Calculus or Statistics?

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

If I only take one of the two, which one? Which one will help me more on MCAT and in med school? Is either essential? Or should I take both?


Thanks!

2
  • heartoftexas Said:
If I only take one of the two, which one? Which one will help me more on MCAT and in med school? Is either essential? Or should I take both?

Thanks!



Neither is necessary for the MCAT; there is NO calculus or statistics on the MCAT.

Statistics is likely for useful in the med school and the real world.

Probably a little less than half the med schools still have a math pre-req. Some of those require Calculus. You have to check each medical school either via MSAR or the school's web site.

You should also consider the difficulty if/when taking either math course. Many people, including myself, find calculus to be nearly incomprehensible and find statistics significantly easier.
3

Excellent to know!!! I was under the impression I would need Calculus for the MCAT (and noticed one poster here said Calculus is necessary for Chem II). I took high school calculus 20 years ago and did ok in it, but I suspect college level cal is a little harder. :wink:


The schools I am looking at just require 3 hours of Cal or Stats. I think I’ll go for Stats.


Thanks, gonnif!

4

some courses may hae math requirements but I have found few need calc with the exception of physics

5

but general physics (prereqs and MCAT physics) is non-cal based, correct?

6
  • heartoftexas Said:
Excellent to know!!! I was under the impression I would need Calculus for the MCAT (and noticed one poster here said Calculus is necessary for Chem II). I took high school calculus 20 years ago and did ok in it, but I suspect college level cal is a little harder. ;-)

The schools I am looking at just require 3 hours of Cal or Stats. I think I'll go for Stats.

Thanks, gonnif!



I think whoever told you that calc was needed for chem 2 was truly trying to pull your leg. Definitely check with med schools you are looking towards in regards to which math classes are required.

Kris
7
  • heartoftexas Said:
but general physics (prereqs and MCAT physics) is non-cal based, correct?



Most 4-yr schools will have both calc-based & algebra-based physics. No med school I am aware of - please check to make certain - requires calc-based physics. Several - do not know how many - do require calc, calc + stats or either of calc or stats. What they are seeking for you to absorb is the process of logically deriving decisions from complex data sets. In my opinion, this purpose would be far more well served by stats + logic...but no one asked me...

BEWARE of the under-informed, overzealous pre-med advisors who frequently imply or flatly state that you must take both calculus &/or calc-based physics. This is wrong at most med schools & amounts to unnecessary torture.
8

The non-calculus based physics, sometimes called Health Sciences/Life Science Physics, maybe more applicable to the MCAT than the Calculus based physics.

9

Yeah, I’m pretty sure my school’s cal-based physics is called cal-based physics (or it’s very clear in the description anyhow).


Thanks for all the info!