stuff to talk about probably helps.

Yes. Southampton.

No one cares about the 3rd, 12 Unis don't need chemistry, lots don't need bio. And one needs neither - Newcastle. UCAT v important these days, but strategy can get you an offer if canny.

Bristol doesn't care what the third A-level is. The same is true for nearly all medical schools, including Oxford. Cambridge is a notable exception.

Oxford state: "Whether three or four A-levels are taken, tutors will never specify the third A-level to be included in the offer – beyond the exclusion of Critical Thinking and General Studies – as long as our requirement for having Chemistry and at least one of Biology, Maths, or Physics as part of the offer has been met."

No Unis need a third science or maths

And only some Cambs colleges need maths.

I don't think any Cambridge college requires maths? But most of them require the third A-level to be either maths or science.

So they would consider bio, chem and physics? I only ask out of interest - my DD is doing bio, chem and maths but definitely not applying to Cambridge!

Yes. Sorry, meant science or maths 3rd 😊. Bio, Chem, maths is fine for everywhere !

Why is FM listed here? Anyone doing FM would also be doing maths, so they would still meet the requirement even if FM wasn't listed

@Muu9 because the 3 A levels have to be sat in the same year and some schools do maths in year 12 (so doesn't count) & FM in year 13.