2) GCSE and A-Levels required for medicine

That's right, med schools also look at your GCSE grades too when it comes to securing a place. Each medical school has slightly different entry requirements but there are some subjects that would be considered as a necessity to have. Firstly we'll start with your GCSE grades.

The competition you will be going up against for entry into medical schools is very high, therefore, it is crucial that you achieve the best grades possible even for your GCSEs. While ultimately the grades you get at A-levels will be considered first, this does not mean that your GCSEs are not important.  Most medical schools tend to look at the overall picture when it comes to assessing prospective students.  You stand a much better chance, wherever you are looking to study medicine, of being accepted on to the course if you have a strong academic history overall.  So it is obviously very important that you do your best at GCSE level.

In order to study medicine at most universities in the UK you need to, as a standard, have at least five A* or A grade GCSEs in subjects including Maths and English.  You also need to have at least a Grade B in a Science subject.  Whether it is Chemistry, Physics or Biology is not often particularly important, unless the medical school you are interested in has stipulated this in its entry requirements. You can check this information on the website of each school.  Take, as an example, a university like Cardiff requires GCSE Science and Additional Science at Grades AA or GCSE Biology, Physics and Chemistry at Grade AAB in any particular order.  However, if you look at Edinburgh University, they will not accept GCSEs in subjects such as Applied Science and Additional Applied Science. 

Medical degrees always require at least AAA at A-level and grades have to be achieved in hard science subjects like biology and chemistry with physics or mathematics considered next most useful. 

Biology: Most medical schools do require biology at least at AS level. Most medical students should look to have an A2 in biology, though, even if it isn’t formally required. It would depend on your other A2 subjects, for example, if you were already taking an A2 in human biology.

Chemistry: Almost every medical school in the UK requires chemistry at AS level. Most expect you to have a full A-level in chemistry, though. The medical schools which don’t require A2 chemistry require you to have biology at A2.

Maths and Further Maths: A-Levels in maths are always useful to possess alongside biology and chemistry A-levels. Only one of the two - maths or further maths - will be accepted.

Other Subjects: Whilst most subjects are accepted as a third A-Level choice (alongside chemistry and biology), other sciences like physics will look best. Each and every medical school has varying requirements, and some will require you to have a third A-Level in maths or another ‘hard science’ or similar subject.

With the rising competition facing UK medical students, it has been said that 4 A-Levels is the new benchmark for applicants. Having 3 A to A* A-Levels at A2 including Chemistry and Biology will secure you an interview in many circumstances, though. In situations of extreme oversubscription and very high standards, it can’t be denied that having 4 A-Levels including Biology, Chemistry and then Maths or Physics and one other subject of your choice is the most reliable approach.