Overview
The major philosophy of the MSMS program in the College of Biomedical Sciences is to provide pre-clinical students and clinicians with the critical evaluation skills and research awareness necessary to implement evidence-based practice -- a need that is impossible to achieve exclusively within time constraints of most existing professional degree programs. To this end, the Master of Medical Science degree (MSMS) in the GCBS complements the existing programmatic offerings at WesternU and elsewhere. The MSMS program will educate students who intend to become physicians, dentists, podiatrists, physician assistants, pharmacists, optometrists and other health professionals in the research basis of medical knowledge and provide the analytic tools necessary to become well-informed, evidence-based practitioners. Qualified students who have obtained a baccalaureate science degree will be prepared in a unique, rigorous inter-professional environment for successful application to graduate professional programs, both external and internal, as well as for careers in teaching and industry.
The program is made up of both core and elective courses allowing graduates to apply to their prospective fields. The course series is comprised of a minimum of 45 semester credit hours needed to complete the MSMS program. This includes 28 hours of didactic study and 12 hours of clinical shadowing, research, small group case-based learning and laboratory leading to a capstone project. Starting in June, the three semester program curriculum is designed to prepare students for admission into the health profession of their choice, including: medicine, dentistry, podiatry, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and physician's assistant The design of the MSMS curriculum while rigorous and accelerated is designed to provide students with a supportive environment and small classes. The courses are self-contained didactic and generally not shared with other programs.
Linkages
The curriculum is expressly designed to eliminate the "glide" year, a commonly encountered downside of post-baccalaureate programs, whereby a year must elapse between program completion and professional school matriculation. To this end, there will be up to ten spots available for academically and interpersonally capable students interested in gaining admissions to the Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine. If a student is interested in applying to this linkage program an additional application will need to be filled out and an interview conducted prior to matriculation to the MSMS program. Additional linkages may be formed with the other colleges at Western University, and as this information becomes available this area will be updated.
Courses
Fall - Semester A (13 units)
DO/DMD/DPM 5001 Intensive Summer Anatomy Course - CORE COURSE (ISAC 8.5 units)
OR
DO 5002 SMSPP Preparatory Course - CORE COURSE (8.5 units)
GCBS 5090 Biomedical statistics and Research design - CORE COURSE (2 units)
GCBS 5020 Critical Learning and Communication Skills in the Health Professions I - CORE COURSE (3 units)
Fall - Semester B (18 units)
GCBS 5041 Molecular and Cellular Basis of Life - CORE COURSE (5 units)
GCBS 5042 Physical and Biochemical Systems - CORE COURSE (5 units)
(Courses above run in sequential blocks, not concurrently)
IPE 5100 Patient Centered Cases - An Inter Professional Approach - CORE COURSE (1 unit)
GCBS 5070 Service Learning - ELECTIVE COURSE (4 units)
OR
DO 5003 Anatomy Facilitation - ELECTIVE COURSE (4 units)
GCBS 5021 Critical Learning and Communication Skills in the Health Professions II - CORE COURSE (3 units), including MCAT, DAT, OAT preparation course (through Kaplan or Princeton or similar)
Spring - Semester 3 (14 units)
GCBS 5081 Microbiology: Biological Systems in Human Disease - CORE COURSE (4 units)
GCBS 5082 Clinician and Society - CORE COURSE (3 units)
GCBS 5083 Clinical Environments in Health Care - CORE COURSE (3 units)
IPE 5100 Patient Centered Cases - An Inter professional Approach - CORE COURSE (1 unit)
GCBS 5062 Clinical Research & Evidence-Based Decision Making - CAPSTONE COURSE (3 units)
PROGRAM TOTAL: 45 units
Inquiries
For more information about the MSMS program, please completion our Request Information form.
Contact Information
Jodi Olson
Director of Master of Science in Medical Sciences
Phone: (909) 706-3842
FAX (909) 469-5577
olsonj@westernu.edu