Suggested Scheduling Plan
Students in the Biomedical Science major follow a curriculum that includes general education courses, pre-med science courses, major courses, and science electives. The curriculum is designed to be flexible so as to meet the needs of all students, regardless of which healthcare-focused graduate program they plan to pursue (e.g., biomedical research, medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health, etc.).
We accept Advanced Placement (AP) credit for most subjects, but we strongly recommend repeating science courses for which students have credit and taking them at the honors level. Many medical schools do not accept AP credit for the pre-med courses.
Although the Biomedical Science Research courses are only listed in the junior year, all students are required to complete a two-year significant research experience. This culminates during the junior year with students working approximately 20 hours per week in their labs. Most Biomedical Science students begin working in a lab during the second semester of their freshman year or early in their sophomore year.
Summers are free for students to pursue a variety of interests: research at Ohio State or elsewhere, physician shadowing, study abroad, internships, additional coursework, etc.
Minors
Students enrolled in the Biomedical Science major are encouraged to pursue a minor. Minors available at Ohio State are numerous and diverse. Students are encouraged to consider a minor outside the sciences to diversify their coursework and experiences.
Minors like Forensic Science and Neuroscience may provide additional depth to the coursework required by the Biomedical Science major. Students may also consider adding breadth to their undergraduate experiences. Minors like Spanish, Theatre, or History may provide students with the opportunity to complete coursework different than the required natural science and research courses for the Biomedical Science major.
Talk with your academic advisor about other minors well-suited for your career goals.
Suggested Scheduling Plan
Generally, students follow the suggested scheduling plan below; however, previous coursework and student preference can alter the schedule.
Autumn Semester: BIOMSCI 1100, BIOLOGY 1113 or 1113H, CHEM 1210, MATH 1152
Spring Semester: BIOMSCI 2891H, BIOLOGY 1114 or 1114H, CHEM 1220, STAT 2450 or 2480, GENED 1201
Autumn Semester: BIOMSCI 2892H, CHEM 2510, CHEM 2540, PHYSICS 1200, Foundations GE
Spring Semester: BIOMSCI 2900H, CHEM 2520, CHEM 2550, PHYSICS 1201, Foundations GE
Autumn Semester: BIOMSCI 3891H, Advanced Science Electives (e.g., BIOCHEM 4511, PHYSIO 6101), Foundations GE
Spring Semester: BIOMSCI 3892H, Advanced Science Elective (e.g., PHYSIO 6102), Theme GE, Foundations GE
Autumn Semester: BIOMSCI 4200H, BIOMSCI 4810H, Advanced Science Elective (e.g., ANATOMY 3300), Foundations GE
Spring Semester: BIOMSCI 4210H, BIOMSCI 4820H, BIOMSCI 4830H, Advanced Science Elective, Theme GE, GENED 4001
Biomedical Science Course Descriptions
This course is designed to orient students to the Biomedical Science major, College of Medicine, and Ohio State. The course emphasizes academic requirements, university policies, enrichment resources, career exploration and research opportunities.
This course is taught by a health sciences librarian and guest lecturers. Students are introduced to the process of searching the biomedical science literature, determining the usefulness and validity of search results, and learning how to read, analyze and critique the literature.
This course introduces students to research being conducted at the Wexner Medical Center, as well as various career options in medicine and research. Students read manuscripts written by Ohio State faculty and subsequently meet with the faculty to discuss details of their manuscripts and career choices.
Students learn common techniques used in the laboratory environment. They gain an appreciation for why certain techniques are chosen for a given research question and how those techniques accomplish the research task. In addition to classroom instruction, they tour some of Ohio State’s core research facilities. Integrating information from the semester, students are placed in groups and assigned a research question to develop and present to the class. The course also familiarizes students with bioethics.
Students work on a comprehensive research project under the direction of a lab mentor. Assignments include literature searches, data collection and analysis, hypothesis development, and grant proposals. Students write a grant proposal and report on research progress with an oral presentation and a poster presentation. During the spring semester, students present their research at the Spring Undergraduate Research Festival and/or Trainee Research Day.
In Concepts in Healthcare I, students examine the humanistic and social aspects of healthcare, to include patient/client differences, values and preferences, as well as the nature of the caring relationship in healthcare. Concepts in Healthcare II is a current issues course that provides an introduction to healthcare policy and medical leadership.
This three-course sequence focuses on the integration of biomedical sciences and the interface with clinical medicine. Translational research is explored using case sets and problem solving in a team-based format. Topics include Immunology and Infectious Disease, Genetics and Neurological Disease, and Cancer.