小蓝视频, northeast Florida鈥檚 preeminent private university, has launched a one-year master鈥檚 program uniquely designed for students from diverse backgrounds who wish to pursue careers in healthcare.
The Master of Science in Medical Sciences program, in partnership with Tiber Health, offers an on-ramp to medical school and other professional programs, like pharmacy, optometry and physician鈥檚 assistant, in response to two concerning trends in U.S. healthcare: a growing doctor shortage and a medical profession that fails to reflect the increasingly diverse U.S. population.
鈥淲hen you consider that nearly 82 million Americans live in areas that don鈥檛 have enough primary healthcare professionals, and on average, only about 7 percent of people who apply to a medical school are accepted each year, it鈥檚 clear that we need new solutions for talented students who want to pursue medical careers,鈥� said Jacksonville University President Tim Cost. 鈥淎s an industry, higher education can do more to improve access to healthcare education for deserving students and ensure healthcare professionals better reflect the communities they serve.鈥�
Although 20 percent of Americans live in rural communities, just of physicians practice in them; and only about of today鈥檚 U.S. medical students are from rural areas, according to the latest published research. Likewise, Black and Hispanic Americans make up nearly one-third of the U.S. population but just 10 percent of doctors and 11 percent of medical school students.
The Master of Science in Medical Sciences program is uniquely designed to help prepare students for medical school, other medical professional programs, or to launch a career in related fields like public health or clinical research. For students who are academically promising but underprepared, the Master of Science in Medical Sciences program provides additional academic training ahead of medical school or other rigorous healthcare programs 鈥� a critical step in increasing demographic representation in the medical field. Today, more than 83 percent of the MSMS student body across all Tiber partner universities come from underrepresented backgrounds.
The MSMS program at 小蓝视频 also offers a unique opportunity for bilingual individuals who speak both Spanish and English through a collaboration with Ponce Health Sciences University, which promises the top 20 percent of 小蓝视频鈥檚 high-performing MSMS graduates an entry interview for its medical school in Puerto Rico.
鈥淔or nearly 40 years, 小蓝视频 has graduated outstanding healthcare professionals who help elevate the quality of care in our region and state. Now, through our relationships with Tiber Health and Ponce Health Sciences University, students will have more post-graduate options to continue their education and, moreover, will be better positioned for success in the field they choose,鈥� President Cost added.
Tiber Health鈥檚 industry-leading educational model will establish and sustain Jacksonville鈥檚 MSMS program and will empower students to take charge of their own academic success through regular, data-driven self-evaluation. Tiber Health鈥檚 methodology leverages advanced analytics to personalize learning and improvement. Real-time data, gathered throughout each student鈥檚 time in the program, goes beyond traditional entrance exam scores to give professional schools insight into students with a high likelihood of success.
Through a dynamic mix of hands-on classroom experiences and virtual learning, Tiber Health鈥檚 scalable model is proven to improve retention, graduation and board passage rates. To date, 77 percent of graduates from Tiber-powered MSMS programs continue on to their preferred healthcare path.
鈥溞±妒悠� has a strong history of preparing job-ready professionals to serve in in-demand jobs across Florida. We鈥檙e proud to be partnering with them in our mission to, not only help students pursue meaningful careers, but to address critical needs in our society,鈥� said Dr. David Lenihan, founder and CEO of Tiber Health. 鈥淛acksonville graduates will be among the next generation of healthcare professionals that we need 鈥� passionate and well-trained to meet the diverse needs of their communities.鈥�
小蓝视频 joins a network of institutions including Southern California University of Health Sciences, St. Thomas University, Saint Xavier University and others who are working with Tiber Health to dramatically increase the diversity of today鈥檚 healthcare professionals. Graduates have gone on to pursue medical school and diverse careers including podiatry, pharmacy, public health, education, and research.
