Math Requirements for Becoming a Pediatrician

When deciding to become a doctor, it is understood that there are many years worth of education and training involved in that decision. Even before a specialization--such as that of pediatric medicine--is selected, there are still a myriad of prerequisite course areas that must be completed beforehand. For instance, medicine is a field that is heavily influenced by calculations; therefore, there are several math classes that must be completed before becoming a pediatrician.

Calculus is the most widely spread math course required for admittance into the specialized medical program of pediatrics. Calculus is the strand of math that is based upon limits, functions, derivatives, integrals and infinite series. The two major branches of this subject are differential and integral calculus. Though they are different subjects, differential calculus and integral calculus are related to one another through the fundamental theorem of calculus. The fundamental theorem of calculus is comprised of the first and second fundamental theorems of calculus. Calculus is often offered as calculus I and II. In addition to medical school requirements, calculus is a prerequisite for more advanced math courses, such as mathematical analysis.

Another math course that is popular in med student circles is probability and statistics, which covers the probability theory as it relates to statistics. Probability in itself revolves around an analysis of random phenomena. Central factors of the probability theory involve random variables and stochastic processes or events. As statistics involves making use of numerical data, probability and statistics is simply analyzing the numerical data revolving around the various theories of probability.

Advanced math courses are often required as a prerequisite of a medical program. In conjunction with calculus, many institutions with a curriculum for medical education require students to have another advanced math class. Analysis of variables is one advanced math class that focuses on the completeness properties of the real number system by looking at the topology of the real line. Fundamental problems of geometry covers topics including Euclidian and non-Euclidian theories. Also, partial differential equations cover the wave, heat, Laplace’s and other classical equations regarding physics. There are other advanced math courses such as probability, cryptology and elementary number theory that can be taken, as well.