Take Intro Physics or Physics w/ Calculus base

[BubbaTea]

Disregard the question and please delete the post. I already found an answer to it. Thanks 🙂

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[236116]

Doesn't matter unless it matters for your major.

 

[han14tra]

calc based physics can be a real GPA killer. I'd take intro and then study for the MCAT while you're taking physics. Then, if you have questions about MCAT physics questions that you don't learn how to do in class, you can ask your instructor.

 

[majahops]

Intro to Physics. The calculus is worthless for your purposes. It will actually HURT not HELP you for the purposes of the MCAT, which is in effect why you are taking physics at all.

 

[DNM]

Does intro to physics cover the physics requirement for most med schools?

 

[funkymunkytoes]

Does intro to physics cover the physics requirement for most med schools?

It most certainly does. And they cover just about everything that'll be on the MCAT. The only topic that my physics professors didn't cover which was on the MCAT was voltaic/electrolytic cells. Stick with intro physics, there's no need to make things more difficult with Calc-based.

 

[AdmiralChz]

Just to be devil's advocate: the intro to physics class might also be a weed-out class filled with premeds (with a fairly low average grade) and the calc-based physics might be more forgiving with a higher average grade given.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

just throwing this out there:

at my school(s)--they have had the following gradations of physics;

1) intro to physics
2) physics (trig based--2part sequence)
3) physics (calc based--3part sequence)

 

[236116]

just throwing this out there:

at my school(s)--they have had the following gradations of physics;

1) intro to physics
2) physics (trig based--2part sequence)
3) physics (calc based--3part sequence)

mine too. #1 only counts for non-sci kids.

 

[135892]

Honestly, it really doesn't matter at all which physics you take. The calc-based version isn't necessarily harder (it is completely school and/or professor dependent), and the physics content that you learn is exactly the same. And in the calc-based physics, although the calculus material does come up quite a bit, it really is fairly simple, calc 1 material. Anyone who has taken calc 1 can easily handle the calculus content. But unless you plan on taking upper-level physics or engineering courses, there really is no need to take the calc-based physics.

 

[airplanes]

Taking calc-based physics right now (Already too the MCAT, saved phy for senior year) because the regular physics series prof sucks. He gives massive amounts of homeworks, 3 midterms and a final in a 10 week term, and has insanely difficult tests. So in my case, taking calc-based actually turned out better because my prof is pretty good. I've been getting A minuses.

ps. I hate physics with a passion. i will never need to know any of this material again. There is also an overabundance of dudes in my class since calc-based is usually for engineering majors. Oh well.

 

[TurkSurg]

.

 

[MrAgreeable]

Yeah, I did the trig-based thing and was more than prepared for the MCAT.

 

[DrMattOglesby]

sad thing is...now i find myself enrolled in a calculus course the spring semester before the start of med school =/ ...turns out some schools might require I take it. I need to speak with the school (when I find out who accepted me) to find out if this is necessary.
bummer dude.
i still want to travel to trinidad, malaysia, mexico and kuwait ...

 

[dhbighit]

Definitely I would suggest non-calc. The only reason to take calc would be if your major required it or if the trig-based teacher was really bad and the calc teacher was good.

The non-calc covered absolutely everything on the MCAT that I saw (at my school it did anyway, but different schools may do different curriculum's)

 

[dozitgetchahi]

Definitely I would suggest non-calc. The only reason to take calc would be if your major required it or if the trig-based teacher was really bad and the calc teacher was good.

The non-calc covered absolutely everything on the MCAT that I saw (at my school it did anyway, but different schools may do different curriculum's)

Though loaded with pre-meds, the trig-based physics was far less brutal than the calc-based physics at my school. I'd recommend avoiding the calc physics if at all possible.

 

[229141]

Calc based could mess you up since MCAT is algebra based. My friend only got a 10 on PS even though she was a physics major cause she never took dumb downed physics.