Do i really need to take statistics?

[tmss011223344]

Hello, I recently decided that DVM was the right choice for me as opposed to MD.
I see that a lot of the schools require statistics, nutrition, and public speaking. I took several english courses which we had to speak in class, I have presented at a conference and won an award for my prestentation. I took precalculus, calc 1, and calc 2. I didn't take anything similat to nutrition but I am a biology major so I have a lot of animal related courses.

Should I not even try to apply to the schools that require these courses that I have not completed. I want to apply for this cycle and I haven't taken the GRE yet, otherwise I would just take the courses.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Posey]

Yes, you typically have to these classes if the school requires them. You may wish to contact the schools directly, but be prepared to take the courses. Some schools make exceptions, but many do not.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[BrownSwissCows]

With regards to speech classes, some schools take completion of an undergrad degree to fulfill this requirement.

 

[Cubantiger]

Some schools let you have a certain number of prerequisite credits pending, for example I took public speaking the semester after the app cycle opened. Again, this is just something you'll have to look up for each school of your interest.

 

[rockatiel]

Stats is an amazing class. It helped with with many more applications than just the sciences, and I can tell you than any vet student that wanders to this thread will tell you to yes, definitely take it if at all possible. That says something to me.

English, dependent on the class format, could count as speech but that's on basis of individual schools.

FWIW, I didn't take the GRE until August. Not saying you should follow my lead, but just look at the deadlines for test score at your school and play it by ear. Don't take unless you're ready, but also don't study too much.

 

[LetItSnow]

If the schools require it, they require it. They typically won't make an exception. You don't have to have all the pre-reqs completed at time of application, but you would have to have them done by a date that the school would specify. Some of them have limits on how many classes can be uncompleted before applying.

Stats was one of the most useful undergrad classes I took.

 

[rockatiel]

^case in point. Literally every vet student I have ever met or spoken to on here is glad that they took stats.

 

[JJ1019]

^case in point. Literally every vet student I have ever met or spoken to on here is glad that they took stats.

I must be the only one that thought it was the most poorly taught waste of time ever. I didn't learn anything and found it very frustrating. I don't think the concepts are hard, but when it's taught poorly it's worse than significantly more complicated math.

 

[PrincessButterCup]

Remember, pre-reqs are pre-reqs for a reason. Schools wouldn't require them if they didn't think they were important. If you want to apply to a school/attend a school that requires those classes, then you need to plan to take them.

 

[KCgophervet]

I must be the only one that thought it was the most poorly taught waste of time ever. I didn't learn anything and found it very frustrating. I don't think the concepts are hard, but when it's taught poorly it's worse than significantly more complicated math.

I think I retained absolutely nothing from my stats class. Didn't find it super hard, but it was 100% online and essentially self-taught. Feel like a stats class could be useful, but the one I took was not.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I must be the only one that thought it was the most poorly taught waste of time ever. I didn't learn anything and found it very frustrating. I don't think the concepts are hard, but when it's taught poorly it's worse than significantly more complicated math.

I disliked the material, and to be honest, I haven't used it since and I wouldn't be able to calculate anything now without Google. Every school teaches it differently, I'm sure, but my course sucked. The course I took wasn't terribly difficult or anything, I just found memorizing x amount of formulas that essentially mean the same thing, or variations of essentially the same thing, annoying. However, when the time comes for me to be attempting to publish, I will need those skills to a degree. I'm not sure if I'll be using it during vet school or not, someone else could comment on that more.

On that last note, I know many published vets/masters/PhDs who have a Statistics for Dummies book, lol.

 

[VetMedVetMed]

Hello, I recently decided that DVM was the right choice for me as opposed to MD.
I see that a lot of the schools require statistics, nutrition, and public speaking. I took several english courses which we had to speak in class, I have presented at a conference and won an award for my prestentation. I took precalculus, calc 1, and calc 2. I didn't take anything similat to nutrition but I am a biology major so I have a lot of animal related courses.

Should I not even try to apply to the schools that require these courses that I have not completed. I want to apply for this cycle and I haven't taken the GRE yet, otherwise I would just take the courses.

So from what I remember, statistics are on the GRE. If I were you, I would take stats now and finish it before you take the GRE this summer. That way you also can have it done before you apply. You can take it online even. My stats class had the best teacher and made it super easy to get through. I guess it is different for everyone. Also someone mentioned that if you have a bachelor's degree, some schools will accept that in place of english or humanities courses. I am not sure of which schools, and how many do or don't. You would have to call or email each school to find out. Nutrition is offered online at OK State I believe. It is offered online at other schools too. Speech is also a great class which is easy and fun. Schools even offer that online! These classes aren't that bad honestly, and it will be worth it just to take them that way you have more schools to apply to. You could take two now and one in the fall. Simple. You have finished all of your science courses, that is the hardest part!

Also if you're just now switching to the vet route, make sure you get enough vet experience before you apply!

 

[vetmedhead]

Take stats, it's a hoot and a half!

 

[flameshock]

With regards to speech classes, some schools take completion of an undergrad degree to fulfill this requirement.

And some do not. >.> Not that I'm bitter about that or anything.

 

[lianali]

I must be the only one that thought it was the most poorly taught waste of time ever. I didn't learn anything and found it very frustrating. I don't think the concepts are hard, but when it's taught poorly it's worse than significantly more complicated math.

Amen. I took a stats class in undergrad where they were literally teaching how to calculate the mean. I skipped the class the rest of the semester, showed up for the exams, and got a C. To be fair, it was required by the psych degree but not by the biochem degree. In retrospect, I should have just appealed the requirement and pointed to my AP exam credits that placed me out of the first year of calculus requirements. Poor, young me wasn't ready for college.

Took a graduate level statistics course and got an A-. Loved the class and the professor so much that I took another one of her classes. A good teacher really, REALLY makes a huge different.

 

[dyachei]

I disliked the material, and to be honest, I haven't used it since and I wouldn't be able to calculate anything now without Google. Every school teaches it differently, I'm sure, but my course sucked. The course I took wasn't terribly difficult or anything, I just found memorizing x amount of formulas that essentially mean the same thing, or variations of essentially the same thing, annoying. However, when the time comes for me to be attempting to publish, I will need those skills to a degree. I'm not sure if I'll be using it during vet school or not, someone else could comment on that more.

On that last note, I know many published vets/masters/PhDs who have a Statistics for Dummies book, lol.

you haven't taken epidemiology yet, have you?

Stats has some importance in vet school.

I found that learning it in terms of vet school was may more valuable than a poorly taught undergrad course - my prof didn't really speak English

 

[pinkpuppy9]

you haven't taken epidemiology yet, have you?

Stats has some importance in vet school.

I found that learning it in terms of vet school was may more valuable than a poorly taught undergrad course - my prof didn't really speak English

Nope, not yet! Good to know it will be useful at some point. My prof was German so it wasn't terribly difficult to understand her, but I just didn't like the class/labs. I don't recall learning when to use something, just how to punch it into my calculator.

 

[Posey]

I like stats and used to use it for my previous career. Still had to retake it and another math class. Still had to take two semesters of composition and one of public speaking. I try to look at the classes as a way to be even stronger in those areas.
(Actually, I had to redo everything because I'm old. Don't be like me. haha)


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I have taken 3 stats classes in my career and have hated all of them. A much better use of time for a pre-vet would be experimental design or research design to teach critical thinking skills.

Even in (biologic) research we don't do much beyond basic T tests, ANOVAs, multiple comparison post tests - anything more and we take it to the statisticians - that is what they are there for.

 

[Osudairy]

I cannot speak to solely to veterinary school even though I am certain stats is important (as stated above), but if you are wanting to do any kind of research after vet school or a graduate degree, you will definitely need stats. I use it every day for the research I am doing and I am very happy that I took those stats classes.

Grad school aside, I believe that only basic stats are needed for veterinary school. We have a statistician here at OSU that people consult with as WTF has already pointed out.

 

[deleted676737]

My undergrad stats class was phenomenal, though it wasn't through the actual math department and was more of a biology-oriented "research methods" class. I got to apply virtually everything I learned in there (ANOVAs, t tests, regressions, some post-hoc type of stuff, as well as project design) in my own research experience, so having that background was invaluable. Most, if not all, of the actual statistical/analytical tests can be performed easily via a program like GraphPad Prism/InStat or even Microsoft Excel with the right packages installed, but it still helps to be able to interpret everything and understand what it all means. I was so glad I took that class. It helped a lot in my undergrad epidemiology class, too. All the vet schools I applied to accepted it, so that was not an issue for me.

OP, if your biology department happens to offer a research or scientific methods class -- with maybe some basic stats thrown in for good measure -- I'd probably recommend that over a straight statistics course through your math department.

 

[deleted387118]

Stats is also important when assessing the validity of papers (even in reputable journals they can't always be trusted). But if you don't intend to practice evidence based medicine you probably don't need it...

 

[Minnerbelle]

Stats is also important when assessing the validity of papers (even in reputable journals they can't always be trusted). But if you don't intend to practice evidence based medicine you probably don't need it...

Haha... I was going to say, maybe 2% of practitioners outside of academia practice by evaluating primary sources... And of those, not many actually assess the stats on it. Doesn't make it right, but yea...


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[finnickthedog]

I didn't take statistics. It isn't required for my IS school and wasn't required for my major. So I took calculus instead because I was tailoring my coursework toward that particular school.

Now, I don't regret shutting the door on other school options because I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to pay OOS tuition anyways... but the way I hear some vet students and vets talk about stats on here I kind of regret not taking it anyways. It sounds like it would have been useful.

 

[dyachei]

I didn't take statistics. It isn't required for my IS school and wasn't required for my major. So I took calculus instead because I was tailoring my coursework toward that particular school.

Now, I don't regret shutting the door on other school options because I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to pay OOS tuition anyways... but the way I hear some vet students and vets talk about stats on here I kind of regret not taking it anyways. It sounds like it would have been useful.

Honestly, it just helped cement certain ideas - made it easier to learn the material. You don't need anything other than basic stats (which you could probably take easily online)

 

[katashark]

I took a stats class that also taught you how to do everything in the programming language R. I found that extremely useful and ended up using R to make things easier in other classes and my thesis!

 

[Osudairy]

I took a stats class that also taught you how to do everything in the programming language R. I found that extremely useful and ended up using R to make things easier in other classes and my thesis!

LOL we use SAS over here. It was a nightmare to learn the programming.