Statistics from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reveal that there were more than 10,000 additional applicants seeking admission to U.S. medical schools during the 2018-2019 academic year than there had been 10 years prior. This represents a 25% increase or more over a 10-year period. This spike in applications outpaces the supply of admission slots available at U.S. medical schools, some of which accept less than 4% of applicants. As a new medical school, NSU MD received more than 6,000 applications in the current admission cycle, with a capacity of only 50 students per year. We are thus repeatedly asked how student applicants can best improve their likelihood of acceptance to NSU MD. The question that often follows is how students can best build a more solid foundation for future professional and research careers in the biomedical sciences.

In this context, it has been shown that Masters programs offered within a medical school environment can better prepare students to become competent health professionals, while enabling them to build more competitive applications to medical school. Moreover, Masters programs in the biomedical sciences that include electives in other concentrations accelerate the personal and professional development of students. The outcome is that such programs attract the best and brightest students to the medical school and the university.

In response to the increasing demand for medical education, I am pleased to announce the fall 2020 offering of a new, one-year Master of Biomedical Sciences Program (MBS), designed for college graduates looking to strengthen their academic credentials in preparation for applying to U.S. medical, dental, pharmacy, physical therapy and other competitive health professions programs. This program is closely aligned with the NSU MD first year MD curriculum, providing MBS students with a comparable experience as medical students, including examinations. A rich selection of carefully curated electives is offered as a part of the program. The electives are concentrated: 1) at the intersection of business and medicine; and 2) in Population Health Science. While the MBS curriculum provides a combination of both medical and graduate school training, this program is geared specifically for students interested in attending a health professional program that is delivered in partnership with the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship. The MBS program also offers a standardized test preparation course to assist students in improving professional school entrance exam scores.

In this way, NSU MD continues to deliver on its commitment to create and deliver innovative programs and initiatives at the cutting edge of medical education, research, and practice. We will provide additional information on application and enrollment dates, curricular features, and links to the MBS website in the upcoming weeks.