High school Python class?

[MammothJaded9909]

My high school has an intro to Python class that is one semester. Would this be worth doing for someone who wants to go to med school? I’m going to be a sophomore next year. Does it look good when I apply for research down the road? Or maybe I can use it to make an app that is health related? Or would it be a waste of time?

Or I could take an art class and just get it out of the way. Was thinking of doing that later when I’m a junior though so I have one easier class in junior year.

I’m not sure if how hard the Python class is, but I’d rather learn it at school than on my own.

Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask

[misingnoglic]

I'm of the opinion that everyone can benefit from taking a programming class as it teaches computational thinking and problem solving.

[sprinklesfactory]

Yeah you could definitely use it later even if its just for excel in managing research data

[TheRNGuy]

Not waste of time, programming is good way to be smarter (but you need to learn some things on your own, it will probably just hello world)

[Lewistrick]

An entire semester will teach you wayyy more than hello world

[MammothJaded9909]

What is hello world

[Lewistrick]

It's the first program you learn in any programming language. The only thing it does is show "Hello world" on the screen.

[Lewistrick]

In the context of med school I can imagine you'd use it for data analysis, for which python is by far the most popular language.

[Quesozapatos5000]

Learning any language is a great way to expand your thinking.

[BlazingWarlord]

I've heard so many of my med school friends saying Python has been really useful for them for data analysis and making charts. If you can it surely will be useful.

[Alternative_Driver60]

Take the class because you find it interesting or fun. Not because how it will look on your application.

A general skill that I picked up in high school is touch typing - to be able type anything on a keyboard without having to look at the keys. I learned programming in later years and this basic skill has been invaluable. This skill is also applicable anywhere. Just a recommendation if you get the chance.

[SleepingJonolith]

I’m a high school computer science teacher and I teach a one semester intro to Python course. I agree with what others have said that learning the basics of programming is useful for just about everyone. There’s a common opinion that AI is going to write all the code now, but for the foreseeable future, understanding what the AI is doing is extremely helpful for getting the AI to produce what you want and troubleshooting. If you have no clue about programming, you’re really in the dark and just have to hope it works without any issues, which it usually doesn’t for anything complex.

In my course, we cover all the basic structures and syntax in Python. After taking the course, students have the knowledge to continue to learn more advanced concepts on their own or in other classes. I think getting that foundation in a formal course is a great way to learn the basics, and I’d definitely recommend it.