Unique Programs

Unique_Programs.jpg

The Bachelor of Medical Sciences Program is offered jointly with the Faculty of Science and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. In the first two years, you will be taking more general courses (biology, chemistry, genetics, organic chemistry, etc.) with the Faculty of Science. In your third and fourth years, you will explore more advanced study in one or more of the basic medical sciences.

In addition to an interdisciplinary program, the seven basic medical science departments offer over 30 specialized areas of study. Four of the more unique programs are Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Biophysics, Medical Health Informatics, and One Health.

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Epidemiology and Biostatistics trains students to understand why some people get sick and others do not, why rates of disease vary by person, place and time and to learn how to investigate disease causation, prevention and intervention.

Medical Biophysics

Medical Biophysics students take basic principles from mathematics, the physical and biological sciences, and computer science, and apply them to improving medical diagnosis, treatment and patient health. The experience of students in Medical Biophysics goes beyond “textbook knowledge” and places them in settings where they solve real-world problems such as: how blood flows in arteries and veins, designing a better joint replacement, improving lung ventilation in asthma, how MRI forms images of the brain, and targeting radiation therapy in cancer to protect the healthy surrounding tissue.   

Watch the Medical Biophysics video

Medical Bioinformatics

Medical Bioinformatics is the use of computational methods to solve problems in biomedical sciences. High-throughput technologies that rapidly generate enormous amounts of data (e.g., next-generation sequencing platforms), which were once considered "cutting edge", are now essential tools in modern biomedical and clinical laboratories. This module provides students with the necessary foundation in computing, statistics and medical sciences, followed by a series of unique courses in Medical Bioinformatics with an emphasis on practical skill development.

One Health

One Health is a ‘systems’ approach to studying human health, recognizing that the health of humans is connected to the health of animals and the environment. Most of the emerging human health issues are linked to increasing contact between humans and animals, and environmental changes through urbanization, globalization, and climate change. The Honours Specialization in One Health will provide you with excellent training in human health and disease, with a particular focus on the link between environmental, socio-economic factors and human health.