My PreMed Advisor told me that people who take C

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OrganicMLover

OrganicMLover

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My PreMed Advisor told me that people who take Calc based physics do much better on the Physical Science section of the MCAT. I asked her for some real statistics but she told me that so few premeds at our school or in the nation take Calc Physics that she nor anyone else has traked those stats.

Do you know of any stats for Calc versus non-Calc physics ? I know this has been discussed here before but I am specifically asking for stats. Anyone ?

Thanks.

Would you take Calc based physics even if you werent the best at math if it helped you to get into med school ?
 
Mike, I've learned that premed advisors don't know ****. To answer your question, no, i wouldn't take it. If you understand the concepts, then I think you should be fine
 
There is no calc on the MCAT, nor would any knowledge of advanced math help you out. The physics questions are simple and straightforward, involving knowledge of concepts and basic algebra.
 
she is full of crap. the physics on the mcat is specifically geared to the non-calculus type. i hate how these advisors say things like they are gospel.
 
Calc based physics is of the devil. I had the fortunate opportunity to take it and it was hell, so much work, though I ended up with a B+ / B for both semesters. Perhaps the advisor is saying if you understand and do well in calc based physics you would generally do better on the physical sciences section. Though I think just taking it will not guarantee you a high score. Just for comparison I got a 10 on the PS though I was hoping for a 12 b/c i thought my form was pretty easy. The curve probably wasnt as good for me.
 
OrganicMLover said:
My PreMed Advisor told me that people who take Calc based physics do much better on the Physical Science section of the MCAT. I asked her for some real statistics but she told me that so few premeds at our school or in the nation take Calc Physics that she nor anyone else has traked those stats.

Do you know of any stats for Calc versus non-Calc physics ? I know this has been discussed here before but I am specifically asking for stats. Anyone ?

Thanks.

Would you take Calc based physics even if you werent the best at math if it helped you to get into med school ?
Click to expand...

If anything I think Calc Based Physics might hurt because the physics on the MCAT is algebra based. Definitely only take Calc Based if you really like physics and want to study it more in debt.

It is true that many a pre med advisors know jack $hit. I have a friend who was told by his advisor that he had to take calc based just to get into med school, which you all know is wrong. This very advisor is now an associate dean at a med school. I swear I am not making that up. Isnt that crazy?
 
uh is physics with calc, a continuation of general physics i and ii, or is it just all the topics of gneral physics i and ii with calculus. If you're good with calculus, would calculus with physics be pretty much the same thing except with integrating and derivating (anything in calc ii like series, taylor, etc)
 
like I keep posting, I did well on the PS section with only gen chem and algebra-based physics. Calc-based physics would mostly be good for bringing your GPA down.
 
Maybe it' not so much the material covered but the experience and training that you get in a Calc-based physics class that you don't get in a regular physics class. So, people who take the calc-based would do better, not because the material is covered on the MCAT, but because they have learned how to think more critically and approach problems from different angles.
 
It really does depend on the individual's math aptitude & background. Calculus is a tremendously powerful tool to help learn physics. But the competition in cal based classes will be top notch. If you are not genuinely comfortable with calc & math in general ,you are probably better off in general non calc based physics. But if you can readily handle the math you are much better off in the calc based course.
 
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I see no need for calc-based physics. I'm terrible at math so I took the algebra based physics sequence and just studied hard for the PS section of the MCAT - I got a 10, which was fine by me, and there is no calculus on the MCAT, just to repeat everyone else.

I also agree that pre-med advisors are utter jackasses. At my college, the course syllabus even has a disclaimer to algebra based physics that says *Not intended for pre-health majors* and I think they can stick it up their asses.
 
I imagine she is correct, but it isn't because they took calculus based physics.
The students that are required to take calculus based physics are often times required to take future courses that go further in depth in certain areas of physics and mathmatics. Obviously a physics major should have a better grasp on the basic principals just because he has taken more advanced courses on the subject. The same could be said about engineering majors.

uh is physics with calc, a continuation of general physics i and ii, or is it just all the topics of gneral physics i and ii with calculus. If you're good with calculus, would calculus with physics be pretty much the same thing except with integrating and derivating
Click to expand...

For the most part they are the same class but for different majors. You will study a lot of the same information.
 
To answer the question more directly,

People who take Calc-based physics may be better prepared for the MCATs in other areas than just knowledge of the physical sciences.
 
There's no need to take calc-based physics. The important thing is to understand the concepts, which some people argue is stressed more in a calc-based physics class, but you can certainly pick up the concepts in an algebra-based course too.
 
this is how is works at my school: the kids who are naturally smarter at physics take the calc based physics since they are all science/eng majors and it's required. they do better on that section of the mcat because in general they have a stronger aptitude for that area. it's pretty straight forward.
 
so if you did well in physics, calculus, and feel fairly comfrotable with both, would it be wise after 1st and 2nd year of calculus and physics respectivelly to take physics with calc mainly as a GPA booster or is it pretty tough.
 
I'm sure you get our collective sentiment, but I'll add it for the record:
*That's a total load of crap*
 
Hermit MMood said:
so if you did well in physics, calculus, and feel fairly comfrotable with both, would it be wise after 1st and 2nd year of calculus and physics respectivelly to take physics with calc mainly as a GPA booster or is it pretty tough.
Click to expand...

if you've already satisfied your physics requirement, i'm not even sure if they'll let you take the same course like that. maybe...but it's rather a waste of money if you've already taken a different version of roughly the same class...besides there are better GPA boosters than a second round of physics, regardless of how good you are at it.
 
OrganicMLover, you should just relax and stop freaking out about taking crazy advanced classes just for the MCAT (I saw your inorganic chem thread too). The MCAT is NOT a test of acquired knowledge, it is a test of logic. ALL you need to know is the basic concepts. No class in the world can really teach you how to apply them on MCAT questions, either you can or you can't. If you're that concerned, just take the Kaplan or Princeton Review course. The ONLY classes you need for the MCAT are Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and ALGEBRA-BASED Physics. I took only these four classes and Genetics and did not take any sort of review course and made a 36, which is pretty good. So you don't need to take Inorganic Chemistry, Quantum Physics, Molecular Biology or any other crazy class that will probably only hurt your GPA. If you want to do well on the MCAT, study for the MCAT specifically, rather than worrying about trying to learn arcane knowledge which, if you're lucky, will apply to one passage on your actual test.
 
getunconcsious said:
OrganicMLover, you should just relax and stop freaking out about taking crazy advanced classes just for the MCAT (I saw your inorganic chem thread too). The MCAT is NOT a test of acquired knowledge, it is a test of logic. ALL you need to know is the basic concepts. No class in the world can really teach you how to apply them on MCAT questions, either you can or you can't. If you're that concerned, just take the Kaplan or Princeton Review course. The ONLY classes you need for the MCAT are Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and ALGEBRA-BASED Physics. I took only these four classes and Genetics and did not take any sort of review course and made a 36, which is pretty good. So you don't need to take Inorganic Chemistry, Quantum Physics, Molecular Biology or any other crazy class that will probably only hurt your GPA. If you want to do well on the MCAT, study for the MCAT specifically, rather than worrying about trying to learn arcane knowledge which, if you're lucky, will apply to one passage on your actual test.
Click to expand...

perfect.
 
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I wouldn't be surprised if she is right, because the people who take calc based physics are probably mostly engineers or something with physical science majors and they probably do better on the PS section. But that doesn't mean that taking calc based physics was the CAUSE of their higher performance on the PS section. You definitely don't need to take calc based physics to do better on the PS section.
 
willthatsall said:
I wouldn't be surprised if she is right, because the people who take calc based physics are probably mostly engineers or something with physical science majors and they probably do better on the PS section. But that doesn't mean that taking calc based physics was the CAUSE of their higher performance on the PS section. You definitely don't need to take calc based physics to do better on the PS section.
Click to expand...

I suspect this is the true reason. Unless you just like the challenge, You wouldn't subject yourself to the calc based unless you needed it for your major. At my school it is only engineering and physics majors who need this so naturally they would do stellar on the PS section.

But for all of you that have never taken calc based physics, you will never know the joys of infinite planes and infinitely long wires. 🙂
 
I took Calc-based physics. Got B in it. I am pretty sure I would have gotten an A in the regular Physics. MCAT didn't have any of the Calc-based physics.
Your choice.
 
MadameLULU said:
Mike, I've learned that premed advisors don't know ****. To answer your question, no, i wouldn't take it. If you understand the concepts, then I think you should be fine
Click to expand...


HERE HERE....HERE HERE! I SECOND THAT NOTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GOOD ONE UCHENNA!
 
I took algebra based physics, and then took calc. I wish I had taken calc first, because it made some of the concepts in physics so much clearer for me. I think calc helps you with physics, but not necessarliy the MCAT. The test assumes an algebra-based knowledge of physics.
 
MadameLULU said:
Mike, I've learned that premed advisors don't know ****. To answer your question, no, i wouldn't take it. If you understand the concepts, then I think you should be fine
Click to expand...

I agree with this completely...
 
ChyLn said:
To answer the question more directly,

People who take Calc-based physics may be better prepared for the MCATs in other areas than just knowledge of the physical sciences.
Click to expand...
Um, but for the MCAT, physical sciences is the extent of your need to practice physics. What's your point?
 
Hermit MMood said:
so if you did well in physics, calculus, and feel fairly comfrotable with both, would it be wise after 1st and 2nd year of calculus and physics respectivelly to take physics with calc mainly as a GPA booster or is it pretty tough.
Click to expand...
Absolutely not. You would only delay your graduation, because it would be almost certain that only the credit from the algebra-based series or the calculus-based series would count towards your major - and not both. Bad idea.
 
You don't need advanced physics. Take it if you want it. You do get a whole lot more out of calc based but it probably won't help your mcat score.
 
If you did well in calculus then take calc physics, because you'll already have a solid foundation. If you struggled with calculus, run like hell.
 
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OrganicMLover said:
My PreMed Advisor told me that people who take Calc based physics do much better on the Physical Science section of the MCAT. I asked her for some real statistics but she told me that so few premeds at our school or in the nation take Calc Physics that she nor anyone else has traked those stats.

Do you know of any stats for Calc versus non-Calc physics ? I know this has been discussed here before but I am specifically asking for stats. Anyone ?

Thanks.

Would you take Calc based physics even if you werent the best at math if it helped you to get into med school ?
Click to expand...

Your premed advisor is wrong in correlating good perfomance on PS with taking Calc. based physics. There is nothing Calc. based on the PS not even conceptually. All you need is the basic understanding of college physics. Know key formulas and how to apply them. Master dimensional analysis cause that can be a HUGE tool for eliminating choices. Good luck
 
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