A graduate program in medical sciences,
leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy,
is available through the College of Medicine and Graduate School
of Biomedical Sciences.
A special feature of the program is
an emphasis on broad based instruction in medical sciences, inasmuch
as the faculty believes that the quality of teaching and research
in medical sciences is highest in those programs that provide
a strong, conceptual framework derived from a firm foundation
of formal course work. Students who master this background in
medical sciences are properly prepared to undertake programs
of high quality research.
Traditionally, master's and doctoral
degrees in basic medical sciences have been awarded in clearly
subdivided disciplines such as anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology,
pharmacology and physiology. However, the boundaries separating
these disciplines have become less distinct because of the development
of integrated programs in medical education and because of the
necessity for interdisciplinary collaboration in biomedical research.
While the requirements of medical schools for faculty and for
medical researchers increasingly include a broad base in medical
sciences, most of the graduate programs in this area continue
to emphasize education along fairly narrow, traditional departmental
lines. The graduate program in medical sciences at The Texas
A&M University System Health Science Center is designed specifically
to remedy this deficiency by bridging traditional disciplinary
lines through both course work and research.
Applicants normally will be admitted
to the program only to pursue the PhD degree, but physicians
in residency training who desire to study for a Master of Science
degree in basic science may be permitted to do so. Master of
Science degree candidates must complete a minimum of 32 semester
hours credit. The College of Medicine and Graduate School of
Biomedical Sciences also offer a combined MD/PhD program by allowing
selected medical students to enroll in graduate programs simultaneously
with studies toward the MD degree. In addition, highly motivated
and well prepared physicians in residency training may enroll
in the graduate program (coincident with their residency training)
in order to pursue the PhD degree.
The PhD program will require a minimum
of 96 semester hours, at least 40 hours of which is typically
taken in formal course work. To ensure the multidisciplinary
nature of the program, each student will be required to complete
a minimum of 20 semester hours in a core program of courses from
at least four discipline areas.
Upon application to the program, each
student will declare an area of research interest from the basic
disciplines of anatomy and neurobiology, biochemistry and human
genetics, physiology, microbiology and immunology, pathology
or pharmacology and toxicology. The graduate advisor for that
discipline area will design, with the student, a course of study.
Selected courses within the College
of Medicine may be taken for graduate credit by majors in other
colleges. Only students admitted to, and in good standing in,
the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M will be considered
for admission to these courses. The number of graduate students
who can enroll in each course is limited by the availability
of facilities and by the requirements of the students in the
professional curriculum in medicine. Each graduate student seeking
admission to these courses must have the approval of his or her
faculty advisor, the head of the department in the College of
Medicine administering the course and the Dean of Medicine. Interested
students are encouraged to consult the Office of Graduate Studies,
College of Medicine for current offerings.
A limit of 12 hours of College of
Medicine courses may be applied to a master's level degree program
for majors in other colleges. The specific courses approved for
graduate credit follow.
(MSCI-Medical Sciences)
601. Principles of Basic Medical
Sciences I. (5-0). Credit 5.
Molecular basis of cellular functions
in human body: technologies for probing cellular functions
and structures; plasma membrane, internal membranes and intracellular
organelles; gene function; cell metabolism; cell motility and
cytoskeleton. Prerequisites: BICH 303 or equivalent; BIOL 413.
602. Principles of Basic Medical
Sciences II. (5-0). Credit 5.
Continuation of MSCI 601. Molecular
basis of cellular functions in human body: Intracellular and
intercellular signaling; cell growth, division and differentiation;
molecular basis of immunology, neurosciences and cardiovascular
sciences. Prerequisite: MSCI 601 or equivalent.
605. Laboratory Safety and
Ethics. (1-1). Credit 2.
The course will be concerned with
federal guidelines for laboratory safety, human and animal
experimentation and experimental use of controlled substances.
Prerequisite: Graduate classification.
610. Pathogenesis of Human
Disease. (3-0). Credit 3.
Molecular mechanisms of human
disease processes; the main goal of the course is to provide
students with an understanding of basic disease processes such
as cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory disease, AIDS,
tuberculosis, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord
injury. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
681. Seminar. (1-0). Credit
1.
Research presentations in areas
of current interest in the medical sciences. Prerequisite:
Graduate classification in appropriate field.
685. Directed Studies. Credit
1 to 6 each semester.
Limited investigation in fields
other than those chosen for thesis or dissertation. Prerequisite:
Approval of instructor.
687. Professionalism and Ethics.
(1-0). Credit 1.
Selected topics on professional
development and ethical conduct of science. Prereqiosote: Approval
of instructor.
689. Special Topics in...
Credit 1 to 4.
Selected topics in an identified
area of medical sciences. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite:
Approval of instructor.
690. Theory of Medical Sciences
Research. (2-0). Credit 2.
Design of research experiments
in various fields of medical sciences; evaluation of end results
with the aid of examples taken from current scientific literature.
Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
691. Research. Credit 1 or
more.
Research for thesis or dissertation.
Prerequisite: Approval of supervisory professor in chosen field.
695. Frontiers in Medical
Sciences Research. (2-0). Credit 2.
Present status of research in
a variety of significant medical sciences fields. Content will
depend on the availability of visiting lecturers who will be
selected because of distinguished international recognition
in their field of research. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite:
Graduate classification in appropriate fields.
