Do you seriously need calculus for Med/PA school?

<p>Don’t let people tell you that just because you don’t like math you won’t like medicine. Now if you didn’t like chemistry and math, maybe then you’d have a problem, but only disliking math isn’t going to make you hate medicine.
Also, calculus isn’t pointless, you may not see the point but I assure you it has one, otherwise no one would study it. </p>

<p>Like George Washington University doesn’t even mention math in their requirements! I am really re-thinking this calculus class. I might just try and take statistics or pre-calculus.</p>

<p>@dina4119 I actually really enjoy Biology and Chemistry. I loved Biology II. It was a lot of ecology and human things which really (surprisingly) roused my interest. Chemistry for me is like algebra for the most part it is very simple. I don’t really think much of Chemistry but I really love Biology classes.</p>

<p>I actually need 2 semesters of math to graduate so I have to take calculus unfortunately so my question is answered. Thanks everyone.</p>

<p>OP, you said you are taking Calculus 1 over again over the summer. What was your grade the first time, and are you aware that you will be required to put both grades on your AMCAS application?</p>

<p>I am thinking that I will omit this entire year at this school and just say I took a year off. I will waste about 30 credits but it will be worth it in the long run when I have a really good GPA.</p>

<p>Sorry, that won’t work, you will get caught. You can always consider DO med schools, they do allow for grade replacement.</p>

<p>I think the big misconception is that math for medicine is mostly statistical methods, like normal distributions/ chi squared distributions, some amount of chemistry related math, like molar concentrations, and lots of arithmetic. </p>

<p>I don’t think medicine uses calculus in the way or an engineer or physicist would use it. There are probably less than 1% of physicians that can solve the three dimensional Schrodinger Equation. </p>

<p>Whoa… calculus is pointless? You need to rethink that statement carefully. Even though you will not use it everyday as a doctor, pharmacology and enzymology both heavily rely on the use of differential equations to understand when/if drugs leave patient’s bodies or how an enzyme-drug/ligand reaction proceeds over time. As we move forward in systems biology and using computers to solve complex problems in medicine, we are going to rely heavily on the use of calculus and statistical methods. As doctors, we will be better able to collaborate with researchers if we have a good grasp on statistical methods and I would argue, basic calculus.</p>

<p>PS Quite a few statistical methods require calculus too.</p>

<p>Woah, you will “omit this entire year”?! You’re aware that that isn’t possible right? Med schools will see all your college level grades, even if you don’t want them to.</p>

<p>“I don’t like calculus, I find it pointless and overly complicated”
-When people are determined to reach their goal, they do whatever it takes.
My D. spent by far the most time in HS doing history. It is her absolutely hardest class. She wanted to make sure that she would get an A (college class) so she would not have to take it while in college. She reached her goal. More so, just to make sure, she took SAT II in History, since it was not AP. She had extremely busy schedule and she absolutely hates anything connected to history / business / politics / economics. I am not saying that it is a good thing, I told her she will need to improve in these area whenever she has time. But the point is that I never saw her doing math or Spanish or Chemistry, all the ones that she likes, most of the time she was doing History. She got her A (college credit that went straight to her college transcript). That is what people do to reach their goal. You will not get to choose what is required, not now, not in a future. People love their kids but most do not enjoy changing diapers. This is jut life with ALL requirements.<br>
In addition to that, math is the subject that develops logical thinking. This is primary reason for teaching math, not memorizing various formulas that could be looked up on internet. Given the right instructor, math concepts are also much EASIER to be explained and understood than very complicated aspects of history, business, economy, politics (again if are NOT looking at these as a simply memorisation fo facts, names, dates, but rather looking at logical connections, certain structure, various underlining theories and everything that is happenning behind the scenes). However, people who have not developed logical thinking thru math, tend to look at history just as a mesh of some names, dates, places, events. </p>

<p>@Jweinst1‌ – doctors who can solve 3d Schrondinger’s? That would be BOTH of my daughters.</p>

<p>Generally speaking, math or no math, if you are the one who complains and complains instead of going over ANY obstacle, there are plenty more to complain about at Med. School then just simple undergrad level of math, which is NOT even at the level that is required for any engineering program and primarily HS level if you consider schools abroad. Just get over or you will have to pursue something else. The problem is NOT math, the problem is ATTITUDE.</p>