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.
Courses
Fall – Semester A (13.5 units)
GCBS 5030 Master of Science in Medical Sciences Intensive Summer Anatomy Course (MS-ISAC) (8.5 credit hours)
GCBS 5020 Critical Learning and Communication Skills in the Health Professions I (2 credit hours)
GCBS 5061 Introduction to Clinical Research & Evidence-Based Decision Making (3 credit hours)
Fall – Semester B (17 units)
GCBS 5041 Molecular and Cellular Basis of Life (5 credit hours)
GCBS 5042 Physical and Biochemical Systems (5 credit hours)
(Courses above run in sequential blocks, not concurrently)
GCBS 5061 Introduction to Clinical Research & Evidence-Based Decision Making (continued from Fall A)
GCBS 5070 Service Learning (4 credit hours)
OR
GCBS 5035 Head and Neck Anatomy with Facilitation Training (4 credit hours)
GCBS 5021 Critical Learning and Communication Skills in the Health Professions II (2 credit hours)
Spring – Semester (16 units)
GCBS 5079 Microbiology: Biological Systems in Human Disease (4 credit hours)
GCBS 5082 Clinician and Society (3 credit hours)
GCBS 5083 Clinical Environments in Health Care (3 credit hours)
GCBS 5062 Clinical Research & Evidence-Based Decision Making CAPSTONE COURSE (3 credit hours)
GCBS 5090 Biomedical Statistics and Research design (3 credit hours)
PROGRAM TOTAL: 46.5 units
Inquiries
For more information about the MSMS program, please completion our Request Information form.
Contact Information
Marcos Villa,
Director, Master of Science in Medical Sciences
Phone: (909) 469-8562
FAX: (909) 469-8750
mvilla@westernu.edu