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A Level choices

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited March 27 in Work & Study
Hi guys, not bin on the forums in ages, its bin taking ages to load etc. but i got a question !

At school we've had to start thinking of what A level courses we wanna do, i want to become a doctor i was just wondering what the best 4 A Level subjects are to pick. ne ideas?

I know that chemistry is a necessity so i definately have to take that, So far i have decided to definately do chemistry and phycology; what other 2 subjects would you suggest?

:D thanx in advance :D
Post edited by JustV on

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    biology, i would imagine.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Depends where you're thinking of applying really...but I'd say take Biology as a third as some places are beginning to ask for it.

    As a fourth, I would personally go for a non-science subject you really/think you will enjoy (I went for philosophy) but also one that is still 'academic' i.e. not music or art.
    English and modern languages seem to be popular choices as a fourth.

    Hope that's of some use.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hiya, I'm a 1st year medic at UCL so if you want to ask anything relating to that, I'll be happy to tell you.

    As you obviously know, chemistry is a must. The medical schools say that biology isn't always needed, and on our course, there are a few people who didn't take biology, but on the course material itself, there is a lot of biological matter that we're just expected to know, e.g lots of stuff on DNA and it's applications, blood, antibodies, structure of biological molecules, the Krebs cycle etc and you may want to go to med school with some of those basics under your belt, I've been told by the admissions officer that a lot of these students are now struggling, but it's up to you.

    I took politics at A level for the reason that I didn't want to get bogged down in subjects that were too scientific, and UCL encouraged people to take an arts subject. But I've found it hard getting to grips with some of the maths that's applied, but I've always been a bit giddy with maths and physics, so in a way I wish I had taken these subjects, but then again politics has given me scope for so much more.

    It also depends on the med schools you are thinking of applying to. Some of them want chem+bio, others want just chem, some encourage maths and physics so it depends on where you want to go.

    medschoolguide.co.uk might also help you, it's quite a useful one for premeds.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thanx guy's for the replys, go_ahead was particularly useful, how are you finding the course? and wat results at A level did u get, if u dont mind me asking?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hey Solid,

    I'm just coming to the end of the first term (with an exam at the end, hurrah!), and all in all, I've been having a really good time. The workload can be a bit of a pain when you see friends on other courses doing a fraction of the time, which can be a bit difficult at times. Some of our work is marked on our confidence, e.g. we have to put 1,2 or 3 next to our answer depending on how confident we are and the marks follow through from that, so if you put a 3 down, and you get it wrong, you lose 6 marks. UCL did this because there were a lot of doctors who were too confident in the diagnosis that they made, and ended up killing the patient. But stuff like this will vary with the medical schools.

    My 'father' (guy in the year above who's supposed to be keeping an eye out for me - Mums and Dads - stolen from St Georges) got 5As at A level, but didn't bother going to any of his lectures, so he failed his first year. So it's best to do the work in a little and often manner, and there's getting to grips with the new learning style, which isn't like A level, you have to be a lot more active in your work.

    Pre-clinical I must admit, can be a bit tedious at times (don't get me started on embryology) but we get 1 day a week at a hospital - I'm at the Royal Free - where we do things based around ethics, law, our own professional development in line with the GMC and all that, and sometimes we get a bit of patient contact, but it's stuff like interviewing them (we have to practice clinical stuff on each other - wait till you have to do throat swabs!:eek: ). Today we met a guy talking about his experiences of living with HIV which was really interesting.

    You'll also have plenty of time to get involved with the community, most medical schools are involved with MEDSIN and through them I'll be teaching sex education next Feb which I'm really looking forward to. Just in the first term I've managed to do so much, and there will be plenty of stuff for you to choose that you'll enjoy.

    And I got AAB at A level, with the B in chemistry.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just do what you enjoy, and what you're good at.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by perfect***day
    Just do what you enjoy, and what you're good at.

    a lot of ppl sed that in the past but the uni's r after certain subjects and r quite picky wiv wat u av to do to get on the course !
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You could look on the UCAS website for medical courses and see what subjects the places you might be interested in require.
    As people have said about doing other non-science subjects, in our year, the girl who has the most offers for medicine took chemistry, biology, french and dropped RE after AS, so there are places that are quite happy with two completely unrelated to medicine subjects.

    also, i'd agree with whoever said do what you enjoy, you'll need good marks to get accepted, and they'll be easier to get if you're happy study the subjects you've chosen.

    good luck.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thanx for the help guys :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well i have decided on the 4 a levels in case anyone was interested, ive chose chemistry, biology, maths and physcology. Think thats fine peeps?

    Btw, go_away, i PMed you but your mail box is full
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Good luck :) I'll have a cleanout of my inbox, PM me and I'll send you me uni email address if you have any other questions
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    if you want to be a doctor id say
    chemistry
    biology (to et some idea of biological systems)
    maybe an art based subject like english or language
    psychology


    but then again its your choice!

    and you should know that most people studying in medical schools have done a degree before like errr anything i study chemistry and my unis medical school gave a talk about medicine after doing your chemistry degree, because people studying medicine at the age of 21/22 tend to know they want to do it for life and are more focused *less 1st year fun :P* so bear that all in mind
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    no the universities seem to prefer post grads, and im sure they get the same as normal funding for medical students

    and common sense says theyd prefer someone who wants to be a doctor after a degre because they (should) know how to manage time better and should have more commitment to what they want to do
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