As a premedical student, is it wise to take 18 or 19 credits freshman year? Also, how many premedical students go back to calc 1 despite having experience with calc BC. Thank you
18 - 19 credits is probably too many for a freshman to carry first semester. 15-16 credits is the usual recommended course load for freshmen. (4 classes with no more than 2 labs).
Once you have established yourself at college and are confident in your ability to perform at a high level (and earn those As!), then you can ramp up your credit hours if you wish.
Remember though, there will be many other demands on your time as a pre-med beside just academics. You need to work on your ECs–community service, clinical volunteering, research, and leadership roles in your activities. ECs are critical for getting a med school admission.
I would advise not to retake calc 1 if you scored well on the Calc BC exam and your scores were sent to your college. If you receive credit for calc 1 and/or 2 from your college, then calc 1 will appear as a retaken class on your transcript (and AMCAS will highlight that the class is a retake on your application). This looks like you’re fluffing your GPA–something med school adcomms generally don’t approve of.
If you want to take a math class–take statistics. It’s more useful for med school and is tested on the MCAT.