<p>Hey everyone, </p>
<p>I am looking to go pre-med in college. </p>
<p>I was just wondering if it is necessary to take Calculus as a high school student, or can I just wait and take the required amount (if any) for pre-med in college. </p>
<p>I have read some things that say that the only reason it's good to take Calc is to make it easier for other things, and not actually for becoming a doctor. Also, do most pre-med majors take pre-calc and calc in high school?</p>
<p>Thanks for any replies!</p>
<p>It's not necessary to take it in high school.</p>
<p>As an aside, when you get to college you will not be (or at least should not be) majoring in "pre-med." You will be majoring in a subject like biology or chemistry or something like that.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. </p>
<p>It seems that some of my peers think that it's essential to becoming a physician that I take Calc. in high school. Although would you definitely recommend pre-calc?</p>
<p>I said "major in pre-med" because some schools I have looked at use that term. However most don't I guess. I know it's good to major in something you are interested in but then take the courses you need for med school, right?</p>
<p>They're wrong. There are situations in which it would help (and some in which is would harm you), but in any case it's not necessary. And yes, calc in college is a good idea, so pre-calc in high school is also a good idea.</p>
<p>Very few schools will actually offer such a major, and even if they do you shouldn't select it. Major in any academic subject that catches your fancy (emphasis on academic) and take the medical school prerequisites.</p>
<p>Thanks again. </p>
<p>So I was looking into Fordham University for undergraduate and for the required freshman admission it lists 3-4 years of math as a req. so would alg.1, alg.2, geometry, and trig. count as the four years (which I'll be finished with after this year)? Or are you saying that I should additionally take pre-calc which would make five?</p>
<p>Sorry if this seems like a stupid question, but some of this confuses me.</p>
<p>So that looks like what they require for admissions, which I have no idea about. I'm telling you that pre-calc is a good idea in high school, since calc in college is good for medical school.</p>
<p>If you've already taken trig., I don't think you need to take precalc.
Trigonometry covers most pre-calc. anyways... I'd talk to your math teacher about it... see if maybe you can borrow one of your schools precalc book during the summer and work through it on your own (unless you have trouble with math/ learning without a teacher). (Local/City/Junior colleges will generally let HS-students take courses, but you will probably have to take a placement test to get into Calc.) </p>
<p>If your school offers a program to do so, I'd take calculus at a local college next year. Most HS will give you an inflated grade and HS credit for college course you take (similar to an AP course), and most colleges will let you transfer the credits. It will be one less course to take in college, and boost your chances of getting in. </p>
<p>PS:I don't think it matters for premed any more than any other BS-degree program... though I'm a HS-student, so I don't really know. Calculus is a really fun subject ... everyone I know who has done both Trig. and Calc., liked Calc. more.</p>
<p>Be warned that any classes taken at a college/university-level will be included in your application for medical or other graduate/professional schools down the line.</p>
<p>Wow... I had never thought of that; very interesting point :)</p>
<p>What are the cons of that? Are there any drawbacks to it be included, so long as you get an A? Or is this only a bad thing if you don't get an A? (For example, will medschools not like it that the course was taken at a junior (ie. Bad) college?)</p>
<p>Provided you retake the same course (or a higher level one) in your eventual university, no drawbacks except eventual hassle and annoyance (unlikely to matter) in medical school applications.</p>