Pre-Medical Education in the Physical Sciences for Tomorrow's Physicians

COFFEE_KLATCH · Invited

Abstract

Medical knowledge is being transformed by instrumentation advances and by research results including genomic and population level studies; at the same time, though, the premedical curriculum is constrained by a relatively unchanging overall content in the MCAT examination, which inhibits innovation on undergraduate science education. A committee convened jointly by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute has examined the science and mathematics competencies that the graduating physician will need, and has asked which of these should be achieved during undergraduate study. The recommendations emphasize competency -- what the learner should be able to ``do'' at the end of the learning experience -- rather than dictating specific courses. Because the scientific content of modern medical practice is evolving, new science competencies are desirable for the entering medical student. An example is statistics, an increasingly prominent foundation for database and genomic analysis but which is not yet uniformly recommended as preparation for medical school. On the other hand, the committee believes that the value of a broad liberal arts education is enduring, and science coursework should not totally consume a premedical student's time. Thus if we recommend new areas of science and mathematics competency for pre-meds, we must find other areas that can be trimmed or combined. Indeed, at present there are some science topics mandated for premedical study, which may not be essential. For these reasons, the committee aims to state premedical recommendations in ways that can be met either through traditional disciplinary courses, or through innovative and/or interdisciplinary courses. Finally, we acknowledge that practice of medicine requires grounding in scientific principles and knowledge and in the practice of critical inquiry. These principles may be learned and practiced in undergraduate study through work in the physical sciences, as well as in biology, and such multidisciplinary training should be encouraged.

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Authors

  • Steve McMahon

    Fermilab, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, Department of Physics, Long Island University--C.W. Post Campus, Brookville, NY 11548, Department of Mathematics, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803-4001, Prague, North Carolina State University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Univ. of Tennessee, SUNY at Oswego, Argonne Nat. Lab., Oak Ridge Nat. Lab., NNSA/Department of Energy, Department of War Studies, King's College London, Strand Campus, London UK WC2R 2LS, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Texas, TTU, UCSD, U. of Wisconsin, U. of Iowa, Brown University, Regis University, University of South Dakota, MIT, FAMU, Harvard, UMass Amherst, Caltech, ORNL, LPC Caen, GSI, Universite Laval, Western Michigan University, GANIL, Dept of Chemistry and IUCF, Indiana University, Departments of Chemistry and Physics, University of Rochester, Rochester NY, Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester NY, Indiana University, University of Rochester, LANL, INFN, Pisa, University of Wisconsin- Madison, CERN and University of Athens, Greece, SLAC/Stanford University, Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Russia, Physics Department, New York City College of Technology, CUNY, USA and Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, Russia, Physics Department, New York City College of Technology, CUNY, USA, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, The University of South Dakota, Univ. of Florida, Univ. of Washington, Natl. Radio Astronomical Observatory, Washington University in St Louis, Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University, Cornell University, California Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, Columbia University, Culham, General Atomics, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, PPPL, CEA, U.C.S.D., Princeton University Plasma Physics Laboratory, U. Wisconsin-Madison, EURATOM/CEA, Utah State University, IREAP, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA, UCLA, LLNL, Tech-X Corp., Lehigh U., Paratools Inc., Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706-1609, LBNL, PPPL, Princeton University, John Hopkins University, Chemistry department and Emerson Center for Scientific Computation, Emory University, University of York, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Columbia Univ., Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA. USA, Tech-X Corporation, Boulder, CO. USA, General Atomic Corporation, San Deigo, CA 92186, PPPL, Princeton Univ., Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, NTUA, Athens, Greece, CompX, Utah State U., UW-Madison, Royal Observatory of Belgium, University of Tulsa, University of Manchester, IPP Garching, University of Wiscosnsin - Madison, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, Advanced Technology Division, SFA Incorporated, Crofton, MD, Plasma Science and Innovation Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, CGWP, Penn State, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan, University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena CA, 91125, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, University of California Observatories, Physics Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Texas A\&M University, ICRANet, Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, RAS, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Tech-X Corporation, GOO Zaryad, Novosibirsk, RU-630058, Helmholtz Inst., Univ. Bonn, D-53115 Bonn, Forschungszentrum J\"ulich, IKP, D-52425 J\"ulich, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040, KEK, UMass, GCSU, NGCSU, Duke U/TUNL, McGill, Northwestern, Manitoba, ANL, ANL and Chicago, LSU, Rutgers U., U. of Tennessee, TRIUMF, Vancouver, BC, Canada \& Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, Zurich, Switzerland, U of TN, Rutgers, ORAU, CO School of Mines, University of Michigan, Pennsylvania State University, University of Chicago, University of Calgary, Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Physics Department, University of Illinois, Stanford University, Florida State University, Livermore National Lab, Naval Research Lab, Charles University, Prague, Department of Physics, University of Richmond, Virginia 23173, Argonne National Lab, Mississippi State Univ., Univ. of Surrey, Rutgers Univ., TN Tech., Univ. of TN, CSoM, OH Univ., Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, University of Surrey, University of Tokyo, NSCL, Michigan State University, National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University, Department of Physics, Florida State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ursinus College, Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Center for Magnetic Self-Organization, University of Wisconsin, Madison, MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Budker Institute, LANL and D.E. Shaw Research, LLC, MIT PSFC, USU, TechX, Lodestar Res. Corp., Lodestar Research Corp., University of Colorado at Boulder, Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, IPR, Gandhinagar, India, Association EURATOM - Ris{\o} DTU, Roskilde, Denmark, Auburn University, JNL Scientific, Casa Grande, AZ 85296, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, University of Arizona, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Center for Magnetic Self-Organization in Lab and Astrophysical Plasmas and University of Wisconsin - Madison, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL, Swarthmore College, CERN, SLAC, UMass, Amherst and TUNL, Duke U.~and TUNL, Universit\`a di Genova, Dipartimento di Fisica and I.N.F.N. Sezione di Genova., Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Zurich, Max-Planck-Insitut fur Plasmaphysik Greifswald, Germany, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, NASA/GSFC, University of Kansas, University of Iowa, Bielefeld University, Concordia University, Canada, NRL, Institute for Applied Energy, Nuclear Waste Management Organization, Canada, Rice University, College of William \& Mary, U. Rochester, Ohio State University, NSCL and Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, NSCL and Department of Physics \& Astronomy, Michigan State University, National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA, Space Research Institute, Russia, Perimeter Institute, Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University, University of California, Davis, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Mississippi, Department of Physics, Florida A\&M University, FL-32307., Department of Mechanical Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL-32310, University of Kentucky, Indiana Unversity, Michigan State University, Concordia College, Indiana University at South Bend, Central Michigan University, Hope College, Wabash College, Marquette University, University of Louisville Department of Physics and Astronomy, Penn State University, Universidad de Valencia, Spain, University of California, Riverside, University of Illinois, Los Alamos National Lab, University of North Carolina, University of Washington, Colorado State University, University of Wisconsin, Madison, The Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Washington State University, NC State University, Los Alamos National Labratory, University of Virginia, Universita di Roma ``La Sapienza", University of Colorado, Rutgers University, Purdue University, Iowa State U., U.Arizona$^{\dagger}$, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Cardiff University, University of Maryland, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Science and Technology Facilities Council, UK