Yes it is if you want to get into the Life Sci program I think you are talking about at Queen's. And I'm sure a lot of other schools force it upon you for the same program. It will count as your average, but if you are worried about med school odds, then I say don't worry too much about it, because some med school's count your GPA different. Queen's, for example, only takes your best two years. So if you bombed first year physics and that pulled down your average 10%, you still have the other 3 to pull your top two from. But, to be honest, it DOES get harder as you go up. But my advice is that if you are worried about physics to the point of thinking of swtiching schools/letting that effect your decision, don't.

I took first year physics for LIfe scis (PHYS107) at Queen's. It was great - one of my highest marks. But, to be fair, I came out of high school with physics so I was probably better equiped than people with no high school physics. PHYS107 is basically grade 12 physics with a bit more stuff in it. Is IS a bit harder, I still had to study pretty hard, but I also had friends with no physics experience who survived, GPA intact. And they DO move fast, and it WILL be hard if you aren't a math-kind of person. Luckily though, the course is pretty fair, and the profs are nice enough to give you tests that you can drop if you do better on the final. Plus, there's bellcurving in the course too. And if you work pretty damn hard and get the help you need (and there are TONS of it. My prof was a sweetheart who answered any questions I had.) you can do well. Oh, and PHYS107 -they try to teach it like you've never had physics before. In fact, that was one of the first questions our prof asked in class, and about half the class raised their hand at the "I have never been to a single physics class in my life" call.

And no, you don't need to take physics everyyear, unless of course, you are going into physics. Thank God. I've only heard of needing to take it in first year - probably meant as a weeding course.