GCSE Languages

[1stTimeMummy3298]

A lot of people have said a language is important for GCSE but with a child who wants to go into medicine would you go for French or Latin? (She hates Spanish so that's a no go) I know Latin isn't a "modern" foreign language but I wondered if it would be good for medical terminology. So which one should we go for, the modern foreign language that she has a year of experience with and kind of likes or the old language that she has no experience in yet but thinks she might like? Thanks to anyone that is able to help! :)

I honestly don't think it'll matter - she should pick the one she thinks she'll enjoy most and therefore have a better chance at achieving highly in. No medical school is really going to analyse her choice of GCSE language in such depth - they'll just see it as a grade in a language and consider that (although only as one part of many segments of the application - UKCAT/BMAT, interview, predicted grades will all be more important when it comes down to it).

Agree with choosing the one she feels she will do better in / enjoy more, but, that said, a friend's dd who is doing medicine said she is so glad she did Latin - she feels she is at such an advantage over her peers who didn't.

I suppose some of the Latin you do at GCSE level might be useful in understand some terminology in medicine - pulmonary, cardiac, etc. But I'm not sure how much difference it would make. I think she should do whichever she's more interested in, though appreciate it's hard if she doesn't know any Latin yet. My first instinct would be to pick the modern language over the classical language, but I don't think it matters much.

My DC did Spanish and Latin for GCSE. Out of the two they seemed to enjoy & get more out of Latin. If I had to pick one it would be Latin but are both not a possibility?

I'd pick French since it makes it possible to go and study in France or Canada should one want to, I'm thinking about the Erasmus exchange programme and similar. Otherwise it doesn't make any difference.

French GCSE is not good enough for Erasmus. You have to do extra learning at university to get up to a higher level. With medicine, this would be virtually impossible because of time. Perfectly possible with some other degrees. Do the language she is best at. French would be better in my opinion but it's only a GCSE. It will show breadth of learning.

We are currently looking at unis for medicine. At every subject talk they have talked about minimum grades at GCSE. They want a minimum of 6 grade A, plus a minimum of grade B in maths and English.

Not one uni has asked for a foreign language. I would just choose the subjects your DD will do well in. Since the demise of AS levels unis are paying more attention to GCSE grades.

They don't ask for an MFL, but medical schools have their pick of the brightest candidates who will have a broad range of very high grade GCSEs. It's a hugely competitive course so getting the GCSEs is important. Who goes to medical school with a B in GCSE maths or is that now a 6? I would expect more than a B in English too!

DD got 8 A*/A and 2 B at GCSE. As one of the Bs was English are you saying that she is wasting her time looking at med school?

She could always take both French and Latin. They're quite complimentary.

Lonicerajaponica - check the admission criteria for med school carefully. Some medical universities do apparently- was told Birmingham is one of them, one of my friends Dd is in Birmingham med school and this is what her mum says.
Am a doctor myself and personally think it is bonkers.., some med school has criteria of certain number of A*s but not prescriptive of which subjects they should be in

Lonicerajaponica - absolutely not. What needs to be made is a strategic application. For example Cardiff/Birmingham/Edinburgh (the only med school that don't interview) have all been cited as, at some point, stating that it's not worth applying to them with less than 8As. But when grading GCSEs Liverpool classes an A the same as an A, and Leicester has a point system using your top 8 that means anyone with 4A*s 4As and above is highly likely to be interviewed. Then there are universities like Newcastle, who establish a very high UKCAT cut off for interview invite, and Bristol/UEA who base something like 80% of their interview criteria off personal statement and combine UKCAT with interview score to make their final decision, rather than using it pre-interview. Keele base their interview invites almost solely off a "roles and responsibilities" form.

One of the most important things with medicine is making an application that plays to your strengths.

GCSE choices play almost no part (aside from double science, triple if it's an option), and even GCSE grades become less significant if you apply to certain universities. Getting a strong UKCAT is far more pivotal than an A* in English language GCSE, as it creates more options.