Going to med school without A Level Chemistry

[Dangerbird]

I'm a student going into 6th form in September interested in becoming a doctor.

I have read that it is actually possible to get into med school without an A Level in chemistry by studying for an extra year in med school where you are taught the relevant chemistry and biology needed to become a doctor.

I don't enjoy chemistry at all and probably wouldn't get an A grade, and the subjects I am currently taking are all non-science (politics, history, business studies and english literature(possibly biology instead)).

I am confident that I will be able to achieve A grades in all of these A levels, and the two questions I have are:

1) Would it possible to get into a good medical school and train as a doctor without an A Level in science by doing an extra year at med school?

2) Would doing biology be any benefit in applying to a med school? If I have to do an extra year at medical school anyway, would you suggest I pick subjects I enjoy the most and can get the best grades in?

I have done work experience in hospitals and will be working a couple of old folks homes next year as experience.

Any help would be appreceated.

Thanks in advance.

[Cymro]

I don't enjoy chemistry at all and probably wouldn't get an A grade

The reason why Chemistry is required for Medicine is because it forms an integral part of the degree. You need a good understanding of chemical principles and biochemistry in order to understand the normal physiology of the body and, logically, its pathology. If you really don't like Chemistry and feel that you can't get on well with it, then you must remember that you're going to have to deal with a lot of it at some point, be it at A-Level, in your foundation year, or throughout the medical degree. You wouldn't necessarily have to achieve an A grade either. Plenty of schools would accept a B grade as long as you get two As (one of them may need to be in another science).

It's true that you don't need A-Level Chemistry to do Medicine. You do have the option of applying to an Access course. It just seems that it would be a lot easier to knuckle down for two years, get lots of help and do Chemistry at A-Level and then apply to a standard five-year degree.

Cymro.

[Dangerbird]

Thanks for the reply Cymro.

The thing is, A level chemistry doesn't appeal to me at all. Plus, due to illness I didn't even sit a GCSE in any of the sciences. I will be working with science teachers at school and re-sitting GCSE sciences in Novemeber, and the school I'm at aren't really keen on me doing chemistry for an A level when I don't even have a GCSE grade in it.

I've found chemistry teachers at my school rather hopeless to be honest, and whilst I understand your point about knuckling down for two years and getting an A level in chemistry, the additional ONE year at med school sounds a far more tempting alternative.

My next question is this: Is it worth me doing biology for an A level if I don't do chemistry? I'm fairly sure I could get an A in biology and I find the human aspect of the sciences far more interesting. But if I'm going to be doing an extra year at med school anyway, is there any advantage in me doing biology without chemistry?

[Frank's mum]

You need to check this out before you choose your A level subjects, as some access courses don't take you straight from school. At Kings there are quite a few 18 year olds on the access course who have a variety of A levels not including chemistry, but some courses like St Georges I think, will not take you at 18. It's best to be safe now than sorry later!
Alison

[Dangerbird]

Thanks again for the replies.

Simon,

your post has basically convinced me that taking biology would be in my best interest. Having a scinece A level should would demonstrate scientific propensity as you said, and I reckon it would be easier to get into med school with an A level in Biology rather than one in English.

But do biology, definitely!! I think some Universities will not consider you without it - Edinburgh, UCL (I think), and most prefer you to have it.

Really? I always thought that you could go to med school without chemistry OR biology so long as you sat an access year. But I'm glad you mentioned that, especially as Edinburgh would probably be my first choice.

But yeah, I'm 99% certain I'll take biology for A level instead of English.


Alison,

You need to check this out before you choose your A level subjects, as some access courses don't take you straight from school. At Kings there are quite a few 18 year olds on the access course who have a variety of A levels not including chemistry, but some courses like St Georges I think, will not take you at 18. It's best to be safe now than sorry later!
Alison

I've chosen my AS Levels : History, english lit, politics and business studies. I'm probably going to change to take biology instead of English lit. I'd drop business studies and do biology, history and politics for A Levels, then apply to med school and do the access course for 30 weeks before I start the 5 years.

I imagine that would be pretty standard for most med schools?

[m00ple]

Access years aren't standard for many med schools, so you will be limited in terms of which university you can apply to once you do the access year.

If I were in your position I would seriously consider whether there is some way you can do A-level chemistry, be it this year or during a gap year. Having 2 science A-levels that include chemistry really will make applying much easier for you and give you more options regarding where you can apply, and as people have pointed out you will have to be able to cope with a fair amount of chemistry when you start studying for a medical degree.

[Dangerbird]

The thought of doing A Level chemistry sounds very challenging. Especially since I missed so much GCSE chemistry through absence due to illness I only just scraped through GCSE Chemistry.

I know it sounds like a very vacuous question, but what's A Level chemistry like? Biochemistry interests me, but I missed really key parts of the GCSE chemistry syllabus and I feel that I might be disadvantaged studying A Level chemistry with such glaring gaps in my knowledge.

[premsut]

I didnt do a level chemistry, and have not had any problems with any of the content in my course, as far as i know newcastle and uea ask for chemistry OR biology, in my opinion a level biology is a lot more relavent. i know so many people that would have made good doctors, that fell down because they did a level chem and didnt get the grade.

[Cymro]

Chemistry's not all that bad. Quite a lot of it is learning by rote, something that becomes very familiar at med school (eg. anatomy). If you could somehow bring yourself to do that A-Level I think you'd really maximise your chances of a career in medicine. There are very few places on Access courses. For example, I think Cardiff takes 310 on the five-year course but only 20 on the access course. You have to appreciate that you'll be up against tough competition from graduates and older people with a lot of life experience which may give them the edge over you.

As for biology, you'd be surprised that very little of it is useful to a medical degree, unless you take a more specific subject that's offered by some exam boards (ie. human biology). I thoroughly enjoyed my English A-Level and have found it extremely useful for all the written work I do now. My control of the language really helps me in essays, precis and comprehensions, portfolios etc. I guess an ideal combination would be two sciences and two arts at AS. I don't suppose it matters if you choose to drop an art or science at A2, but maybe two sciences at that level would best prepare you for your degree.

Cymro.

[premsut]

i guess it depends on your course cymro, chemistry is no longer essential, but doing it will increase your chances of getting a place. its better to not do a level chem (or take it as an a/s at first to see how it is) than to take it and not get the grade.