What do I need to do to become a doctor?

What do u need to become a doctor?

• I need to know what A levels you need to become a doctor? I am doing 9 gcses and going to be getting a lot of As and A*s. I also did 2 modern languages and planning on doing one ...show more

• Answer:

  Hi, As a medical student, I don't know how I could allow myself to become a doctor without enjoying biology. If you find biology boring or find it difficult to understand then perhaps medicine isn't right for you. Generally, biology will be introduced (through lectures, dissection etc.) from the first day of medical school so only go through all the hassle of applying to med schools (which is extremely competitive and difficult) if you are serious about it and genuinely love every aspect of it. A doctor can't pick and choose which parts of medicine they enjoy and which they don't (at a simple level). If you didn't enjoy GCSE Biology (which introduces biology at a pretty simplistic level), then you may struggle with A Level Biology where you tend to be thrown in at the deep end with many complex topics on the syllabus. If you are good at chemistry, you could consider a degree in chemistry or one in biomedical sciences which doesn't put as much emphasis on biology as medicine, but instead focuses on the chemistry of the body. You may find you enjoy this more. Alternatively, you could consider becoming a pharmacist (which I believe requires an A Level in Chemistry but not Biology). Another option could be combining psychology and pharmacology (psychopharmacology) which involves looking at the the effect of chemicals and drugs on the mind. Only ever choose Medicine if you are really, really keen to do it or you really are just wasting a place on one of the most competitive university courses available with many people applying for just one space at only ~30 schools. An example is Emile Sande who I believe dropped out of her 4th year of Medicine at Glasgow University for a record contract. Her readiness to do this just shows that her heart wasn't genuinely in Medicine and it would be very helpful if people in similar situations (who perhaps doubt their passion for medicine) didn't apply altogether to avoid disappointing hundreds of other hard-working students who would've loved to take that place and who would've continued right to the end. I hope that helps and I apologise for the long answer.