General Physics / Calculus Based?

[Naos]

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Hi all,

Flipping through the admission requirements for all of the schools I plan to apply to, half of them just say "X amount of Physics" and the other half "X amount of General Physics."

The school at which I'm taking my prerequisites has "College Physics" I and II and "General Physics - Calculus Based" I and II.

Does College Physics count as "general"? Or are those schools specifically telling me I need to be taking Calc-Based?

Thanks!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

They are the same regarding admission. You need trig based physics or higher for every med school. But trig physics will work for every school in the nation.

 

[MT Headed]

I read it as:

general = algebra = college
"general calculus-based" = calculus = univeristy

Any school that requires you to take calculus based physics would have to make a very obvious point about it needing to be calculus based. Nobody is trying to trick you.

I haven't encountered a calculus based physics requirement at any school I applied to. You certainly don't need calculus based physics for the MCAT either.

 

[Naos]

Cool, I'm going to assume that College Physics is what UCD considers trig-based then, because aside from the Calc-based classes everything else is either an intro-type class or highly specialized.

Thank you!

 

[mauberley]

Just make sure the two cover the same topics and you're fine. Physics prereqs, to my knowledge, usually include mechanics, electricity/magnetism, optics, modern physics (special relativity/quantum mechanics)... But I guess it doesn't really matter.

 

[Naos]

College Physics covers mechanics heat and sound, electricity, magnetism, light and modern physics.

General Calc-based covers displacement, motion, force, momentum, energy, rotating systems, oscillations, thermodynamics, electrostatics, magnetic fields, electromagnetic waves and optics.

 

[TriagePreMed]

College Physics covers mechanics heat and sound, electricity, magnetism, light and modern physics.

General Calc-based covers displacement, motion, force, momentum, energy, rotating systems, oscillations, thermodynamics, electrostatics, magnetic fields, electromagnetic waves and optics.

I covered all those things in General Physics.

 

[DrMidlife]

Take a physics sequence that covers what's on the MCAT, which you can find out here, under physical sciences: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/preparing/

Calculus-based-physics is not a requirement for med school.

If your particular school only covers MCAT material in calculus-based-physics, then you're SOL.

Best of luck to you.

 

[mauberley]

College Physics covers mechanics heat and sound, electricity, magnetism, light and modern physics.

General Calc-based covers displacement, motion, force, momentum, energy, rotating systems, oscillations, thermodynamics, electrostatics, magnetic fields, electromagnetic waves and optics.

To elaborate on TPM, displacement, motion, force, momentum, energy, rotating systems, and oscillations are part of "mechanics."

My school covered thermodynamics as part of physical chemistry, so that's pretty negotiable.

 

[Naos]

Alright, I think I'll do fine with the College Physics class then. If there's anything they end up not covering (why I can't find a course outline anywhere is beyond me) then I will hire a tutor for the MCAT just to be safe.

 

[MD Odyssey]

While it depends upon the schools you intend to apply to, there are a number of schools that prefer calculus-based physics and like to see calculus on an applicants transcript. If you have your heart set on a particular school, you might want to give them a call and see what their admissions department thinks.

Also, I would add that a good calculus-based intro physics course will probably prepare you better for the MCAT.