My counselor is nuts!

[obgyny]

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(My academic counselor). here's my situation, i just transferred community colleges because i moved (from FL to CA) and i just saw my counselor today. i mentioned i was premed and this is the list of CORE classes he gave me:

Math:
Precalculus (5 credits)
Calculus 1 (5)
Calculus 2 (5)
Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calculus (5)
Differential Equations/Linear Algebra (5)

Physics:
Into Physics (3)
Engineering Physics (Calculus-based) 1, 2, and 3 (total of 15 credits)

Biology:
Cellular Bio (5)
Botany (5)

i have already taken 3 semesters of community college (~27 credits) not to mention i still have like 20 credits of humanties/art classes to complete. so lets see:

53 + 27 + 20 = 100 credits!!!!!!!!!! that's a little much for COMMUNITY College!!!

and is it just me, or is that WAY TOO much math???
and why do i need botany??? i hate plants!!!!!

ps: sorry, i needed to vent

 

[obgyny]

oh yeah plus i need to fit organic chem in there somewhere

 

[VPDcurt]

That's too easy (seriously).

 

[dajimmers]

Wow, they give you a lot of credit for those classes.

I wouldn't take botany, and the math seems a little excessive, unless you're looking at engineering, MD/PhD, or Harvard HST.

 

[obgyny]

Here's what I would do. If you like math, you can take all that stuff, but this is more than enough. If you want, you can take out calc II and maybe even calc I. It depends on the med schools you're applying to. Where's gen chem? And I'd add some upper level bios like genetics, biochem, physiology or embryology. It'll show you can hack some more difficult courses and be (somewhat) relevant to med school.

I already took gen chem 1 & 2. And this is ALL COMMUNITY college-- they don't offer genetics or embryology. and I can't stand math although I'm actually pretty good at it (not that good though).

 

[obgyny]

Wow, they give you a lot of credit for those classes.QUOTE]

Yeah, the CA system is weird. Plus it includes lab.

 

[Flopotomist]

I am rather surprised that nobody has mentioned it yet, but if you TRULY want to go to medical school - quit relying on counselors to tell you correct information, and get the info yourself. Buy a copy of the MSAR from Amazon, and read exactly what classes you need for each school. Good luck!

 

[VPDcurt]

Flop is right. The first thing you need to realize is that your counselor is probably wrong about everything. Just find out for yourself and take care of it that way.

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

Flop is right. The first thing you need to realize is that your counselor is probably wrong about everything.

I know mine was, and still is. Everytime I see the ho, she gives me the same information about the MCAT and tells me to take the Kaplan course. Last time I went to see the crazy broad, it was one week before the August MCAT... and guess what she says?: "Hey there, you might want to enroll in the Kaplan course." Her stupidity surpasses my confoundment

 

[SirTony76]

Here's what I would do. If you like math, you can take all that stuff, but this is more than enough. If you want, you can take out calc II and maybe even calc I. It depends on the med schools you're applying to. Where's gen chem? And I'd add some upper level bios like genetics, biochem, physiology or embryology. It'll show you can hack some more difficult courses and be (somewhat) relevant to med school.

...you saying differential equations isn't one of those "more difficult courses?"

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

I think most schools like to see Calc 1 and 2, at least. Anything more than that is asking for trouble. Math sucks.

 

[tank you]

keep in mind that taking orgo and upper-div bio courses at community colleges is not looked upon favorably...

 

[Will Hunting]

keep in mind that taking orgo and upper-div bio courses at community colleges is not looked upon favorably...

indeeed

 

[tacrum43]

(My academic counselor). here's my situation, i just transferred community colleges because i moved (from FL to CA) and i just saw my counselor today. i mentioned i was premed and this is the list of CORE classes he gave me:

Math:
Precalculus (5 credits)
Calculus 1 (5)
Calculus 2 (5)
Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calculus (5)
Differential Equations/Linear Algebra (5)

Physics:
Into Physics (3)
Engineering Physics (Calculus-based) 1, 2, and 3 (total of 15 credits)

Biology:
Cellular Bio (5)
Botany (5)

i have already taken 3 semesters of community college (~27 credits) not to mention i still have like 20 credits of humanties/art classes to complete. so lets see:

53 + 27 + 20 = 100 credits!!!!!!!!!! that's a little much for COMMUNITY College!!!

and is it just me, or is that WAY TOO much math???
and why do i need botany??? i hate plants!!!!!

ps: sorry, i needed to vent

Are you planning to major in physics or engineering? If not, you do not need anything beyond calc II for any school, and you don't even need that for most schools and you don't need the calc based physics series either (I think a biochem major *might* require that, it did at my school).

You don't need botany either, unless as a bio major your school requires that you take it. All you need is a year of general bio, plus biochem and cell bio for a few schools.

Flopotomist is right about the MSAR. It will answer all of your admission requirement questions (hence why it's called Medical School Admission Requirements). You might suggest your advisor buy a copy for him/herself as well. 😉

 

[crazy_cavalier]

That list sounds a lot like the courses i've taken so far at my ugrad... 😳

 

[cosmicstarr]

I would suggest the following:

For math, stop after calculus II. If you want to take additional math, take statistics.

You need 1 year of O-Chem w/ Lab.

Take the 1-year Physics w/ Lab (the non-calculus based is fine).

At university, take biochem, physiology, and genetics. Maybe also add microbio and immunology.

You should concentrate your efforts on upper level bio classes rather than advanced math or calculus based physics, unless you're doing something like a PhD Biomedical Engineering/MD program.

 

[obgyny]

Are you planning to major in physics or engineering? If not, you do not need anything beyond calc II for any school, and you don't even need that for most schools and you don't need the calc based physics series either (I think a biochem major *might* require that, it did at my school).

You don't need botany either, unless as a bio major your school requires that you take it. All you need is a year of general bio, plus biochem and cell bio for a few schools.

Flopotomist is right about the MSAR. It will answer all of your admission requirement questions (hence why it's called Medical School Admission Requirements). You might suggest your advisor buy a copy for him/herself as well. 😉

well i'm not getting an AA degree or anything, so I'm ignoring the community college requirements and focusing on university/med school requirements and what classes to take to help me on the MCAT. For now my major is biology, but I'll change it to something more specific when I transfer to a university. I may have mentioned to my counselor I was planning on applying to Stanford (just for the heck of it), so maybe that's why he gave me such a lengthy list. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to follow the list (I hate math). I think he suggested Botany because I'm majoring in Bio, but that's only a requirement for a Bio AA at my community college (I hate plants too).

 

[Sicilian]

(My academic counselor). here's my situation, i just transferred community colleges because i moved (from FL to CA) and i just saw my counselor today. i mentioned i was premed and this is the list of CORE classes he gave me:

Math:
Precalculus (5 credits)
Calculus 1 (5)
Calculus 2 (5)
Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calculus (5)
Differential Equations/Linear Algebra (5)

Physics:
Into Physics (3)
Engineering Physics (Calculus-based) 1, 2, and 3 (total of 15 credits)

Biology:
Cellular Bio (5)
Botany (5)

i have already taken 3 semesters of community college (~27 credits) not to mention i still have like 20 credits of humanties/art classes to complete. so lets see:

53 + 27 + 20 = 100 credits!!!!!!!!!! that's a little much for COMMUNITY College!!!

and is it just me, or is that WAY TOO much math???
and why do i need botany??? i hate plants!!!!!

ps: sorry, i needed to vent

Those classes aren't bad to take, minus the botany, lol. Precalc? Thats HS. Calc I & II are ridiculously easy... if you want A's, these are the classes to take. Calc III is a bit rough; if you liked geometry in HS, you'll like this class. Diff equations is very useful for any higher level chem or physics class you take. Lin Alg is extremely boring, but not difficult. Engineering physics is good if you like to know "why." Its essential if you want to truly understand physics. Cell bio is a good class to take. Take biochem & genetics as well if your schedule allows it. P-Chem & analytical chem are two other good classes to take. Again, don't take botany; the MCAT is not gonna test you on angiosperms, lol.

 

[gujuDoc]

Those classes aren't bad to take, minus the botany, lol. Precalc? Thats HS. Calc I & II are ridiculously easy... if you want A's, these are the classes to take. Calc III is a bit rough; if you liked geometry in HS, you'll like this class. Diff equations is very useful for any higher level chem or physics class you take. Lin Alg is extremely boring, but not difficult. Engineering physics is good if you like to know "why." Its essential if you want to truly understand physics. Cell bio is a good class to take. Take biochem & genetics as well if your schedule allows it. P-Chem & analytical chem are two other good classes to take. Again, don't take botany; the MCAT is not gonna test you on angiosperms, lol.

I don't know that I would say Calc I and II are extremely easy because it depends on the level of difficulty at which the professor makes the test, but I would say that I agree that they are good classes to take and I would recommend it and also recommend that you take Physics after you've taken Calculus, because it gives you some insight into how the formulas came about if you look at the calculus first.

 

[juiceman311]

for those saying he doesn't need calc-based physics, i disagree. it will help you far more for the mcats. understanding the calc-based derivations to equations will help you a great deal on the mcats, especially on conceptual questions.

and differential equations blows ass.

 

[Camillekc]

all you need to take is:

1 year of math (calc or calc and stats)- i doubt pre-calc counts
1 year of bio + lab
1 year of physics + lab
1 year of chem + lab
1 year of orgo + lab

 

[JustR]

I don't know that I would say Calc I and II are extremely easy because it depends on the level of difficulty at which the professor makes the test, but I would say that I agree that they are good classes to take and I would recommend it and also recommend that you take Physics after you've taken Calculus, because it gives you some insight into how the formulas came about if you look at the calculus first.

Agree that Physics would come first than taking higher level calc.... I think.

 

[obgyny]

Those classes aren't bad to take, minus the botany, lol. Precalc? Thats HS. Calc I & II are ridiculously easy... if you want A's, these are the classes to take. Calc III is a bit rough; if you liked geometry in HS, you'll like this class. Diff equations is very useful for any higher level chem or physics class you take. Lin Alg is extremely boring, but not difficult. Engineering physics is good if you like to know "why." Its essential if you want to truly understand physics. Cell bio is a good class to take. Take biochem & genetics as well if your schedule allows it. P-Chem & analytical chem are two other good classes to take. Again, don't take botany; the MCAT is not gonna test you on angiosperms, lol.

well i sort of went to college while i was in high school so i didn't take precal in HS. i can't stand math, but i'm rather good at it. again, i'm going to a community college, so they don't offer genetics, biochem, p-chem, etc (which i'll probably take at a university).

i've decided to not go exactly with what my counselor said and i've been doing some of my own research. most bio-related majors at the UC schools require botany, so i might just have to suck it up and learn about stupid plants. trust me, if i find a way to avoid botany, i certainly will. i can't believe you need to take botany for a neuroscience major.

 

[Sicilian]

I don't know that I would say Calc I and II are extremely easy because it depends on the level of difficulty at which the professor makes the test, but I would say that I agree that they are good classes to take and I would recommend it and also recommend that you take Physics after you've taken Calculus, because it gives you some insight into how the formulas came about if you look at the calculus first.

Differentiation & integration (highlights of calc I & II) are mechanical processes. They become second-nature after enough experience. I for one used Schaum's throughout Calc I & II, which contained hundreds of derivatives & integrals, so there wasn't much to learn in class, lol. Calc III was a pain coz' Mathematica requires you input in C or whatever. Diff equa is integration all the way! Very enjoyable, not useful unless you plan on P-chem. I think you should take calc & physics at the same time... the two kind of go together. To be perfectly honest, none of these classes are necessary for the MCAT, but math teaches you good problem solving skills, and also how to think quickly! In other words, even if its a problem from non-calc gen physics, you'll have an easier time translating words into equations, largely because of your enhanced ability to work with functions.

 

[studentstudent]

I'd get the humanities and math (definitely not past Calc II) done at the community college, and worry about a lot of the premed stuff once you're at a four-year school. I know it shouldn't make a difference, but four-year schools usually have a clear agreement with most medical schools as to what fulfills their physics/ochem/bio reqts.

 

[obgyny]

i can't really take physics after calculus (instead of taking them simultaneously) because i don't want to spend 5 years in community college.

 

[gujuDoc]

Agree that Physics would come first than taking higher level calc.... I think.

Your post makes no sense.

I said take Calculus I and II, or at least one, and then take Physics.

 

[WhatUpDoc!]

Your post makes no sense.

I said take Calculus I and II, or at least one, and then take Physics.

Or you could take Physics w/Trig and bypass the need for having to take Calc. before Physics... least thats how it is at my school. You can take Calculus based Physics... or just plain Physics w/Trig (which is what I took). I talked with my friends in Calculus based while I was in regular Trig. based and, other than using Calculus to derive and solve equations, the only difference was that they moved at a pace of 2 chapters faster than my Physics w/Trig class. I did take Calc. before I took Physics though (I just chickened out of taking the Calculus based ) and it was very helpful as I could finish my hw in no time and the lowest grade I got on a test was a 95.

 

[Darth Asclepius]

Whatever you take, make sure you don't take 100 credits at community college. They won't count towards your BS/BA and med schools will want to see upper-level work at the university. I suggest only taking as much as you can transfer toward your degree and transferring as soon as possible. I went to a junior college for a while and even took o-chem there (and nobody asked me about that at interviews) but I also took A LOT of upper level science classes at the university. Don't drag out your time there. Get what you need done and move on.

Botany is not useful unless you just like plants. The math seems like overkill. Another thing to consider is what your major will be at which university and see what their math requirements are.

 

[Sicilian]

well i sort of went to college while i was in high school so i didn't take precal in HS. i can't stand math, but i'm rather good at it. again, i'm going to a community college, so they don't offer genetics, biochem, p-chem, etc (which i'll probably take at a university).

i've decided to not go exactly with what my counselor said and i've been doing some of my own research. most bio-related majors at the UC schools require botany, so i might just have to suck it up and learn about stupid plants. trust me, if i find a way to avoid botany, i certainly will. i can't believe you need to take botany for a neuroscience major.

If you don't like math, you should definitely not take your counselor's advice. There are very many ways to do well on the MCAT, and taking high-level quantitative-reasoning based courses is only one of them. Botany sucks, but look on the bright side, easy A. I suppose for physics I & II, you can take the non-calc versions. These classes are a joke, but again, easy A's for you (most of the ppl in your classes will be math deficient). P-chem & analytical are not absolutely necessary (although the p-chem for bio majors is less math intensive, if you're interested in a sound review of gen-chem), do take biochem & genetics if it all possible. Neuroscience is a lot of fun; I wish my school had such a major.

 

[MaryWrathers]

Math:
Precalculus (5 credits) - don't need
Calculus 1 (5) - don't need
Calculus 2 (5) - don't need
Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calculus (5) - don't need
Differential Equations/Linear Algebra (5) - don't need

Physics:
Into Physics (3)
Engineering Physics (Calculus-based) 1, 2, and 3 (total of 15 credits) - don't need

Biology:
Cellular Bio (5)
Botany (5) - don't need

(My academic counselor). here's my situation, i just transferred community colleges because i moved (from FL to CA) and i just saw my counselor today. i mentioned i was premed and this is the list of CORE classes he gave me:

Math:
Precalculus (5 credits)
Calculus 1 (5)
Calculus 2 (5)
Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calculus (5)
Differential Equations/Linear Algebra (5)

Physics:
Into Physics (3)
Engineering Physics (Calculus-based) 1, 2, and 3 (total of 15 credits)

Biology:
Cellular Bio (5)
Botany (5)

i have already taken 3 semesters of community college (~27 credits) not to mention i still have like 20 credits of humanties/art classes to complete. so lets see:

53 + 27 + 20 = 100 credits!!!!!!!!!! that's a little much for COMMUNITY College!!!

and is it just me, or is that WAY TOO much math???
and why do i need botany??? i hate plants!!!!!

ps: sorry, i needed to vent

 

[TicAL]

The last post is pretty accurate. I don't see why any counselor would think those courses would be necessary for a pre-med program.

 

[JustR]

Math:
Precalculus (5 credits) - don't need
Calculus 1 (5) - don't need
Calculus 2 (5) - don't need
Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calculus (5) - don't need
Differential Equations/Linear Algebra (5) - don't need

Physics:
Into Physics (3)
Engineering Physics (Calculus-based) 1, 2, and 3 (total of 15 credits) - don't need

Biology:
Cellular Bio (5)
Botany (5) - don't need

Yeah... I also agree...

 

[Sicilian]

The last post is pretty accurate. I don't see why any counselor would think those courses would be necessary for a pre-med program.

He'll be competing with ppl who have taken a good load of those classes.

 

[obgyny]

Math:
Precalculus (5 credits) - don't need
Calculus 1 (5) - don't need
Calculus 2 (5) - don't need
Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calculus (5) - don't need
Differential Equations/Linear Algebra (5) - don't need

Physics:
Into Physics (3)
Engineering Physics (Calculus-based) 1, 2, and 3 (total of 15 credits) - don't need

Biology:
Cellular Bio (5)
Botany (5) - don't need

ummmm you need 1 year calculus and 1 year physics for med school

 

[gujuDoc]

ummmm you need 1 year calculus and 1 year physics for med school

Technically, that depends on where you apply.

Most schools require:

Calculus I
Caculus II or Statistics I

Calculus courses cannot be the business calc and must be engineering, life science, or regular Calculus with analytical geometry.

Havard and Duke both require Calculus I and II both. Most Florida schools require Calculus I and then allow you to choose whether you take Calculus II or Statistics.

 

[gujuDoc]

bpost,

Even though it is not necessary to take Calc based Physics, and even though it is not necessary to take Calc II, I'd take them because they make the subjects make soooooooo much more sense conceptually and allow you to understand the proper reasoning behind where the logic in Physics comes from. If I could do it over, I'd take Physics after calculus. Once I understood the logic of integration, it made visualizing why formulas are what they are easier to follow.

But that's just my two cents.

I actually agree with sicilian that these Calculus classes are interesting and I bet differential equations would be too.


On a Side Note:

Completely unrelated to the original topic, but nonetheless, related to Calculus.............
I am a nerd for saying this, but we just learned how they really come up with the square root values from log values, and I was really excited. Why? Because a few years ago I was forced to learn to use the log table for one of my classes, since the teacher didn't allow calculators. Anyhow, someone told me that it is possible to determine square roots based on log tables and I never figured it out even though I played around with it for awhile, but finally I learned how to do it. I think that's awesome. Ok I'm just being nerdy. 😀 😀

 

[tacrum43]

ummmm you need 1 year calculus and 1 year physics for med school

Most schools actually require one year of math, not necessarily calculus. Others are happy to take one semester of calculus and one semester of statistics. I think Harvard is the only school that requires one full year of calculus.

You do need a year of physics with lab, but the non-calc based physics is fine, unless your major requires the calc-based (which isn't required for bio majors).

 

[gujuDoc]

Most schools actually require one year of math, not necessarily calculus. Others are happy to take one semester of calculus and one semester of statistics. I think Harvard is the only school that requires one full year of calculus.

You do need a year of physics with lab, but the non-calc based physics is fine, unless your major requires the calc-based (which isn't required for bio majors).

The above bolded is not true. DUKE also requires two full semesters of Calculus as well.

But generally speaking, most schools that require math, prefer Calculus I and Statistics or Calculus II.

 

[tacrum43]

The above bolded is not true. DUKE also requires two full semesters of Calculus as well.

But generally speaking, most schools that require math, prefer Calculus I and Statistics or Calculus II.

Well, I did say "I think". My apologies. Two schools. 🙄

 

[Hoberto]

OP- If you know what 4-yr school you're going to transfer to, now would be a good time to get to know the pre-med person/people over there. If the 4-yr school has a pre-med committee it's a good idea to get on their good side now. Also, they may have experience with your community college and the specific courses that will transfer and have or have not been useful for other students. Although, some pre-med counselors are not helpful they are a necessary evil. It might turn out that at your 4-yr institution they are really on the ball and want to help you.

As for the course load, I would recommend only taking what is ABSOLUTELY necessary unless you have an aptitude for the extra course and will get an A. I took a ton of upper level math as an engineering major and found it to be interesting, easy and fun, but if I had taken a bunch of upper level bio I probably would have had a bunch of B/B- to show for it. This might be true for you or not...you have to decide.

The goal is to get a high GPA, period. So, pick a major that is something you are interested in and will result in a high GPA. If this is Biology that's great, get a BS in Biology. If you will excel in Anthropology of Russian Immigrants than get a BS in that.

Yeah, having calc-based physics might help on the MCAT but you can't be sure that it will and if you hate every minute of it then it's certainly not going to be useful. You will need to take Calculus I regardless of where you apply to med school. Personally, I don't think you will need the Pre-Calc since you said you tend to do well in math, even if you don't like it. Why take an extra class?

If you have a good idea where you will want to apply get the MSAR and see what the math requirements are for the schools you are interested in and then choose your math based on that and how you did in Calc I.

Then, once you pick your courses for the term try not to stress too much about what you'll take next term or the term after that. 😉 Focus on the courses at hand and get as many As as you can.

Good luck!!

 

[parameddan]

(My academic counselor). here's my situation, i just transferred community colleges because i moved (from FL to CA) and i just saw my counselor today. i mentioned i was premed and this is the list of CORE classes he gave me:

Math:
Precalculus (5 credits)
Calculus 1 (5)
Calculus 2 (5)
Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calculus (5)
Differential Equations/Linear Algebra (5)

Physics:
Into Physics (3)
Engineering Physics (Calculus-based) 1, 2, and 3 (total of 15 credits)

Biology:
Cellular Bio (5)
Botany (5)

i have already taken 3 semesters of community college (~27 credits) not to mention i still have like 20 credits of humanties/art classes to complete. so lets see:

53 + 27 + 20 = 100 credits!!!!!!!!!! that's a little much for COMMUNITY College!!!

and is it just me, or is that WAY TOO much math???
and why do i need botany??? i hate plants!!!!!

ps: sorry, i needed to vent

This worries me greatly. I am planning on transfering to a CA community college after taking several CC classes in TN.

How difficult is it to transfer into a CA community college? Are you planning on doing the guaranteed UC school admission from a CA community college?

Dan

 

[obgyny]

This worries me greatly. I am planning on transfering to a CA community college after taking several CC classes in TN.

How difficult is it to transfer into a CA community college? Are you planning on doing the guaranteed UC school admission from a CA community college?

Dan

i think you only have to take all those math classes if you're a chem major (i think my counselor thought i was).

i transferred from a FL community college, and i'm still waiting to hear if all my classes will transfer (my counselor said they most likely will). what classes did you take at your TN comm college? if they're pretty straightforward, then i'm sure you'll have no problem transferring them over.

where are you transferring to? at my comm college (Allan Hancock College), they have a university transfer center where they specialize in getting students into 4yr universities. i plan on talking to a counselor there and getting into that program with guaranteed UC admission. they only offer it at: UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. I'd take UC Davis or Riverside (i heard Riverside has some sort of deal with UCLA med school). i still might apply to other schools just because.

 

[teedub]

(My academic counselor). here's my situation, i just transferred community colleges because i moved (from FL to CA) and i just saw my counselor today. i mentioned i was premed and this is the list of CORE classes he gave me:

Math:
Precalculus (5 credits)
Calculus 1 (5)
Calculus 2 (5)
Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calculus (5)
Differential Equations/Linear Algebra (5)

Physics:
Into Physics (3)
Engineering Physics (Calculus-based) 1, 2, and 3 (total of 15 credits)

Biology:
Cellular Bio (5)
Botany (5)

i have already taken 3 semesters of community college (~27 credits) not to mention i still have like 20 credits of humanties/art classes to complete. so lets see:

53 + 27 + 20 = 100 credits!!!!!!!!!! that's a little much for COMMUNITY College!!!

and is it just me, or is that WAY TOO much math???
and why do i need botany??? i hate plants!!!!!

ps: sorry, i needed to vent

yeah, almost none of that stuff will help you in med school. in fact, i think cell bio and intro to physics are the only two classes listed there you really need (i'd take a phys class for your upper level bio and a more advanced stats class for your math...most med students i think say that stats helped them out more than calc). oh, and you're gonna need the organics and probably biochem while you're at it...

 

[obgyny]

The goal is to get a high GPA, period. So, pick a major that is something you are interested in and will result in a high GPA. If this is Biology that's great, get a BS in Biology. If you will excel in Anthropology of Russian Immigrants than get a BS in that.

like i said, i think all those math classes were recommended for chem majors, but i'm sticking with a bio major. although i'm not fond of math, i'll take any classes that might help me on the mcat, or help explain physics or whatever.

 

[MaryWrathers]

ummmm you need 1 year calculus and 1 year physics for med school

Depends on where you apply. So, no. Most schools do not require calculus-based physics. And, surprisingly, few schools do not require physics at all. Crazy, I know. Most schools do not require calculus.

 

[Psychoanalyzed]

(My academic counselor). here's my situation, i just transferred community colleges because i moved (from FL to CA) and i just saw my counselor today. i mentioned i was premed and this is the list of CORE classes he gave me:

Math:
Precalculus (5 credits)
Calculus 1 (5)
Calculus 2 (5)
Linear Algebra/Multivariable Calculus (5)
Differential Equations/Linear Algebra (5)

Physics:
Into Physics (3)
Engineering Physics (Calculus-based) 1, 2, and 3 (total of 15 credits)

Biology:
Cellular Bio (5)
Botany (5)

i have already taken 3 semesters of community college (~27 credits) not to mention i still have like 20 credits of humanties/art classes to complete. so lets see:

53 + 27 + 20 = 100 credits!!!!!!!!!! that's a little much for COMMUNITY College!!!

and is it just me, or is that WAY TOO much math???
and why do i need botany??? i hate plants!!!!!

ps: sorry, i needed to vent

after calc 2, u r cool with the math. but i dont think u need a botany class....a biochem class will work better towards MCATs but other than that, I think your advisor is about right. Mine gave me about the same ****...oh plus 2 years of foreign languages..makes you "well rounded" so i will say..stop whining and swallow the pill...lol.
PS dont take them all at a community college cos when u transfer to a 4 year college, they might not accept all ur credits....

 

[lilmissangel]

most bio-related majors at the UC schools require botany, so i might just have to suck it up and learn about stupid plants. trust me, if i find a way to avoid botany, i certainly will. i can't believe you need to take botany for a neuroscience major.

Botany is not all that bad. I thought I'd hate it too but plants are nifty little creatures. I remember this one time when my friend and I came out of the class and we were talking excitedly about something we'd just learned (I think we thought it was so cute that the stoma had little guard cells around them) and my friend looks at me and says 'wait, ur not being sarcastic are you?' and i replied 'no, are you?' and she said 'no'. We really were into the class.
I guess it depends on your instructor....but believe it or not plant bio can be interesting.
I'm a nerd tho....I find practically anything interesting....

 

[Kimka83]

Why are people bumping these really old threads?!?!? This is almost a year old!

 

[lilmissangel]

Why are people bumping these really old threads?!?!? This is almost a year old!

why not?