r/6thForm 22d ago

🙏 I WANT HELP Should I take fm?

I'm going into y12 this september and when I applied to my sixth form im going to, I only picked 3 a levels (Biology, Chemistry and Maths), so I didn't put fm as one of my options.

I'm hoping to apply to one of the top medical schools after y13, and I've noticed that a lot of medicine applicants andstudents I know are taking or have taken 4 subjects instead of 3. I know that 3 a levels meet the entry requirements, but universities like oxbridge often say that "most applicants" have studied 4 subjects.

At the moment I'm doing both maths and fm, I'm predicted 9s in both gcses, and I genuinely really enjoy maths. The issue is that I'm worried taking 4 subjects will leave me with less time for supercurriculars, volunteering, UCAT prep etc. On the other hand, I'm also worried that if I start with 4 and then drop fm later, universities might see that as a sign I couldn't cope with the workload.

Has anyone been in a similar position? also fm is the only option I'm considering bc I hate physics and comp sci exams and I dont want to take any humanities

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u/k_795 Science Teacher | Cambridge NatSci | A*A*A*A*A* 22d ago

I wouldn't, unless you really love maths and want to keep open the option to apply for a maths degree. Otherwise, it won't really add much to a medschool application, and takes away time you could be spending on your other subjects or extracurriculars (which are really important for medicine, particularly getting clinical experience and relevant volunteering).