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: BMS Survey, Calculus I, Chemistry I, English
Spring Semester: BMS Literature I, Biology I, Calculus II, Chemistry II
Autumn Semester: BMS Literature II, Biology II, Organic Chemistry I, Statistics
Spring Semester: Lab Techniques, Organic Chemistry II, Physics I, General Education
Autumn Semester: BMS Research I, Physics II, Science Elective, Science Elective, General Education
Spring Semester: BMS Research II, Science Elective, General Education, General Education
Autumn Semester: Concepts I, Special Topics I, Science Elective, General Education, General Education
Spring Semester: Concepts II, Special Topics II, Special Topic III, Science Elective, General Education
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.