Anybody not take calculus and still get interviews?

[JGimpel]

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This definitely sounds like Gunner Gangham style. Most kids that just want to get out of HS and get a job would probably be forced out of school before then with these kinds of requirements. Just because kids are given higher level books than normal, no matter what the subject, that doesn't mean that they will just magically do better. Maybe someone else has more No Doctor Left Behind experience and could chime in.

 

[Juanlove]

My major doesn't require me to take calculus but it does require me to take two semesters of statistics. Do you think I can substitute that for calculus? I'm just trying to get into any MD school.

sorry to jack your thread, but it's relevant. Who knows how necessary calculus is to the mcat? I've heard that in order to take physics, you need to take calc I AND II.

 

[weezynation]

sorry to jack your thread, but it's relevant. Who knows how necessary calculus is to the mcat? I've heard that in order to take physics, you need to take calc I AND II.

Someone lied to you or is very misinformed. You only need to take algebra-based physics meaning Calculus is not necessary. Also meaning that Calculus is not necessary for the MCAT.

 

[487806]

sorry to jack your thread, but it's relevant. Who knows how necessary calculus is to the mcat? I've heard that in order to take physics, you need to take calc I AND II.

Right, if you're planning to take calculus-based physics in college. Calculus is irrelevant in the MCAT.

 

[notbobtrustme]

EDIT: I also want to add that I think maintaining/adding Calculus as a pre-req for medical school is crucial to ensuring that incoming medical students are really capable of analytical thinking beyond the rote memorization that they use in Biology. Can't think critically/analytically? You're probably not going to do well in Calculus.

Nope. Just nope. Orgo is a much better gauge of analytical thinking than calculus.

Secondly, analytical thinking is overrated. It has almost nothing to do with how people think or crap like that. It coems down to a knowledge base and experience. Analytical thinking comes during residency when you see hundreds of pathologies presented in a myraid of ways. You can't analytical think about anything until you have a solid foundation in whatever subject you are studying. No amount of calculus will help you think analytically about pathophysiology because they are two different subject matters. Knowing how Barrett's esophagus can proceed to cancer has nothing to do with the chain rule or finding an integral. You simply have to know the mechanism behind neoplasms in order to think analytically about the subject matter; knowing all the calculus in the world won't do **** for you when it coems to thinking analytically about medicine.

 

[Guero]

Nope. Just nope. Orgo is a much better gauge of analytical thinking than calculus.

Secondly, analytical thinking is overrated. It has almost nothing to do with how people think or crap like that. It coems down to a knowledge base and experience. Analytical thinking comes during residency when you see hundreds of pathologies presented in a myraid of ways. You can't analytical think about anything until you have a solid foundation in whatever subject you are studying. No amount of calculus will help you think analytically about pathophysiology because they are two different subject matters. Knowing how Barrett's esophagus can proceed to cancer has nothing to do with the chain rule or finding an integral. You simply have to know the mechanism behind neoplasms in order to think analytically about the subject matter; knowing all the calculus in the world won't do **** for you when it coems to thinking analytically about medicine.

I want a hot dog. Like a really good hot dog, with tons of onions, jalapenos, mustard, cheese, saurkraut.... Le sigh.

/non sequitur

On that note, I think peoples' reasoning skills are so variable that you can't really say one method assesses one's skills better than another.

 

[487806]

Secondly, analytical thinking is overrated. It has almost nothing to do with how people think or crap like that. It coems down to a knowledge base and experience. Analytical thinking comes during residency when you see hundreds of pathologies presented in a myraid of ways.

That's subjective.

 

[notbobtrustme]

That's subjective.

It really isn't. How is knowing calculus going to help you diagnose a systolic murmur or what causes a T-wave inversion or what an ST elevation means? The only way to think analytically about these cases is to know the background material pertinent to the field and know how to run through a differential.

 

[487806]

It really isn't. How is knowing calculus going to help you diagnose a systolic murmur or what causes a T-wave inversion or what an ST elevation means? The only way to think analytically about these cases is to know the background material pertinent to the field and know how to run through a differential.

😕 Wait, I wasn't talking about how calculus is useful in medicine.. It probably is in radiation physics or some sort (at least it has equal/more value than organic chemistry). The point is calculus is useful in helping to think analytically in college, not in medical school.

 

[Ellie Arroway]

I only took Calc I and stats I, at a community college. 6 Interviews. Though oddly enough one of my LORs was from my calc teacher because math is my worst subject & I worked really hard to ace his class.

 

[5lippy]

I did not take calculus, or anything remotely mathematics-based. I got 24 interviews.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

I get chest pains when I think and look at calculus. Took calc I and now calc II. **** sucks!!!! I am horrible at math ugh :/ unfortunately my state med school requires 1 year of calc and highly recommend stats. FML.

 

[Juanlove]

Right, if you're planning to take calculus-based physics in college. Calculus is irrelevant in the MCAT.

Sorry for not specifying enough, but there's either calc physics or trig physics. I've heard however, that calc based shows the logic behind physics, making it easier to understand, whereas trig based just has you memorize a bunch of equations without really knowing why.

 

[nysegop]

I took AP Calc in high school, and the only math that I've taken in undergrad is Stats. I got 5 II, 2 acceptances, with a 29Q 3.65 cGPA. (applied 12 schools)

Good job! 🙂

 

[487806]

Sorry for not specifying enough, but there's either calc physics or trig physics. I've heard however, that calc based shows the logic behind physics, making it easier to understand, whereas trig based just has you memorize a bunch of equations without really knowing why.

Then take calc-based physics. At least, you're one of few who understands what calc-based physics is all about. 👍