<p>^ I think your daughter made a smart decision. While there is not much of anything Calculus will help you with in medical school, understanding Statistics is extremely important. Medical students, residents and practicing physicians have to read a large number of journal articles describing studies that require an understanding of Statistics to benefit from.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Wouldn’t calculus (or at least the basic concepts of it) mainly be useful as a prerequisite to physics and statistics? (Even physics for biology majors and pre-meds requires calculus at some schools, although its E&M does not require multivariable calculus like the physics for physics and engineering majors.)</p>
<p>Not at UCB! Cal offers algebra-based physics for life science majors, and algebra-based Stats.</p>
<p>Stats have nothing to do with calc. Calc-based Physics is not required by Med. Schools. However, you need to complete one year of math to meet requirement. So, here is a choice: have one semester of Calc and one semester of Stats (or AP credits) OR have 2 semesters of calc. It did not matter for my D’s Med. Schools, I do not know other Med. School requiremnts besides having one year of math.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[Physics</a> 8A,8B at UC Berkeley](<a href=“http://sis.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_list_crse_req?p_dept_name=Physics&p_dept_cd=PHYSICS]Physics”>http://sis.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_list_crse_req?p_dept_name=Physics&p_dept_cd=PHYSICS), typically taken by biology majors and pre-meds, requires [Math</a> 16A](<a href=“http://sis.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_list_crse_req?p_dept_name=Mathematics&p_dept_cd=MATH]Math”>http://sis.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_list_crse_req?p_dept_name=Mathematics&p_dept_cd=MATH), a “light” calculus course.</p>
<p>Yes, there is a non-calculus-based statistics course, but if someone had to take calculus anyway, why not make use of it in a calculus-based statistics course? (Even business majors have to take the calculus-based statistics course.)</p>
<p>It does not matter what the preference, take whatever you prefer as long as you satisfy requirement by taking it. After that you can continue or discountinue taking math and other classes could be calc base or otherwise, it really does not matter, nor it gives you any advantages.</p>