General physics or Elementary physics

[Todayismyfuture]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I'm currently an undergrad on the pre-pharmacy track. I haven't taken physics yet and wondering whether I should take the General physics course or the elementary physics course. Are most pharm schools require general physics? Thank you for your help.

 

[Passion4Sci]

I'm currently an undergrad on the pre-pharmacy track. I haven't taken physics yet and wondering whether I should take the General physics course or the elementary physics course. Are most pharm schools require general physics? Thank you for your help.

Unfortunately you can't generalize schools... because they're ALL different. What you have to do is select 5-15 schools that you would realistically apply to, and check out their websites to see what kind of Physics they want.

HTH =-]

 

[Praziquantel86]

I'm currently an undergrad on the pre-pharmacy track. I haven't taken physics yet and wondering whether I should take the General physics course or the elementary physics course. Are most pharm schools require general physics? Thank you for your help.

When in doubt, take the higher level class. But, as P4Sci said, contact the schools to find out for sure. You don't want to get to the point where you're applying and find out you've taken the wrong classes.

 

[SN1]

I'm currently an undergrad on the pre-pharmacy track. I haven't taken physics yet and wondering whether I should take the General physics course or the elementary physics course. Are most pharm schools require general physics? Thank you for your help.

Take general physics. You don't want to be sorry. I never even knew there is an elementary physics course in college.

 

[rxlea]

General physics is probably the way to go on this. all the schools I was considering that required physics stated General Physics.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Take general physics. You don't want to be sorry. I never even knew there is an elementary physics course in college.

This is bad advice.

Good advice offered by myself & Prazi.

There seems to be a condescension in your tone, as if someone would dare take elementary physics in *gasp* college!?.

Every school I have been to has had 2 different kinds of Physics offered: 1 for Engineering/Physics type folks and 1 for everyone else. The 1 for everyone else went by different names. Perhaps "elementary" is just the one designed for non-engineering & physics majors.

The best advice is always to look at first what each school requires and then look inward. Not everyone can do the upper echelon of Physics (myself included) nor is it at all required to be super-amazing at Physics in the study of pharmacy. (Or I'd be a baker right now).

If the school has 3 types then maybe Elementary isn't the way to go. No sense torturing yourself with a class designed for Physics/Engineering folks if you don't have to though (which is what I gathered from your OP).

Of course, YMMV and I'm probably wrong. But I'd never take the more in-depth Physics class if I didn't have to. Perhaps that's a personal shortcoming of mine.

 

[pharmschooler]

If you have a fantastic teacher and a decent command of math, calc-based physics can actually be a really interesting and fun class. It's nice, too, because it will fulfill the prerequisite for physics anywhere, whereas general physics won't always work.

You can always check your instructors ahead of time on ratemyprofessors.com or some other site...(not always accurate, but usually a pretty good bet).

 

[SN1]

This is bad advice.

Good advice offered by myself & Prazi.

There seems to be a condescension in your tone, as if someone would dare take elementary physics in *gasp* college!?.

Every school I have been to has had 2 different kinds of Physics offered: 1 for Engineering/Physics type folks and 1 for everyone else. The 1 for everyone else went by different names. Perhaps "elementary" is just the one designed for non-engineering & physics majors.

The best advice is always to look at first what each school requires and then look inward. Not everyone can do the upper echelon of Physics (myself included) nor is it at all required to be super-amazing at Physics in the study of pharmacy. (Or I'd be a baker right now).

If the school has 3 types then maybe Elementary isn't the way to go. No sense torturing yourself with a class designed for Physics/Engineering folks if you don't have to though (which is what I gathered from your OP).

Of course, YMMV and I'm probably wrong. But I'd never take the more in-depth Physics class if I didn't have to. Perhaps that's a personal shortcoming of mine.

Of course. You are the GOD of advising.🙂

This forum has become a place for people to pick on other people's advice.

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

It depends, what is the difference between the two? Is one calc-based and the other not or are both calc-based?

The label "General Physics" seems to differ from school to school, in some places it is a calc-based course whereas with other schools it might be an algebra-based course. Same with "Elementary", I have seen calc-based physics courses with that in the name as well.

I personally haven't heard algebra-based physics being used for pre-health majors, but it seems that since you are often required to take Calc I/II already they might as well require calc-based physics at that point. So assuming both are calc-based, I think either one should be fine, I doubt they will be diverging that much in terms of what is covered and instead might just differ in focus or something, so I doubt one would be easier than other.

 

[cjflahave]

It depends, what is the difference between the two? Is one calc-based and the other not or are both calc-based?

The label "General Physics" seems to differ from school to school, in some places it is a calc-based course whereas with other schools it might be an algebra-based course. Same with "Elementary", I have seen calc-based physics courses with that in the name as well.

I personally haven't heard algebra-based physics being used for pre-health majors, but it seems that since you are often required to take Calc I/II already they might as well require calc-based physics at that point. So assuming both are calc-based, I think either one should be fine, I doubt they will be diverging that much in terms of what is covered and instead might just differ in focus or something, so I doubt one would be easier than other.

You only need to take calc based physics if the school requires it, for example Minnesota pharmacy school. I took the algebra based classes and have had no problems from any of the schools I applied to.

Best bet is to check with the schools you want to attend.

 

[owlegrad]

Of course. You are the GOD of advising.🙂

This forum has become a place for people to pick on other people's advice.

Oh, the irony. 😆

 

[crazybob]

This forum has become a place for people to pick on other people's advice.

👍

Or to educate over and over and over and over and over 🙄

 

[rxlea]

👍

Or to educate over and over and over and over and over 🙄

Or post about doom and gloom over and over and over and over...

 

[crazybob]

Or post about doom and gloom over and over and over and over...

Are you making fun of the way I said "over and over" so many times? 🙁

 

[DH1987]

According to my advisors, we had a choice of Trig-based physics and Calc-based physics. Since I hadn't taken Calculus in over a year and forgot most of it already, I went with the Trig-based physics. The professor himself said the classes aren't worth taking if you've already been through Trig physics, because they are based off the same concepts.

I honestly think I should have went through Calc physics, though. It would have looked more impressive on my transcript, especially since I'm going to a community college and my overall GPA is not so impressive, though my last 2 semesters looked pretty good. I had a few difficulties with the class, but I feel like I still could have pushed myself further...