Medical Sciences, MS
The Master of Science (MS) degree in Medical Sciences under the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) program is reserved for students pursuing a medical degree (MD) in the School of Medicine who have decided to terminate their education before receiving the medical degree. The MS degree recognizes the work completed at Tulane University School of Medicine.
Program Director
Heather Machado, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Assistant Dean, BMS Graduate Program
hmachado@tulane.edu
Program Co-Director
Karen Weissbecker, LMSW, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Director of Student Support and Wellness
kremer@tulane.edu
Admissions requirements
• Bachelor’s degree (B.S. or B.A.)
• Completion of the first two years of Tulane School of Medicine MD courses with passing grades. Students must pass all coursework to be eligible, however, passing USMLE Step 1 is not a requirement.
• Must be in good standing both academically and professionally
• Approval by the Tulane Professionalism & Promotion Committee (PPC) and BMS Leadership
Students who continue to pursue an MD at Tulane School of Medicine are not eligible. This degree is offered as an alternative to continuing the MD degree.
Degree requirements
• 24 credit hours of School of Medicine coursework
Once enrolled in the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) MS Program, twenty-four (24) credit hours of medical school coursework will be applied toward the MS degree. To receive credit, grades must reflect a minimum of 3.0 GPA, with no single grade lower than a B-.
• 6 credit hours Special Topics (BMSP 7500)
Students will select a Thesis Mentor that must be School of Medicine faculty. Once the topic is approved by the Thesis Mentor, a twenty to thirty-page literary research paper (not including references) will be written and submitted to the Thesis Mentor. The thesis may be a literature search paper or could include some bench work, depending on the Thesis Mentor. The thesis will be graded and given final approval for the thesis by the Thesis Mentor.
• Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 (transferred MD coursework and Special Topics)
• Earn a grade of B- or higher (transferred MD coursework and Special Topics)
Timeline
• Students may apply after the completion of at least 2 years of medical school. Once
enrolled, they may not continue to pursue an MD degree.
• Students may complete the degree in one semester (6 credits BMSP 7500 Fall) or
over two semesters (3 credits BMSP 7500 Fall, 3 credits BMSP 7500 Spring).
MD Coursework Available to Transfer
Once enrolled in the BMS Program, a minimum of twenty-four (24) credit hours of medical school coursework will be applied toward the MS degree. To receive credit, grades must reflect a minimum of 3.0 GPA, with no single grade lower than a B-.
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MD Coursework Available to Transfer (a minimum of 24 credits are required): | 24 | |
| GANT 1008 | Gross Anatomy | 8 |
| BIOC 1010 | Biochemistry | 7 |
| GENE 1007 | Genetics | 1 |
| HSTO 1001 | Histology | 5 |
| PYSI 1002 | Physiology | 5 |
| FIM1 1005 | Foundations Med I | 5 |
| IMMU 2001 | Immunology | 1 |
| FIM2 2005 | Foundations Med II | 2 |
| MICR 2000 | Intro to Infectious Diseases | 4 |
| PATH 2002 | Mechnms of Disease | 14 |
| PHAR 2003 | Pharmacology | 5 |
| CLDG 2004 | Clinical Diagnosis | 3 |
| BRBH 2006 | Brain, Mind and Behavior | 6 |
Required Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Course:
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Course: | ||
| BMSP 7500 | Special Topics | 6 |
For more information, contact the School of Medicine.