<p>Hi everyone, I just wanted to ask if AP Calculus BC would fulfill the year long math requirement for most med schools? My advisor told me that if the med schools REALLY want to see me take a year of math at the university then I could take Calculus III and a semester of statistics. What should I do as far as math is concerned? Would I be fine with just stats?</p>
<p>Yes, most med schools prefer to see one year of college math. Some med schools will accept AP credit. </p>
<p>You don’t have to take Calc 3. You can retake Calc 1 and forego your AP credit. Or you can take two stats classes, or other mathy combinations…but it really depends on what med school that you are aiming for. The research-oriented ones would like to see college calc.</p>
<p>OP, your “advisor” gave you some good advice. That’s what I did (Cal 3 and advanced statistics). This is what MS committees want to see. If you check MS websites, they make it clear that they do NOT want you to retake courses for which you already have credit. They want you to take the more advanced courses. I took an upper division stats course since I already have AP Stats credit. Good luck and take any and all advice you get on this site with a grain of salt. Check the MS websites!</p>
<p>OP, my kid had BC credit on her transcript and just took stats and found plenty of schools.</p>
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<p>Incorrect. No med school requires Calc 3. None.</p>
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<p>Perhaps, but math is not one of their big concerns. But they just won’t care if you forgo AP credit. Most highly selective undergrads would prefer that you forgo it anyway. So, if H or S undergrad recommends retaking Calc for most of their undergraduates, do you really think that H-Med or S-Med care? :)</p>
<p>If you like/love math, by all means take upper division classes. But if you don’t like math, there is zero reason to take Calc 3 for med school admissions. </p>
<p>fwiw: As an example, today Johns Hopkins Med will accept AP math credit if your college gives you math credit for it. But they are changing their requirements to “strongly recommend” at least one college level course in Statistics or Epi in addition to AP Calc credit.<br>
Thus, as several posters are fond of saying, check specific school websites.</p>
<p>Adding to what bb said, my D’s UG really wants Bio students to NOT use AP credit to skip freshman Bio. They want to train you their way. </p>
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It’s always good advice to look at the med school websites. As to the “with a grain of salt comment”, this site is the gold standard on the 'net as far as I’m concerned. Just depends on who is doing the advising. lol</p>
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<p>Did someone say they DID? What I have been TOLD and what I have read (from authoritative sites) is that if you have AP credit that has placed you in a position to take a more advanced course, then that is what you should do. For example, if you have credit for AP Calc AB, then take Calc II. I am NOT saying you must take Calc II, what I am saying is IF you want to take a Calc course, take Calc II (I hope this is clear) This is what MS committees want to see. This is NOT “incorrect”. :)</p>
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Gotta link?</p>
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<p>I agree totally. For example, I would not even consider the opinions of someone who’s posts must be edited by admins for being totally beyond the pale.</p>
<p>Son’s undergrad strongly advised him to retake many if not all his AP units. The most they would transfer in was 5 courses out of 17. Physics, calc, bio, chem, spanish, english all were to be retaken, even with all 5 scores.</p>
<p>The med schools he interviewed with did not question his retake of his AP courses. Granted he went beyond what he needed anyways for prereqs but it was hard to tell from his transcript with academic courses listed. Weird/strange names for courses.</p>
<p>And he did need calc through Def Eq for his major and for Harvard med’s HST program (can’t apply without it). So 4 semesters of calc. But none of the others required nearly so much. Harvard’s New Pathways was 2 semesters last year. Might have changed since then.</p>
<p>Some of son’s other schools required ZERO math. So like others have suggested check with each school.</p>
<p>He needed that much math and more to keep up with his advisor and senior thesis precept…Sims. (newly minted noble prize recipient for econ)…son is beyond happy for him and their research team!</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>D. used her AP credits for Calc (only one), English (again one, since she had 4, not 5, so she took one semester of college English, which was complete waste of time, not even close in difficulty to her AP English, but at least she got an easy A), History (this one was college class at HS, not AP). She had to re-take Bio. At her UG, first Bio was weed out killer class, that went thru AP material in first 2 weeks and then they moved on. this class was a must for all other Bio classes and D. was very happy that she did not skip it. D. also took Stats, not Calc for second semester as Stats is much more useful for pre-meds. Math is very easy for my D., but she does not care for it. She took non-calc Physics. D. has contacted all Med. Schools for all her questions in regard to AP credits, mostly for math and english. You should do the same. Med. Schools are changing requirements every year and they are not all the same either. Advises here are based on personal experiences and research which might not be valid any more at the time of application. Be in very close contact with your pre-med advisor, as they send updates on requirements. My D. has received such update from her pre-med advisor when one of her Med. schools has changed requirments after D. applied and registered for Fall semester. She had to drastically change her registration and dropped one of her minors. She was accepted at this Med. School, but ironically choose to go to another one.
All of D’s schools required 2 semesters of college math (calc or stats did not matter). None required calc-based physics and all accepted AP credits for Math and English.</p>
<p>plumazul:</p>
<p>Perhaps what you were “told” reflects more on your major at your Uni, than it does for fulfilling pre-health requirements. Chem majors at Maryland “are universally advised to consider taking calculus III”…prior to P-Chem.</p>
<p>[FAQs</a> from Majors | University of Maryland Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry](<a href=“http://www.chem.umd.edu/undergraduateprogram/currentstudents/faqsfrommajors]FAQs”>http://www.chem.umd.edu/undergraduateprogram/currentstudents/faqsfrommajors)</p>