Last Time

[Faze2]

Okay I know this has been discussed to its death and I promise I will never ask it again, but I just want to make absolutely sure before I start classes this week. Please someone tell me if these statements are correct/incorrect.

I can take the ALGEGRA based physics as a pre req.

Med schools do not care which one you take really.

Technically, calc is not a pre req for med school. (I have taken it, it was just pretty long ago).

All of the physics on the MCAT is algebra based, not calc based.



If any of these are incorrect please someone let me know. Everyone I have asked has pretty much told me all of the above are true, including some professors of physics. The only reason I am a little worried is because my pre-med counselor, who sucks and has told me incorrect info in the past, said I had to take calc based. However, I pretty sure that she thinks I am in the official post bac program at the school, when really I am just taking the classes on my own.
Also, the course description online says this will not count for the required physics for biology/pre med degree majors, but I am not in a degree program, and I know people at my school who will be applying to med school and they are taking or have took the algebra based physics. I figured I'd ask some of you folks too.

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[DrMidlife]

Also, the course description online says this will not count for the required physics for biology/pre med degree majors, but I am not in a degree program, and I know people at my school who will be applying to med school and they are taking or have took the algebra based physics. I figured I'd ask some of you folks too.

That's suspicious. There are physics series that are too low for premed, meaning they don't prepare you for the MCAT: make sure this series is good enough for your needs. So ask your pals how they did on the PS section...

Otherwise you're good. There are a few schools that require calculus. You took it, you're fine.

Best of luck to you.

 

[kronickm]

I can take the ALGEGRA based physics as a pre req.

Med schools do not care which one you take really.

Technically, calc is not a pre req for med school. (I have taken it, it was just pretty long ago).

All of the physics on the MCAT is algebra based, not calc based.

1. ALGERGRA...hahaha (sorry)
2. Yes you can take algebra based physics...The sturctured post-bac I am in now offers only algebra based physics.
3. As far as I know all MCAT physics is algebra based, although a knowledge of calc can't hurt.

 

[QofQuimica]

Okay I know this has been discussed to its death and I promise I will never ask it again, but I just want to make absolutely sure before I start classes this week. Please someone tell me if these statements are correct/incorrect.

I can take the ALGEGRA based physics as a pre req.

Med schools do not care which one you take really.

Technically, calc is not a pre req for med school. (I have taken it, it was just pretty long ago).

All of the physics on the MCAT is algebra based, not calc based.

If any of these are incorrect please someone let me know. Everyone I have asked has pretty much told me all of the above are true, including some professors of physics. The only reason I am a little worried is because my pre-med counselor, who sucks and has told me incorrect info in the past, said I had to take calc based. However, I pretty sure that she thinks I am in the official post bac program at the school, when really I am just taking the classes on my own.
Also, the course description online says this will not count for the required physics for biology/pre med degree majors, but I am not in a degree program, and I know people at my school who will be applying to med school and they are taking or have took the algebra based physics. I figured I'd ask some of you folks too.

All of the above are true, *if* you are not applying to one of the few schools that requires calc. Check the schools where you want to apply in the MSAR; if they don't ask for calc, you're fine. I remember Wash U wanting calc. I don't remember anywhere else off hand.

 

[gotmeds?]

Keep in mind that a few schools (including some of the UCs) require a year of math and they will only accept calc, stats, or higher.

 

[njbmd]

Okay I know this has been discussed to its death and I promise I will never ask it again, but I just want to make absolutely sure before I start classes this week. Please someone tell me if these statements are correct/incorrect.

I can take the ALGEGRA based physics as a pre req.

Med schools do not care which one you take really.

Technically, calc is not a pre req for med school. (I have taken it, it was just pretty long ago).

All of the physics on the MCAT is algebra based, not calc based.



If any of these are incorrect please someone let me know. Everyone I have asked has pretty much told me all of the above are true, including some professors of physics. The only reason I am a little worried is because my pre-med counselor, who sucks and has told me incorrect info in the past, said I had to take calc based. However, I pretty sure that she thinks I am in the official post bac program at the school, when really I am just taking the classes on my own.
Also, the course description online says this will not count for the required physics for biology/pre med degree majors, but I am not in a degree program, and I know people at my school who will be applying to med school and they are taking or have took the algebra based physics. I figured I'd ask some of you folks too.

You can download the Physical Science Topics from the MCAT website and see what is covered. You can also purchase (same site essentially)retired exams and work through actual problems from retired MCAT exams and see that you don't NEED calculus for the types of physics problems on that exam. Practice MCAT Test Website

Preparing for the MCAT

Finally, you have already taken calculus (doesn't matter that it was a long time ago) so you have your bases covered should you elect to apply to a school that requires calculus. Just check with your prospective school to be sure that if calculus is required, your course has not expired (not likely to happen).

Sample Physical Science Questions from MCAT Test 3R

Click on the links and you will be taken to where you can read the information for yourself. You should also download MCAT Essentials from this website so that you have your own information if you do not trust what your pre-med advisor is saying to you.

 

[HanginInThere]

Keep in mind that a few schools (including some of the UCs) require a year of math and they will only accept calc, stats, or higher.

Faze2 took calc, just not recently.

Of the few schools I've seen that require calc, none specify how recently you had to have taken it. But I don't know about the UCs.

Faze, if you know what schools you might be applying to, check their requirements. It's very likely that you're fine, but you should be able to verify that for yourself.

 

[Faze2]

Thanks for all of the replies. I spoke to my prof and he told me that the class is fine for the MCAT. he informed me that we cover the exact same topics as the calc based physics, we just use algebra obviously. So i think I will be okay.

And to answer other questions, I do have calc, algrebra, trig, and stat as far as math goes, so I have definately fulfilled the requirement. And I didn't take them ages ago or anything, just a couple of years, like 2 or 3 for some, and 4 or 5 for others.

Check the schools where you want to apply in the MSAR; if they don't ask for calc, you're fine. I remember Wash U wanting calc.

Thanks for the vote of confidence QofQ, but even with all the calculus in the world, I ain't gettin into U of Wash.

 

[QofQuimica]

Thanks for the vote of confidence QofQ, but even with all the calculus in the world, I ain't gettin into U of Wash.

I was talking about Wash U in St. Louis, not U Wash in Washington State. Unless you're a Washington resident (or a WWAMI state resident) or an MD/PhD applicant, I can virtually guarantee that you won't get into U Wash. They rarely take other OOS students. Wash U is private; they take people from all over the US (and even some from other countries).

 

[Faze2]

I was talking about Wash U in St. Louis, not U Wash in Washington State. Unless you're a Washington resident (or a WWAMI state resident) or an MD/PhD applicant, I can virtually guarantee that you won't get into U Wash. They rarely take other OOS students. Wash U is private; they take people from all over the US (and even some from other countries).

Oh sorry about the mix up. I heard St Louis is a nice city, maybe I'll check it out.

 

[QofQuimica]

Oh sorry about the mix up. I heard St Louis is a nice city, maybe I'll check it out.

It's a great school. Especially if you kill the MCAT (their *average* is a 38 ), and you're interested in research, check it out.

 

[pingouin]

Oh sorry about the mix up. I heard St Louis is a nice city, maybe I'll check it out.

where on earth did you hear THAT???


(KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

[boko0123]

hi, i have a question, too ...

would anyone know if taking algebra based physics to make up for a C in calculus based physics is a bad idea? i was an engineering major, too, if that makes any difference ... thanks

 

[Faze2]

where on earth did you hear THAT???


(KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Ha! from a really rich anesthesiologist who lived there for while. I guess he lived in the nice part. I'm guessing East St Louis.

 

[pingouin]

Ha! from a really rich anesthesiologist who lived there for while. I guess he lived in the nice part. I'm guessing East St Louis.

Oh I'm sure that's EXACTLY where he was on Saturday nights.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

I took algebra-based physics for the same reason -- I took calculus in 1995-96 and didn't take physics until 2003-04. This is an age old debate, but imo, schools don't really care if you take the harder physics class, especially if you take it and do worse than you would in the algebra one. Also, I really thought the algebra based class did a good job preparing me for the MCAT because it had a lot of focus on theory. My advice -- don't make your life harder than it needs to be.

 

[Foghorn]

Of the few schools I've seen that require calc, none specify how recently you had to have taken it. But I don't know about the UCs

UCLA and UCI require 1 year of Calculus and one Statistics class. Not sure about the others but I think it would be the same.

 

[gotmeds?]

UCLA and UCI require 1 year of Calculus and one Statistics class. Not sure about the others but I think it would be the same.

Unless they changed it from last year, I think it's one year of calc-level or higher math which can include statistics. I had a semester of calc and a semester of stats and I was fine for all the UCs.