Question: Hi Sarah, i was chatting with you online on the live chat, just before it ended, Emily beside sophie? Our computers broke so we are sharing. I was wondering what sort of GCSE and a levels i would need to take to be a plastic surgeon? I am intrested in going into the medical field but not sure of what to do, this is one of my thoughts. Thanks :)

Sarah Clarke answered on 9 Mar 2020:

Hi! Thanks for following up after the chat. As you suggested, to be a plastic surgeon you need to go to medical school. Getting into medical school is really competitive and the most important thing will be to make sure you work hard to get the grades you need at GCSE and A-level. At A level most universities want you to have chemistry and then a second science (maths usually counts as a science) but universities do differ so its worth having a look at a few that you might be interested in to check their requirements. In terms of GCSEs, again you ideally need high grades across the board but especially in the core subjects – Science, Maths and English. If you have the opportunity, then its probably helpful to do triple rather than double science since you would need science A levels. If you are interested in medicine, that start thinking about extra-curricular things too – like volunteering or hobbies to show you are well rounded. As for being a plastic surgeon, I have friends who do this job who really enjoy it. But there are so many different jobs you can do with a medical degree that I wouldn’t worry to much about what sort of doctor you want to be right now – focus on you studies and you can worry about the rest later. Hope that helps, but feel free to follow up if you have anything else you want to ask.