decision, decisions.....

[mak10]

ok, i need some help.. some serious help! i recently undertook AS-level bio/chem/phy having done my GCSEs and i've had some pretty good grades in the latter. My former just ended today.. its all over and I think my results are gonna be published sometime in Jan. I've done rather good in physics, ok in chem and very good in bio. now... the major reason i took these subjects is because i thought there was a good life to be lived as a scientist, a biomedical engineer, perhaps... with good wage and interesting work (since i love science). and everyone advised me so. but realizing now and seeing all the entry requirements in order for a degree for the universities that I've come across.... you need a basic A-level in math too. is this true for all science application-based subjects like biomedical science, biotek, medical physicist, and almost all general engineering based fields that are closely related with bio/chem/phy ?? if so... now that I have my AS-Levels on all the above three (and I don't wanna spend another year for doing separately one subject!!)... assuming that i do very good in bio (which i really think i will), will it be wise for me to drop it for A2 and take the AS math instead?? i dont know... i am very confused... will they only accept me for their degree based on AS math (i can assure that i can do very good there, since i have a strong GCSE record) and i dont want to waste another year in unis doing foundations either. any good advise from people who've 'been-thru-and-done-that' will be greatly appreciated!!

 

-mak10

[mak10]

<bump> i really need some good advice... and its been a while i posted this and received no response yet. does anybody have trouble understanding my situation.. if so, plz inform me... thx!

 

-mak10

[Severian]

I don't know about other subjects but to do any physics degree you will need at least AS maths. However, admissions may be slightly lower in some Universities. At Glasgow you could do it only with a maths AS:

 

BCC inc 2 from Mathematics, Physics, Biology or Human Biology; Chemistry, Geography, Geology, Computing Studies; Botany; Zoology; Statistics; Science (Double Syllabus) (at least one of Mathematics or Physics or Chemistry is desirable)

or

CCC inc 3 of these Mathematics/Science subjects

or

BBC with at least oneMathematics/Science subjects.

 

Applicants to degree courses in Computing Science, Electronic & Software Engineering, Software Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy or Statistics are required to have AS level Mathematics at B.

 

From http://www.gla.ac.uk:443/studying/ug/prospectus2005/entryfaculty.cfm?faculty=7

[5614]

well if you are thinkin of going in for bio something later in life.... DONT drop it now!

 

phys you thought you did well at and chem was ok

 

so you'd say drop chem

 

however, if you wanna be a bio something, then maybe chem would be better than phys....

 

i think it depends on what you want to do after A levels.

[mak10]

finally, some responses! thx guys... i asked my school, whther I can do AS-Level math but i am not allowed to take more than 3 subs... which is very annoying!! and i dunno if we can do this privately either.. grrrr!! so many decisions.... i guess it pays to think about what you wanna do in the future when you're givin your GCSEs... but i didn;t. nonetheless.... can you guys advise me on a career, that is science application-based, that is more at demand these days.... i cant seem to get a decent figure on any of the science career options! all of them appear to be saturated throughout the world! my choices right now (after narrowing down among hundreds!) are allergy/immonology specialist, psychiatrist, dentist, or just a general practitioner. are my present a-level subjects (i.e - bio/chem/phy) adequate in doing a degree in any one of those career choices? thnx again!

 

-mak10

[Drug addict]

What about pharmacy? But then I am biased

 

Bio/chem/phy should be fine for what you mention; though I found maths useful uni should teach you the maths you need for the course. The only maths that's been taught on my course has been calculus and some statistics (only normal distribution stuff, nothing too complex.) If anything I imagine there would be less maths in a medicine or dentistry course.

 

that's my opinion anyway

[mak10]

i find the subject of actually being able to synthesize drugs fascinating! you need a pharmacology degree for that, i think. but the market is too saturated with this, i reckon.

 

-mak10

[badchad]

I would think you need more of a chemistry degree to synthesize drugs. I'm getting my degree in pharmacology and I'm hoping to land a job with a big firm testing and characterizing the drugs the chemists produce. I'm not sure about the market being saturated, it'll depend on what you want to do. The guy I work with that recently graduated from my lab had plenty of options.

 

You mentioned psychiatry and being a general practitioner, but keep in mind you'll have to go through medical school for those.

[Drug addict]

Pharmacology is interesting stuff and is central to my pharmacy degree. What I love about pharmacy, though, is the breadth of science we cover. By the time I graduate this summer after four years at uni, I will have learnt about genetics,cell biology, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology and antibiotics, medicinal chemistry (analytical chemistry, synthesis, pharmacogonosy) and pharmaceutics (how we can deliver drugs) in addition to all the legal and professional studies we have to do. I also get the chance to do an in depth project (contributes 1/3 of the mark for my final year), and though some people are doing questionnaire based projects or literature reviews, my project is investigating the role of protein kinase C in muscle protein degradation, such as occurs in cancer.

 

I accept that my knowledge of, say, genetics will not be anywhere near the same as someone who has spent all three years of a BSc learning about it, however the breadth of my course presents lots of opportunities.

 

There's also the security that having a professional degree will bring in that the only time I won't be working is when I don't want to work, unless I go and do something really stupid and get struck off, or if I go and do a PhD (does that count as work or not?)

[JaKiri]

Biology generally doesn't require A-Level maths (at least, it doesn't at Cambridge). Physics, at least the better courses, will always do so because of the high mathematical content of the course. To be honest, I'm surprised it's possible to take A2 Physics without at least AS Maths.

[mak10]

You mentioned psychiatry and being a general practitioner, but keep in mind you'll have to go through medical school for those.

 

speaking of medical school... i am kinda confused of the chronology of degrees you need to undertake in order to be a GP, for example. it all starts with MCAT, as I've heard... but then, I've also heard that you dont need MCATs if you've done A-Levels.... is that true? And what exactly is after MCATs?? and how many years are required to finish each of the degree courses that follows after the MCATs?? at what point of time do you get to be an MD. ?? thanks guys!

 

-mak10

[Drug addict]

speaking of medical school... i am kinda confused of the chronology of degrees you need to undertake in order to be a GP' date=' for example. it all starts with MCAT, as I've heard... but then, I've also heard that you dont need MCATs if you've done A-Levels.... is that true? And what exactly is after MCATs?? and how many years are required to finish each of the degree courses that follows after the MCATs?? at what point of time do you get to be an MD. ?? thanks guys!

 

-mak10[/quote']

 

Depends on which country you study in.