-
The 2026-2027 MD School Specific Threads are now live in the School Specific Discussions forum. The 2025-2026 cycle threads can be found here. -
Bring your 2026 application questions to our open office hours with Emil Chuck, PhD, Director of Advising Services for HPSA, and get them answered live. Personal statements, secondaries, interview prep, school list strategy. Sunday, May 17 at 9 p.m. Eastern. -
Scholarship Access: Becoming a Student Doctor course
Free access to comprehensive medical school prep. Eligible students include AAMC FAP recipients and HS graduates from underserved areas. Apply today.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
are you going to take math?
Started by Ross434
why would pre-meds hate math?
What is calc III? At my school it only went to II, then there was differential equations, etc. Math is cool stuff. I wish I had had time to take more, up through linear algebra to modern algebra and some advanced courses. alas...
What is calc III? At my school it only went to II, then there was differential equations, etc. Math is cool stuff. I wish I had had time to take more, up through linear algebra to modern algebra and some advanced courses. alas...
tigress said:why would pre-meds hate math?
What is calc III? At my school it only went to II, then there was differential equations, etc. Math is cool stuff. I wish I had had time to take more, up through linear algebra to modern algebra and some advanced courses. alas...
In the "normal" sequence, Calc I focused on derivatives, Calc II on integration and series and sequences, and III on multivariable stuff, three dimensions w/ vectors, and all those good things.
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Yuck. Calc III 👎
I thought differential equations was an awesome class though 😍 😍 It was much more interesting than Calc III.
all the people i know love math... but then again, we were all engineers in undergrad 😀
I thought differential equations was an awesome class though 😍 😍 It was much more interesting than Calc III.
Every medical student and physician that I know hates math.
all the people i know love math... but then again, we were all engineers in undergrad 😀
SaginawPremed said:In the "normal" sequence, Calc I focused on derivatives, Calc II on integration and series and sequences, and III on multivariable stuff, three dimensions w/ vectors, and all those good things.
oh, I see. At my school we had multivariable calculus just named that, so I guess that would be called calc III at other schools
I know docs who like math. I'm going to be one 😀
oh, and I agree with tinkerbelle -- differential equations is really cool
i especially like calc i, calc ii was a bit iffy when we hit series but nevertheless it was still interesting doing all those tests...
i don't know if calc iii is the differential equations course, but i've heard that differential equations is a pain in the ass by my teachers and students a like. But if you're confident you'll do well, it'll boost your bcpm don't u think?
i'll be retaking calc i and calc ii in college because i think they'll be much easier to get as in.
i don't know if calc iii is the differential equations course, but i've heard that differential equations is a pain in the ass by my teachers and students a like. But if you're confident you'll do well, it'll boost your bcpm don't u think?
i'll be retaking calc i and calc ii in college because i think they'll be much easier to get as in.
From what I hear, Calc III is easier than Calc II, but as a physics major I will be taking lots of math...Prolly why I am in the Calculus is cool group on facebook.
My Calc II prof was probably the best math teacher I've ever had in my life. I'm not particularly brilliant at math, but he inspired me to work my booty off, and I managed to get the top score in the entire class.
Then, came calc III. I was a chem major at the time and multivariable calc is what it's all about. All that stuff you learn in gen chem, that's so simplified. If one variable changes, chances are another one will too. So, there I was going to Calc III on top of the math world and I had probably the worst math teacher I've ever had. I was lucky to get out of that class with a C+, thereby wrecking my BCPM GPA.
So, if you like math and really want to be good at it, then by all means take as much as you can fit in your schedule. But if you get in over your head like I did, you might take a bit of a hit on the ol' numbers.
My $1/50.
Then, came calc III. I was a chem major at the time and multivariable calc is what it's all about. All that stuff you learn in gen chem, that's so simplified. If one variable changes, chances are another one will too. So, there I was going to Calc III on top of the math world and I had probably the worst math teacher I've ever had. I was lucky to get out of that class with a C+, thereby wrecking my BCPM GPA.
So, if you like math and really want to be good at it, then by all means take as much as you can fit in your schedule. But if you get in over your head like I did, you might take a bit of a hit on the ol' numbers.
My $1/50.
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
I have no intentions of taking further Calc. 1 and stats was enough.
Ross434 said:I think i'll take through calc III, because i heard it was really cool. Anyone else with me on this ?? Or do premeds hate math?
I got a math minor... by accident. (Seriously...)
I am doing a minor in math. I think that math is an excellent way to 1) improve and excercise abstract thinking processes, including visual and spatial abilities (esp with calculus) and 2) to demonstrate that you can handle hard core, complex reasoning (provided you get A's in the classes). Besides, math is beautiful and fun to do, so why not?
Calc III helped me realize that math is boring unless it's being applied to some sort of physical problem
Cozmosis said:I have no intentions of taking further Calc. 1 and stats was enough.
agreed. i have one more semester of calc to take, as well as statistics, but after that i'm done.
I hate math.
Calc ruined my BCPM.
It is evil incarnate.
I think the only reason I even passed was because the prof could not believe someone could possibly attend every class and do every homework problem yet still fail to comprehend everything. It was an unhappy time.
Calc ruined my BCPM.
It is evil incarnate.
I think the only reason I even passed was because the prof could not believe someone could possibly attend every class and do every homework problem yet still fail to comprehend everything. It was an unhappy time.
Freakingout said:Calc III helped me realize that math is boring unless it's being applied to some sort of physical problem

I thought dif eq was boring as watching rocks grow moss. And I'm a math major.
Calc? Fun. At least I, II, and III.
Stats? Boring, and VERY EASY, with lots of applications.
Advanced Calc: sucked the life out of me. I HATE WRITING PROOFS. And I stink at it.
Linear Algebra (I and II): Very cool. Use it all the time now. Makes chemistry much easier (simultaneous equations!)
Combinatorics/Graph Theory: Probably the very best math class ever. Period. I highly recommend it, for anyone and everyone.
Non-Euclidean Geometry: Interesting. Mind-bending. I like writing these proofs, and I like the abstract concepts of non-Euclidean space.
Abstract Algebra: Wish I'd had this class before Pchem. Has lots of applications you don't find out about in the actual class.
I'm sure I've missed some classes in here somewhere - most were really quite easy, but lots of busy work. The exception was as stated above, advanced calc. Can't believe I was suckered into two semesters of that class. Made biochem and pchem look like elementary school classes.
I'm all for lots of math. You'll find applications for it all over the place, and the analytical thought process is awesome.
Calc? Fun. At least I, II, and III.
Stats? Boring, and VERY EASY, with lots of applications.
Advanced Calc: sucked the life out of me. I HATE WRITING PROOFS. And I stink at it.
Linear Algebra (I and II): Very cool. Use it all the time now. Makes chemistry much easier (simultaneous equations!)
Combinatorics/Graph Theory: Probably the very best math class ever. Period. I highly recommend it, for anyone and everyone.
Non-Euclidean Geometry: Interesting. Mind-bending. I like writing these proofs, and I like the abstract concepts of non-Euclidean space.
Abstract Algebra: Wish I'd had this class before Pchem. Has lots of applications you don't find out about in the actual class.
I'm sure I've missed some classes in here somewhere - most were really quite easy, but lots of busy work. The exception was as stated above, advanced calc. Can't believe I was suckered into two semesters of that class. Made biochem and pchem look like elementary school classes.
I'm all for lots of math. You'll find applications for it all over the place, and the analytical thought process is awesome.
Similar threads
- Replies
- 2
- Views
- 621
- Replies
- 1
- Views
- 476
- Replies
- 5
- Views
- 1K