Global Medicine (MS)

Return to: Keck School of Medicine of USC 

Keith Administration Building 317
1975 Zonal Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90089-9024
Tel: (323) 442-3141
FAX: (323) 442-1766
keck.usc.edu/msgm

Program Director: Elahe Nezami, PhD

The Master of Science in Global Medicine (MSGM) is offered by the Department of Educational Affairs of the Keck School of Medicine. The program aims to train medical, dental and pharmacy students; current physicians and allied health professionals; and those planning to pursue degrees in the allied health professions to analyze and address critical issues in global medicine. The program provides a solid foundation in basic science while also exposing students to a broad scope of pertinent issues in global medicine. The program offers an advanced standing option for physicians, dentists, current medical/dental students and applicants with a PharmD degree from accredited institutions. Students admitted to the advanced standing option may use previous equivalent course work for 8 units of credit toward MEDS 503 L Core Principles System I  and MEDS 504 L Core Principles System II  course requirements. The advanced standing option allows students to bypass the foundation course work and focus on globally oriented course work.

By providing the knowledge and training necessary to address current and future global medical challenges, the MS in Global Medicine program responds to the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation that the education of health professionals include course work that promotes literacy in global medicine. In addition to gaining a strong medical science foundation, students are immersed in course work that examines methods used to create innovative programming, solutions and responses to global health challenges, thereby furnishing them with the problem-solving skills and analytical frameworks essential to their future career paths. Through partnerships with the Marshall School of Business and the Viterbi School of Engineering, the MS in Global Medicine also includes a Management Track for students who intend to pursue international health management, and an Entrepreneurship Track for students interested in applying business acumen to the challenges of global health in innovative ways. The MS in Global Medicine also offers the Interprofessional Health Track for students seeking an understanding of the interplay of various clinical specialties in providing comprehensive and integrated care to patients and the resultant impacts on healthcare administration.  Upon completion of the MS in Global Medicine, students will be equipped to serve as leaders within the allied health field, including, but not limited to: medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and nursing. In addition, graduates will be prepared to collaborate with, or seek employment from, a variety of international aid, nonprofit, and global health organizations such as: the United Nations, the International Red Cross, United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS, United Nations Children’s Fund, World Health Organization, World Bank and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Admission

Applicants for admission to the program must have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution and have earned a GPA of 3.0 (A = 4.0) in undergraduate work. Prerequisite undergraduate course work for Clinical Track applicants must include one year of general biology, one year of general chemistry, one year of organic chemistry and one semester of calculus. Applicants to the Management, Entrepreneurship, and Interprofessional Tracks should consult with advisers for prerequisite exceptions.

All applicants are required to have taken the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test, the Dental Admission Test (DAT) or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). A minimum score of 300 on the GRE, 18 on the DAT or 28 on the MCAT is required. Applicants beneath these standardized test score requirements are asked to consult with program staff for advisement. International Medical Graduates (IMGs) from accredited institutions can submit their USMLE results in lieu of GRE, DAT or MCAT scores. Applicants must also supply three letters of recommendation from evaluators qualified to assess their potential for graduate work. If applying for the advanced standing option, U.S. applicants must have successfully completed their first year of an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) program or earned a PharmD degree from a U.S.- accredited institute; international applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery or a degree equivalent of DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or a PharmD degree from an accredited institute. Applicants must supply a completed application for graduate studies including: transcripts from all institutions previously attended, standardized test scores and three letters of recommendation. Applications are considered for enrollment in both fall and spring semesters. For further information contact: Master of Science in Global Medicine Program, 1333 San Pablo Street, MCA 144, Los Angeles, CA 90033, Tel: (323) 442-3141, email: msgm@med.usc.edu.

Advisement

The program recommends that students meet with an academic adviser of the program each semester prior to registration.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

A graduate GPA of at least 3.0 is required at all times. Any student whose graduate GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation who do not raise their GPA to 3.0 after two semesters of written notification of academic probation will be academically disqualified. A minimum of 32 units of graduate level course work is required for graduation from the clinical, management and entrepreneurship tracks. A minimum of 24 units of graduate-level course work is required for graduation with the advanced standing option.