I’m mapping out my schedule for senior year. I have already taken biology, chem, and an taking AP chem junior year. I want to be a dermatologist and physics has no appeal to me. I would like to substitute it for anatomy and AP psych. I just want a few opinions: how does this look to colleges? Does it really matter if I replace it with other science classes?
I’ve never heard of substituting Physics for other Science classes. All of the schools around where I live require you to take Physics in high school. I’d honestly recommend taking the class or at least testing out of it.
@Dylan197 I go to a private school, they require 3 years of science but they only have two mandatory courses, chem and bio. You can choose your junior and senior year courses from ap chem, ap bio, physics, psych, environmental, earth, anatomy, and forensics. What’s “testing out”? I’ve never heard of it.
You need to start looking at prospective colleges. I have heard of students who did not take biology, but not taking physics at all is more unusual.
Almost all public high schools require a year of bio, chem, and physics.
If you are applying as a pre-med, I wouldn’t skimp on the science. One year (two semesters) of college physics is required with lab, and it would be in your best interest to take physics in high school as a preparation.
Read up on this:
https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/requirements/
My school doesn’t require Physics either (only bio, chem and either Earth Science or AP Environmental Science), and most students avoid that class like the plague. The students don’t seem to have a problem getting into their choice schools.
I live in NC btw. I think that if science doesn’t relate to your major (in your case, it does), you shouldn’t feel the need to take Physics if your school doesn’t require it.
@rhandco I wouldnt consider it skimping because I am taking anatomy and psych which relate more to the medicine Would anatomy not be taken as seriously? My goal is upenn (huge reach lol) looking at nyu, bc, columbia. binghamton, and georgetown.
@MissSuzyQ ugh it seems so important lol i have such a dilemma because anatomy at my school is difficult so I wouldn’t be able to take both… I was set on anatomy but now I’m feeling like I should take physics.
It doesn’t matter whether you consider it skimping or not. If you have to take physics in college to be pre-med, it will be beneficial to you take physics in high school.
If you don’t mind being introduced to forces, lenses, magnetism, and electricity for the first time in college, when almost everyone else has had at least a year of it, then fine.
I work with pre-med students at my university, so I know a bit about med school requirements.
@rhandco Do you think it would be better to drop the psych and do physics and anatomy? Or to drop anatomy and take psych?
IMHO, anatomy is easier to study on your own, and all future doctors should take psych as soon as possible.
So I would suggest physics and psych. YMMV.
(it took me a few seconds to find this website: http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/site/mission/mission.html )
Physics is a pretty darn fundamental high school class to have for someone who is planning to pursue an undergraduate science degree. Don’t nix it.
You will be at a disadvantage in college if u are getting it for the first time there.
You want to be a dermatologist, which means you want to go to med school. For med school, you need at least 1 year of physics with lab, maybe even more. On the MCAT (which you need to take to apply to med school) there is a physical science section, which probably encompasses physics. You cannot get around the subject, and I’m sure college physics would be more bearable if you had previous exposure.
You can take anatomy and psych in college. I have heard of doctors who take anatomy for the first time in med school (there is nothing wrong with that. First year med school anatomy classes are designed for people who have not studied anatomy before). If you have time for those extra classes in high school, go for it. Don’t substitute any of the core sciences (bio, chem, physics) with anything less rigorous, it’ll only be a disadvantage. Most kids complete the bio/chem/physics sequence and take an extra year doing AP-bio/chem/physics or another science like AP psych/environmental.
@sprights thank you, I think after all this I’m going to take physics with psych as an elective. The reason I took AP chem first is because I felt it would be easier just to continue from chem honors then to take a year in between. Since I’m doubling sciences senior year, it’ll be easier to do physics honors then.
Good choice! Good luck.
Good choice. You don’t need anatomy for anything before medical school, but you do need physics.
Same for me! I didn’t want to take it because I’m not going into science, but I’ll be taking it as an online course since I’m taking AP Enviromental already. Good luck!