Master's Bridge Program

Overview

The Bridge to Clinical Medicine major of the M.S. Program in Biomedical Sciences is designed to expand the pool of successful medical school applicants from medically underserved, rural, and inner-city communities. It is a 12-month program that provides both education in medical knowledge and experiences in clinical practice. The Bridge to Clinical Medicine M.S. major provides disadvantaged students with a bridge to medical school or a career in healthcare.

While preparing students for the rigors of medical school the Bridge to Clinical Medicine also provides training appropriate for a graduate degree and a career in healthcare-related biomedical sciences for those students who elect not to continue toward a medical degree.

Curriculum and Degree Requirements 

Students admitted to the Bridge to Clinical Medicine major will be enrolled in two courses with medical students in the medical degree curriculum. In the summer semester, Bridge students will take Medicine 1 which includes Clinical Anatomy-Embryology-Imaging, physical examination, and Values and Virtues of Medicine and Medicine 2, foundations of molecules and mechanisms, in the fall term. Non-medical school courses include a two semester clinical ethics course using small group, problem-based learning and focusing on developing an understanding of ethical concepts and issues as found in clinical cases. Fall semester requirements include the common core course in Statistics and a Healthcare Seminar designed to integrate medical, basic science, and biopsychosocial topics. The Bridge to Clinical Medicine curriculum concludes in the Spring Semester when students participate in a Community Service Preceptorship and will be enrolled in the Multicultural Healthcare course or the Community-based Health Research course. Students will participate in a clinical and research experience by developing an IRB-approved health-related research prospectus and by conducting site-based field work research. The students will conduct this community-based research for a minimum of 6 weeks with a medically underserved population under the supervision of faculty. The student will write a detailed research report and oral presentation of this experience and their findings to be evaluated by a team of College of Medicine faculty.

Admissions

Students will be selected for the Bridge Program from the regular Florida State University College of Medicine (FSU COM) admissions cycle. Students from medically underrepresented, rural and inner-city populations who do not gain direct admission to the medical school may be invited to participate. This three-semester experience will allow selected students to demonstrate growth and improvement in both academic and health-care settings. Students who complete all requirements for the Master of Science with a grade of B or better in all courses and otherwise fulfill the program requirements will be admitted to the FSU COM.