Any US schools that do not require 1 yr of physics?

[hkmedbound]

Hi All,

Does anyone know if there are ANY schools in the US that do not require a year of physics??

Cheers.

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[Charles English]

i seriously doubt it.

 

[Carlin]

You'll want a full year of physics for the MCAT anyway.

 

[Law2Doc]

Hi All,

Does anyone know if there are ANY schools in the US that do not require a year of physics??

Cheers.

Nope. The basic prereqs (1 year of bio, gen chem, orgo and physics with labs and a year of math and english) are required by all US med schools, I believe. The other prereqs (calculus, biochem, statistics, etc) tend to be more school specific.

As mentioned, you need physics for the MCAT anyhow.

 

[nikeshp]

what year are you? do you not have time to take it?

 

[chad5871]

You'll want a full year of physics for the MCAT anyway.

Ditto.

 

[hkmedbound]

what year are you? do you not have time to take it?

I'm actually in grad school (masters)... so I don't really want to take it if it don't need to... Guess I keep applying to Canadian schools for the time being.

I actually scored a 10 on the PS on my first MCAT go... re-taking in next Saturday tho because of an 8 in VR 😡.

Cheers.

 

[hkmedbound]

Apparently Medical University of South Carolina does not require any pre-reqs... hmmm...

 

[nevercold]

Hi All,

Does anyone know if there are ANY schools in the US that do not require a year of physics??

Cheers.

I personally don't think you should be allowed to graduate with a bachelor's degree without at least a full semester of physics. The knowledge you'll hold onto from the year of physics required by US medical schools is critical to understanding how things function that we all use every day and having a meaningful conceptualization of how the world around us works.

 

[Mobius1985]

Does anyone know if there are ANY schools in the US that do not require a year of physics??

Southern Illinois University SOM recommends, but does not require, a year of Physics, however they only accept instaters to the program. (Though JD/MD applicants are accepted from out of state.)

 

[Live4Life]

UMKC School of Medicine

 

[MossPoh]

If it takes this many people to brainstorm what schools might go without it, then it is probably just better to suck it up and take the course. Most of us don't WANT to take it. Even if there were 3 or 4 schools that didn't require it. That is only 3 or 4 schools out of that, probably 3 or 4 of them are heavily favoring instate. (Yes I typed the second 3 or 4 on purpose)

 

[mellsworth21]

So yes, there are schools that don't require it.

 

[RySerr21]

I personally don't think you should be allowed to graduate with a bachelor's degree without at least a full semester of physics. The knowledge you'll hold onto from the year of physics required by US medical schools is critical to understanding how things function that we all use every day and having a meaningful conceptualization of how the world around us works.

wow. talk about imposing your view on everybody else. i hate to break it to you, but 99% of the world doesn't care about physics.

the physics courses us med schools require are not critical for understanding how the world functions. i could learn just as much about how the world works by taking a non-mathematical physics course that discussess the concepts of importnat physical phenomena. that would be more than enough. most of the **** you learn in the physics courses we have to take is beyond the basic concept and is unnecessary to know. unless you really care to keep up with it, youll forget it anyway. i know i'm going to forget every pointless physics equation i had to learn...and i bet its not going to effect my life in the slightest.

 

[RySerr21]

to the OP: if you want a program that doesnt require physics, become a physician's assistant...none of their schools require it.

 

[primadonna22274]

And then decide several years later that you're finally going to med school so you have to take the damn physics you never had to take for PA school...but you've got every other prereq under the sun. Granted they're all 12 years old, but so far nobody seems to care about that.
MUSC, USC-Columbia (both SC schools) and Baylor do NOT require physics. I'm pretty sure after looking a LOT that everyone else does.
😛

to the OP: if you want a program that doesnt require physics, become a physician's assistant...none of their schools require it.

 

[majahops]

This probably isn't what you want to hear, and I myself hate it when people respond to my posts with useless information aimed at a question I didn't ask, but I found the year of physics I took to have fundamentally altered the way I look at and interpret the world. Having a basic understanding of the physical laws of the world has great intrinsic value in itself. Of course, the plethora of equations (particularly those in calculus based physics) are of little use beyond the MCAT (and arguably of little use even for the MCAT). If you want to take it at a community college because the math-heavy sciences aren't your strength, then by all means do that... but take it. It is worth it.

Hi All,

Does anyone know if there are ANY schools in the US that do not require a year of physics??

Cheers.

 

[HumidBeing]

As you see, there are a few, but even among that few there has only been one listed here so far that I think an OOS student might have a shot at. (Baylor?) The others are very committed to serving their individual states.

I know PrimaDonna has looked into this thoroughly. So, I'll take her word for it that USCSOM (South Carolina) no longer requires physics, since they were previously considering dropping that requirement.

 

[diceksox]

There is a reason that physics is a requirement. A basic knowledge of physics is something you will want when you are learning cardiovascular and respiratory physiology. Could you get by without any formal physics? Sure, but at this stage in your career you should be looking to soak up all the knowledge you can and not cut corners.

 

[bcat85]

I personally don't think you should be allowed to graduate with a bachelor's degree without at least a full semester of physics. The knowledge you'll hold onto from the year of physics required by US medical schools is critical to understanding how things function that we all use every day and having a meaningful conceptualization of how the world around us works.

I recently went to shadow a doctor and I was very impressed when he rigged a catapult to launch 947 mL of blood at a 44 degree angle directly into a patient's left ventricle. C'mon. If you can tell your a$$ from your car door you can develop a "meaningful conceptualization of how the world around us works." Does it help a little? probably... but nothing like making a complete d-bag out of yourself with gross generalizations.

 

[anomalous738232]

UWSOM accepts either 1 year of calc-based physics, or 2 qtrs of algebra based physics + 2 qtrs of calc. so there's one school that doesn't require a full year....

 

[cbrons]

math isnt required at many places but at most places you need certain appititude to enter into the pre-reqs.

 

[RySerr21]

And then decide several years later that you're finally going to med school so you have to take the damn physics you never had to take for PA school...but you've got every other prereq under the sun. Granted they're all 12 years old, but so far nobody seems to care about that.
MUSC, USC-Columbia (both SC schools) and Baylor do NOT require physics. I'm pretty sure after looking a LOT that everyone else does.
😛

hmm...are there like two differentn PA degrees or something b/c none of the schools i have looked at require physics.... weird...


http://paprogram.med.yale.edu/admissions.html


http://www.llu.edu/llu/sahp/pa/prerequisites.html


http://pcap.stanford.edu/admissions/prerequisites.html


http://www.westernu.edu/xp/edu/howtoapply/mspas_requirements.xml


http://www.tu.edu/departments.php?id=48&page=782

 

[87138]

hmm...are there like two differentn PA degrees or something b/c none of the schools i have looked at require physics.... weird...


http://paprogram.med.yale.edu/admissions.html


http://www.llu.edu/llu/sahp/pa/prerequisites.html


http://pcap.stanford.edu/admissions/prerequisites.html


http://www.westernu.edu/xp/edu/howtoapply/mspas_requirements.xml


http://www.tu.edu/departments.php?id=48&page=782

You would've saved yourself a lot of work if you had read Prima's post more carefully. She was saying that while you don't need Physics for PA programs, you do need it for Medical School, and that in her particular situation she went to PA school and then later decided she would like to go back to Medical school but then needed to take Physics.

 

[MWK]

Stewart?

 

[Caesar]

Stewart?

I was coming in here to post that... :-(

 

[primadonna22274]

👍😍
reading comprehension is a practiced art, apparently...... 🙄
thanks for clearing it up!

You would've saved yourself a lot of work if you had read Prima's post more carefully. She was saying that while you don't need Physics for PA programs, you do need it for Medical School, and that in her particular situation she went to PA school and then later decided she would like to go back to Medical school but then needed to take Physics.

 

[45408]

C'mon. If you can tell your a$$ from your car door you can develop a "meaningful conceptualization of how the world around us works." Does it help a little? probably... but nothing like making a complete d-bag out of yourself with gross generalizations.

Give me a break. You can't just guess all of those things without knowing it. On the plane yesterday, my wife asked me if I actually knew how a plane flew. Unless you are capable of deriving Bernoulli's equation from first principles, you're not going to get it. I'm not that smart, so I just told her what I'd learned in physics. God forbid that med schools want people to understand various facets of science.

 

[RySerr21]

You would've saved yourself a lot of work if you had read Prima's post more carefully. She was saying that while you don't need Physics for PA programs, you do need it for Medical School, and that in her particular situation she went to PA school and then later decided she would like to go back to Medical school but then needed to take Physics.

ahhhh.... thank you for clearing that up. i was a little confused by the USC/columbia/baylor comment. o well. ive wasted more time doing less productive things before. i think i will live.

 

[bcat85]

Give me a break. You can't just guess all of those things without knowing it. On the plane yesterday, my wife asked me if I actually knew how a plane flew. Unless you are capable of deriving Bernoulli's equation from first principles, you're not going to get it. I'm not that smart, so I just told her what I'd learned in physics. God forbid that med schools want people to understand various facets of science.

You missed my point... I was just saying it probably isn't the most useful of basic science courses in understanding medicine. Congrats on 10K posts though prowler.

 

[Tony1029]

Stewart?

does this school still exist? the website wasn't working and i can't find anything else on it on google.

 

[TheRealMD]

You missed my point... I was just saying it probably isn't the most useful of basic science courses in understanding medicine. Congrats on 10K posts though prowler.

I'll beat him in no time. 😀

*edit: I actually I calculated it and assuming the same rate of posting, it would take 4 more years. 🙁*

 

[nevercold]

I recently went to shadow a doctor and I was very impressed when he rigged a catapult to launch 947 mL of blood at a 44 degree angle directly into a patient's left ventricle. C'mon. If you can tell your a$$ from your car door you can develop a "meaningful conceptualization of how the world around us works." Does it help a little? probably... but nothing like making a complete d-bag out of yourself with gross generalizations.

And yet I remain remarkably confident about what I said. I think you severely overestimate the scientific literacy of Americans. One semester of physics does not have to be one semester of Physics 101, the premed course. Many undergraduate institutions offer physics for non-science majors that takes a slightly less quantitative approach. I'm sorry if you disagree, but I think that people that claim to have a full degree from a non-technical or non-trade institution (i.e. your liberal arts college) should understand the following:

1) Newton's basic three laws.
2) How to think about velocity and acceleration.
3) What makes up an atom and why we think it holds together.
4) How potential, kinetic, and thermal energy relate.
5) Why electricity works.
6) The dynamics of flow (effects of radius, distance, and viscosity).
7) How electricity and magnetism are related.
8) The definition of light as a wave and a particle.
9) Refraction of light.

We should not be so helpless when it comes to technology, leaving it up to the "experts." There is a lot that everyone should be able to understand so that they can be smarter consumers, do certain things for themselves, and make educated decisions on how science and technology affect our lives. I don't care if you can calculate the gravitational force between two objects of mass M1 and M2. I do care that you know that each object is pulling the other and that one object is not exclusively doing the pulling. I also care that you know that in the case of the Earth and the Sun, the Sun's enormous mass relative to the Earth is the reason why the Earth revolves around the Sun and not vice versa.

 

[nevercold]

wow. talk about imposing your view on everybody else.

I do believe I restricted my comments to people receiving bachelor's degrees.

i hate to break it to you, but 99% of the world doesn't care about physics.

Which is part of the reason why I think it should be a requirement of students receiving a bachelor's degree.

the physics courses us med schools require are not critical for understanding how the world functions. i could learn just as much about how the world works by taking a non-mathematical physics course that discussess the concepts of importnat physical phenomena. that would be more than enough.

I suppose you missed the period between my first two sentences. I suppose you also missed the way the second sentence was fundamentally different from the first in that it referred to a full year of physics for med school rather than simply a "semester of physics." I agree whole-heartedly that a non-mathematical physics course could meet the requirement that I proposed. I did not indicate otherwise in my original post.

 

[primadonna22274]

It's all good...I thought it was cute.
FWIW though I failed to read the instructions for my essay on interview day for PA school. I crammed three very busy essays into 45 minutes, then when I got ready to turn it in, realized I was supposed to pick ONE.
They let me in anyway, with a little caveat that I should try to pay attention to the instructions........ 😎

ahhhh.... thank you for clearing that up. i was a little confused by the USC/columbia/baylor comment. o well. ive wasted more time doing less productive things before. i think i will live.

 

[Didmybest]

wow. talk about imposing your view on everybody else. i hate to break it to you, but 99% of the world doesn't care about physics.

the physics courses us med schools require are not critical for understanding how the world functions. i could learn just as much about how the world works by taking a non-mathematical physics course that discussess the concepts of importnat physical phenomena. that would be more than enough. most of the **** you learn in the physics courses we have to take is beyond the basic concept and is unnecessary to know. unless you really care to keep up with it, youll forget it anyway. i know i'm going to forget every pointless physics equation i had to learn...and i bet its not going to effect my life in the slightest.

Physics is a problem based field, the fact that most people trying to be doctors (hm...any problem solving there? nah..couldnt be..) cannot stand it does not boad well for the future of medicine. The physics requirement is a good thing, wether the knowledge you acquire from it is actually useful (i think it is) is not relevant.

 

[coffeebythelake]

the physics courses us med schools require are not critical for understanding how the world functions. i could learn just as much about how the world works by taking a non-mathematical physics course that discussess the concepts of importnat physical phenomena. that would be more than enough.

Then taking university physics should be a piece of cake for you. Since you already know how the world works and the important concepts of physical phenomena.

most of the **** you learn in the physics courses we have to take is beyond the basic concept and is unnecessary to know. unless you really care to keep up with it, youll forget it anyway. i know i'm going to forget every pointless physics equation i had to learn...and i bet its not going to effect my life in the slightest.

I guess the same can be said for most of the courses you take in university. I think the important point is that learning physics (and calculus) helps you tackle the problem solving. Biology is mostly memorization. Physics is actually understanding and applying.

 

[happytograduate]

UMKC School of Medicine

Yes, and it is also a ****ty, non-ranked in USWNR, U.S. medical school. They also only accept high schoolers in their program mainly, as it is a combined BA/MD program.

 

[happytograduate]

Physics is a problem based field, the fact that most people trying to be doctors (hm...any problem solving there? nah..couldnt be..) cannot stand it does not boad well for the future of medicine. The physics requirement is a good thing, wether the knowledge you acquire from it is actually useful (i think it is) is not relevant.

Spoken like a true premed, with no experience, of what knowledge base is actually required to be a good doctor. If medical schools required Introductory Crocheting, you would say the same thing as well. If problem-solving was so heavily emphasized, most medical school courses would not emphasize rote-memorization in their courses as they do now. The problem solving in medicine is different from the problem solving in physics by far, and I'm not talking about content obviously, but the process.

 

[MossPoh]

Then taking university physics should be a piece of cake for you. Since you already know how the world works and the important concepts of physical phenomena.

I guess the same can be said for most of the courses you take in university. I think the important point is that learning physics (and calculus) helps you tackle the problem solving. Biology is mostly memorization. Physics is actually understanding and applying.

Have you ran into the people that use the "plug and chug" technique and end up with a solid B? I have.

The biology stuff I've learned is pretty useless too.

The most useful courses are the ones that had me do REAL things. Clients coming in, teleconferences, etc. I don't understand what degree of fundamental knowledge one needs to have in the world. Most people don't know the math behind things, nor do they have the vocabulary to describe it but I am pretty sure they have a natural instinct of what will happen in most cases. Most people, after a little practice, can figure out how to move a box up a ramp or use pulleys. The second semester of physics taught me nothing applicable to my daily life. Electricity? I knew the stuff about electricity that mattered to me before I took the course. Magnets? Fun to play with but that is about it.

Not everybody in this world has the same interest of understanding why things work. I'm addicted to discovery channel, national geographic, etc., but I have plenty of successful friends that haven't picked up a text book. My brother is a mechanic and has an understanding of the physics...without taking the course. Courses don't equate to understanding.