Question about Math Requirements

[deleted1038633]

Hello to anyone that is reading this post,

To keep it short and sweet, I just finished my 1st year at college and I'm currently in summer break towards my sophomore year. I decided to take statistics in my spring semester and this summer break, I've decided to take elementary calculus as I know medical schools range from suggesting to have both statistics and/or calculus.

However, my university offers both elementary calculus and calculus I. My pre-med advisor told me that I'm fine with only taking elementary calculus and that it is enough to fill in my math reqs for medical schools considering I already took statistics last semester.

I'm feeling a bit worried since I don't know if elementary calculus isn't really going to be accepted and whether it matters if I took it over calculus I.

For context, I'm starting it today already over the summer break and it will be online because of COVID.

Lastly, are there any math classes I need to take other than my elementary calc class I'm currently taking over summer (if it's okay according to the questions I'm asking above) and my statistics class?

Thank you for any insight.

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[deleted1038633]

Anyone?

 

[notasciencemajor]

When you say "elementary calculus" do you mean Calc 1? I've never seen a requirement of more than 1 semester of calculus, but I don't think that includes pre-calc or the more "watered down" calc courses.

 

[deleted1038633]

When you say "elementary calculus" do you mean Calc 1? I've never seen a requirement of more than 1 semester of calculus, but I don't think that includes pre-calc or the more "watered down" calc courses.

In my university, calc 1 and elementary calculus are two different classes. I've already taken statistics and got an A in it, and now I'm taking elementary calc in my summer to finish off my math classes for medical schools.

Here are the descriptions of the two classes:

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.

All I'm trying to understanding and find out about is whether that elementary calculus class is enough for medical schools to count is as a semester of calc. I've heard from others that this class is all I need, including my premed advisor, but I just wanted to hear the opinion of others and what they think of this.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

If your premed advisor says it's kosher then I think you probably are safe.

That might just be an institutional oddity, which happens pretty frequently. When I went to Rutgers for undergrad they had calc 1 and calc 2 for more general majors like economics and a calc 1/2 for hard science majors like chemistry and physics and mathematics. They both satiated requirements of medical schools but which one you took just mattered upon the level of depth needed for future classes.

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

David D MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[deleted1038633]

If your premed advisor says it's kosher then I think you probably are safe.

That might just be an institutional oddity, which happens pretty frequently. When I went to Rutgers for undergrad they had calc 1 and calc 2 for more general majors like economics and a calc 1/2 for hard science majors like chemistry and physics and mathematics. They both satiated requirements of medical schools but which one you took just mattered upon the level of depth needed for future classes.

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

David D MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

Thank you very much for the insight. I appreciate it a lot.