People who want to pursue a career in a health-related field but have not been able to choose which profession they want to enter now have a new option. Baptist Health Sciences University now offers a biomedical sciences degree ideal for students who are faced with this dilemma.
“I like this program because I’m not locked into a specific career path,” says Kanesia Shaw, a student in the biomedical sciences program. “The coursework spans several health care areas, preparing me for a graduate program for any health care or biomedical profession.”
BCHS launched the new biomedical sciences program in October, and classes will begin next fall.
“We felt this degree could give students an opportunity to prepare for graduate studies in many of the health care professions such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and other health care fields,” says Kendricks Hooker, chair of the biomedical sciences program.
Alongside general core education, the biomedical sciences program combines dynamic human health science courses.
“It took some time because we wanted to compare what other similar programs and institutions were offering,” says Hooker. “Additionally, we got feedback from local institutions to ensure that we were offering the best curriculum to our students. “We believe that a challenging curriculum will prepare the students as they move forward in their academic careers.”
The Biomedical Sciences program at BCHS is the only program of its kind in Memphis. Students will be surrounded by clinicians and have opportunities to shadow current health care practitioners and join organizations that develop leadership skills.
“As a result, we want Baptist Health Sciences University students to be comfortable in a clinical environment, even before they enter graduate programs,” says Hooker. “This should give them a competitive advantage when applying to graduate programs.”
Biomedical Sciences students will create and develop health care research projects to enhance the strong science-based curriculum, not only preparing them for graduate school, but also helping students determine their career path.
The program requires 124 hours of coursework and includes advanced science courses like pathophysiology, immunology, genetics, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and histology.
“These new courses are designed to prepare students for pursuing graduate degrees in health science fields that are beyond the current scope of Baptist Health Sciences University,” says Lisa Hight, associate professor of biology. “The curriculum will prepare students to be competitive in advanced health care studies.”
“We are proud to offer this degree to our students; this degree will further expand our impact on the health sciences both here and in other communities. Baptist Memorial Health Care is an established, well-respected leader in medicine, and Baptist Health Sciences University has a track record of educating bright young minds,” says Hight. “We are confident the biomedical sciences program will continue that tradition.”
“Graduating from Baptist Health Sciences University will not only be an honor for me but it will also provide opportunities to work with Baptist Memorial Health Care,” says Shaw.
To learn more about the Baptist Health Sciences University biomedical sciences program, please call 1-866-575-2247 or visit www.bchs.edu.