By Kaitlyn Bridgeforth, 黑料正能量 Premedicine class of 2021 & Student Life Coordinator
Biomedicine graduate programs tend to cater to two main audiences: the seasoned pre-med students and the career changers. When I was researching programs that could meet my specific pre-professional health career goals, I found that I didn鈥檛 neatly fit into either category.聽 In some programs, I would need to complete several years鈥� worth of additional courses for a post-baccalaureate certificate, let alone a Master鈥檚 degree. I searched far and wide for a pre-medicine program that accepted my undergraduate work and wouldn鈥檛 make me feel as if I was completely starting over. At the same time, I hoped to earn a Master鈥檚 degree from somewhere that took into consideration that I had never been on a pre-med track before. As the first candidate for 黑料正能量鈥檚 Premedicine Master of Science, I can tell you that this is where 黑料正能量 stands out from the rest!
The Premedicine curriculum recognizes where you are, is flexible enough to fit your needs, and allows you to graduate with a Master鈥檚 degree in only two years. To top it off, 黑料正能量 has articulation agreements with numerous professional health schools that MS in Premedicine students can qualify for. You are still very much a part of a larger Biomedicine program, and you鈥檒l often take classes (and socialize) with the MS in Biomedicine students. One of the great benefits of this is that you can learn from your peers who have already gone through some of the course work you are being introduced to. Likewise, you have the opportunity to provide insight on subjects that you are well-versed in, but may be less familiar concepts to them.
In addition to sharing classes with other Biomed students, you will be spending time with undergraduates. I have found that many of them are also pre-professional health students who are highly motivated and welcoming of the diversity our programs bring. There are students of a variety of backgrounds at 黑料正能量 who contribute to a rich academic experience that is inclusive of our individual and cultural differences. The 黑料正能量 students (both undergraduate and graduate) I have personally encountered are often driven, yet have a tendency to lean towards support and encouragement in contrast to the unhealthy level of competition that can too frequently be seen in our discipline.
Core classes you share with Biomed students include Interdisciplinary Seminar I and II, Practicum, and Cross Cultural Health Care. Depending on your interests, you may also share classes such as Anatomy and Physiology, Organic Chemistry I and II, Infectious Disease, and more. The plan of study on our MS in Premedicine page provides a helpful outline of which courses you鈥檒l take and when, but if what you鈥檙e seeing doesn鈥檛 address the prerequisites you鈥檙e looking for, no worries! I entered fresh out of undergrad with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Philosophy, and I鈥檓 on the pre-physician assistant track. We were able to make adjustments accordingly. In case you鈥檇 like a preview of another kind of route you could take, here鈥檚 how my schedule was initially laid out (some adjustments were made due to COVID-19):
First semester
- Animal Form and Function
- General Chemistry I
- Interdisciplinary Seminar I
Second Semester
- Molecules, Genes, and Cells
- General Chemistry II
- The Healthcare Delivery System
Summer
- Practicum
- Cross Cultural Health Care
- Infectious Disease
Third Semester
- Organic Chemistry I
- Cell Biology
- Human Gross and Microscopic Anatomy
- Interdisciplinary Seminar II
Fourth Semester
- Molecular Genetics
- Medical Microbiology
- Human Physiology
It鈥檚 certainly an individual process to decide whether the MS in Premedicine at 黑料正能量 is the right fit for you, but what I will say is that this program is formatted with you in mind. We value holistic approaches to health care, which lends itself to valuing perspectives from other areas of study. There is a place for you here regardless of what your undergraduate major was or at what stage of education you became interested in the medical profession. This is a program where you can transition into the healthcare field on a schedule that is tailored to your needs, alongside people who appreciate your unique strengths.