Comment by geebee | Hacker News Reader

Comment by geebee | Hacker News Reader

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"Computer professionals" are not regulated or licensed, so the term may be too ambiguous to have a meaningful discussion.

But your average engineering or computer science major at a reputable program has to take far more difficult math than your typical premed.

Look through the requirements for medical school admission, and you'll see many do not require more than a single year of calculus.

UCSD, for instance, even provides an easier track of calculus and physics for biology majors, perfectly acceptable for medical school, but unacceptable for math, physics, or most computer science or engineering majors.

http://ucsd.edu/catalog/curric/BIOL-ug.html#major

Yes, I know that anyone is allowed to read a book on PHP and hang out a shingle as a "computer professional", so if you're including them, then sure, I guess the average doctor has a better handle on math. And honestly, I'm glad that this kind of freedom exists in the world of software. But I hope you realize that the math background of a typical CS major from a good university greatly exceeds what is required to go to med school.

Math is one letter of the STEM acronym that you threw out there. CS is a essentially a branch of applied math, so sure, you have a deeper math background if you have a BS from a rigorous program.

I guess your point is that girls can't hack diff eq? Whatever -- most CS majors know jack about organic chemistry, biology, or other premed programs in undergrad, and know nothing about what is taught in med school.

I guess your point is that girls can't hack diff eq?

No, and it's remarkable that you would conclude that this is my point when all I have addressed, in any way, is the difference in mathematics requirements for college majors typical of "computer professionals" (CS and "related fields") and pre-med or life science programs.

most CS majors know jack about organic chemistry, biology, or other premed programs in undergrad, and know nothing about what is taught in med school.

Right, and most premeds or physicians know very little about differential equations, mathematical optimization or stochastic processes. I didn't claim that CS majors have a better background in life sciences than physicians, but you did make the claim that your average doctor has a better grasp on math than most computer professionals ever had.

This is false.

Any data to contradict GP?

I graduated last May with a degree in CS. I had several friends who were Bio (Pre-Med). The math I was required to take started at a number higher than their highest math requirement. Likewise with statistics -- I saw some of their stat class work, and seemed like a joke to me. Incidentally, in my statistics course, we talked about how doctors don't (as shown by studies) grasp basic principles.

EDIT: I went to a fairly small, but locally very well respected school.

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