College of Human Medicine

MISSION

The College of Human Medicine was founded in 1964 to develop and implement programs in medical education, research, and service designed to improve the system of health care within the State of Michigan, both directly and through its students and graduates.  In the tradition of Michigan State University, the land grant university for the State of Michigan, the college is an educational institution and a social resource in service to the health of the people of the State. As part of this mission, the college seeks opportunities and mechanisms to integrate its academic functions with major community health organizations and systems throughout the State, creating a network of education, research, and health services.

The primary mission of the college is the education of physicians who will bring the most sophisticated scientific knowledge to bear on medical problems and health status in a humane and compassionate way, and who will take leadership roles in bringing about changes directed toward achieving equal opportunities for health care for all.  A central focus of the mission of this college is the education of primary care physicians.

A commitment to this mission should become part of the education of all graduates of the college, for it is with these individuals that the responsibility rests to pass this commitment to future generations.  Corollaries of this mission are (1) to recruit a diversified student body, faculty, and staff to reflect a changing society and (2) to develop and participate in systems of health care directed toward unmet needs.

The college has been organized to accomplish its mission in undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate education by:

1. Educating physicians who can serve the needs of the State of Michigan in an exemplary fashion as characterized by:  continued learning and professional renewal throughout their lives; concern for the biological, social, and emotional elements in all health problems; readiness to identify and respond to health care needs and problems in their communities; and use of the knowledge, skills, and concepts essential to quality health care and medical problem solving.
2. Generating new knowledge and assisting in its dissemination and application for the benefit of the people of the State of Michigan through education and support of faculty, students, and graduates who critically assess and contribute to the humanistic and scientific studies that are essential to the evolving basis of medical practice.
3. Helping to provide, to evaluate, and, where needed, to improve appropriate health care services and their associated delivery systems.

The College of Human Medicine provides several programs of study leading to health careers. In addition to the professional program that leads to the Doctor of Medicine degree, the college offers master's and Doctor of Philosophy programs through its basic science departments, interdepartmental programs, and the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences. These departments are Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Epidemiology, Genetics, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Physiology. The college also offers an undergraduate specialization in bioethics, humanities, and society.

The clinical departments of the college are Family Medicine; Neurology and Ophthalmology; Pediatrics and Human Development; Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology; Psychiatry; Medicine; Radiology; and Surgery. The College sponsors residency and fellowship programs in cardiology, hematology/oncology, internal medicine, neonatology, pediatrics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry, and surgery.

Students who are enrolled in the professional program that leads to the Doctor of Medicine degree may elect specializations in Infancy and Early Childhood. For additional information, refer to the statement on Interdepartmental Graduate Specializations in Infancy and Early Childhood in the College of Social Science section of this catalog.

PROGRAM IN HUMAN MEDICINE

In 1991, a new four–year curriculum leading to the M.D. degree was implemented.  The professional program leading to the Doctor of Medicine degree has been accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the American Medical Association/American Association of Medical Colleges.

To achieve its educational goals, the college will:

1. Recruit students from diverse academic, geographical, racial, and ethnic origins.
2. Enact a curriculum for medical students that:
   (a)    is strongly influenced by the focus of educating primary care physicians.
   (b)    considers the understanding of human behavior and social processes, as well as the biological sciences, as basic to medicine.
   (c)    is located, to the extent possible, in communities that closely approximate the environments in which students, as physicians, 
           will ultimately provide health care.
   (d)   considers the needs of the population which its students will ultimately serve.
   (e)   emphasizes medicine as a helping profession as well as an applied science.
   (f)    fosters student responsibility for self–learning, peer evaluation, interactive professional discussion, and decision making in 
           groups of health professionals.
   (g)    results in the preparation of graduates to enter and complete graduate medical education.
   (h)    can be evaluated in terms of its intended accomplishments.
   (I)    can be modified based on assessment of its effectiveness.
   (j)    emphasizes preventive and health maintenance services in clinical practice.
3. Provide oversight to integrated and affiliated community residency and fellowship programs that stress goals similar to those of the medical student curriculum.
4. Promote and support graduate student and postgraduate programs in the disciplines basic to medicine.
5. Provide programs whereby physicians and other health professionals can acquire the conceptual background and skills in instruction, educational planning, evaluation, research, and administration needed to function as effective faculty members.
6. Conduct patient care programs that encourage and foster continued clinical excellence by the faculty and that provide students with examples of quality–evaluated and cost–effective patient care.
7. Sponsor, organize, and evaluate continuing education programs in medically related fields of biological, behavioral, social, educational, and clinical sciences to assist practicing physicians and other health professionals in pursuing lifelong learning objectives, often by collaborating with community organizations and physicians.
8. Collaborate with other colleges in providing educational programs and experiences that would expand the scope of health professions education in the University.

CURRICULUM

The curriculum is divided into two primary sections:  the preclinical and the clinical.  The preclinical curriculum is divided into two distinct, though complementary, blocks:  Block 1, a discipline–based introduction to the basic biological, behavioral, social, and clinical sciences; and Block 2, an interdisciplinary, integrative experience.  Enhanced learning time is an integral part of the preclinical curriculum.  The clinical curriculum, or Block 3, is one in which the student concentrates primarily on acquiring the skills and content necessary to clinical medicine.  Students must complete satisfactorily the requirements of Blocks 1, 2, and 3 as specified below.  Block 1 normally extends over 37 weeks, Block 2 extends over 32 weeks, and Block 3 extends over 77 weeks.

BLOCK 1

The basic biological science courses in Block 1 are offered jointly to  students in both the colleges of Human and Osteopathic Medicine.  Courses which represent the different philosophies of the two professions are offered separately.  The College of Human Medicine offers Human Development and Behavior, Clinical Skills, Integrative Clinical Correlations, and Mentor Programs.

The first 37 weeks in medical school provide students with an introductory overview of the various disciplines basic to medicine.  This block consists of a series of discipline–based modules which include both classroom, laboratory, and self–instructional experiences.  The purpose is to expose all students to basic terminology and to help them understand basic biological, behavioral, social, and clinical principles in medical science. 

The content of the basic biological science courses is presented through lecture and laboratory sessions in the individual disciplines of anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, microbiology, pharmacology, genetics, neuroscience, and radiology. 

The course on Human Development and Behavior in Society is offered in Block 1 and is an introduction to principles of human behavior across the life cycle. An Integrative Clinical Correlations course sequence is offered across Block 1. The Integrative Clinical Correlations sequence is designed to (1) demonstrate the integral relationship between the basic biological, social, and behavioral sciences and clinical medicine and (2) demonstrate the use of basic science principles in understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of clinical problems, and in diagnosing and treating patients and their illnesses.  Basic science concepts, which have already been presented in the discipline–based modules and which are identified as key concepts for integration and for clinical practice, are reinforced within a clinical context.

MENTOR PROGRAM

The mentor program includes time specifically designed for students to meet with a mentor in the first year of the preclinical curriculum. Since the college is committed to educating physicians who will bring the most sophisticated scientific knowledge to bear on medical problems and health status in a humane and compassionate way, it is important that students acquire not only the knowledge and skills necessary to practice medicine, but also the values and attitudes that all physicians should have. Values and attitudes are assimilated through the process of professionalization. A series of small group meetings with faculty role models in actual clinical settings focuses on that process.

The Clinical Skills courses and enhanced learning time, which extend across Blocks 1 and 2, are described later in this statement.

BLOCK 2

Block 2 consists of the Problem–Based Learning Experience, a course sequence entitled Social Context of Clinical Decisions, a Medical Humanities course and the Clinical Skills sequence.  The Problem–Based Learning Experience is an interdisciplinary program in which patient cases serve as vehicles for learning and applying the multiple basic disciplines upon which the art and science of medicine rest.  The program emphasizes small group and peer interaction to foster development of problem–solving skills along with student responsibility for self–directed study, peer teaching, and self–evaluation of strengths and weaknesses.  Each problem domain contains multiple patient cases that provide the major instructional stimuli in the program.  Embedded in the cases are basic biological, behavioral, and social science content; pathogenetic, pathophysiological, and psychopathological mechanisms of disease; patient management issues; medical ethics; critical analysis and medical problem solving; health care delivery; and interpersonal encounters between physicians, patients, and families of patients.

The learning format is a combination of guided self–study and small group discussion.  Students meet with faculty preceptors in small groups two or three times each week to discuss patient cases.  Other scheduled time each week includes clinical science, mentor group sessions, and lectures or other experiences depending on the problem domain being studied.

Learning resources for the Block 2 program are keyed to basic concepts and to patient cases.  Such resources include standard textbooks, journal articles, and various self–instructional media.  Resources integral to patient cases, including pathologic slides and radiographs, are included.  Lectures and other experiences are offered depending on the domain being studied. Students are encouraged to develop seminars and laboratory experiences which they believe will complement their learning.  Basic science and clinical faculty are available as resource individuals in addition to their roles as small–group preceptors.

The Social Context of Clinical Decisions course sequence offers seminar experiences across Block 2 organized around four themes:  understanding basic concepts of epidemiology, developing fundamental critical analysis skills, learning about health care organizational and funding systems, and beginning to explore problems in medical ethics.  At the end of this sequence, students form simulated health care policy teams and apply the basic concepts of this course sequence to a health care problem of their choosing.

The Medical Humanities course offers a final four–week seminar in one of three areas which students select:  literature in medicine, history of medicine, and spirituality in medicine.

BLOCK 1 AND 2 CLINICAL SKILLS

This five–semester sequence introduces students to basic concepts of communication and of patient assessment.  During the first year, students are introduced to the process of communication and of learning about the patient's model of and experience with illness.  They learn interviewing techniques by conducting interviews with real and simulated patients.  Additionally, they begin to learn the psychomotor skills of the physical examination.  In Year 2, the student has advanced experiences in physical diagnosis, medical history taking, and the development of the written medical record.  These experiences involve actual patients in hospital and ambulatory settings.  An experience in examining newborns and interviewing mothers of newborns is also offered.  Specialized physical examination experiences are offered, including examining geriatric patients, performing a neurological examination, and integrating the various data collection and organizational skills learned throughout the sequence.

The Longitudinal Patient-Centered Experience (LPCE), coordinated primarily within Clinical Skills, begins in January of the first year. A pair of students meets about eight times during a 15-month period with a ‘patient’ volunteer who has a chronic illness. Students learn about health and chronic disease from the patient’s point of view. Assignments are integrated into several courses.

BLOCK 1 AND 2 ENHANCED LEARNING TIME

The weekly schedule is designed such that there are hours in the week when no structured small group or large class educational experiences are scheduled in order for students to utilize this time in a variety of ways and in accordance with their own academic needs.  Students have an opportunity to develop skills to learn independently, to review material, to attend additional tutorial or study sessions, and to explore an area in greater depth.  The manner in which the time is utilized by each student depends upon the student's academic standing; his or her interests, skills, and talents; and the overall educational plan for the particular student.

BLOCK 3

Introductory Experience

For the Block 3 experience, students are assigned to one of the several communities affiliated with the College:  Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Saginaw, and the Upper Peninsula (Escanaba and Marquette). A week-long community orientation preceeds the basic clerkships.

Clerkships

Objectives for the clerkships are established by the clinical departments of the College and are met through a series of specialty and subspecialty clerkships in the respective disciplines of medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and family medicine.

While a student may take part in elective programs in other locations, he or she must complete the required core competency experience and clerkships in the community in which he or she is assigned.  The required clerkships provide the student with an opportunity to become familiar with the community's health care structure and socio–economic characteristics, and to become part of its health care system.

Core Competency Experience

During the required clerkships, students participate in the Core Competency Experience.  This experience involves interdisciplinary seminars addressing core clinical competencies that have been identified by the college faculty.  This experience will include, but not be limited to, primary care topics, advanced clinical skills, research and critical analysis skills, medical ethics, and social and organizational issues in medicine.

While a student may take part in elective programs in other locations, he or she must complete the required core competency experience and clerkships in the community in which he or she is assigned.  The required clerkships provide the student with an opportunity to become familiar with the community's health care structure and socio–economic characteristics, and to become part of its health care system.

ELECTIVES

Students are also required to complete 20 weeks of approved clinical electives as a part of meeting the college graduation requirements. At least 8 of the 20 weeks must be completed in the community to which the student is assigned. Students are encouraged to study broadly and/or to pursue intensively their special interests through elective programs. Elective programs may include any of the variety of courses offered by the college and university, research projects, or placements in hospitals other than those associated with Michigan State University.

Students may also take elective courses at other medical schools. The four medical schools in Michigan (Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, and Wayne State University School of Medicine) have made arrangements whereby a student may take an elective in any of the other colleges without changing enrollment or paying additional fees.

EVALUATIONS

Evaluations in the College of Human Medicine are designed to aid the student in assessing his or her own progress, and to enable the faculty to assess student progress. The system of evaluation and assessment is under continuous review to reflect the view of the College that students' performance is judged in terms of minimal criteria and that students must be able to integrate and use knowledge to solve problems. Students as well as faculty are encouraged to participate in the formulation of approaches to develop curriculum and evaluation procedures.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS

Students are required to pass Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensure Examinations (USMLE) prior to entry into Block 3. Students must pass Step 2 of the USMLE prior to graduation.

ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM IN HUMAN MEDICINE

The College of Human Medicine Committee on Admissions strives to select qualified applicants who are academically, emotionally, motivationally, and socially competent and ready for the rigors of medical school and for a career in medicine. These competencies are associated with alumni who are meeting the bio-psycho-social needs of a diverse patient population. As a community-integrated medical school in Michigan, the college’s mission focuses on educating physicians to meet the primary health care needs of the people of Michigan, including the state’s underserved rural and inner-city areas. In preparation for serving a diverse patient population, the composition of the entering class of 106 students is representative of Michigan’s general population. Students come from a variety of cultural, geographic, and ethnic backgrounds. Historically, women have comprised 49 percent, underrepresented minority students 20 percent, and Michigan residents 80 percent of the entering class. Since there is no preference for academic majors, applicants with varied academic backgrounds are represented in each entering class, including those with degrees in the natural sciences, applied sciences, arts, humanities, and social sciences.

The College of Human Medicine uses the primary application services available through the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). Applicants may contact their premedical advisor, or contact AMCAS at http: //www.aamc.org for application information. The Committee on Admissions encourages students to submit the AMCAS application in June of the year prior to anticipated enrollment, but no later than the November 15 deadline date. The Committee also requires that all applicants submit Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores. The MCAT is administered twice annually, in April and August at Michigan State University and at sites around the world. MCAT scores are valid for three years. For more information about the MCAT, applicants should contact their premedical advisors, or the MCAT Program Office, P.O. Box 4056, Iowa City, IA 52243-4056. For further information about the College of Human Medicine, request a copy of the CHM Handbook for Premedical Students, by contacting the College of Human Medicine, A-239 Life Sciences Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, or visit: http://www.chm.msu.edu/

The College of Human Medicine Committee on Admissions evaluates applicants’ AMCAS applications, including experiences and personal statements, and MCAT scores to determine who will be asked to complete the College’s Secondary Application. At the same time, applicants are required to submit a minimum of three letters of evaluation. The Committee evaluates the applications to determine the most qualified applicants to advance to the next phase of the admissions process, the interview.  Students are invited to Interview Day to learn more about the College of Human Medicine and to be assessed through interviews with a faculty member and a student. Interviewers are trained to assess applicants on the qualities the College associates with becoming exemplar physicians.

The Committee on Admissions makes the final admissions decisions based on the following cognitive and non-cognitive considerations:

1. Academic competence including attributes such as fulfilling the premedical requirements, grades, trend in grades, degrees earned, rigors of the degree programs, MCAT scores, research experience, and cognitive skills.
2. Emotional competence including attributes such as problem solving ability, ability to work in teams, ability to form long-term compassionate relationships, professional judgement, and self-assessment skills.
3. Motivational competence including attributes such as medical clinical experience and insights about medical ethics and humanities, health care reform, and other moral, social, political, and economic aspects of medicine.
4. Social competence including attributes such as community service, leadership, and mentoring experiences, as well as effective communication skills and sensitivity to patient concerns.

Minimum requirements which must be fulfilled prior to enrollment in the program in human medicine are:

1. Completion of the baccalaureate degree.
2. Completion of 8 semester credits or 12 term credits in each of the following areas with no final grade below 2.0:
   --    General/Inorganic Chemistry Sequence including at least one laboratory
   --    General Biology Sequence including at least one laboratory
   --    Organic Chemistry Sequence including at least one laboratory
   --    General Physics Sequence including at least one laboratory
   --    English Writing courses which may include “Writing in the Major”
   --    Humanities/Social Science Courses that focus on psychological and social theory, individual and/or group behaviors, and 
          comparative cultures. Recommended Humanities/Social Science Courses include anthropology, cultural studies, economics, 
          ethics, psychology, sociology, women’s studies, and philosophy.
3. Mathematics through college algebra or one statistics course at the college level (requirement waived with Advanced Placement credit for Calculus 1 or placement above college algebra on a mathematics placement test).
4.  Completion of one upper-level (junior or senior level) biological science course from the following list: biochemistry, cell biology, embryology, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, or physiology.

Computer literacy including basic word processing skills, communicating by email, and navigating the World Wide Web is strongly recommended.

Students will be considered for transfer admission to the College of Human Medicine in the third year when space is available.

The Specialization in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society, which is administered by the College of Human Medicine, is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University. Students wishing to pursue careers in health-related fields may find the specialization particularly appealing. In addition, students pursuing academic programs outside health-related fields often find that the specialization complements their major. With the approval of the department and college that administer the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the specialization may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.

The health care system regularly affects many people’s daily lives. The Specialization in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society is designed to offer a comprehensive survey of the vocabularies, theories, and practices employed in the western tradition of health and healing. Students develop working vocabularies and basic intellectual concepts in the humanistic and social dimensions of health-related issues. This is accomplished through upper-level courses that address themes of health and healing from a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives. Courses in the specialization focus on the socio-cultural, historical, ethical, economic, literary, and technological dimensions of the biomedical sciences, health care delivery, and policymaking.

The specialization’s interdisciplinary character fosters students’ abilities to understand and question the health system from a wide variety of intellectual viewpoints. Specialization students are encouraged to range widely and deeply in their thinking about the ways the health system affects themselves and various communities. Such interdisciplinary study also promotes much- needed communication across disciplinary boundaries. Finally, several of the courses in the specialization are specifically geared to improve problem-solving skills as well as oral and written communication abilities.

Requirements for the Specialization in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society

The student must complete a minimum of five courses totaling at least 15 credits. No more than 8 of those credits may be in the same discipline. With the prior written approval of the undergraduate advisor for the specialization, courses other than those included in these requirements may be counted toward the requirements for the specialization.

Upon completion of the requirements for the Specialization in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society as specified by the undergraduate advisor for the specialization, the student should contact that advisor and request certification for the completion of the specialization.  After the certification is approved by the Dean of the College of Human Medicine, the Office of the Registrar will enter on the student's academic record the name of the specialization and the date that it was completed.  This certification will appear on the student's transcript.

Master of Arts

The Master of Arts degree program in bioethics, humanities, and society focuses on the social and humanistic dimensions of health and illness. The goal of the program is to foster an interdisciplinary understanding of health care in its humanistic and social contexts.

The program is designed to appeal to persons:

1. with experience in health–related fields who wish to explore the humanistic and social dimensions of health at the graduate level.
2. who anticipate advanced graduate study in the medical humanities or social sciences, but who are undecided as to the disciplinary direction that they will pursue. Such persons should be aware that course work in a discipline beyond that which is included in the bioethics, humanities, and society program may be required for admission to graduate study in that discipline.
3. who wish to combine other graduate–professional programs with the program in bioethics, humanities, and society.

Students who are enrolled in other graduate or graduate–professional programs may enroll in the introductory master’s course in the bioethics, humanities, and society program (Human Medicine 820) as an elective.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Human Medicine, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Master of Arts degree program in bioethics, humanities, and society, an applicant must:

1. Have the results of the Graduate Record Examination General Test forwarded to the program office.
2. Have three faculty who are able to address the applicant's academic background and/or professional experiences submit letters of recommendation to the program office.
3. Submit to the program office a 500–750 word statement that addresses the two areas of concentration within the degree program that the applicant wishes to pursue.
4. Submit to the program office a writing sample, preferably an essay or other product that reflects the degree of the applicant's familiarity with an issue in one of the two areas of concentration within the degree program that the applicant wishes to pursue.

To be admitted to the Master of Arts degree program in bioethics, humanities, and society on regular status, an applicant must have a bachelor's degree that reflects academic background in at least one of the two areas of concentration within the degree program that the applicant wishes to pursue.

Students are admitted to the Master of Arts degree program in bioethics, humanities, and society for Fall semester only.  Applications received after the deadline for a given year are held for possible consideration at a later time if space in the program becomes available.

Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society

The program is available under Plan A (with thesis) and Plan B (without thesis).  A total of 30 credits is required for the degree.  The student's program of study must be approved by the director of the program in bioethics, humanities, and society. Each student must select a primary area of concentration from among the following: epidemiology, history of medicine, literature and medicine, medical anthropology, medical sociology, nursing, philosophy of medicine and bioethics, or social work. Areas of concentration are subject to change. Students may construct other areas of concentration with the approval of the director of  the program in bioethics, humanities, and society.

In Plan A, the thesis committee shall consist of three regular Michigan State University faculty with no more than two from the same academic discipline or department. In Plan B, the examination committee shall consist of two regular Michigan State University faculty at least one of whom is appointed in a discipline represented by the student’s primary area of concentration.

Students must fulfill the requirements specified below:

1. Plan A (with thesis)
   a.    The following course (3 credits):
           HM 820 Humanistic and Social Perspectives on Health (3)
   b.    A minimum of 15 credits in a primary area of concentration (15)
   c.    A minimum of 6 credits outside the primary area of concentration, in support of the thesis (6)
   d.    The following course (4 to 6 credits): 
           HM 899 Master's Thesis Research (4 to 6)
   e.    Pass an oral certifying examination on the topic of the thesis. This examination will be administered by the thesis committee. The
          thesis must reflect an integration of more than one disciplinary perspective beyond the disciplinary perspective of the student’s 
          primary area of concentration.
2. Plan B (without thesis)
   a.    The following course (3 credits):
           HM 820 Humanistic and Social Perspectives on Health (3)
   b.    A minimum of 12 credits in a primary area of concentration (12)
   c.    A minimum of 8 credits outside the primary area of concentration (8)
   d.    Successfully complete a research paper on a topic in bioethics, humanities, and society by enrolling in and passing HM 898 
           Master's Research. The student's examination committee must approve both the paper topic and the final submitted paper
           (1 to 3)

The Dual Degree Medical Scientist Training Program is a special program for students who want to earn both a professional medical doctoral degree (Doctor of Medicine) and a graduate research doctoral degree (Doctor of Philosophy). The program seeks to meet a national need for physicians who are proficient in research as well as in medicine, and who will pursue careers as faculty members in medical schools and research institutions.

The program is designed to select, educate, and train highly motivated students having outstanding research and academic qualifications. Trainees pursue medical and graduate studies in parallel, meet regularly with peers in seminars, and engage in medical and graduate level courses and clerkships, as well as in research with highly qualified mentors.

A student who is interested in this program should contact the office of the associate dean for research and graduate study in the College of Human Medicine.

For additional information, refer to the statement on Special Programs in the Graduate Education section of this catalog.

The Master of Public Health Degree in Public Health engages students in course work and practical training to obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform as a public health professional.  Public health is a discipline that is distinct from clinical medicine.  Public health focuses on the health status of communities and populations and emphasizes disease prevention and health promotion over treatment.   Three major functions of public health include assessment, policy development and assurance. Core disciplines contributing to public health include biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health sciences.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the University and of the College of Human Medicine, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Master of Public Health in Public Health, an applicant must:

1. have earned a bachelor’s degree from a recognized, accredited educational institution;
2. submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores;
3. present evidence of competency in English, assessed with Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) scores, if English is not the first language;
4. submit three letters of recommendation;
5. submit an essay describing interest in public health, including professional career goals, and past experience with and understanding of the public health profession;
6. submit official transcripts;
7. submit a resume or curriculum vitae.

The Admission Committee integrates the academic information, letters of recommendation, and information regarding the public health profession to make the final admissions decision based on the following considerations:

1. Academic:  including attributes such as grades, trend in grades, degrees earned, rigors of the degree programs, graduate study placement scores, research experience, and cognitive skills;
2. Personal Motivation:  including attributes such as public health experience and insights about public health competencies, health care reform, and other ethical, social, legal, political, and economic aspects of health;
3. Social Awareness:  including attributes such as community service, experience with persons or groups unlike themselves, leadership, and mentoring experiences, as well as effective communication skills and sensitivity to community concerns.

Students may be invited to participate in on-site or telephone interviews as part of the admission process.

Requirements for the Master of Public Health in Public Health

The Master of Public Health in Public Health is available under Plan B (non-thesis). Students must complete 42 credits as specified below.

The Graduate Specialization in Public Health is designed to provide students with an overview of the core disciplines, a basis for understanding the breadth and scope of the public health field.  Public health differs from clinical medicine in its focus on populations and emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention.  Public health activities such as health education, control of communicable diseases, application of sanitary measures and environmental monitoring contribute to the health status of communities.  Core public health disciplines include biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health sciences.

The Graduate Specialization in Public Health is administered by the College of Human Medicine and is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in master’s or doctoral degree programs at Michigan State University. Students who are interested in the specialization must contact the College of Human Medicine. With the approval of the department or school and college that administers the student’s degree program, courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the specialization may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the master’s or doctoral degree. The student’s program of study must be approved by the student’s academic advisor for the specialization.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Graduate Specialization in Public Health, an applicant must be enrolled in a graduate degree program at Michigan State University; be in good academic standing at the time of application; present evidence of competency in English if it is not their first language (assessed with TOEFL or MELAB scores); and submit an essay describing interest in public health, professional career goals, and past experience with an understanding of the public health profession.

Requirements for the Graduate Specialization in Public Health

Upon completion of the requirements for the Graduate Specialization in Public Health, the student should contact the Associate Dean in the College of Human Medicine and request certification for the completion of the specialization. After the certification is approved by the Associate Dean of the College of Human Medicine, the Office of the Registrar will enter on the student’s academic record the name of the specialization and the date that it was completed. This certification will appear on the student’s transcript.

Thomas D. Sharkey, Chairperson

GRADUATE STUDY

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is administered jointly by the colleges of Human Medicine, Natural Science, and Osteopathic Medicine.  These colleges offer Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs with majors in biochemistry and molecular biology. In addition, the College of Natural Science offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree program with a major in biochemistry and molecular biology—environmental toxicology along with options for dual majors in a variety of disciplines. For additional information about the department and its graduate degree programs, refer to the statement on the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the College of Natural Science section of this catalog.

William C. Wadland, Chairperson

A major goal of the Department of Family Medicine is to provide the students of the College of Human Medicine with both classroom and clinical education concerning the wide variety of concepts and topics relevant to the practice of Family Medicine in the 2000s and beyond. To accomplish this goal the department is staffed by family physicians and other health professionals with interest and experience in many different aspects of medical practice. Medical ethics, gerontology, nutrition, evidence-based medicine, and smoking cessation, and health education are some of the fields in which the department has special expertise.

To accomplish its educational goals, the department offers a variety of elective courses, participates in virtually all of the college's interdisciplinary programs, and directs a required clinical clerkship. Courses  in fields such as nutrition are offered as electives to preclinical students. The department is integrally involved in the Mentor Program and in the Clinical Skills courses.

Active clinical practices which combine patient services and medical education are maintained by the department at the Clinical Center on the Michigan State University campus and at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.

The department is active in graduate Family Medicine education through its residency program offered in collaboration with Sparrow Hospital and its affiliated residencies in eight other community hospitals across the state.

Departmental faculty are engaged in extramurally supported research focusing on prevention, self care, geriatrics and long-term care and medical informatics. Support for research includes grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), major foundations, and insurance carriers. The department is nationally ranked among the top departments in research funding for primary care medical schools.

Mary Nettleman, Chairperson

The Department of Medicine has major responsibilities for providing students with clinical experience in general clinical medicine as well as basic science correlations, patient interviewing, and physical and laboratory diagnosis and problem solving. Graduate programs in medical education have been developed in a number of affiliated hospitals where the department makes significant contributions to training medical residents and subspecialty fellows, and to continuing education for practicing physicians in the communities. Faculty members are actively involved in personal and intradepartmental research projects and collaborate with faculty in other departments and affiliated institutions in communities. These programs are based in university educational facilities, and the research and medical specialty laboratories of the department in the Life Sciences I Building and community affiliated hospitals. Expanded clinical research and educational programs are being carried out in the Clinical Center ambulatory care facility and the Breslin Oncology Center.

The Department of Medicine is dedicated to a broad, interdisciplinary outlook in all of its programs which emphasizes the unity of the medical sciences, health care, and scholarship.

Walter Esselman, Chairperson

GRADUATE STUDY

The Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics is administered jointly by the colleges of Human Medicine, Natural Science, Osteopathic Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine.  All four of these colleges offer a Master of Science degree in microbiology and molecular genetics and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in microbiology and molecular genetics. In addition, the College of Veterinary Medicine offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree program with a major in microbiology—environmental toxicology. For additional information about the department and its graduate degree programs, refer to the statement on the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in the College of Natural Science section of this catalog.

David Kaufman, Chairperson

The Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, established July 1, 2000, is an outgrowth of the former neuro-ophthalmology unit that has existed on campus since 1986. The Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology is administered jointly by the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of Human Medicine.  The department offers dually accredited residency programs in neurology, fellowship programs in neuro-ophthalmology, stroke, neuro-epidemiology, and refractive surgery, and clinical and research programs for medical students.  AOA and ACGME certification for the neurology residency was approved in 2002.  The department also acts as Michigan State University’s Osteopathic Postgraduate Training Institution for statewide osteopathic residencies in neurology and ophthalmology.

Its broad research portfolio is supported by multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants and other extramural funding.  Major themes of the department’s research is to use the eye as a model for brain disease, stroke, neuro-degenerative disease, and demyelinating disease.  The department also shares research and clinical faculty with affiliated laboratories on the Michigan State University campus.  The clinical responsibilities of the department are fulfilled by on-campus neurologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, and ophthalmologists who have sub-specialty training in a number of different disciplines of neurology.  To enrich its research, clinical, and educational programs, the department also collaborates with numerous clinicians statewide. 

Richard E. Leach, Chairperson

The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology is comprised of a diverse faculty committed to the broad, integrated medical and surgical care of women’s health throughout their lifespan. The faculty participates in the educational, research and service goals of the College of Human Medicine to enhance understanding of women's health, including genetic, social cultural and environmental influences.

Within this framework, the department’s responsibilities are to provide educational experiences to medical students during the pre-clinical and clinical years, develop and contribute to programs of graduate and continuing medical education, conduct research, and promote optimal women’s health within the community. To accomplish its educational goals, the department participates in the College’s interdisciplinary programs and directs the required and elective clinical courses across its seven community campuses. The faculty participates in graduate obstetric-gynecologic education through its four affiliate residency programs across the state. Research activities in the areas of human reproduction, gynecologic oncology, health services delivery, and community health problems related to women’s health issues comprise the breadth of the department's research.

Herbert O. Davies, Chairperson

The Department of Pediatrics and Human Development is made up of diverse faculty who share a common concern with all aspects of human growth and development, both normal and abnormal. The department has educational responsibilities at all levels in the curriculum of the College of Human Medicine. Its faculty participate in courses which relate biological, behavioral, and clinical sciences to the development of the human organism from conception through maturity, to senescence and death. The departmental faculty direct the college course in human development and behavior and contribute to the interdisciplinary problem–solving exercises of the college. In addition, faculty organize and supervise selected clinical experiences with infants, older children, and their families. The department also has responsibility for general pediatric and pediatric subspecialty clerkships in the clinical medical curriculum. The department participates actively in graduate medical education through four pediatric residency programs affiliated with the University, and through involvement in resident and continuing education programs. In addition, faculty members work with students in other graduate programs in the University. Individual faculty members of the department participate in patient care and render medical consultation services in their respective subspecialty areas. The research endeavors of the department members and the services to the College of Human Medicine and the community at-large are in comparable areas; all are ultimately directed toward creating a healthier, better functioning society by improving the total health and life experience of the child and family.

Joseph R. Haywood, Chairperson

GRADUATE STUDY

The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology is administered jointly by the colleges of Human Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine.  The College of Veterinary Medicine is the primary administrative unit. All three of these colleges offer Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs with majors in Pharmacology and Toxicology. A Master of Science degree with a major in Integrative Pharmacology is also available. In addition, the College of Veterinary Medicine offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree program with a major in pharmacology and toxicology—environmental toxicology. For additional information about the department and its graduate degree programs, refer to the statement on the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the College of Osteopathic Medicine section of this catalog.

Students who are enrolled in Master of Science degree programs in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology may elect a Specialization in Food Safety.  For additional information, refer to the statement on the specialization in the College of Veterinary Medicine section of this catalog.

William S. Spielman, Chairperson

GRADUATE STUDY

The Department of Physiology is administered jointly by the colleges of Human Medicine, Natural Science, Osteopathic Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine.  All four of these colleges offer Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs with majors in physiology. In addition, the College of Veterinary Medicine offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree program with a major in physiology—environmental toxicology. For additional information about the department and its graduate degree programs, refer to the statement on the Department of Physiology in the College of Natural Science section of this catalog.

Jed Gary Magen, Chairperson

The Department of Psychiatry is administered jointly by the colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine. The department plays a major role in integrating the behavioral sciences with the biological sciences and with clinical science elements of the professional programs of these colleges. The department's responsibilities include: preclinical and clinical medical student teaching, psychiatry residency training, professional continuing medical education, patient care, and research. Areas of research emphasis include: health services and policy research, addictions psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, child psychiatry and functional neuroimaging; collaborating in graduate medical and psychiatric education with affiliated institutions; developing programs of continuing education for physicians and contributing to continuing education programs for other mental health care disciplines; and developing research programs including some in collaboration with other clinical departments, and others with basic behavioral science departments.

Marc D. Basson, Chairperson

The Department of Surgery is committed to providing state of the art, quality, evidence based, cost effective and patient oriented care to our community.  We build on our existing strengths in medical student and resident education with the use of simulation and in linking our student and resident programs in our six community campuses.  We foster a culture of inquisitiveness where we seek the answers to surgical problems through clinical studies and in the laboratory.  Finally, we value the collegiality of our students, residents, faculty and staff as we educate the physicians and surgeons of the future.

The Division of Human Pathology is administered by the colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine.

Brian Mavis, Director

The Office of Medical Education Research and Development (OMERAD) is a multidisciplinary unit within the College of Human Medicine. The unit’s mission is to improve medical education through instruction, research, consultation, administrative service and outreach. Faculty work collaboratively with health care professionals both on campus and in the College of Human Medicine's affiliated community campuses.

OMERAD is committed to providing excellent instruction for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate learners. The unit also develops and evaluates college educational programs, and serves as a college leader in the application of computer and distance learning technology.OMERAD’s research mission is to create new knowledge by assessing existing practices in medical education, and developing and evaluating educational innovations. The unit’s consultation mission involves collaborating with health care professionals to design, evaluate and disseminate educational innovations. The unit’s faculty provide instructional support for the college’s educational programs, and serve in leadership roles in college, University, and national professional  organizations. OMERAD serves as a national center for the preparation of new medical faculty.

OMERAD faculty and support staff have expertise in education, psychology, sociology, management, and computer science. Specialized research facilities include a faculty- computing laboratory, reference library, and training center.

Thomas Tomlinson, Director

The Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences is administered by the College  of Human Medicine. The unit brings together a multidisciplinary team of scholars to address conceptual, theoretical, and practical aspects of the field of bioethics. The center also shares interests and holds various teaching commitments in the colleges of Arts and Letters, Law, Natural Science, Nursing, Osteopathic Medicine, Social Science, and Veterinary Medicine.

Since 1977, the center has  engaged in bioethics teaching, research and outreach viewed from the perspectives of the traditional liberal arts and social sciences. In addition to its on-campus activities, the center is responsible for clinical and continuing education in bioethics at various teaching hospitals around Michigan. The center fosters study of the humanities and social sciences as they relate to bioethics practice and policy in the health professions.

The College of Human Medicine offers a Master of Arts degree in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society. The program is jointly administered with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Science. The College of Human Medicine is the primary administrative unit. This degree can also be pursued concurrently with a professional degree.

The college also offers an undergraduate specialization in Bioethics, Humanities, and Society. The specialization is jointly administered with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Science. The College of Human Medicine is the primary administrative unit.

For additional information on the specialization or the master’s program, refer to the statements referenced in the College of Human Medicine section of this catalog.