Maths in medicine

[DrFelix]

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Hello everyone,

I am wondering how much maths is required in medicine? Doesn't medicine require only basic multiplication-addition-subtraction-division? Or is there more than it meets the eye?

 

[thecook]

To do well on the MCAT one would need know basic trigonometry and be comfortable with logarithms as well. There's probably more as well.

 

[DrFelix]

To do well on the MCAT one would need know basic trigonometry and be comfortable with logarithms as well. There's probably more as well.

And what about maths used in med school?

 

[terra330]

Hello everyone,

I am wondering how much maths is required in medicine? Doesn't medicine require only basic multiplication-addition-subtraction-division? Or is there more than it meets the eye?

Some specialties like radiology require more math than others, but as far as I'm aware, none of it really goes beyond algebra/trig (unless you're doing research in the field maybe)

 

[DrFelix]

Some specialties like radiology require more math than others, but as far as I'm aware, none of it really goes beyond algebra/trig (unless you're doing research in the field maybe)

Is the math a cakewalk (elementary) or some advanced college-level stuff? If you're planning to do IM/psych.

 

[jih]

Is the math a cakewalk (elementary) or some advanced college-level stuff? If you're planning to do IM/psych.

That really depends on who you are talking to. To some people differential equations and linear algebra are cake walks, whereas others struggle with basic calculus.

 

[Crayola227]

you definitely need to get through and understand statistics

we are expected to practice evidence based medicine, to do that, one must be able to read research studies that look at populations of people and use math to try to find patterns that can be applied to other situations

there was also a fair amount of algebra involved in the basic sciences of physiology

 

[Mad Jack]

Is the math a cakewalk (elementary) or some advanced college-level stuff? If you're planning to do IM/psych.

There's a lot of biostats on Step 1 that are essentially basic algebra, as well as a good number of logarithmic experimental results. As to day-to-day math, there is some here and there in certain parts of IM (dosing of meds, anion gaps, etc) but often either it is taken care of for you by the EMR system/lab/whatever or you get so used to it that it is second nature.

 

[OldstockJr]

from this post and others, a working knowledge of stats, logs and algebra (solve for x) in dose/pharmacology problems willl be helpful in med school.

now if ure talking about super saiyan math (modern algebra, topology, linear algebra and programming related knowledge) that stuff would be helpful if ure going into radiology, neurology or medical imaging MD/PhD research

 

[DrFelix]

Thank you all for your replies.