Is a year of calculus necessary to go to medical chool?

[azaila]

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did you all take a year of calculus, or going to take a year of calculus? Is it very important that you finish a "year" of calculus? Instead of pre-cal or one quarter of calculus?

 

[AnesthesiaMD]

no

 

[DoctorPardi]

To my knowledge only 4 schools require a full year of calculus: Duke, Washington St. Louis, Johns Hopkins and Harvard.

About 16 schools require one semester of calculus, and the rest of the medical schools in the country require no calculus.

 

[McPoyle]

I took a full year, however it was required for my major (they actually dropped this requirement this semester-about a week before I took the Calc 2 final!!!) I think it may be required for a few schools, however stats is required aka. recomended for more schools.

 

[Depakote]

To my knowledge only 4 schools require a full year of calculus: Duke, Washington St. Louis, Johns Hopkins and Harvard.

About 16 schools require one semester of calculus, and the rest of the medical schools in the country require no calculus.

I actually spoke to WashU prior to applying this year. They allow you to substitute 1 semester of Statistics for 1 semester of Calculus.

 

[Magus]

Hopkins is the same way. 1 semester Calc, 1 semester Stats is fine. They'll take AP credit as long as your UG accepted it. So really, only Duke and Harvard require 1 year of calc...they suck anyways. 😛😛

 

[soeagerun2or]

You're really only cheating yourself. Calculus should be mandatory to get a bachelors degree.

 

[Karnage]

Two semesters of Calculus are required at my undergrad University to take the year of physics required by most med schools.

 

[PRIMER]

Quick answer, very few schools require it. But most require a year of math.

 

[BlackSails]

You're really only cheating yourself. Calculus should be mandatory to get a bachelors degree.

I agree.

 

[Hershi]

To my knowledge only 4 schools require a full year of calculus: Duke, Washington St. Louis, Johns Hopkins and Harvard.

About 16 schools require one semester of calculus, and the rest of the medical schools in the country require no calculus.

Does this mean just one semester of calculus or do you need another semester of a math course?

 

[DoctorPardi]

Does this mean just one semester of calculus or do you need another semester of a math course?

Almost every school requires a "year of math". So even if that school's specific requirement is Cal I, then you would need to have another semester of math. Depending on the school it might need to be statistics or anything.

 

[pagemmapants]

Hopkins is the same way. 1 semester Calc, 1 semester Stats is fine. They'll take AP credit as long as your UG accepted it. So really, only Duke and Harvard require 1 year of calc...they suck anyways. 😛😛

Mmm, do those grapes be sour?

 

[Magus]

I'm still in undergrad, so it was more poking fun at the two. 😉 I like Duke better, though.

 

[chable]

What are you gona do when your attending asks you for the derivative of 2X grams worth of morphine? Calculus is ESSENTIAL.



Btw, I had to take a year's worth of calculus to fulfill my school's biochemistry major prerequisites. I liked the class and it gave me good grade padding (because I was good at it, not because the classes were easy).

 

[Bacchus]

What are you gona do when your attending asks you for the double integral of X^2 dx grams worth of morphine? Calculus is ESSENTIAL.

Consult my TI-89 which will do it for me. 😀 Or just tell him while standing there, substitute blah blah for x and give him 1/12 of it to the 4th. If thats wrong please don't tell me (haha).

In all seriousness, I took up to Calc 3 because my major requires it. It will help in p-chem or so I'm told. My instructor was extremely helpful and I passed both II and III with an A each time. You can do it, just find a great instructor.

 

[free_radical]

I only have one math course, which isn't calculus, on my transcript. I registered to take Calc 1 this summer, but I am applying already this June, so the Calc 1 will only show up on my application as a "current/future" course. Do you think this will hurt me?

 

[rcd]

I only have one math course, which isn't calculus, on my transcript. I registered to take Calc 1 this summer, but I am applying already this June, so the Calc 1 will only show up on my application as a "current/future" course. Do you think this will hurt me?

No.


Does WashU accept AP calc credit?
_crosses fingers_

 

[docmode]

You should definitely take it. You are going to have much trouble in physics without it. Calculus is nothing compared to what's ahead. Best get used to it.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

You should definitely take it. You are going to have much trouble in physics without it. Calculus is nothing compared to what's ahead. Best get used to it.

That's not true. Most undergraduate colleges have two Physics sequences -- one that's algebra based and one that's calc based. No med school requires the calc based. I know plenty of people in med school who never took even a semester of calc.

 

[brahms11]

Hopkins is the same way. 1 semester Calc, 1 semester Stats is fine. They'll take AP credit as long as your UG accepted it. So really, only Duke and Harvard require 1 year of calc...they suck anyways. 😛😛

I know this is an old thread but to those searching for calculus advice, not that Duke now accepts one term of stats and one term of calc for it's math requirement.

See below for more info:

http://dukemed.duke.edu/modules/ooa_applicant/index.php?id=21

 

[Narmerguy]

I think everyone should take calculus to gain a bachelor's degree as well.

 

[LiuPharm2010]

I took AP calculus (AB) in high school. No math in college, since my UG accepted the AP class to be equivalent to two semesters. Is that legit for med schools?