Math Requirements for Med Schools: Should I take Pre-Calc or Calculus?

[PreAndPost]

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I am just starting a post-bac pre-med program. This summer is my first semester in the program, and we have the option to take Pre-Calculus or Calculus 1 (in addition to General Chemistry 1).

I took Pre-Calculus about 5 years ago in high school. My initial instinct was to just take Calculus 1. However, the adjustment to the program has been a little more difficult than I anticipated (everything seems to be a bit different than what I am used to). Therefore, I am starting to think I should "take it easy on myself" and take Pre-Calculus instead.

The program is set up so that we virtually have no classes the spring before applying to med school (2011). Therefore, I could fit Calculus 1 into my schedule then. Starting with Pre-Calculus this summer means that I will not be able to take Calculus 2. I know this makes me ineligible to apply to some of the top medical schools. However, I was not really aiming for top tier schools, anyway.

I suppose that sums up my "dilemma." Are there any other considerations I should factor into my decision?

 

[flip26]

I am just starting a post-bac pre-med program. This summer is my first semester in the program, and we have the option to take Pre-Calculus or Calculus 1 (in addition to General Chemistry 1).

I took Pre-Calculus about 5 years ago in high school. My initial instinct was to just take Calculus 1. However, the adjustment to the program has been a little more difficult than I anticipated (everything seems to be a bit different than what I am used to). Therefore, I am starting to think I should "take it easy on myself" and take Pre-Calculus instead.

The program is set up so that we virtually have no classes the spring before applying to med school (2011). Therefore, I could fit Calculus 1 into my schedule then. Starting with Pre-Calculus this summer means that I will not be able to take Calculus 2. I know this makes me ineligible to apply to some of the top medical schools. However, I was not really aiming for top tier schools, anyway.

I suppose that sums up my "dilemma." Are there any other considerations I should factor into my decision?

Only Harvard requires a full year of calculus. A couple of others will accept one semester of calculus with stats.

You have no dilemma. If you need math credits, take the pre-calc. If you haven't already, take statistics. Most med schools expect 2 semesters of college math, which could be comprised of anything like trig, geometry, algebra, pre calc, stats. The only one you really "need" or will find useful is statistics. If you are not a "math" person, don't burden yourself with calculus.

 

[yowhatup]

I am just starting a post-bac pre-med program. This summer is my first semester in the program, and we have the option to take Pre-Calculus or Calculus 1 (in addition to General Chemistry 1).

I took Pre-Calculus about 5 years ago in high school. My initial instinct was to just take Calculus 1. However, the adjustment to the program has been a little more difficult than I anticipated (everything seems to be a bit different than what I am used to). Therefore, I am starting to think I should "take it easy on myself" and take Pre-Calculus instead.

The program is set up so that we virtually have no classes the spring before applying to med school (2011). Therefore, I could fit Calculus 1 into my schedule then. Starting with Pre-Calculus this summer means that I will not be able to take Calculus 2. I know this makes me ineligible to apply to some of the top medical schools. However, I was not really aiming for top tier schools, anyway.

I suppose that sums up my "dilemma." Are there any other considerations I should factor into my decision?

i would take one semester of calc I and one semester of stat if I were you. Precalc... come on man... I did that in 10th grade in HS...... to me, taking precalc shows you did not have a solid math education.... take calc I in my opinion, but there is no need to do calc II, III, etc....

 

[Mobius1985]

Many med schools let you take Calc OR Stats. Check on the schools you intend to apply to and see if you really need calculus at all.

 

[PreAndPost]

I admit, Pre-Calc at my age sounds ridiculous. But a lot of people in my program are going that route, to my surprise.

The program curriculum has a pretty fixed order. So if I could postpone math for a later semester, then I would probably be much more inclined to take Calc 1.

However, I pretty much have to take a math this term. And since I am juggling many other things this term, it seems safer to take Pre-Calc and get an easy 'A' while preparing myself for another 'A' in Calc 1 in a few semesters. Since I am trying to improve my GPA, a mediocre grade in Calc 1 would be a step back. I have already taken statistics, but I feel like I need both more math classes in general and better math grades.

At this point, I don't really care if taking Calc 1 would look better to Med Schools. I'm more just concerned if starting with Pre-Calc looks blatantly bad.

I'm very rusty with math right now, and I'm not too keen about the professor teaching it. Also, my primary selling points as an applicant will definitely come from other areas, and my concern with math is just to demonstrate competancy. In other words, I wouldn't want to go to a program that has a very strong emphasis on math in its selection criteria. However, will Pre-Calc on my transcript hinder my application and suggest INcompetancy (even if I get an 'A' in it, as well as an 'A' Calc 1 down the road)?

 

[Col Kurtz]

I admit, Pre-Calc at my age sounds ridiculous. But a lot of people in my program are going that route, to my surprise.

The program curriculum has a pretty fixed order. So if I could postpone math for a later semester, then I would probably be much more inclined to take Calc 1.

However, I pretty much have to take a math this term. And since I am juggling many other things this term, it seems safer to take Pre-Calc and get an easy 'A' while preparing myself for another 'A' in Calc 1 in a few semesters. Since I am trying to improve my GPA, a mediocre grade in Calc 1 would be a step back. I have already taken statistics, but I feel like I need both more math classes in general and better math grades.

At this point, I don't really care if taking Calc 1 would look better to Med Schools. I'm more just concerned if starting with Pre-Calc looks blatantly bad.

I'm very rusty with math right now, and I'm not too keen about the professor teaching it. Also, my primary selling points as an applicant will definitely come from other areas, and my concern with math is just to demonstrate competancy. In other words, I wouldn't want to go to a program that has a very strong emphasis on math in its selection criteria. However, will Pre-Calc on my transcript hinder my application and suggest INcompetancy (even if I get an 'A' in it, as well as an 'A' Calc 1 down the road)?

Taking Calc I and doing poorly because you are rusty will look much, much worse to an Adcom than the presence of Pre-calc on your transcript. Take pre-calc if you're rusty.

It doesn't suggest incompetency if you have a five year lay off. It's not as if a lot of careers ask you to do trig calculations, something that factors largely into calc I.

 

[Quadratic]

I don't understand how pre-calculus can significantly help you in Calculus. Although intuitively it seems like a primer for Calculus, over 90% of the material is never utilized in Calculus. Perhaps the most useful ideas of pre-calculus as it relates to Calculus (at least standard undergraduate level) are trigonometric identites and the values of the unit circle (NOTE: These do not require a semester of learning. Typically gone over in the final 2-3 weeks of the course). Perhaps the difference quotient as well, but in pre-calculus you don't even realize its importance, so what's the point? Most people screw up in calculus do to algebraic errors rather than misunderstanding of "core" pre-calculus principles.

 

[Evergrey]

I don't understand how pre-calculus can help you in Calculus. Although intuitively it seems like a primer for Calculus, over 90% of the material is never utilized in Calculus. Perhaps the most useful ideas of pre-calculus as it relates to Calculus (at least standard undergraduate level) are trigonometric identites and the values of the unit circle (NOTE: These do not require a semester of learning. Typically gone over in the final 2-3 weeks of the course). Perhaps the difference quotient as well, but in pre-calculus you don't even realize its importance, so what's the point? Most people screw up in calculus do to algebraic errors rather than misunderstanding of "core" pre-calculus principles.

Pre-Calc will help give review algebra and prepare him/her for college mathematics. I went straight into college Calc II having taken Calc I as an AP class in HS. It was a mistake. The entire class was taught through proofs and I didn't have a strong enough background to follow it all. Nor did I have the discipline as a freshman required to truly excel at the class. I got the worst grade in all of college on it.

If his/her background in math is shaky, it wouldn't hurt to review math at a less abstract level. It will give a better foundation in algebra and an understanding of how graphs work. Both are very important to success in Calculus. A "warm-up" can't hurt and can go a long way towards making Calculus and Physics much easier.

 

[Col Kurtz]

It is not that pre-calc suddenly makes you better at calculus, but the poster has had a five year lay off in math. It helps ot have a primer. I am speaking from personal experience--I had a long layoff and was shocked at the stuff I forgot. the point isn't that you can't do calculus without precalc, but someone doing a post-bac probably should not risk struggling because of fear that he had to take pre-calc would hurt his chances.

 

[dmblue]

pre-calc was the biggest waste of time in high school...I could have easily learned it in 1-2 days.

However, if you aren't strong at math/have taken a break I would recommend it as a refresher course.