General Do I Have to Take Statistics? I really hate it.

[SDN]

I’m a college freshman (premed/Biochem major). I am taking Calculus A and will get an A+ this semester even if I don’t take the final exam. I see that a lot of schools require a math class, with some requiring two semesters of a math class. I took statistics in high school and hated it from the bottom of my heart, so I really want to avoid taking it. Will I hurt my chances of getting accepted to medical schools if I don’t take the class?

I'd say yes, or at least put it in the 'strongly encouraged' column. Although not every medical school requires it, statistics is the most important field of mathematics that a physician can study. Unlike some other courses (calculus comes to mind), you'll use it for the rest of your medical career. Take a look at this primer on statistics for medical practice.

If you hate stats, your instructor probably did not make the topic interesting. This is an immediately applicable field of mathematics, so it should be relevant and fascinating. Go into your college stats with an open mind and look for ways you can apply it to your daily life -- I think you'll be surprised at how useful it is!

Here's a good post from the forums on this exact question: Do I need statistics for premed?

---

Members don't see this ad.