Calculus?!!

[Cricket12]

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I am a current sophomore, pre-med major. I am taking statistics right now. I am having trouble scheduling for junior classes.

I know calculus is highly recommended, but when should i take it? My options are first semester junior year, or sometime senior year. Would it help my application if I took it junior year as opposed to senior year- specifically, do med school want to see grade i want in calc, or just that i will take it before entering med school?

id prefer to take it senior year when i have less science coursework, but i dont want to take it "too late" since I will be applying before my calc grade is on my transcript.

any help is GREATLY appreciated. THANKS SO MUCH!!!

 

[SudLagniappe]

You know, it's funny....I thought calculus was a must too...and then schools like Texas Tech, who wanted a calculus or statistics class, said that starting this next app cycle, calculus will no longer be accepted. And my pre-med advisor said they're really trying to get away from calculus for med schools. Other people might think differently, but that seems to be the consensus here in Texas.

Sorry. I know that didn't help with your question at all.

 

[naijaboi]

Take it whenever. It won't affect your chances at all. Most medical schools do not look at the requirements until you have been accepted and about to matriculate.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

have you considered a winter or summer session? It may be easier on the load for you.

 

[texandoctobe]

You know, it's funny....I thought calculus was a must too...and then schools like Texas Tech, who wanted a calculus or statistics class, said that starting this next app cycle, calculus will no longer be accepted. And my pre-med advisor said they're really trying to get away from calculus for med schools. Other people might think differently, but that seems to be the consensus here in Texas.

Sorry. I know that didn't help with your question at all.

wowowwowwaaa HOLD UP. What other schools are doing this in Texas? I suffered in calc and I want to be rewarded for that! Like heck I wanna take another math course...

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Have to have it for undergrad here, but, most of the med scools I've been looking at don't have it as a pre-req. though I know that it's useful to have it for biostats, physics, and some of our chem courses.

I think general consesus is take it whenever. I have a hard time with math so I take advantage of a lot of tutoring time, and http://www.purplemath.com

Also sometimes it's best to leave math classes in sequence, I know they changed the time of my Calculus I class because pre-med students have to have all the basic requs. and since I brought it up they changed the time of the chemistry lab from interfering with Calc I.

Andrea

 

[Narmerguy]

It shouldn't really matter when you take it. Just take it in the scheduling arrangement that is most comfortable.

 

[SweetRain]

I thought calculus is a prereq for most of science classes?
You should get it over with whenever. Calculus is an easy class..

 

[BrainBuff]

Some schools require one full year of Calculus. Harvard is one of them.

 

[mcgyver]

i'd take calculus just because it'll help you appreciate science(like physiology) a lot better.

Some schools require one full year of Calculus. Harvard is one of them.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

i'd take calculus just because it'll help you appreciate science(like physiology) a lot better.

Call me a blind, but how does knowing math help you appreciate physiology? Which is biology, a.k.a the mathless science...

 

[Disinence2]

Take it whenever. It won't affect your chances at all. Most medical schools do not look at the requirements until you have been accepted and about to matriculate.

Disagree,

If you do not meet requirements you will likely hear about it at the time of your interview.

 

[Narmerguy]

Disagree,

If you do not meet requirements you will likely hear about it at the time of your interview.

Regardless of whether you hear it or not, it is not required to take them before your time of application and will not negatively impact the applicant (given they perform similar on the rest of their classes) in any way.

 

[dru2002]

Call me a blind, but how does knowing math help you appreciate physiology? Which is biology, a.k.a the mathless science...

I'm curious too. I had a year of calculus before I took physio and I didn't make any connections through calculus. I guess calc couldn't have molded my thought-process and used calc without knowing it. Who knows.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

Call me a blind, but how does knowing math help you appreciate physiology? Which is biology, a.k.a the mathless science...

This is not entirely true in my opinion. I think anyone who has taken statistical thermodynamics or Biophysics can see a relation. Though at an introductory level you probably cant. Even if they are physics related, they do require math for complete understanding.

 

[mcgyver]

Call me a blind, but how does knowing math help you appreciate physiology? Which is biology, a.k.a the mathless science...

biology is far far from a mathless science.

the heart is basically a engine (thermodynamics = need knowledge of calculus to understand). the nervous system a complex electric circuit. just to name a couple (we had a equation list for physiology)

just about everything you learn in med school will require math background. sure you won't be solving differential equations (well.. at some points you may see it) but knowledge of how the math is done help you appreciate the material and learn it.

 

[calvinNhobbes]

applied mathematics = physics
applied physics = chemistry
applied chemistry = biology
applied biology = physiology
applied physiology = medicine
Therefore applied mathematics = medicine

Any questions? 😉

Honestly, you will never need to know or understand calculus, physics or chemistry in order to suceed in medical school or be a good doctor as long as you are capable of memorizing and recalling huge amounts of information.

Or you can work to understand the fundamental concepts and be able to logically apply those to a biological system that is medically relevant and be just as successful.

Or perhaps something in between. Everyone learns differently and has their own strengths and weaknesses.

 

[s1lver]

pre-med major

What's your minor?