• Question: Is it hard and what do you recommed i do to help me because i want to be a surgeon and i have to take all the sciency subjects for school?

    Asked by anon-384828 to Paul, Michael S, Martin M, David M, Alexander dB on 20 Feb 2024.
    • Photo: Martin McCoustra

      Martin McCoustra answered on 20 Feb 2024:


      Medical schools cherry pick the best students in the sciences from school. They’ll be looking at As across the board. You should certainly consider doing as much maths and science (chemistry, physics and biology) as you can at school. But often medical schools will look at other actvities that you are involved in like team sports. These show that you can interact with people… an important aspect of a medical professionals job. Once you’ve got your medical degree (about 5 years) then you can specialise in surgery or any other area of medicine that you think you might be good at.

    • Photo: David McGonigle

      David McGonigle answered on 21 Feb 2024:


      Hi. So being a surgeon – whatever kind – is a specialisation of medicine. I’m afraid you’d have to do sciences to get into a medical degree almost anywhere. But don’t dispair if you’re unhappy that you have to take some science subjects that you might not be motivated to study: talk to your teacher, or if you’re of a certain age, a careers advisor. They’ll be able to give you more information specific to where you live in the UK. Good luck!

    • Photo: Paul Laurance-Young

      Paul Laurance-Young answered on 21 Feb 2024:


      It will be very hard – but it has to be: You will be operating on real people at some point. You need at least two As and B to get into our medical school, 3As are better and you will need biology, preferably chemistry and maths. You also have to pass an interview, so get some extra experience under your belt: Volunteer with community projects, become a cadet, get a part time job – anything that makes you stand out.

    • Photo: Alexander De Bruin

      Alexander De Bruin answered on 26 Feb 2024:


      for going into medicine you will need excellent grades and also train yourself to learn and remember information effectively.

    • Photo: Michael Schubert

      Michael Schubert answered on 29 Feb 2024:


      It’s true that there’s some hard studying involved in becoming a surgeon – but if that’s what you’re passionate about, it’s worth it! To get into medical school, I strongly recommend both biology and chemistry. Many schools will pay close attention to your science marks, so study well in those areas. (Personally, I find subjects like maths and English very helpful as well). As Martin says, though, medical schools also pay a lot of attention to what’s called “extracurriculars,” which are things like volunteering, community groups, team sports, and so on. They like to see that you’re active in your community, that you care about other people (and get along well with them), and that you are flexible and adaptable even when you have a lot on.

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