Curriculum: Inside the Classroom

Suggested Scheduling Plan

Bolded courses are those only taken by students in the BMS major.  See below for descriptions.

This is a sample curriculum; Students are encouraged to work with their advisor for planning their personal curriculum plan.

Notes and Highlights

GEC stands for “General Education Curriculum.”  These are courses that all OSU students take, regardless of their major.  Courses are included in categories such as Composition, History, Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, and Diversity Experiences. 

Science Electives are science courses such as Anatomy, Physiology, Neuroscience, Genetics, etc.  BMS students choose from an extensive list of science electives based on their interests and educational goals.  Free Electives can be anything.  For all electives, students should work with their advisors to choose the classes that best meet their needs.

The curriculum is designed to be flexible so as to meet the needs of all students, regardless of which health graduate program they plan to pursue (biomedical research, medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, biomedical engineering, etc.)

We accept Advanced Placement (AP) credit for most subjects, but we recommend repeating Science courses for which you have credit and taking them at the honors level.

Although the Biomedical Research Experience is only listed in the Junior year (when it is required), students are strongly encouraged to continue their research into the Senior year and to consider starting their research before the Junior year.  Most students begin working in a lab as a freshman or sophomore.

Summers are free for students to pursue a variety of interests: research at OSU or elsewhere, physician shadowing, study abroad, internships, additional coursework, or work experience.

Minors, particularly in non-science areas, are encouraged but not required.

Biomedical Science Course Descriptions

Survey

Course name: BMS 100, Biomedical Science Survey

All freshmen at OSU are required to take a freshman survey course with their academic advisor.  In this course BMS students plan future coursework, explore careers in healthcare, and become more familiar with the university’s workings.

Biomed Literature

Course name: BMS H220.01 and H220.02, Reading and Analyzing the Biomedical Literature I & II

This two course sequence is co-taught by a health science librarian and an anatomist.  Students learn how to search for, retrieve, read and analyze the expert information used by biomedical researchers and clinicians.

Intro to Research

Course name: BMS H320.01 and H320.02, Introduction to Biomedical Research I & II

This two course sequence introduces students to research happening at OSUMC, particularly in its signature programs.  Initially, students read journal articles written by OSU faculty and participate in team-based exercises.  Subsequently, they meet with the authors to discuss career choices and details of the articles.

Laboratory Techniques

Course name: BMS H480, Biomedical Science Laboratory Techniques

Students work on assigned laboratory exercises in pairs, with the ultimate goal for each pair of students identifying an unknown protein based upon the experimental results obtained throughout the course.

BMS Research

Course name: BMS H720.01, H720.02, & H720.03, Biomedical Research Experience I, II, & III

Students work on a research project under the direction of a lab mentor.  Assignments include literature searches, data collection and analysis, and hypothesis development.  Students report research progress as a term paper, an oral presentation, and a poster presentation.

BMS Special Topics

Course name: BMS 581, 582, 583, Special Topics in Biomedical Science

This three course sequence focuses on the integration of biomedical sciences and the interface with clinical medicine.  Translational research is explored using case sets and problem solving in a team-based format.

Concepts in Health

Course name: BMS 521, 522, 523, Concepts in Healthcare I, II, III

Concepts in Healthcare I examines the humanistic, behavioral, and social aspects of health care.   Concepts in Healthcare II is an introduction to the issues related to health care policy.  Concepts in Healthcare III is a current issues class that focuses on students finalizing their senior thesis.