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Medicine without Chemistry...

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
edited March 27 in Work & Study
Hi, I'm new on the boards and I have a question I've been meaning to ask. I've always wanted to go into medicine but chose not to do it at A-Level as I had to put a disproportional amount of effort into it to get a B, and my other grades suffered as a result. I am doing Biology as my science, and was wondering if there are any unis apart from UEA and Newcastle that offer medicine without chemistry. I am taking a gap year in which I should be doing something that'll help me in a medical career, but do not want to have to take a degree before medicine. Could anyone help??? Thanks!!
Post edited by JustV on

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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hi, I'm going into medicine, just got some offers through; however, I did a level chemistry.

    If you PM me I'll give u my e-mail address so you can add me on MSN if you want. However, your best bet is to do a pre-med year at a univeristy which would normally be 6 years instead of the usual 5. I know Manchester does this, not sure who else though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    HaloNoir wrote:
    Hi, I'm new on the boards and I have a question I've been meaning to ask. I've always wanted to go into medicine but chose not to do it at A-Level as I had to put a disproportional amount of effort into it to get a B, and my other grades suffered as a result. I am doing Biology as my science, and was wondering if there are any unis apart from UEA and Newcastle that offer medicine without chemistry. I am taking a gap year in which I should be doing something that'll help me in a medical career, but do not want to have to take a degree before medicine. Could anyone help??? Thanks!!
    Some universities now offer a one year course called "Pre-Med" for those with unsuitable a-levels to start medicine straight away.

    I know a girl who's doing it and her offer was for all six years of the course (i.e. the pre-med year and the five year medicine course). I can't remember which university she went to though.

    Your other alternative would be to do an A-level in chemistry (you could do it in one year) whilst getting some practical work experience so that you could apply for conventional medicine courses.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Queens does it. And a rather tasty Irish boy is in the class with our biology practicals. Although I'm sure Belfast isn't on your list...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks for all the advice! Still not sure what to do, but will bear all this in mind! Thanks again!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    HaloNoir wrote:
    Thanks for all the advice! Still not sure what to do, but will bear all this in mind! Thanks again!
    Search on www.ucas.ac.uk for pre-med courses. There may be others.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I would, by the way. somehow getting the a level for medicine before applying. Apparently, the pre-med courses are even harder to get into than the normal medicine course, and alot of the pre-meds do not guarentee you a place in medicine afterwards. A friend did not get a place after a pre-med course, neither did over 50% of his year. So it was almost a wasted year for him.

    If you are worried you would not be good enough to get a decent grade at a level chemistry, I'll be blunt and ask if you believe you'll be clever enough to cope with a medical degree. A lot of universities do only ask for a b at A level chemistry (My offer from HYMS is only asking for this). If you are getting less than a b at a level chemistry, medicine may not be the course for you.

    Of course, this is only my opinion (and perhaps the opinion of the universities?) but it is something to bear in mind.

    Edited to add: I've not found a level chemistry nearly as hard as I thought it would be. The stuff learnt me be a little deeper in that GCSE, but in the same way, a levels are done in modules so you are learning less work at each exam session (I'm learning work from the previous 3 months for exams, instead of over the past 2 years). Also, with the ability of resits and such, you can have more chances and be better prepared than at GCSE.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I was easily a "B" Chemistry student but I didn't enjoy the subject enough to be able to fully comit to it, rather than any lack of intelligence as it were (don't worry I'm not insulted ;) ).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    HaloNoir wrote:
    I was easily a "B" Chemistry student but I didn't enjoy the subject enough to be able to fully comit to it, rather than any lack of intelligence as it were (don't worry I'm not insulted ;) ).
    Would you enjoy the pharmaceutical aspects of medicine?
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    A level Chemistry was the hardset course I've ever taken. I passed it but only just and now wish I hadn't have bothered. I've never used it.
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Skive wrote:
    A level Chemistry was the hardset course I've ever taken. I passed it but only just and now wish I hadn't have bothered. I've never used it.
    I enjoyed A level chemistry.

    Have you really not used it? You may have used the skills you learnt from it like being able to analyse things, numeracy skills, being able to present your ideas etc even if you didn't use the context. On your CV it looks really good as people know it's hard and have a lot of respect for people with A level chemistry.

    Halo- when you say you were easily a B student did you mean for GCSE? Or for the A level (which you didn't actually do)?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I can understand not enjoying chemistry if you want to do medicine. Alot of chemistry is industry based and it has absolutely no relevance to me and so doesn't interest me (oh wow, irons a catalyst, that really gets the juices flowing), but medical schools ask for chemistry for a reason. It must be a really important aspect of the course, and so if you can do it: do it. The pre-med course is basically for people who have either been through a levels and realised they want to do medicine and so cannot take an a level in chem, or for people who are too late in the course to change their minds and take chemistry.

    I'd say if you can do chemistry, even if its taken in 1 year, do it. It is likely the medical schools will respect your commitment to studying medicine if you do do the whole course in 1 year.

    (also, little bit of advice, getting working on work exp. volunteering and charity work as soon as possible, you can never have enough. No matter how much you think you've got I put money on you'll want more for your personal statement when the time comes!)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you wanted some more vaguely medical volunteering experience I would recommend Vitalise (previously known as Winged Fellowship Trust). I have been a volunteer there helping on holidays for disabled people and several of the other volunteers were 6th formers trying to get into medicine and a good few of them did. Its very hand-on.

    Unrelated; their website was also where I saw the link to this website and hence how I learnt of thesite.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Randomgirl wrote:
    If you wanted some more vaguely medical volunteering experience I would recommend Vitalise (previously known as Winged Fellowship Trust). I have been a volunteer there helping on holidays for disabled people and several of the other volunteers were 6th formers trying to get into medicine and a good few of them did. Its very hand-on.

    Unrelated to the original topic, but I volunteered with the WFT a few times too and loved it. A fair few of my fellow volunteers have been planning to study Medicine, too, so it's definitely a good way of getting experience. The first time I did it was when I was trying to get experience under my belt that was relevant to Nursing. :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Also, if you can get a millenium volunteers award out of it, that always goes down well!

    I personally volunteered as a police cadet, doing lots of work in the community aswell as charitable thing, such as sponsored walks etc. I also volunteered at my local hospital on the wards: patient contact is something interviewers are keen on. At the moment I work as a phlebotomist, which is by far the best experience I've had for a career in medicine and universities seem to love it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    well in comparision to other people who have chem they are preferred because i heard that inthe first year there is a lot of biochemistry and what not! chemistry is more imortant than biology i think! yeah i think that Kings College do a course for people who are not up to scratch but its a 6 year degree not 5! its the extension course!
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    Randomgirl wrote:
    I enjoyed A level chemistry.

    Have you really not used it? You may have used the skills you learnt from it like being able to analyse things, numeracy skills, being able to present your ideas etc even if you didn't use the context. On your CV it looks really good as people know it's hard and have a lot of respect for people with A level chemistry.

    I havn't used any of my A levels, ever. I did what I was good at, not what I really enjoyed. After 2 years of college I realised I'd made a mistake, and that's why I didn't go to Uni.
    Weekender Offender 
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