I'd like to check the status, e.g. How many files left to upload. of a Dropbox account using the API in python. Is this possible?
The Dropbox API is a way to add Dropbox integration to your application (that is, to allow your application to sync its files via Dropbox, or to explicitly upload/download files outside of the sync process), not a way to control or monitor the Dropbox desktop application (or the way other applications sync, or anything else).
So no, it's not possible.
The only way to do this is to write code for each platform to control the Dropbox app, e.g., via UI scripting on the Mac or intercepting WM messages on Windows. (Or, alternatively, it might be possible to write your own replacement sync tool and use that instead of the standard desktop app, in which case you can obviously monitor what you're doing.)
How do I check the sync status of a Dropbox account using the API?