My name is Charles. I am current a medical student at Newcastle University. This channel is my way of offering help to those future medical students who are a little unsure at how the system works. When I was trying to apply and get my head around things it felt very difficult to understand.
My mission statement is to simplify that for people and make the task of applying to medical school a lot easier. This channel will also be useful to those doing similar degrees to medicine as the same concepts usually apply. Do not hesitate to subscribe!
I'm currently in year 10 and my school teacher is asking me to select courses for A-level and also I'm new in this country.. so definitely idk anything.. i want to go in medicine.. and wanna be a doctor... i need such a good advise about what to do next and which subjects will be best for medicine and what grades i need... Please reply I'm waiting 😭
Hi there, I’m glad to hear that you want to study medicine and are already considering which subjects to choose. I’d recommend picking Biology and Chemistry as essential subjects. For your third subject, I’d suggest sticking to a traditional subject from either the sciences or the arts, though a social science is also acceptable. Personally, I chose Biology, Chemistry, Economics, and English Literature. After my first year, I dropped English Literature and continued with the other three. I hope this helps!
@@drcharles5626 Thank you for the such good advice and recommendation. I truly appreciate your insight and expertise, which have been invaluable in shaping my decision-making process. I look forward to implementing your suggestions and exploring the opportunities that lie ahead.
Yould need to check with the individual pharmacy schools. Chemistry is usually a must in most schools. Alternative entry could be with a foundation year
Just saw your video now its really good thank you so much .but i didnt meet up to chemistry in my GCSE grades😥but i did for biology what other subject can i put along with biology and physiology
Hey! Your alevels are what really matter. Some schools will look at GCSEs too but others won’t. Some will focus on the additional entrance exams. Pick your applications strategically plus with good alevels you’ll be okay
They are solid subjects. Some medical schools would accept those but biology is usually required. I would keep chemistry and swap one of the other two with biology.
Hello Dr Charles. I stumbled across your video (thankfully - God bless you!) as I’ve just failed my third year of med school and now having to repeat the year. While everything happens for a reason and I believe God has a plan for everything, I would like to adjust my study techniques and work smarter not harder. I’m also a grad so heavy on the longness of repeating. But I guess as you said it’s an opportunity to work on skills and learn more efficiently. I’m looking to have more people to look up to in the medical field and receive some advice etc so I was wondering if you’d like to connect?
Hey I’m sorry to hear you’ve had to repeat. It’s definitely a tough time especially with how demanding medical school is already. Definitely looking at the positives at this moment in time will definitely help. You can message me via my Insta page at _dr_charles
Chemistry for pharmacy is the main one. You can get away with a C a in biology but usually to stand a good chance Ild aim for a B and above. There’s a spectrum of grade requirements so check each uni you intend to apply to first before applying to ensure you meet their requirements
Those subject are more than likely alright for medicine. For peace of mind Ild email the admissions team especially for marine science (I suspect most likely there should be no issues)
Should i take 4subjects in alevels ? What if i dont get good results in my 3subjects which are bio chem and maths? Should i take phy also ? For opening other options as well? Is it a good idea or not?
If you’re comfortable with the 3 subject and on track for As and above then you can consider an additional subject like physics. Biology and Chemistry are musts Ild say and pick either maths or physics (if you’re going for 3) or both if you’re confident you’ll be able to definitely secure 3 As (two being from chemistry and biology)
Only thing I can think of is how someone’s beliefs towards a medicine can affect its effectiveness. For example in pain management it been found those that have a bias of paracetamol being useless tend to get less pain relief Vs those who don’t. I hope this helps
Most universities in the U.K. only require Chemistry with Biology. For the third it’s usually okay to pick either Maths or physics. That’s usually the general strategy to maximise the amount of unis you can apply to with maximum efficiency. If you have specific unis in mind I would double check their requirements. If they specifically state they want physics and you want to apply to them, then you can swap the maths for physics. In most cases the advice above usually stands and allows you to apply to where you need to.
At least 2 A Levels in one of the following subjects: Biology Chemistry Physics Applied Science Health and Social Care Psychology Sociology Physical Education *Please note, some universities may specify qualifications in Biology or Chemistry. (Safest to pick biology and chemistry + whatever third alevel from that list or check on specific unis that you want to apply to. Instead of A Levels, most universities will also accept an Access to Higher Education Diploma. By studying an Access course for nursing instead of A Levels, you will gain a foundation of knowledge, as well as study skills for degree-level learning. Once again double check with the universities you wish to apply to first.
Hi, I'm planning to take A levels for English, maths, chemistry, and biology. My first question is would not taking A level physics (not taking any physics courses at all in high school) affect my chances of getting into one of the top universities for med school e.g oxford. Also, is A or AS level english needed/preferred to get into a good med school?? More specifically, for my 4th A level subject, would English or Physics be better? Thanks 🙏
You don't have to take physics and this should not affect your chances into medical school. Key A-levels to have are Chemistry and Biology. Maths or Physics are good additions. English would also work in your favour as it shows you've got good communication skills. I did English, Chemistry, Biology and Economics and was able to apply to any school.
No you don’t have to memorise them. Over time however you pick them up naturally and start to know the common ones. There is a prescribing exam you sit in your final year. It’s a good idea to know as many common medications as possible and their side effects. If you don’t though it’s okay, you have a book called the BNF which has all medicines, what’s they do and doses. Ild just have a quick Google of any medicines you come across that you’ve never seen and over time you’ll pick up a lot without stressing or trying too much.
@@drcharles5626 thank you, i was worried that i would have to do biology bc i really dont want to do it and im torn between pharmacy and chemical engineering
My boyfriend who is in third year may have failed his resit for OSCEs and told me he may get kicked off the course. You said that you were able to resit the year- is this something that is only available at newcastle or is this the case for all unis? thanks
Hey, I’m sorry to hear about this. Old newcastle curriculum I was on allowed you to only sit exams once. The repeat year counted as attempt 2 and failure of that year would result in being kicked out. Was there any additional circumstances that he could argue contributed to the outcome? If so this could be a route to take. It’s important to note however whenever you sit an exam you declare yourself fit to take it regardless of what’s going on. If there happened to be circumstances that lead to him not being fit to sit exams i would pitch an appeal. At the most extreme end he could get legal help to prove his case. If he wanted to discuss this further he can message me on Instagram at @_dr_charles. I hope this helps
Hi my medical school tutor has said that not taking maths as a third a level puts you at a huge disadvantage and he says I need to take maths even though I know I won’t enjoy it at all, whereas I would enjoy English lit or PE, do you have any advice on what I should do?
Personally I didn’t take maths and actually chose English Lit as one of my subjects. Most of medical school is teaching yourself stuff anyway. I wouldn’t worry. Ild say got for English lit if you enjoy it over maths.
Hi Charles, can RE (Islamic studies 9488 ) accepted as 3 rd A level subject? Does RE considered as general studies? Also can you please mention what A levels are general studies and critical thinking, just to avoid them straight away.
RE a should be fine as a 3rd a level. General studies and Critical thinking are literally the subject tittles for those two individual a-levels. Hope this helps
If you don’t do biology you’ll limit the amount of schools you can apply to. Maybe you could ask your college to see if you could study 4 subjects instead of 3 if you’re really keen on doing maths and further maths in addition to the Chem and bio
Hello, tysm for the info, congrats on your high score. Do we need to be able to use stockleys or the martindale drug checker. Ty in advance Dr. Charles.
Bio Chem Phy Math Bio Chem Phy Physology Which combination of A levels is more competitive for medicine? And am I adviced to take only 3 A levels or a 4th one would increase my chance of getting in?
Both would do the job. Ild focus on if you enjoy maths of physiology. After 3 As, the next place to aim is which of those combos could result in an A*AA or higher for you. That would open up oxbridge ect.
@@drcharles5626 thank you because physics is too hard for me and i was thinking of changing it and i saw your vid thank you soo much and great vid keep up the grind
Hi, I want to do medicine in the future, for my a levels I chose bio, chem and btec enterprise… I just watched ur video saying that it’s better to avoid btecs.. I’m panicking right now. Can I really not go into medicine just because iv chosen a btec as my third option
You’ve got the main two they want. The only way to be 100% sure is emailing the admission teams of the universities you to go to and see if the BTEC would affect you application. Better to have an email with written confirmation that speculate Ild say. I hope this helps. Also there’s always alternative entries if worst comes to worst like foundation year or via transfers from biomedical science degrees in some universities.
@@sajatelb7572 There’s a range of options you can do. 1. Do 3rd subject they accept during a gap year. 2. Apply via a foundation year if you’re eligible. 3. Do first year on biomed with the intention to switch. Each has their pros and cons. For now Ild say focus on emailing the university admission teams as there’s no need to stress and think to far ahead if they accept the BTEC. If the time comes and the above needs to be considered - hit me up and I can help you figure out the options best to take tailored to your needs.
@@drcharles5626 ok, thank you so much! I’ll be sure to message you if there’s any problem! Hopefully it’s not a big problems haha.. because I’m not exactly sure about uk. I still don’t know if I wanna go there, as I lm in dubai so I might be studying here, so their requirements may be different (: I’m not sure tho
My resit exam is in 2 weeks and I still haven’t studied enough. I feel frustrated and spend my whole day sleeping. Not sure if I will pass. Wish me luck💔🙏🏻
You have 14 days to turn that around. Tomorrow is the start of a new week. Forget whats already happened and focus on making each and every one of those days count. You got this!!!
