Just realized this...

[Ub3rmensch]

I just realized that my school doesn't require me to take a second semester of calculus to fulfill a BA in biology. If there's not a difference between BA and BS, should I drop calculus II, and take statistics? I would like to attend a Texas medical school (and most of them require one semester of calc / one semester of stats). I know some schools like Harvard require one whole year of calculus, but seriously...

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[dmf2682]

I just realized that my school doesn't require me to take a second semester of calculus to fulfill a BA in biology. If there's not difference between BA and BS, should I drop calculus II, and take statistics? I would like to attend a Texas medical school (and most of them require one semester of calc / one semester of stats). I know some schools like Harvard require one whole year of calculus, but seriously...

If you dropped calculus 2 how would you make it to calculus 3? Pretty much the best math class ever. Even calc 2 is worth your while though. The more math you have the better off you'll be.

 

[flatearth22]

BA is like the DO of bachelors degrees. Get dat dere BS, OP.

 

[Ub3rmensch]

If you dropped calculus 2 how would you make it to calculus 3? Pretty much the best math class ever. Even calc 2 is worth your while though. The more math you have the better off you'll be.

I don't plan on taking Calculus 3, and while I respect the subject, I take too much time to understand. Also, I'm pretty sure that I won't be using specific calculus in my career.

 

[ahha3289]

.

 

[tantacles]

BA is like the DO of bachelors degrees. Get dat dere BS, OP.

Haha. Good joke.

In all seriousness, there's little difference between getting a BA and BS, so if dropping the BS and taking fewer courses makes more sense for filling out med school requirements, go for it.

 

[Ub3rmensch]

So, what shall I do?

 

[tantacles]

So, what shall I do?

Go up two posts from this one.

 

[dmf2682]

Sounds like you've already made up your mind.

 

[nmed20]

I just realized that my school doesn't require me to take a second semester of calculus to fulfill a BA in biology. If there's not a difference between BA and BS, should I drop calculus II, and take statistics? I would like to attend a Texas medical school (and most of them require one semester of calc / one semester of stats). I know some schools like Harvard require one whole year of calculus, but seriously...

People with arts degrees, music majors, etc do get in to med school... so no, it won't make a difference. Check the pre-requisite requirements for all the schools you want to apply to and fulfill those. If that means you get a BA instead of a BS, that's fine. But if you don't want to take the class and you don't need it as a pre-req, then there's no point in doing it!

You can also email or call the admissions office of any of the Texas schools and ask if it makes a difference (and it really shouldn't).

 

[tantacles]

People with arts degrees, music majors, etc do get in to med school... so no, it won't make a difference. Check the pre-requisite requirements for all the schools you want to apply to and fulfill those. If that means you get a BA instead of a BS, that's fine. But if you don't want to take the class and you don't need it as a pre-req, then there's no point in doing it!

You can also email or call the admissions office of any of the Texas schools and ask if it makes a difference (and it really shouldn't).

This is a better answer than mine. Just skip mine and read this one.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

If you dropped calculus 2 how would you make it to calculus 3? Pretty much the best math class ever. Even calc 2 is worth your while though. The more math you have the better off you'll be.

If it's not a requirement, then it carries the same value as other BCPM courses.

 

[Ilovewater]

Take the statistics class. If you want to take calc 2 later, you can go back and take it if you want. Most med schools require statistics as a pre-req, and it will also help in med school. We've already had like 8 hours of "evidence-based medicine" (aka statistics). There's also some bio stats on Step 1. So, it's nice to have some basic understanding.

 

[Ub3rmensch]

If I chose to complete a BS, I'll have options to major in human biology, neurobiology, molecular biology, etc. which sound pretty interesting. If I chose BA, I won't have any of those options.

I'm taking into consideration a rejection from medical school, and my future plans (ex. switching majors). I'm definitely not going into engineering, but then again some other majors might require Calculus II. I won't be able to take the class later on because I would have forgotten most of Calculus I by then.

I go to UT.

I have ~100 problems due Monday, and now I have found myself in a state of cognitive dissonance.

 

[tantacles]

If I chose to complete a BS, I'll have options to major in human biology, neurobiology, molecular biology, etc. which sound pretty interesting. If I chose BA, I won't have any of those options.

I'm taking into consideration a rejection from medical school, and my future plans (ex. switching majors). I'm definitely not going into engineering, but then again some other majors might require Calculus II. I won't be able to take the class later on because I would have forgotten most of Calculus I by then.

I go to UT.

Just so you know, I took calculus I in spring of my sophomore year. I took calculus II in the spring of my senior year. It didn't affect me much because my school partitioned differentiation and integration to Calculus I and Calculus II respectively. Check to see if this is the case with your school. If so, doing them at different times is completely doable.

And doing a BA instead of a BS does not necessarily disqualify you from any jobs (nor does it make it more likely that you'll be rejected from medical school). If you take calculus and don't get the BS, you won't be any worse off than if you took it and also fulfilled the requirements for the BS.

One more quick note: About a year and a half ago, I applied to research positions in the Boston area. Almost all of them had the "requirement" of B.S., and several of the managers for those positions still offered me interviews (and three offered me jobs). My degree? A B.A. in biology.

 

[Stumpyman]

Same situation as you at UT.... I took Calc 1 and Stats, I think it's not too big of a deal.

 

[Ub3rmensch]

Are you a BA major?

 

[werd]

i agree that the calc 2 thing doesn't make a difference for med schools. empirically though, my perspective is that if you're a science major you should try to get a BS. Getting a bachelor-of-arts degree in a science major implies to some (correctly or incorrectly, depending on the school) that the cirriculum was watered down or lessened in the process. if calc 2 is the only difference, i'd just get the BS degree.