The Texas A&M University System
Health Science Center—College Station

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 or interdisciplinary studies in biochemistry and structural biology, cardiovascular and integrative biology, cell and molecular biology neurosciences and microbial and molecular pathogenesis. 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.

College of Medicine and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

(MSCI-Medical Sciences)

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. Prerequisite: 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.