Bachelor of Science in Premedical Health Studies Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Set your future in motion with an undergraduate education that paves the way for you to attend medical school or diversity of graduate degree programs in the health sciences.

During this full-time, four-year program, you’ll work closely with faculty mentors who have years of expertise in both teaching and advising. You’ll complete the required prerequisites for medical and other professional schools through an interdisciplinary health studies curriculum that balances the basic and laboratory sciences with courses in the liberal arts. When you graduate, you’ll be well prepared to attend chiropractic, dental, medical, occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathic, physical therapy, physician assistant, podiatry, or veterinary school, or graduate education in nutrition, speech-language pathology, public health, health administration, or other health-oriented programs.

Mission Statement

The School of Arts and Sciences embodies and promotes the core values of the University through:

• Scholarship that creates knowledge, pedagogies, integration, and engagement in or through the many disciplines represented by the Arts and Sciences faculty;
• Interdisciplinary and interprofessional initiatives and collaborations that produce scholarship and public activities among Arts and Sciences faculty and in concert with other School faculties;
• Implementation of a core curriculum that integrates the basic sciences and liberal arts with professional studies;
• Commitment to and promotion of the values of general education, including the development of the whole person;
• Cultivation of knowledge, skills, and values that prepare students for lifelong learning;
• Development and application of learner-centered curriculum designs and teaching strategies;
• Assessment programming that systematically collects and uses data for curricular review and continuous improvement;
• Conscientious service to School, University, and professional communities;
• Collaboration with the Dean of Students and Student Affairs staff in the development and implementation of co-curricular programs.

The mission of the Premedical and Health Studies degree program is consistent with that of the School of Arts and Sciences but specifically cultivates and advances:

• Undergraduate preparation for successful advanced studies and careers in health and healthcare;
• Student engagement in community and university service-learning and volunteer activities that benefit others;
• Student intellectual inquiries and academic studies that encompass the biomedical, psychosocial, and cultural dimensions of illness, health, and healthcare;
• Faculty excellence in healthcare and health studies pedagogy, the discovery of knowledge across disciplines relevant to illness, health, and healthcare, and the dissemination and application of innovative pedagogies and new knowledge in these disciplines.

(Variations on this curriculum are possible.)

Year I Fall

• Biology I (w/lab)
• Chemical Principles I (w/lab)
• Introduction to the Major
• Expository Writing I
• Calculus I

Year I Spring

• Biology II (w/lab)
• Chemical Principles II (w/lab)
• Expository Writing II
• Introduction to Psychology
• Calculus II

Year II Fall

• Organic Chemistry I (w/lab)
• American Culture, Identity, and Public Life
• Health Professions Orientation
• Statistics
• Behavioral Science Elective
• Humanities Elective

Year II Spring

• Medical Microbiology (w/lab)
• Organic Chemistry II (w/lab)
• Introduction to Interpersonal Communication for Health Professionals
• Social Science Elective

Year III Fall

• Cellular Biochemistry or
• Foundations of Physics I (w/lab) or
• Physics I (w/lab)
• Behavioral Science Elective
• Advanced Biology Elective
• General Elective

Year III Spring

• Healthcare Ethics or
• Foundations of Physics II (w/lab) or
• Physics II (w/lab)
• Advanced Biology Elective
• Social Science Elective
• Liberal Arts Elective

Year IV Fall

• Humanities Elective
• General Electives

Year IV Spring

• Premedical and Health Studies Capstone Seminar
• General Electives

Program Goals

• To provide a degree program for students seeking undergraduate preparation for a professional practice degree in allopathic medicine, chiropractic, dentistry occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathic medicine, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, podiatric medicine, speech-language pathology, or veterinary medicine;
• To provide a degree program that will prepare students for graduate education in nutrition, public health, health administration, or other health-oriented fields;
• To offer opportunities for students to gain admission to professional programs through institutional affiliations that have specific advantages or opportunities such as accelerated progression, preferential or assured admission, or early acceptance;
• To promote an interdisciplinary curriculum that balances premedical courses in math and the sciences with courses that study health care and illness from the perspectives of liberal arts disciplines, and that emphasizes the development of problem-solving and analytical skills across the curriculum;
• To develop opportunities for students to pursue a minor concentration that fosters focused and advanced level learning in a specific discipline or area of study;
• To provide consistent communication, effective advising, and pre-professional mentoring between program faculty/administrators and students;
• To encourage student involvement with community service, clinical experience, and research as well as self-reflection regarding career goals;
• To promote civic engagement, intellectual curiosity, and dedication to life-long learning evidenced by an independent research project completed in a senior/capstone seminar.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students in the Premedical Health Studies program take an interdisciplinary curriculum that balances premedical courses in math and the sciences with courses that study health care and illness from the perspectives of liberal arts disciplines, with an emphasis on the development of problem-solving and analytical skills across the curriculum. By the end of the program, students will have developed proficiency in the following:

Ethical Responsibility

Behave in an honest and ethical manner; cultivate personal and academic integrity; adheres to ethical principles...rules, procedures; encourages others to behave in honest and ethical ways; develops and demonstrates ethical and moral reasoning.

Critical Thinking/Problem-Solving

Use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems in a wide variety of academic disciplines.

Analytical Skills & Scientific Inquiry

Apply quantitative reasoning to explain phenomena in the natural world. Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate & synthesize information, solve problems & formulate research questions/hypotheses; demonstrates fluency in scientific language & uses it to participate in scientific discourse.

Communication (Written/Oral)

Effectively and accurately convey information to others using written words and sentences using proper grammar. Effectively and accurately convey information to others using spoken words and sentences; listens effectively; recognizes potential communication barriers and adjusts approach or clarifies information as needed, depending on who they are communicating with.

Living Systems

Apply knowledge and technical/ laboratory skill in the natural sciences to solve problems related to molecular and macro systems including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs.

Human Behavior & Cultural Competence

Apply knowledge of the self, others, and social systems to solve problems related to the psychological, socio-cultural, and biological factors that influence health and well-being; show appreciation/respect for diversity when interacting with others; engage diverse & competing perspectives; appropriately address bias in themselves & others.

Interdisciplinary Synthesis & Intellectual Curiosity

Describe and synthesize knowledge across diverse, complementary disciplines. Use research methods to explore new ideas bridging disciplines. Seek challenges and explore new ideas and research advances in various fields.

Teamwork

Works collaboratively with others to achieve shared goals; shares information and knowledge with others and provides feedback; puts team goals ahead of individual goals.