Case Western Reserve University
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
Post-Baccalaureate Master’s Program
The Master’s Program in Medical Physiology:
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Designed for, but not limited to, students with a bachelor’s degree in a physical, chemical, or biological science
who are seeking advanced training in the physiological sciences, typically in preparation for admission to a
professional medical program (e.g. Medical, Dental or PA Schools) or a Ph.D. program.
The program (30 credit hours) is flexible in duration. With permission, it can be completed in as little as 2
semesters (9 mos.). Most students decompress the program, taking 12 - 22 months to complete it. The program is
also available over the Internet with resources accessible on Blackboard and exams given at testing centers.
Two, 6 hour courses in Medical Physiology; two, 2 hour courses in
Translational Physiology (all four following the Medical Physiology
textbook of Dr. Walter F. Boron - Chairman of the Department of
Physiology and Biophysics - and Dr. Emile L. Boulpaep); and two, 1 hour
Physiology Seminar courses make up the core (18 hours) required courses.
Flexible electives (12 credit hours) can be focused in one area (Clinical
Neuroscience, Cardiovascular, Nutrition, etc.) to give students credentials
in an Area of Concentration. These elective hours can also be focused on a
research project for a thesis-based MS degree. A dual-degree MS/MBA
program (18 credit hours for the MS and 48 credit hours for the MBA) is
also available in conjunction with the CWRU Weatherhead School of Management.
Graduates of the Program can pursue careers in basic and clinical research, research administration, healthcare
administration, teaching or management in academia, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, private
research institutions, government science or regulatory agencies, or medicine and healthcare.
Rolling admissions: Applications are accepted now through June 1st, 2014 for the class beginning in August
2014. Admission to the program is through the established online application process
(https://app.applyyourself.com/AYApplicantLogin/fl_ApplicantConnectLogin.asp?id=case-gr).
Students are required to submit their official transcript, their score on the MCAT, DAT, or GRE exam, a personal
statement of interest, and 3 letters of recommendation for the MS program.
There are no minimum requirements per se; each student’s entire application is considered for admission. Our
first three MS classes of 43, 84 and 85 students respectively, had an average GPA of 3.2, an average MCAT of
27.2, an average GRE of 1183, and an average DAT of 18.8. To date, 75% of the 1st MS class has been admitted
to medical programs (MD, DO, DDS, PA, etc.) including the CWRU Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine.
For more detailed information, visit our website at:
(http://physiology.case.edu/education/)
Facebook at:
(https://www.facebook.com/CaseWesternPhysiologyBiophysics) or
Dr. Thomas M. Nosek, Director of the MS in Medical Physiology Program
(Thomas.Nosek@Case.edu) 216-368-3242
Dr. Andrea Romani, Director of Admissions
(Andrea.Romani@case.edu) 216-368-1625
Ms. Jean Davis, (jean.davis@case.edu, 216.368.2084)
Coordinator, Educational Programs
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, CWRU
School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4970
Internet Program
The faculty recommends that all students in the post-baccalaureate program be resident
students, meaning that they are physically present for all lectures and seminars. In this
way, they can most effectively become an integral part of the academic community and
take advantage of all the educational resources available at CWRU and its affiliated
hospitals (The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, University Hospital Case Medical Center,
Metro Health Hospital, and The Cleveland Veterans Association Hospital). However, we
understand that physical attendance is not always possible because some students must live
outside the Cleveland area or work during class times.
All lectures and seminars of the core physiology courses (PHOL 481, 482, 483, 484, 499A, and 498B) are streamed
live over the Internet and recorded and made available asynchronously to students through Blackboard. Monday quizzes
in PHOL 481, 482, 498A, and 498B are taken through Blackboard. Block exams are administered under secure
conditions at a Testing Center close to the residence of the student. There are no additional charges for the use of these
Internet resources. The 12 credit hours of elective courses can be taken from an ever-growing list of online graduate
courses offered by the university. Up to 6 graduate credit hours of courses taken at universities other than CWRU can be
used toward the degree.
Areas of Concentration
After students complete the required 18 credit hours of core physiology courses, they must
take an additional 12 credit hours of electives. If a student has an interest in a particular area
and takes their electives from a prescribed set of courses in that area, the department
recognizes this as an “Area of Concentration” – an AOC. We have developed an AOC in
Clinical Neuroscience, Nutrition, and Cardiovascular Physiology, with other AOCs under
development. Students will apply for admittance to an AOC after successfully completing
the first year of study and passing the National Board Subject Exam in Physiology and Neurophysiology.
Thesis-Based MS Program
Students who have a very strong interest in research, have the opportunity to do original
research with CWRU faculty inside or outside the Department of Physiology and
Biophysics and write a research thesis. Students in this program take 24 months to earn
their degree. During the first year of study, they will take the 18 credit hours of required
core physiology courses. During their first year of study, students will identify a mentor
with whom they would like to do their research and petition the MS in Medical Physiology
Administration Committee to switch to the thesis-based program after taking the NBME subject exam in Physiology and
Neurophysiology the first week of May. Upon acceptance into the program, students will form a 5-member thesis
advisory committee and begin their research, taking 12 hours of Thesis Research (PHOL 651) and writing a thesis during
their second year of study.
Dual MS/MBA Program
The Weatherhead School of Management offers an MBA program which is
recognized as an innovative approach to Management education and builds on a
foundation of core skills to prepare graduates for what's currently happening in
business. After successfully completing the 18 credit hours of core courses in the
MS in Medical Physiology program and passing the National Board subject exam in
Physiology and Neurophysiology, students can apply for admittance to the dual
degree program (an MS in Medical Physiology AND an MBA). The next 3
semesters, the student will take 48 credit hours of courses required for the MBA program. The 5 semester dual degree
program (requiring a total of 66 credit hours, 24 less than would be required if the degrees were earned independently)
will prepare students to participate in the fields of medical research and management, health care management, as well as
give students an opportunity to develop expertise in areas of substantive interest. Moreover, dual degree students will be
more likely to have greater job opportunities that are at the intersection of translational science and business/health care.