For better context, here’s the difference between elementary calculus and calculus 1 from my university.
Elementary calculus: (3 credit hours.) Calculus of one real variable related to rational,
exponential, and logarithmic functions. Topics include the limits of functions, derivatives of
algebraic, exponential, and logarithmic functions and their inverses and the definite integral
and its economic applications: Consumer Surplus, Producer Surplus; and applications of
integrating growth and decay models. Also included are applications of the derivative including
maximum and minimum problems in business and economics.
Calculus 1: (3 credit hours.) Major topics include finding limits of functions numerically, graphically, and algebraically, continuity of functions, finding derivatives using the difference quotient, power rule, sum and difference rules, product and quotient rules, and the chain rule, using derivatives to draw detailed graphs of functions and solve applications from business and science, exponential and logarithmic functions and their derivatives, graphs, and use in applications, antidifferentiation, finding both the definite and indefinite integrals, and using integrals to solve applications.
“Elementary calculus” appears to be what is sometimes called “calculus for business majors” or something similar. At some but not all colleges, courses of this type are accepted for biology majors.
“Calculus 1” appears to be suitable for all majors who need calculus (including business majors who may substitute it for “calculus for business majors”).
Would the calculus I’m taking right now, aka elementary calculus, be sufficient for my premed math requirements? (I already did stats, just wanting to finish calculus off)
Some do that as their Plan B. They get jobs or volunteer experiences they feel will help their app a second time around. Some opt to head to Caribbean schools knowing their chances for residency are far more restricted, but for certain specialties like family medicine they could be just fine. Some prefer to head toward a different medical job. Some head to research. The key is having a plan so you aren’t one of those getting rejected and then not sure what to do.
If your college says that calc class is fine and has had successful med school applicants going that route, it’s likely fine.
Okay, thank you very much. And yes, that is what I meant. I’ve got plans in case I don’t get in on the first cycle, but I’m definitely set on going to medical school. I don’t want to do anything other than reaching that goal.
And yes, my premed advisor pretty much told me that’s all I need apart from statistics for my math requirements, so I just followed through considering I don’t really like mathematics as much as I do with the sciences like chemistry and biology.
I’m not sure what to tell you because the information above is a bit contradictory: it sounds like the class is not designed for science majors (since you cannot take further classes and it focuses on business/economics applications) but it seems to be accepted as an acceptable pre-req foe Genrela Physics I (&II, I assume)… so while it’s likely to be insufficient for the MCAT, you should be qble to supplement it with self study the semester before you plan on taking the exam. Whether med schools will accept it will depend on the med school.
Bioinformatics is a very cool and medically relevant major indeed. There’s also biostatistics.
Look at the requirements for various majors in addition to the basic premed pre-req: if elementary calculus is acceptable for biology or chemistry majors, then it should be okay.
Finally, is your adviser a pre health adviser and does s/he have experience in pre health or stem majors, or is s/he a general freshman adviser?
With med school, you cannot just apply and apply. You have about 2 chances. One your senior (or junior) year, and if that didn’t work out, one after you’ve completed a lot more medical/volunteer/science research activities. You apply to a lot and hope to get into one.
So basically your plan B is what you can realistically do with your major+experiences to enhance your med school application while earning a living. Plan C is what to do if, after your 2nd cycle, you still don’t get into med school (just have an idea “just in case”).
First thing to check would be what the public med schools in the state you’re a resident of say. If there’s no specific indication you can contact them directly so that your application isn’t considered incomplete right off the bat just because of one class. If they say you’re fine then you’ve covered all your bases and you don’t have to worry about it till the semester before you take the MCAT.
@MYOS1634 is right. You can’t just apply and apply and apply. Many med schools specifically say they will only consider at most 2 rounds of applications from any individual. A second application is expected to show significant improvement over the first.
BTW, pre=health advisors can be wrong. Most have no training or experience in medical (and other health profession) school admissions and can give faulty advice. You should check to see if your advisor is member of the NAAHP (National Association of Advisors for Health Professions).
The formal required courses for admission to some medical schools are minimal; however, as you know, EXTREME rigor in all courses taken by students, is expected by selective medical schools.
For example, from a University of California, San Francisco’s medical school website, the required courses are listed as:
“Biology, one year with laboratory (may include biochemistry);
Chemistry, one year, including at least one semester of organic chemistry with lab (may include biochemistry);
Biochemistry, at least one course;
Physics, one semester”
This states nothing about mathematics. However, the following paragraph provide more information:
“The formal course requirements constitute the basic foundation for all applicants, but most successful applicants will have gone beyond these prerequisites and will have demonstrated the ability to perform at a higher level academically. Accordingly, the UCSF Admissions Committee evaluates academic preparedness in the context of the type and level of courses taken, the academic performance and trajectory, and the applicant’s scores on the MCAT exam. Although UCSF does not explicitly require more than one year of biology and one year of chemistry, most successful applicants will have taken at least one upper level biology course (e.g., biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, immunology, etc.) as well as a full year of organic chemistry. Breadth of academic achievement is also important. We value outstanding performance in the humanities as well as the ability to communicate in languages that are commonly used by non-English speaking populations in the United States.”
It is commendable that you are planning ahead, with your counselor and using other tools such as CC; it is equally important or perhaps more important to check with each medical school that interest you, firsthand.
That elementary calc class does fill the requirement for my biology major. I’ve done some reading and the MCAT doesn’t include any calculus whatsoever. The only similarity I can see is to understand how to derive certain formulas learned in physics classes perhaps, which we learn in physics classes already.
Medical schools don’t really state which calculus class they want, as they only recommend having a semester of calculus and statistics. With that in mind, I don’t see how elementary calculus is going to somehow change the bar or is going to be regarded as different.
Edit: Of I forgot to respond to one of your questions, yes he is a pre-med advisor, separate from my general advisor.
I’m going to be meeting with my pre-med advisor this upcoming friday to speak with him again on this matter since it seems I’m getting different opinions on every different website and peoples.
Ok, it looks like you covered your bases and that class is fine. If you truly want to leave no stone unturned you can contact your state’s public medical schools and ask if a class titled Elementary calculus, counting toward a biology major, is accepted for the med school requirement in calculus.
For students who go this route and still don’t succeed, the Caribbean is their last resort for med school, so I assume it would be for the OP. If so, the big thing to beware of is the match for residency. A lot of Caribbean med school grads were disappointed this year and they now need a Plan X.
Here’s a site that seems pretty good at explaining things:
(ETA Step 1 scores go to pass/fail now, so that might further hurt Caribbean students with the match. Time will tell.)
Work hard, get the grades, have the ECs, be someone med schools want to accept. It can often help to have a public speaking class of some sort because those classes teach you about human perception as much as they give experience with speaking in front of others (something that happens often in med school).
If you’ve seen some of the pre-med threads on here you might have already read the following…they’re class profiles for the University of Rochester’s med school. Reading through you’ll see it’s a template that doesn’t really change much year to year. I doubt this school is the only one looking for those types to admit. No one person can do it all, but be someone your future school could put on their list:
It’s a competitive world, but many do make it in each year. I wish you the best in your journey. Desire is a big first step.
Thank you very much for such kind words. I’ll try my hardest. I’ve looked into my in-state public med school’s accepted students profiles they share on their websites. I’ll check out the pdfs you’ve shared as well.