AS Level grades and Medicine

By the time you get your AS grades, most of you will have decided that medicine is the perfect career choice for you. You will probably have done some work experience, started your personal statement and possibly even completed your UKCAT. Everything seems to be falling into place until that brown envelope is handed to you in the middle of August. 

Please note that the information below is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change. Please visit the individual medical school websites for updated information.

Also note that this is not an exhaustive list - the universities I have listed here are the ones I know something about. There are other medical schools which I have not mentioned, so please do some further research! 

I got good AS grades (AAA+)

If you got A grades at AS then many congratulations! Having A grades can put you at a good advantage for some of the top-ranked medical schools. Your UMS percentages are also taken into consideration particularly at Cambridge, Sheffield and University College London (UCL), so if you have a strong UMS (preferably 90% or above), then these universities are definitely worth considering!
  •  Birmingham prefer AAAA to be achieved at AS.
  • Cambridge ask for your UMS on a separate form. It is widely known that successful applicants to Cambridge have above 90% UMS at AS Level. 
  •  Leicester – they give you 1 point for an A grade at AS level (max 4). Although to apply, you probably want good GCSEs too (see GCSE post)
  • Sheffield – they require ABBB at AS Level including Chemistry. Module UMS scores are required for all candidates on the UCAS form. 
  • UCL state that a strong performance at AS-level (particularly in Chemistry and Biology) is expected of prospective medical students. They ask many applicants for their UMS scores. Most candidates interviewed have AAAA or AAAB. 
Queens University Belfast and the University of Southampton require an A grade in the 4th AS Level.

Keele invite a few candidates on the basis of very good academic performance (around 100). To get full marks in the academic scoring, you need AAAA at AS as well as 7 A*s at GCSE.

Note that many universities don't consider both Maths and Further Maths, including Birmingham and Leicester! 

So what if AS grades don’t go to plan?
                     
Don’t give up! You can still apply for many medicine courses without getting A grades at AS Level. The most important thing is to have done enough to get an AAA prediction for your A levels.

Universities with lower AS level grade requirements:

As far as I know, the University of East Anglia (UEA) require applicants with A level results pending are expected to have achieved minimum AS level grades of BBBC. However, the minimum predictions of AAA are required. 

Universities with no AS level grade requirements:

The following universities don't have a formal requirement for AS Level grades in the main three subjects, but you still need to meet the minimum predictions of AAA. 
The list includes Aberdeen, Cardiff (need a C in the 4th AS), Dundee, Durham, King's College London (need a B in the 4th AS), Newcastle, Manchester (require a 4th subject and unit marks are considered if provided) and Nottingham (require a pass in the 4th AS), 

Universities without official AS level grade requirements but be careful:
  • Barts and the London: the 4th subject has to be a B. However, they rank applicants on their UCAS tariff, so an AAA prediction in 3 A levels may not be competitive as many will apply with A* predictions in their subjects.
  • Bristol: the 4th subject has to be a C. Academics form 20% of pre-interview selection, 12% from A levels and 8% from GCSE grades. Therefore higher predictions may advantage you.
  • Imperial: the 4th subject has to be a B. However, A level predictions are used as their selection criteria. Strong predictions will definitely advantage an application.

I can’t get an AAA prediction! One subject didn’t go to plan and I want to retake it – Predicted AAB?

Hull York will accept applications from those predicted AAB. However, the offer will still probably be AAA so you may need to resit AS modules in order to give yourself the best chance of making your offer. 

Other options without an AAA prediction include: 
  • Graduate Entry Medicine is an option that many students take. This involves completing a degree in another subject and applying as a graduate. However, applying as a graduate is even more competitive compared to undergraduate entry, so an upper second class degree (2:1) is essential and often a first class honours degree in a science-related subject is required to beat the competition. 
  • Foundation year courses often require lower grades than the normal entry courses. However, these tend to have strict eligibility criteria; you often have to come from a qualifying school or background. Many universities offer such programs or give allowances for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is a great option but unfortunately not a lot of people are eligible to apply for these! 
  • Gap year - this will require you to work extra hard, and maybe resit modules and achieve AAA. Then you can take a year out and apply the following year with achieved grades. I think this is a better option compared to graduate entry medicine, as that is a much more competitive route.  

Remember to never give up! Even if your AS grades do not go to plan, there are so many entry routes into Medicine, and if you are hard-working enough, there is no reason why you cannot apply for a Medicine degree. 

Comments

  1. hi my name is rishabh gubta and I want to do medicine
    i got 12 A* and 2 Ds at GCSE and 4 As at AS
    can I apply to Hull York
    thanks you:)_

    ReplyDelete

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