Biomedical Sciences Department
Bachelors of Biomedical Sciences
Program Description
The Biomedical Sciences major in the Biomedical Sciences Department is designed for preprofessional students who are interested in graduate training in human or animal medicine. Students have a variety of areas of specialization within the field of medicine available to them for postgraduate study. Medical, osteopathic, or dental school, graduate level physical therapy education, physician's assistant or pathology assistant programs, and veterinary school are some of the possibilities.
In the past decade, many professional schools have undergone extensive changes in their curricula. The result, in many cases, has been a reduction in the time that basic science material (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, etc.) is taught to incoming students. Instead of teaching these subjects over a two-year period, many schools are now covering the same material in the first year only, on an accelerated basis.
As a graduate of Grand Valley's biomedical sciences program, you will be well prepared for such programs. The background you will receive at Grand Valley in the basic sciences is extensive, allowing you to devote time and effort in a graduate program to those subjects with which you are less familiar.
General Information
The Biomedical Sciences major consists of courses prescribed by professional schools (medical, dental, osteopathic, veterinary, graduate) as essential to the successful completion of a professional school curriculum, plus electives necessary to provide educational breadth and maturity. Although the requirements of professional schools are similar, there are some differences. Since it is impossible to tailor one curriculum to meet the requirements of every professional school, students are responsible, in consultation with an advisor, for seeing that the requirements are fulfilled for the particular professional schools they are interested in. The biomedical sciences major is flexible enough to accommodate additional specific requirements of most professional schools.
Career Opportunities
Because the primary function of the Biomedical Sciences major is to prepare students for postgraduate programs, the number of jobs for which graduates of this major are immediately qualified is limited. In almost every case, graduates will be required to complete additional training to qualify for employment. The programs to which graduates may apply can be separated into those which can be completed in two-years and those which require a minimum of four additional years of study.
Postgraduate programs of two years or less include administrative assistant, histological technology, medical technology, occupational therapy, pharmaceutical sales, physical therapy, physician's assistant, respiratory therapy and surgeon's assistant.
Postgraduate programs of four years or more include chiropractic, dentistry, human medicine, optometry, podiatry, veterinary medicine, and graduate (master's and Ph.D.) programs in the biological sciences.
Graduate School Placement
Since 1988, the yearly acceptance rate of our applicants to
professional schools has been 70 percent or greater. During that time our medical school
acceptance rate has been as high as 100%, but recent
unprecedented increases in numbers of students applying to medical school have had an
adverse effect on acceptance rates at undergraduate institutions throughout the country.
Our best biomedical sciences graduates nevertheless continue to be very competitive in
gaining acceptance to medical school.
Biomedical sciences graduates have entered a wide variety of postgraduate programs throughout the country, including:
Medical school. Michigan State University Colleges of Human and Osteopathic Medicine, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, Rush Medical College, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, George Washington University, Georgetown University, Dartmouth College.
Dental School. The University of Michigan, the University of Detroit Mercy, Northwestern University, the University of Minnesota.
Physical Therapy. Grand Valley State University, Andrews University.
Physician Assistant. Western Michigan University, Detroit Mercy, Grand Valley State University
Pathology Assistant. Wayne State University.
Podiatry. Scholls College of Podiatry, Ohio College of Podiatry.
Graduate School. Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, the University of Dayton, Grand Valley State University.
For More Information
Biomedical Sciences Department
218 Padnos Hall
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, Michigan 49401
Telephone: (616) 331-3318
Fax: (616) 331-2090
E-Mail the Department
or
The Admissions Office
Grand Valley State University
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, MI 49401-9403
Telephone: (616) 331-2025 or 1-800-748-0246
E-mail: nieuwkot@gvsu.edu
World Wide Web: www.gvsu.edu
See a complete listing of courses in the Grand Valley State University Online catalog
Complete Undergraduate and Graduate catalogs are available at the Biomedical Science Department. If you would like one sent to you, please call the Admissions Office at (616) 331-2025 or toll-free at 1-800-748-0246.
Grand Valley State University is committed to equal opportunity, affirmative action, and nondiscrimination on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, disability, weight, and marital status in all educational programs, activities, and conditions of employment. 7/98.
