So I am at a bit of a crossroads as to how to proceed. I am a post-bac student finishing up the prereqs over the next few semesters, and my schedule is set in stone for the most part. However, I have one last decision to make as to how to proceed. I am signed up for chemistry 2 and calculus 1 at the moment, but there is a biostatistics course and genetics course available to me. Unfortunately, these classes fall at the same time as calculus 1, so I have to choose between those. However, calculus 1 is being taught at a local community college this summer. Would it be more beneficial for me to go ahead and take either biostatistics or genetics over calculus and hold off on calculus until the summer? Or does it not really matter? I've honestly considered not taking calculus at all, but my premed adviser makes it sound like I'll never get an acceptance without it.
Taking calculus 1 at a community college
- Thread starter drdoom12
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I don't think any school requires calculus anymore, and if there are schools that do, they are very very few (like less than 5 out of 120+). You would be fine with just a statistics course. But if you do want to take calc to cover all the bases, it would be fine to take calc over the summer. I've heard calc is harder over the summer just because it goes so quickly, but you're the best one to judge if you can handle that.
It seems as though most colleges have a "two semesters of college math" requirement. So far, I've had pre-cal 1 and 2 and a statistics course. Would those cover the requirement, or is pre-cal not considered "college math," since I suppose many take it in high school? Also, the biostatistics course is under the BIO heading, so I suppose it wouldn't count towards that requirement either.
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I may be wrong, but I think taking a course like calculus at a CC isn't a big deal. I took it online through a CC over the summer, then took calc II at my university the following spring. It is definitely more important for you to take your core science courses at your university. When are you taking the MCAT? Genetics will be very helpful with that. I think you're right to put calculus off until the summer.
I will be taking the MCAT Spring 2014. I basically have to choose between calculus or biostatistics or genetics this semester. Honestly, I feel much more comfortable in a class like genetics or biostatistics compared to calculus. I am a very serious student, but I find it hard to put forth a lot of time in studying for courses like calculus. It just doesn't interest me all that much, and I don't think it will really affect me being a physician later on.
The CC that teaches it has it three days a week for two months for two hours a day. Does that seem like an adequate time period? For what it is worth, the professor I could take it with this semester is notoriously a hard ass, whereas the CC professor has good reviews at least.
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I think that seems like a good time frame for calc I. The material is pretty easy to understand once you start to understand the basics. Also, unless you are going to take calculus based physics, you probably won't use it again so a basic understanding will be enough. One on my main reasons for taking it at CC was because of a hard ass as well- he ranks students based on exam scores and gives the top 20% an A, next 20% a B, etc-When you're in a class of 20 with a bunch of engineering students, the odds are stacked against you! haha!
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Pre-calc counts as a math course. Even college algebra does. Med schools really don't seem to care about math too much since they're also fine with trig-based physics which is also the kind of physics tested on the MCAT.
Thanks for the reply. I plan on taking algebra-based physics just because that's what will be on the MCAT, so calculus will just be a one-and-done type deal for me. The professor really does make a difference. This will only be my second CC class, the first of which was pre-cal 2.
Would a biostats class be seen as a math course despite it being labeled as BIO instead of MTH? From the syllabus, it seems to be more math than biology by far.
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You may need to ask that at specific schools you are applying to/ your undergrad. At my undergrad, it is actually labeled as STAT and I don't think it counts towards any type of math requirement.
I assume the same. It doesn't really make a difference, however, since I've had an actual stats course. Luckily, it's early enough in the semester that I can switch my courses around without accruing a dreadful W. 👍
