<p>So I've already taken Calc 1 and I got a C in it. I'm in Calc 2 right now (because it is required to get a BS in Biology at my school) and I'm not doing well. I'm considering dropping and changing my major to a BA in Biology so I don't need to take Calc 2, but I would still take many courses towards a BS in Biology so I was prepared for the MCAT. I understand calculus isnt required on the MCAT, and I've heard Med-schools are more focused on the MCAT scores and a students cumulative GPA rather than what their major was. So basically I'm just looking for some advice from Med students or anyone who is experienced with this. Thank you for your help in advance!!</p>
<p>I can’t speak to how bad a C in Calculus will be looked at, but as far as calculus in med school goes:</p>
<p><a href=“https://apotential.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2010/11/01/tell-me-thats-not-what-i-think-it-is/[/url]”>https://apotential.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2010/11/01/tell-me-thats-not-what-i-think-it-is/</a></p>
<p>I have to admit that I did use Calculus once in medical school on a pharmacology assignment consisting of calculating half lifes, serum drug levels at any time and dosing intervals for a large number of medications. I found it easier to calculate the values for the simple integrals used in solving the differential equations that gives all this information rather than use the unwieldy Algebra based calculations that were taught in preparation for the assignment.</p>
<p>Sooo is the general consensus that it’s not necessary for me to take it?</p>
<p>I was granted a patent by the U.S. patent office for a Positron Emmission Tomography (PET) imaging device that I invented while I was a resident in Nuclear Medicine that required a fair amount of Calculus to design. My undergraduate degree was in Astrophysics where, like Nuclear Medicine, the whole idea is to use imaging techniques to determine the nature of something you can not directly sample by studying the radiation it emmits. I had no collaborators and had to work on my own time because none of the attendings or other residents in Radiology or Nuclear Medicine at the major research academic center where I did my residency knew any math beyond high school Algebra.</p>
<p>If you like it and are good at it, Calculus can be a useful tool in the medical field but none of your professors in medical school will expect you to know it and it is by no means neccessary to know Calculus to study or practice medicine.</p>
<p>Wow, that’s really impressive. I do not think I would ever have the brains to complete a project like that. I wish I was good at Calculus, but it just isn’t for me, so I’m glad that I don’t need it to possibly practice medicine someday. Thank you for your input it was very helpful!</p>
<p>Bear in mind that many (but not all or even most) medical schools will have calculus as part of their entrance requirements.</p>
<p>*So I’ve already taken Calc 1 and I got a C in it. I’m in Calc 2 right now (because it is required to get a BS in Biology at my school) and I’m not doing well. *</p>
<p>Are you a freshman?</p>
<p>I’m concerned that your weakness in math will show up in other classes…like Chem and Physics.</p>
<p>Does your school offer tutoring? If so, use it.</p>
<p>Med schools are going to see that “C” and then see that you attemped Cal II and dropped it. They will assume that you were doing even worse in Cal II. That’s not good.</p>
<p>according to msar, only 20 med schools require calculus for entrance. Of course (that could change in the future) and not all of the 20 require a full year of calc – some may only require a semester.</p>
<p>Take stats, more useful and very easy.</p>
<p>Calculus is often a prerequisite for physics and statistics which may be needed for your pre-med requirements or otherwise useful.</p>
<p>^OP has already taken Calc 1. One semester is enough. Second semester could be stats. My D. did that (except that she got a credit for AP Calc). She took only stats at college. She had no problem getting accepted to few Med. Schools. However, she contacted adcoms with clarifications specifically for math and English requirements. If it is not clear, contact them, they are glad to help.</p>
<p>Isn’t anyone concerned how med schools are going to view a C in Calculus and then a potential dropping of Cal II?</p>
<p>^Isn’t it more depends on total application than single C? Didn’t one of the most known CC posters had C in Orgo and got accepted with no problem?</p>
<p>I did take the two follow-up courses (Organic Chemistry II and Biochemistry) and got B’s in them. It’s not great, either, but it’s not quite the same as dropping immediately afterwards – particularly when some schools actually require the second semester of calculus.</p>
<p>I think by only taking Cal I and getting a C and then dropping Cal II, it will look like you’re weak in math. </p>
<p>I’m still concerned that you’re going to have trouble with the math in chem and physics.</p>
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<p>From what I heard, you don’t need to be good at calc, to be a doctor. Most doctors only use basic arithmetic when practicing medicine. I guess calc might come in handy in academic medicine but its not necessary for day to day life as a doctor.</p>
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<p>Neither gen chem, gen physics, nor orgo use calc. Gen physics (which can be taken as an algebra based course) does not use any calc. The mcats, don’t test on calc-based physics either.</p>
<p>The op should be concerned about getting a C, and a W though. That being said, you can still make it to med. school with 1-2 C’s or 1-2 Ws, any more than that and its going to start putting up red flags.</p>
<p>Perusing msar, only four schools require 2 semesters of calc: Harvard, WashU, UC Davis and VaTech. (Of course, I might have missed one or two.)</p>
<p>My advice, for little it is worth: avoid bad grades whenever possible, and IMO a C is a bad grade. (Do the math and see how many A’s you need to raise one C to an average of a 3.6.) If you want the BS, get a tutor. Take Statistics for a second math course, for those med schools that require two semesters of ‘college math’.</p>
<p>I did get a C in my second semester of Organic Chemistry, the only C I received in College. However, by that time I had already been accepted at MCP-Hahnemann, now Drexel, and they told me as long as I didn’t get anything lower than a C I was still welcome. I had three semesters of Calculus for Math, Physical Science and Engineering majors, a semester of Linear Algebra, a semester of Differential Equations and a semester of Advanced Math for Science and Engineering majors but none of those courses were anywhere near as difficult for me as Organic Chemistry was.</p>
<p>A C and a W does not look good no matter what you get them in when applying to medical school but I do not think that getting them in Calculus is nearly as damaging as getting them in Biology would be. Calculus is just not used in medical school or medical practice which I think is why so few medical schools require it. The issue about mathematical skills and how that will affect the OP in Physics is one that has to be considered. If he had been doing fine in Algebra and did not run into problems in Math until he took Calculus I think he will be alright since pre-med students normally take non-Calculus based courses in Physics. In addition, the level of Physics used in medical school is very basic. No one will expect you to know anything about Relativity or Quantum Mechanics.</p>
<p>^There are must be few that require the second semester of calculus. D. has contacted her schools (she applied to very few though) and none of them require that. So, she took stats instead and said that it was very easy and very useful in understanding Research Lab procedures. She had no problem with acceptances and nobody ever raised any questions in regard to her completion of math requiremnts. She used AP Calc credit for one semester of calc and took one semester of college stats. She is not interested in math and did not want to spend more time on it than required. However, if one is interested in math, why not take more classes?</p>