Master
of Arts in
Medical
Sciences
Program
Structure
The required
and elective courses of the Program are offered at Boston University
School of Medicine, and the degree itself is awarded
by
the School of Medicine. Over 200 faculty of Basic Science and Clinical
departments participate as thesis advisors to students in the Program.
Eligibility
for Admission
All applicants
for admission are required:
- To
have a baccalaureate degree, and
to have completed the following courses: General Chemistry, Organic
Chemistry, Biology, and Physics
all with lab. It is strongly suggested that additional
Biology courses be completed prior to beginning the program.The
majority
of students
accepted have a cumulative and science GPA of 3.0 or
higher.
However, students with lower GPA's may be accepted if their
record shows
marked improvement in the upper division years of their
undergraduate career
- to
submit the results of the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT)
or the
Graduate Record Examination. Generally it
is expected
that
students will have MCAT scores above 25, however,
exceptions may be made as
many students retake the MCAT exam at the conclusion
of the program. GRE scores in the 70 percentile or higher are expected.
Degree
Requirements
Candidates
are required to complete a minimum of 8 semester courses (32 credit
hours) at the graduate level, including an original
thesis. Students wishing to complete all the requirements
of the program
in 12 months must register full-time (12-16 credits) in the
fall and spring
semesters and for at least two credits in both summer sessions,
or pay the continuing student fee for each of the two summer
semesters.
The program features a structured set of course requirements
and elective courses. The core courses required for all
students in
the program
are medical biochemistry, medical physiology, and biostatistics.
The
equivalent of at least two courses (8 credits) of electives must
be taken and a candidate for the MA in medical sciences
may register
for not more than a total of two semester courses (8
credits) in directed study/research.
The thesis
that is required must be based on research carried out by the candidate
under direct supervision
of a member
of the faculty
by
the candidate. The research project must be well conceived
and well focused, and the written thesis should be
of modest scope.
The research
project may involve library research only, or a combination
of library and laboratory research. The completed thesis
must be
approved by
the major advisor and a second reader who is a faculty
member.
The following
core courses are required of all students in the MA in Medical
Sciences Program:
GMS
BI 751 Biochemistry, 6 cr, 1st sem
GMS PH 740 Physiology, 6 cr, 2nd sem
-or-
GMS PH 730, 731 Human
Physiology A, B, 4 cr each semester,
1st and 2nd sem
GMS MS 700 Elementary
Biostatistics, 2 cr,
1st and 2nd sem
-or-
GMS CI 670 Elementary
Biostatistics with Computer, 4 cr, 1st sem
Concentrations
It is
possible for students in the M.A. in Medical Sciences Program to
direct their elective course
selection and
final thesis project
to one of the three
concentrated areas of study:
- Mental
Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine
- Clinical
Investigation
- Medical
Nutrition Sciences
Concentration
in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine
The renewed
emphasis in most medical education programs on primary care demands
that physicians
become adept at the assessment,
treatment and prevention
of mental disorders as well as physical disease. Increasingly,
health care professionals
are being asked to become experts in human behavior since
the key to health promotion
is prevention. The mental health curricula which includes
course work in the Counseling Techniques, Health Psychology, Group
Treatment
Modalities, Psychopathology, Neuroscience and the Addictions
provides a unique
opportunity for a mental
health specialty for medical science students.
12-13
credit hours are required to complete the mental health concentration
for medical science students that includes
taking three required
mental health courses
( 3- credits each) and one elective mental health course
( 3-4 credits).
Following
are the required courses:
GMS
MH 703 Counseling
Techniques: Helping Relationships, Skills & Procedures.
Prereq:
Consent of instructor. Provides an overview of diagnoses, demonstrates
techniques for building a helping
relationship, and treatment approaches for
a wide range of disorders including depression,
trauma, anxiety disorders, and problems of living. Brady.
3 cr, 1st sem.
GMS
MH 704 Group Work Dynamics & Process
Prereq: consent of instructor.
Provides an overview of the basic principles of group treatment/counseling
including how
to recruit and teach a group and modalities such as
dynamic therapy groups, behavioral and skill-based groups for special
populations. Brady. 3 cr, 2nd sem.
GMS
MH 711 Health and Exercise Psychology
Prereq: consent of instructor.
This course has been designed to introduce
students
to central
concepts of applied
health and exercise psychology which draw interdependently
from psychology, behavioral medicine, exercise physiology,
and psychoneuroimmunology.
Incorporates a biopsychosocial
approach and presents major theories and techniques
of health behavior change and health behavior assessment.
Perna. 3
cr, 1st sem.
Students
who elect the mental health concentration must also elect to take
one of the following courses:
GMS
MH 705 Psychopathology
Prereq: consent of instructor. Provides an
overview of the bio-psycho-social influences
over severe
psychiatric illnesses as
well as more common disorders diagnosed. Brady,
Linn. 3 cr, 1st sem.
GMS
MH 812 Addictions
Prereq: consent of instructor. Reviews diagnostic
criteria for substance abuse
and dependence and treatment strategies
utilized in the
treatment of alcoholism and drug abuse. Brief,
Ciraulo. 3 cr, 2nd sem.
GMS
BN 777 Basic Neurosciences
This course is the same as GMS BN 778
(4 cr) and GMS BN
779
(2 cr),
providing
with students
with
30 hours
or required
course time. For Mental
Health and Behavioral Medicine students. Oscar Berman.
3 cr, 1st
sem.
GMS
MS 703 Neuroscience
Prereq: consent of instructor. Integrated treatment
of
anatomy
and physiology
of the nervous system.
In anatomy classes,
brains and
spinal cords are dissected and microscope
slides examined to study cytology and
projections of neurons. Other
practical classes and
demonstrations cover physiology,
neurology, ophthalmology and otolaryngology.
Sandell. 4cr, 2nd sem.
Concentration
in Clinical Investigation
Clinical
investigation is research that involves humans as research
subjects. This type of research is growing rapidly, with the growth
occurring at many levels.
The pharmaceutical and biotech
industries
are constantly discovering new disease "targets" and
new compounds to attack these targets.
The Human Genome Project will also
expand the number of identifiable disease targets.
In the medical device industry,
the development of new and better materials for devices
and the development of hybrid
devices (implantable devices with
a pharmaceutical or biotech component) have nearly limitless
potential. All of these new technologies
need to be tested in
clinical research studies to document
their safety and efficacy in humans. To conduct
these clinical studies, we need
well-trained professionals who know how
to conduct human research. This
need will continue to grow as the demand for clinical
studies grows. The courses offered
in the clinical research concentration
provide a solid grounding in the
technical and ethical aspects that make human research
different from other types of research.
Students will learn the elements
of study design, trial management,
human research regulations, and write a thesis
about a clinical research topic.
Four
courses (16 credit hours) are required to complete the concentration
in Clinical
Research.
The two
following courses are required:
GMS
CI 675 Design and Conduct of Clinical Trials
Prereq: Prior knowledge of
statistics is recommended
and consent of
instructor. Covers the history
and current methodologies
used in the
design and conduct
of clinical trials. Topics
include sample selection,
data forms
and management, patient recruitment,
enrollment,
and compliance, cost
measures and effectiveness.
Halloran. 4 cr, 1st sem.
GMS
CI 631 Clinical Trials Management
Preq: GMS CI 675 Design and
Conduct of Clinical
Trials and consent of instructor. This
course is
an integrative
learning experience,
combining a comprehensive
review
of the good
clinical practice core
principles with explanation and analysis
of selected
portions of the
Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR), applicable
to clinical
research during
the new drug development
process. The case study
approach is
used in this
course since
the drug
development
industry
translates
these
regulations
into both
written and unwritten
standards, practices, and guidelines.
Each session will use
activities to expand
the interpretation of the regulations,
further integrating
real-life issues into the classroom.
In order to ensure
that classroom learning is linked with the
students'
work experiences,
there will be an
outside project
required
which will incorporate
the course work
with the on-the-job
situations, and a final presentation
to share the
learning with the entire
class. Halloran. 4
cr, 2nd sem.
Two of
the three listed
courses are required:
GMS
CI 640 Regulatory and Compliance Issues
Prereq:
Premedical course requirements and consent
of instructor.
Course explains the
regulatory
requirements for
healthcare products, that
is, drugs, biologics,
diagnostics, and
devices. Intended for those
interested in regulatory
affairs
or in the
clinical evaluation,
development, manufacture,
testing and/or
commercialization
of these products. Provided
and
in-depth review
of the pertinent
FDA regulations and guidelines
and links these to
the scientific and logistical
activities
involved in taking
a p[product from research
to
market. Content and
preparation of regulatory
submissions, including
an Investigation
New Drug Application
(IND), an Investigational
Device
Exemption
(IDE), a New
Drug Application
(NDA), a Biologic
License Application (BLA),
a Pre-Market Approval Application
(PMA),
and
a 510K Pre-Market
Notification
are described. International
requirements for
health care products are
also reviewed. Gloff.
4 cr, 1st sem.
GMS
CI 660 Good Clinical
Practices in Clinical
Research
Prereq: Consent
of instructor.
Introduces
regulatory
responsibilities
of sponsors, monitors,
and
investigators conducting
clinical trials.
Practical
information
and exercises are
designed on GCP
compliance from
an industrial
perspective. Topics
include: selecting
qualified
investigators;
obtaining ethical
approval for patients,
and initiating
sites successfully.
Group discussions
and guest speakers
help
students
learn practical
skills.
Halloran. 4 cr,
Sum 2.
GMS
MS 610 Ethico-legal Issues
of Bioscience
Students examine
the development
and implementation
of regulatory
as well
as ethical issues
involved with
conducting clinical
trials. Topics
include:
use
of human subjects,
privacy and confidentiality,
conflicts of
interest, use
of
stem cells in
research, federal
laws affecting
laboratories,
genetic testing
and gene therapy
trials.
There will also
be
discussions on
landmark legal
cases
affecting laboratory
scientists. Yashon.
4 cr, 1st
sem.
Concentration
in Medical
Nutrition Sciences
Recent
research on the genetic,
environment,
behavioral
and social
determinants
of human
diseases have focused
attention
on the
integral
role of medical
nutritional
sciences
in disease
epidemiology.
Advances
in
basic nutritional
sciences
have identified
new mechanisms
of biological
action
of the essential
nutrients
and other components
of foods.
There is increasing
evidence
of the
efficacy
of a wide variety
of
medical nutrition
therapies
for the prevention
and
treatment
of many chronic
and infectious
diseases
and their
complications. The importance
of nutrition
in
individual
and population
health throughout
the human
lifecycle, particularly
into advanced
age,
is increasingly
recognized.
New methods
in nutritional
epidemiology
have
expanded
research on the relationship
between diet,
nutritional
status,
disease risk
and health
outcomes.
Evidence
is
emerging
that public
health nutrition
interventions
and health
communications
campaigns,
consistent
with national
health policies,
are effective
in
promoting
and improving the
nation’s
health and
that of vulnerable
population
subgroups.
The concentration
in Medical
Nutrition
Sciences
will provide
multidisciplinary
training
in
nutrition
sciences.
The
following
four courses
are required
to complete
the concentration
in Medical
Nutrition
Sciences:
GMS
NU 600 Medical
Nutrition
Sciences
Prereq:
Organic
Chemistry,
Basic
Nutrition, Cell
Biology,
Human
Physiology, and consent
of
instructor. This
course
examines
the
interrelationship between
cellular
molecular
biology,
nutrient
metabolism,
and
human
clinical
nutrition.
It
emphasizes the metabolic
basis
of
nutrition as related
to
the maintenance
of
optimal
nutritional
status
as
well
as health
and
well-being throughout
the
human life
cycle. Ray, 4
cr,
1st
sem.
GMS
NU 610 Research
Methods
in
Medical
Nutrition
Sciences
Prereq
Medical
Nutrition
Sciences,
Statistical
Methods,
consent
of
instructor.
This
course
examines
research
approaches
and
techniques
used
in
medical
nutrition
research
in
a
variety
of
settings:
basic
and
laboratory
investigation;
nutritional
epidemiology;
population
and
individualized
clinical
research
trials;
population-based
nutrition
promotion
or
educational
campaigns;
and
community
nutrition
interventions
and
programs.
Krall,
4
cr, 1st
sem.
GMS
NU 620 Research, Clinical
and Public
Policy Applications
in Medical
Nutrition Sciences
Prereq: Medical
Nutrition Sciences,
Human Physiology,
consent of
instructor. This
course examines
how researchers,
clinicians and
public policy
experts translate
nutrition research
into practice—into
new directions
for basic
and clinical
research; into
public health
nutrition policies,
programs, and
social marketing
campaigns; and
into guidelines
for clinical
nutrition practice.
Apovian, 4
cr, 2nd
sem.
GMS
NU 700 Medical Nutrition
Sciences Seminar
Prereq: Medical
Nutrition Sciences,
consent of
instructor. This
course provides
a forum
for discussion
between students
and expert
nutrition faculty
who re
leading scientists
in the
field of
medical nutrition
sciences. The
seminar will
enable students
to develop
critical inquiry
skills related
to the
design and
interpretation of
nutrition-related research.
Millen, var cr, 1st and 2nd sem.
Advising Support
The Division of Graduate Medical Sciences has an organized advising
program to assist in all aspects of the students activities while
in the program and beyond. These include:
-
Academic advising related to course selection and sequence
- Selection
of thesis research topics and advisors
- Career
guidance and planning, including selection of schools, editing of
personal statements and help with
interview skills
- Completion
of letters of recommendation.
Sample
Curriculum (Twelve Months)
Medical School
Courses in bold print
*Elective course, others may be selected
Fall
Semester:
Biochemistry
6 cr.
Microscopic
Anatomy 6 cr.*
Introduction
to Medical Pharmacology 4 cr.*
Total
16 cr.
Spring
Semester:
Physiology
6 cr.
Introduction
to Pathology 4 cr.*
Endocrinology
4 cr.*
Biostatistics
2 cr.
Total
16 cr.
Summer Session I & II
Directed
thesis research
Elective Courses
GMS
PM 800 Advanced
General Pharmacology, 2 cr, 1st sem
GMS BN 779 Beginning
Basic Neurosciences, 2 cr, 1st and 2nd sem
GMS PM 820 Behavioral
Pharmacology, 2 cr, 1st sem
GMS MS 753 Cell
Biology, 2 cr, 1st sem
GMS BN 809 CNS
Functions, 2 cr, 1st sem
GMS MM 703 Cancer
Biology, 2 cr, 2nd sem
GMS CI 631 Clinical
Trials Management, 4 cr, 2nd sem
GMS MH 701 Counseling
Theory, 3 cr, 1st sem
GMS MH 703 Counseling
Techniques, 3 cr, 1st sem
GMS PM 810 Current
Topics in Pharmacology, 2 cr, 2nd sem
GMS PM 675 Design
and Conduct of Clinical Trials, 4 cr, 2nd sem
GMS MS 610 Ethico-Legal
Issues of Bioscience, 4 cr, 1st sem
GMS MM 701 Genetics
and Epidemiology of Disease, 2 cr, 1st sem
GMS AN 501S Gross Anatomy (summer only), 6 cr, sum 2
GMS MH 704 Group
Work Dynamics and Process, 3cr, 2nd sem
GMS MH 711 Health
and Exercise Psychology, 3 cr, 1st sem
GMS MS 781 Introduction
to Human Genetics, 4cr, 1st sem
GMS MM 705 Immunity
and Infection, 2 cr, 1st sem
GMS MS 706 Introduction
to Computer Applications in Healthcare and Biomedicine, 4 cr, 2nd sem
GMS PM 730 Introduction
to Medical Pharmacology, 4 cr, 1st sem
GMS
AN 700 Medical
Histology, 6 cr,
1st, 2nd, and sum 2 sem
GMS
PA 510 Medical
Immunology, 2 cr,
2nd sem
GMS
NU 600 Medical
Nutrition Sciences,
4 cr, 1st sem
GMS
NU 700 Medical
Nutrition Sciences Seminar, var cr, 1st and 2nd sem
GMS
MI 511 Medical
Microbiology and Immunology, 4 cr, 1st sem
GMS
MS 783, 784 Molecular
Basis of Neurologic Diseases, 2 cr each sem,
1st and 2nd sem.
GMS
MM 710 Molecules
to Molecular Therapeutics,
4 cr, 2nd sem
GMS
MS 703 Neurosciences, 2nd sem,
4 cr
GMS
MM 707 Organ
System Diseases, 2 cr, 1st sem
GMS
PA 600 Introduction
to Pathology,
4 cr, 2nd sem
GMS
PM 843 Pharmacologic
Intervention in Inflammatory
Responses, 2 cr, 2nd
sem
GMS
MS 552 Presenting
Data in Biomedicine,
4 cr, 2nd sem
GMS
GE 701 Principles
of Genetics and Genomics, 4 cr, 1st sem
GMS
MH 705 Psychopathology, 3 cr, 1st
sem
GMS
CI 640 Regulatory
and Compliance Issues, 4 cr, 1st sem
GMS
NU 620 Research
Methods in Medical Nutrition
Sciences, 4 cr, 1st sem
GMS
MS 711 Research
Seminar in Medical Informatics, 2 cr, 1st sem
GMS
MH 706 Social
and Cultural Foundations,
3 cr, 2nd sem
GMS
CI 790 Seminar
in Clinical Research,
2 cr, 2nd sem
GMS
BN 821 Seminar
in Neuroimaging,
2 cr, on demand
GMS
MI 518 Virology, 4 cr, 2nd sem
Volunteer
Experience
Students
wishing to enhance their medically related experience will find a
wealth of volunteer activities available in the Boston
Medical
Center Community. They include:
- Clinical
and laboratory research opportunities which often offer significant
patient contact, a plus
when going through the interview
process.
- Outreach
Van Project--Working with Boston area homeless. This is a student
organized and run activity in which students go
out
to local
homeless shelters along with a staff physician to provide medical
care and assistance to individuals in need of clothing, health
care or simply
and "ear" to share experiences.
- Boston
Medical Center Volunteer Services including emergency room, pediatrics
and other
specialty clinics again offering significant
patient contact and experience in health care settings.
- City
Lab--an opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience in a project
designed to expose high school students to biomedical
science
using a bus with a fully equipped molecular biology laboratory
to visit local schools and provide hands on experience to
students in
the scientific
process.
