Question about pre-medicine prereq's

[tshanholtz]

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I'm sure this has been answered somewhere...but I'll ask it again.

For the physics pre-req...does the physics have to be Algebra-based or Calc-based? I keep getting in an argument with my advisor over this everytime we meet because I have been told by medical student I know that calc-based is better prep.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

 

[RySerr21]

you dont need to to take calculus based physics. Dont let anybody tell you otherwise. There is no calculus on teh MCAT. I took algebra/trig based physics and I did fine on the MCAT and the schools have accepted it for the pre reqs. If you dont like calculus and/or aren't good at physics, dont make it harder on yourself. Just take the algebra based and get it over with.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

I second, third, fourth, and infinity what Ryserr just said. Calc based physics is a giant, flaming, spikey hoop with land mines to land on after you jump through it. Let's go with the least resistive path here. Calc based physics might save you 10 minutes of reading during your radiology residency or something--I really don't know. Other than that, it's a big 👎.

Algebra based physics isn't a cake walk for most pre meds, but it's a lot better than the alternative. Study hard, get an A, and be happy you didn't drop your GPA for no good reason.

 

[tideleonheart]

I'll 3rd that, too. If you suck at calculus, don't take calc-based physics. There is no need. Most premed committees won't give a flip. That said, some physics at its core is BASED on calculus. So, IF you're good at calculus AND you are a conceptual learner, it MAY actually be easier for you to take the calc-based. <-- is not true for most people.

 

[BCLumas]

I took Calculus-based Newtonian, Electrical, Thermal, and Quantum Physics... none of which has helped me to date. Although the Black Hole lectures were interesting, when they talk about them they are not giving you a euphemism for medical school. They actually mean the imploded celestial body up in the sky. Waste of my time. After that, I stopped paying attention.

Good luck!

 

[engineeredout]

Being an engineering (and math major for that matter) I had no choice in the matter, I had to take calc based physics.

Contrary to popular belief, calc based physics is NOT HARD (relatively). The calculus that you use in general physics is minimal. Simple integrals and derivatives. Nothing complicated, no using all those integration rules in calc 2, no FTC, its really not THAT bad as far as the calculus goes.

Now if you want a course with rough calculus, try taking chemical engineering kinetics. I never thought I would have to see eigenvalues again after calc 4. That was bad. I still don't know what the **** an eigenvalue is anyway.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

Being an engineering (and math major for that matter) I had no choice in the matter, I had to take calc based physics.

Contrary to popular belief, calc based physics is NOT HARD (relatively). The calculus that you use in general physics is minimal. Simple integrals and derivatives. Nothing complicated, no using all those integration rules in calc 2, no FTC, its really not THAT bad as far as the calculus goes.

Now if you want a course with rough calculus, try taking chemical engineering kinetics. I never thought I would have to see eigenvalues again after calc 4. That was bad. I still don't know what the **** an eigenvalue is anyway.

Your money's no good here, engineer.

The average pre med has little interest in engineering/physics/calculus. You didn't think it was that hard? Great! At my school, you had a B if you got a 40 in the class. None of us learned anything. I literally had to reteach myself everything physics for the MCAT. Everything. And I had a hell of a time earning that 40.

Thank you, pre med advisor, for telling me to take calc I and II, and calc based physics. 👎thumbdown👎

 

[rajaholick]

Where did you do your undergrad CB?

 

[Chocolate Bear]

Where did you do your undergrad CB?

Nowhere special. 😉

 

[ShyRem]

I would agree with engineer... I found calc-based physics to be pretty easy and very fun. (no, I'm not on drugs nor was I then.)

If you're good at calculus, take the calc-based physics. If you suck at math and love memorizing formulas rather than knowing them because you figured them out, take the algebra-based physics. No difference as far as most med schools are concerned.

 

[engineeredout]

Your money's no good here, engineer.

The average pre med has little interest in engineering/physics/calculus. You didn't think it was that hard? Great! At my school, you had a B if you got a 40 in the class. None of us learned anything. I literally had to reteach myself everything physics for the MCAT. Everything. And I had a hell of a time earning that 40.

Thank you, pre med advisor, for telling me to take calc I and II, and calc based physics. 👎thumbdown👎

Don't get me wrong, the physics that I took were exceedingly hard. Some of the hardest classes I've ever taken in undergrad. All I was saying was that the calculus aspects of it were not what made it hard at all. What made it hard was it was the weedout courses for engineering majors.

 

[drechie]

another random question: should the prereq science courses be general classes or tailored for majors? Like general bio, or bio I for bio majors?

 

[Chocolate Bear]

I would agree with engineer... I found calc-based physics to be pretty easy and very fun. (no, I'm not on drugs nor was I then.)

If you're good at calculus, take the calc-based physics. If you suck at math and love memorizing formulas rather than knowing them because you figured them out, take the algebra-based physics. No difference as far as most med schools are concerned.

Don't get me wrong, the physics that I took were exceedingly hard. Some of the hardest classes I've ever taken in undergrad. All I was saying was that the calculus aspects of it were not what made it hard at all. What made it hard was it was the weedout courses for engineering majors.

I agree that if you are good at calculus, there is a lot of cool stuff about calc based physics. And if you're inclined towards calculus and physics, you may very well like calc based physics (duh 🙂). If this is you, then by all means live it up in that class!

But I found that most pre meds struggled through it, benefitted very little from having taken it, could have done better in algebra based, and had to teach themselves a lot of MCAT material that they didn't get in class. My algebra based buddies had all of the concepts and formulas down cold by the time the MCAT rolled around. Plus they had A's in physics while our class average was a B-. Lucky them.

 

[RySerr21]

another random question: should the prereq science courses be general classes or tailored for majors? Like general bio, or bio I for bio majors?

Whats the difference between genreal bio and Bio 1?? For most people those are the same thing. Either way it doesnt matter what bio course you take. You can take any general bio course and i will count....into to zoology, into to ecology, intro to cell/molec biology, etc. etc. At a lot of schools, it doesnt even matter if you have general biology, it can just be ANY biology class. But this is where it gets tricky because not all schools are this way.

Some schools require that you have a year of GENERAL biology and some schools just require a year of biology, which you can fulfli with courses like anatomy or physiology or something. THis is where you have to investigate the schools that you are applying to to mkae sure you have the pre reqs met.

Hopefully that answer didnt confuse you. And in response to engineered......dude, you are an engineer! Of coures calculus 1 is going to be "not that bad." You are taking courses like chemical engineering kinetics! I dont even know what the ** that is! You have to see from the view of the rest of the world, 99% of which are not engineers. Calculus, physics, and calculus based physics are pretty challenging (the latter also being unenecessary) for a loooooooot of people.

 

[Chocolate Bear]

another random question: should the prereq science courses be general classes or tailored for majors? Like general bio, or bio I for bio majors?

It's usually best to go with the "for majors" classes in biology. That way you don't run the risk of not being allowed to take the upper level classes later because "you didn't have the proper pre reqs."

 

[scpod]

another random question: should the prereq science courses be general classes or tailored for majors? Like general bio, or bio I for bio majors?

They tell you Biology and Chemistry WITH lab because they intend for you to take the 4-hour biology courses for bio majors, not the wimpy stuff for liberal arts majors. Some schools actually do spell this out for you. Could you get by without it? Maybe at some schools. It's really best to check this out with the schools you intend to apply to. Some of them have strange requirements that are not normal.