The Master of Medical Science (MMS) Program is a flexible and cost-effective academic opportunity for UTMB clinicians interested in performing biomedical research to validate, recognize, and enhance their research experience. The category of clinicians encompasses dentists, veterinarians, and physicians, including residents, fellows, and faculty of UTMB clinical departments. The program is only open to applicants from within the UTMB community
The Master of Medical Science Graduate Program provides individualized guidance, training, and support to educate clinicians in critical aspects of biomedical research. The program may also be viewed as part of a path to become a biomedical scientist. These goals are achieved through the following five MMS Program Objectives:
- Promote the development of in-depth knowledge of research methodology, data analysis, and critical thinking.
- Generate opportunities to interact and collaborate with basic scientists and physician-scientists involved in cutting edge technologies.
- Provide a formal research experience with medical applications.
- Provide opportunities to develop an awareness of positive social, ethical, and scientific perspectives.
- Prepare students for a career in academic medicine.
Students in the MMS program will:
- Develop required technical skills, including bench work, informatics, and statistics, and attain mastery of independent problem solving.
- Register for and complete a minimum of thirty semester credit hours of graduate credit (minimum of one year of full-time studies). Those semesters do not need to be consecutive, and an individualized training plan can be created for each applicant.
- Pursue an intensive full-time research experience in one area of biomedical research under the guidance of a mentor and a thesis committee.
- Obtain a solid theoretical foundation in a broad subject area encompassing their focus of research.
- Demonstrate knowledge of a defined medical research project by presenting an oral defense examination to the student’s thesis committee.
Resources:
Clinician-scientists interested in pursuing an academic career in the United States should explore the possibility of applying to a KO8 award from NIH.
For more information, visit NIH's Research Career Development Awards page.
A MMS student who wishes to obtain information about pursuing a PhD degree may contact the Program Coordinator
about this option through ITS's Human Pathophysiology and Translational Medicine
(HPTM) graduate program. This option is only available to MMS students in the final semester of their program, prior to graduation from the MMS program.
UTMB medical students interested in a joint MD/MMS program should reach out to the Program Coordinator.