Program Overview:
This Junior Medical School Program is designed to introduce teens and youths to the fundamentals of medicine, healthcare, and biomedical sciences. It aims to inspire future medical professionals by providing foundational knowledge, hands-on experiences, and critical thinking skills essential for pursuing careers in healthcare.
This program aims to ignite a passion for medicine and healthcare among teens and youths. It fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and a compassionate approach, laying a strong foundation for future medical education and careers.
Program Outcomes:
Upon completion, students will:
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Demonstrate foundational knowledge in human biology, medicine, and healthcare
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Understand the ethical and social responsibilities of healthcare professionals
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Be prepared for advanced studies in pre-medical or health science programs
FIRST-YEAR COURSES
- HUMAN ANATOMY (GROSS ANATOMY LECTURE CONTENT)
- HISTOLOGY & CELL BIOLOGY
- EMBRYOLOGY & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
- PHYSIOLOGY (GENERAL, CARDIOVASCULAR, RESPIRATORY, RENAL, GI, ENDOCRINE, REPRODUCTIVE)
- BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
- GENETICS AND GENOMICS
- IMMUNOLOGY (FUNDAMENTALS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM)
- MICROBIOLOGY I (INTRODUCTORY BACTERIOLOGY, VIROLOGY, MYCOLOGY, PARASITOLOGY)
- BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE / HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN MEDICINE
- INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL MEDICINE – LECTURE PORTIONS ONLY (COMMUNICATION THEORY, HISTORY-TAKING PRINCIPLES)
- MEDICAL ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM I
- BIOSTATISTICS & PRINCIPLES OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
- HEALTH SYSTEMS & POLICY I (OVERVIEW OF U.S. HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, INSURANCE, MEDICARE/MEDICAID)
SECOND-YEAR COURSES
- PATHOLOGY (GENERAL & SYSTEMIC)
- PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (INTEGRATED DISEASE MECHANISMS)
- PHARMACOLOGY (GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND SYSTEMS PHARMACOLOGY)
- MICROBIOLOGY II & INFECTIOUS DISEASES (ORGANISM-SPECIFIC DISEASE MECHANISMS)
- IMMUNOPATHOLOGY & AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
- HEMATOLOGY / ONCOLOGY (BLOOD DISORDERS, CANCER BIOLOGY)
- NEUROPATHOLOGY & NEUROPHARMACOLOGY
- ORGAN-SYSTEM MODULES
- CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY & EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE
- PREVENTIVE & COMMUNITY MEDICINE
- MEDICAL ETHICS AND PROFESSIONALISM II
- HEALTH SYSTEMS & POLICY II (QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, HEALTH EQUITY)
- INTRODUCTION TO CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY (RATIONAL PRESCRIBING LECTURES)
THIRD-YEAR COURSES
- ADVANCED PATHOPHYSIOLOGY (COMPLEX MULTI-ORGAN CONDITIONS)
- ADVANCED PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
- TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE & MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE
- CLINICAL NUTRITION AND METABOLISM
- POPULATION & GLOBAL HEALTH (GLOBAL DISEASE BURDEN, HUMANITARIAN MEDICINE)
- HEALTHCARE ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT
- MEDICAL LAW AND REGULATION (MALPRACTICE LAW, HIPAA, INFORMED CONSENT)
- QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & PATIENT SAFETY (SYSTEMS THEORY LECTURES)
- INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION & TEAM SCIENCE (CLASSROOM CONTENT)
- LEADERSHIP & MEDICAL ADVOCACY
- MEDICAL HUMANITIES / NARRATIVE MEDICINE (LECTURE SEGMENTS)
FOURTH-YEAR COURSES
- PRECISION MEDICINE & GENOMICS
- BIOINFORMATICS & BIG DATA IN MEDICINE
- ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
- ADVANCED TOPICS IN NEUROSCIENCE & BEHAVIOR
- CANCER BIOLOGY & NOVEL THERAPEUTICS
- AGING AND GERIATRIC MEDICINE (PHYSIOLOGICAL AGING, POLICY ISSUES)
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE & DIGITAL HEALTH / TELEMEDICINE
- DISASTER MEDICINE & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS (THEORY LECTURES)
- HEALTH SYSTEMS & POLICY III (HEALTHCARE REFORM, ETHICS IN RESOURCE ALLOCATION)
- CAPSTONE IN MEDICAL ETHICS & PROFESSIONALISM
ADVANCED ELECTIVE COURSES
ADVANCED BIOMEDICAL & TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE
Deepens understanding of disease mechanisms and emerging science.
- ADVANCED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND GENOMICS
- EPIGENETICS AND GENE REGULATION IN HUMAN DISEASE
- STEM CELL BIOLOGY AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE (THEORY-FOCUSED)
- ADVANCED IMMUNOLOGY AND AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS
- CANCER BIOLOGY AND TARGETED THERAPEUTICS
- NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE MECHANISMS (E.G., ALZHEIMER’S, PARKINSON’S)
- ADVANCED NEUROPHARMACOLOGY AND NEURAL CIRCUIT THEORY
- ADVANCED CARDIOVASCULAR PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
- ENDOCRINE SIGNALING AND METABOLIC DISORDERS
- PRECISION/PERSONALIZED MEDICINE AND PHARMACOGENOMICS
- SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND COMPUTATIONAL DISEASE MODELING
- ADVANCED MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS AND EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
- HOST–PATHOGEN INTERACTIONS AND VACCINE DEVELOPMENT (CLASSROOM COMPONENT ONLY)
- MOLECULAR BASIS OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
DIAGNOSTICS & MEDICAL REASONING (THEORY ONLY)
Strengthens diagnostic logic without hands-on patient work
- ADVANCED CLINICAL REASONING AND DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS (CASE-DISCUSSION SEMINAR)
- DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING INTERPRETATION (DIDACTIC RADIOLOGY, NO LAB IMAGING)
- ADVANCED LABORATORY MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS (CONCEPTUAL AND DATA INTERPRETATION)
- PATHOLOGY OF RARE AND COMPLEX DISEASES (“MEDICAL ZEBRAS”)
- MEDICAL DECISION ANALYSIS AND BAYESIAN REASONING
PUBLIC HEALTH, POLICY & SYSTEMS
Explores how medicine interacts with population health and law
- HEALTH POLICY, LAW, AND ADVANCED BIOETHICS
- GLOBAL HEALTH & INTERNATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEMS
- COMPARATIVE HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS AND UNIVERSAL CARE MODELS
- CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, AND PLANETARY MEDICINE
- HEALTH ECONOMICS AND HEALTHCARE FINANCING
- POPULATION HEALTH ANALYTICS & BIG DATA FOR MEDICINE
- DISASTER MEDICINE & HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (LECTURE-ONLY THEORETICAL FOCUS)
- SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND HEALTH EQUITY (ADVANCED SEMINAR)
TECHNOLOGY, INFORMATICS & THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE
Focuses on digital tools and innovation from a conceptual standpoint
- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING IN HEALTHCARE
- DIGITAL HEALTH, TELEMEDICINE, AND REMOTE CARE MODELS (THEORY AND POLICY)
- MEDICAL DEVICE INNOVATION AND REGULATORY SCIENCE
- BIOMEDICAL DATA SCIENCE AND DEEP LEARNING APPLICATIONS
- BIOINFORMATICS AND CLINICAL GENOMICS (COMPUTATIONAL/LECTURE FORMAT)
- MEDICAL ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION (ENGINEERING AND ETHICS FOCUS)
HUMANITIES, ETHICS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Examines the humanistic and professional side of medicine
- ADVANCED MEDICAL ETHICS: END-OF-LIFE, REPRODUCTIVE, AND GENETIC ISSUES
- MEDICAL HUMANITIES & NARRATIVE MEDICINE (SEMINAR AND LITERATURE-BASED)
- HISTORY OF MEDICINE AND GLOBAL MEDICAL TRADITIONS
- PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE AND MEDICINE
- LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY IN HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS
- COMMUNICATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN HEALTH CARE TEAMS (THEORY-BASED)
- HEALTH DISPARITIES AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY (ADVANCED, SEMINAR STYLE)
RESEARCH & SCHOLARSHIP (DIDACTIC/ANALYTICAL ONLY)
Prepares students for academic or policy research without lab benchwork
- CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH DESIGN (CONCEPTUAL AND PROTOCOL PLANNING)
- ADVANCED BIOSTATISTICS AND EPIDEMIOLOGIC METHODS
- CLINICAL TRIALS METHODOLOGY AND REGULATORY SCIENCE (THEORY-BASED)
- META-ANALYSIS AND SYSTEMATIC REVIEW METHODS
- GRANT WRITING, SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHING, AND SCHOLARLY COMMUNICATION
- MEDICAL EDUCATION & CURRICULUM DESIGN
- ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN BIOTECHNOLOGY AND PHARMACEUTICALS (BUSINESS AND POLICY SEMINAR)