Masters in Medical Sciences Concentrations
MS in Medical Sciences, Pre-Professional Program (MSP3)
The University of South Florida's one-year Masters of Science in Medical Sciences program provides a high-quality “pre-professional” program that will significantly enhance and extend the academic development of future healthcare professionals and contribute to a diverse student body. This innovative, interdisciplinary program, the first in Florida to provide an integrated approach to the subject areas that comprise the “basic” biomedical sciences, is designed to provide students with a solid academic foundation prior to continuing in a variety of healthcare-related professional programs. The pre-professional program was founded on the premise that future clinicians, researchers, educators and healthcare professionals in the biomedical sciences will require extensive interdisciplinary training in order to develop novel solutions to current health care problems.
Prospective Applicant Profile
The ideal applicant to the MSMS pre-professional program:
- Is interested in improving their academic credentials before applying to a health professional school (e.g., MD, DO, DDS, Pharmacy, Physician Assistant, etc).
- Wants to academically prepare themselves before entering a health professional school.
- May have missed the deadline to apply to a health professional school.
- Wishes to experience an interdisciplinary biomedical sciences curriculum.
Curriculum
The interdisciplinary curriculum has been designed to provide the background training that will equip students with the essential tools for a successful career in the biomedical sciences.
This program is designed to be completed with full time enrollment in one year (Fall, Spring, and Summer). Courses are held on-ground. The full curriculum can be found in the Graduate Catalog.
Open houses are offered on-ground and virtually via Microsoft Teams.
For more information, please see the Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs News & Events page.
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Program Objectives
The Masters of Science in Medical Sciences, pre-professional program aims to:
- Provide advanced scientific training in the basic medical sciences which require greater knowledge than delivered in most undergraduate or non-degree post-baccalaureate professional programs.
- Further develop the training of future physicians and other health-care practitioners.
- Support the academic progress and development of students who wish to pursue future healthcare or biomedical science careers.
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Program Highlights
Discover features that make this program unique
Program
Our accelerated pre-professional program is designed to be completed in one-year. The curriculum offers an interdisciplinary approach to the medical sciences, encompassing a wide range of topics. Students will complete a minimum of 32 credit hours and earn their master’s degree within this time frame.
Location
The MSMS pre-professional program is located on the University of South Florida’s highly recognized USF Health north campus in Tampa. The USF Health campus is comprised of numerous professional schools, allowing master’s students to interact and learn alongside other health professional students and faculty.
Tuition
USF offers affordable graduate level tuition rates, one of the lower rates in the state of Florida, and one of the lowest in the country.
Faculty
Our master’s students are taught by highly trained faculty from USF Health's Morsani College of Medicine.
Workshops
The Graduate Affairs office supports our students by hosting various workshops throughout the year. These workshops can range from learning how to enhance study skills or write a personal statement, to information sessions hosted by admission representatives from various professional schools.
Advising
Our students receive one-on-one advising regarding their application to professional schools, as well as academic advising throughout the program.
Teaching Assistants
We hire outstanding alumni as teaching assistants (TAs) for our current students. TAs will host review sessions for each course to reinforce course materials. TAs also serve as a point of contact for additional individual review supplementing primary course instruction.
Partnerships
The Graduate Affairs office has partnered with the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) to provide interviews for our students who meet specific academic metrics.
MCAT preparation
The Graduate Affairs office has partnered with the Princeton Review to offer an MCAT preparation course, GMS 6000 Medical Sciences Success Skills. Students will pay graduate tuition rates for this 2-credit course.
Gross Anatomy Lab
Our students have the option of taking the Gross Anatomy Lab elective. Students will have access to the state-of-the-art facility to enhance their education through cadaver dissection under the supervision of Anatomy faculty.
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Alumni
Quinn Frier
Where you’re from: Mayo, Florida
Year you graduated from the MSP3 Program: 2015
Current School/Program: The Florida State University College of Medicine
Advice for future USF MCOM MS applicants/students: For many of you, this program is an opportunity to prove yourselves academically to professional programs. While others are using this program as a “gap year” activity. Whatever the case, I advise you to use this opportunity wisely. Merely completing this program will not guarantee you admittance to professional schools, you have to do well. Reinvent yourself as a student, develop new study methods, and take advantage of all the advantages the program/faculty has to offer. Get involved and give back to the community, Tampa is rich with volunteer opportunities that will allow you to make a difference and grow as a member of society. The program is challenging, but if you buckle down and do well it will get you where you want to go and prepare you very well for the next level. All of the MSP3 graduates in my class at FSUCOM, including myself, have all done well in medical school thanks in part due to the experiences and exposure gained from this program. In closing, remember that stats (MCAT/GPA) aren’t everything admissions committees consider and you should strive every day to make yourself more than “just a number.”
Ekaterina Halivelakis
Where you're from: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Year you graduated from the MSP3 program: 2015
Current School/Program: Creighton University School of Medicine (M.D.) Class of 2020
Advice for future USF MCOM MS applicants and/or students: MSP3 is an excellent program to be a part of, whether you’re Pre-Medical, pre-PA, pre-PhD or pre-Dental. I went into the program initially because I was unsure of which route I wanted to take between academic medicine and clinical medicine. Not only was I able to explore what I am truly passionate about, but the program does a fantastic job preparing you for medical school course loads and boosting your MCAT score. I am proud to say that I am excelling through my medical school education now, and I attribute it to how well this program prepared me for medical school. I am adamant about recommending this program to my friends who also are either undecided or want the extra edge on their medical school applications. If you’re thinking about it now, I promise you will thank yourself later once you apply and progress through the program. It is quite challenging and on par with medical school course work, but you will be surprised at how well you can handle the course loads and how accessible your professors will be for help if you need it.
Randy Ceballos
Where you're from: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Year you graduated from the MSP3 program: 2015
Current School/Program: Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Advice for future USF MCOM MS applicants and/or students: My best advice would be to not give up on your dreams. The road to medical school is not supposed to be easy, but there is a lot to learn during the journey. The best decision I made was to attend the MSP3 program at USF. I felt ready for medical school and my academic success demonstrated that. In addition to preparing me with the knowledge I needed, it was the reason I created lifelong friendships and was forced to go out of my comfort zone and become a well-rounded student.
