What GCSE grades do I need to be a doctor?
Students and teachers often ask what GCSE subjects and grades are required for applying for medicine. We have looked again at what medical schools are asking for this year and bring you our findings.
Remember that you will have done your GCSEs and have actual grades by the time you apply for medical school. This means that medical schools have actual evidence of academic performance even before any predicted A-level grades and so excellent GCSE performance is very important.
Most universities will specify a grade in English Language (A/7 or B/6) and possibly maths and science subjects. Some like Cardiff will also ask for 66 or BB in Science and Additional Science (what used to be dual award science) or equivalent.
Many will just say they want a ‘good’ set of GCSEs. This usually means a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade A/7 or B/6 including core subjects.
Remember these are minimum requirements and most successful candidates will have more, usually As and A*s (or 7s, 8s and 9s) at GCSE. Some medical schools such as Oxford will expect most of your grades to be A*.
If you have sat AS exams, there are highly likely to be taken into account so take these seriously. However, we feel they are unlikely to be part of any offer.
Medical schools can insist you sit all your GCSE examinations within a certain period of time, for example 12 months. If you have less than 9 GCSE subjects for whatever reason, perhaps you or your school has dropped some subjects, you must contact the medical school for advice before you apply.
What if my GCSE grades are not as good as I expected?
If you have reduced performance at GCSE, you will need to carefully research the medical schools and pick those that have indicated they pay less attention to your GCSE grades.
If you genuinely feel that your reduced GCSE performance does not mirror your predicted A-level grades in terms of academic performance, you can request that your referee writes something to this effect in the reference section of the UCAS form.
If there are any extenuating circumstances that may have led to reduced GCSE performance then you must ask your referee to include the reasons for this in the reference. You can include it in your personal statement, but this uses valuable space which can be used for other more positive achievements.
Widening participation criterion, as well as other access to medicine programmes can permit reduced GCSE entry requirements. However, this assumes that you fit the criteria for the programme. It is not always just about where you live and which school you attend but also any personal circumstances, such as medical illness. This is a topic for a future blog.
As always, please check the website of your chosen medical schools for the latest updates to entry requirements as they can change from time to time. Dr Mannan has created a video discussing the topic further - please see below.
