Dropping Biology at A2?

[Ben Jones 91]

Hello everyone, I'm a student currently studying for my AS levels (which are chemistry, biology, maths and history) with aspirations of going into medicine/denistry. Although I'm taking biology at AS level, i may consider dropping it for A2 level. Would this affect my chances of getting in to a medical school??????

[rat-a-tattat]

really does depend on where you are thinkin of applyin, i think nottingham asks for biology at A2, dont know what other unis want. newcastle says its alryt with students witg either biology or chemistry at A2

[Kinkerz]

Hello everyone, I'm a student currently studying for my AS levels (which are chemistry, biology, maths and history) with aspirations of going into medicine/denistry. Although I'm taking biology at AS level, i may consider dropping it for A2 level. Would this affect my chances of getting in to a medical school??????

Not massively. You'll just have to pick your universities wisely.

May make your time during the first few months at Medical School a little more stressful though.

[SupraSpinatous]

if you get in of course.
Dont count your chickens yet son

[Kinkerz]

Lol. Wasn't couting my chickens! I was counting the OP's.

But yeah, obviously the first hurdle is actually getting a place and then making the offer!

[Hughman]

I don't see why you would want to do medicine if you want to drop Biology. I could understand Chemistry, but surely Medicine is just one massive subgroup of Biology (with overlap in other science disciplines)

You'll be in a minority of 5% of applicants without A2 Biology for a start, plus you'll be disadvantaged by only having 2 sciences to A2 at many universities (PBL courses don't care that much tbf, but the other unis do, even if they say they don't)

[Kinkerz]

I don't see why you would want to do medicine if you want to drop Biology. I could understand Chemistry, but surely Medicine is just one massive subgroup of Biology (with overlap in other science disciplines)

You'll be in a minority of 5% of applicants without A2 Biology for a start, plus you'll be disadvantaged by only having 2 sciences to A2 at many universities (PBL courses don't care that much tbf, but the other unis do, even if they say they don't)

Huh? Why is it a disadvantage to have "only" two sciences at A2?
As long as Chemistry and Biology are there, only Cambridge care about a third science...

[Arch_Angel]

I expect most places will still look at the religious studies / media studies / Business studies / African studies etc. in an unfavourable light.

With Cambridge leading the way by openly saying that easy subjects won't get in, I wouldn't trick yourself into thinking that other universities don't have an opinion regarding if you took maths/physics or textiles/woodwork even if they don't say they do.

(Discalimer: If (as in the past) someone tries to argue that textiles is just as hard as physics and that they just different I will find your egalitarian ass and end it)

[Hughman]

That's what you think. But I've talked to doctors and other admissions tutors outside of open days. They've all said you'd be foolish not to take 3 sciences to A2.

The vast majority of Oxford, Imperial, UCL, Bristol, Birmingham, Nottingham, Newcastle and Edinburgh are going to have 3 science subjects.

There is a big difference between a university 'considering your application' and 'giving you an offer'. Even Cambridge will 'consider' an application with 2 sciences, as it says so in their prospectus, but I called up at least a dozen colleges and they all said at best, they've accepted no more than a half-dozen students with 2 sciences in the past decade.

[Arch_Angel]

Oh, and as I spend about half my time on here directing people to this website I may as well here to:

Medschoolsonline - Medical Course Guide for School Leavers - Standard Courses

That tells you which look at what subjects.