Requirements

> Admission to Degree Programs

> Foreign Students

> MD/PhD

> Physician Scientist

Admission to Degree Programs

Applicants who have earned an undergraduate degree from a recognized institution may be admitted to the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences if their academic records and personal attributes indicate the ability to pursue advanced study successfully. Applicants must present evidence, to the satisfaction of the department or the program committee concerned, of adequate preparation for the subjects in which they seek to specialize. All students must hold the undergraduate degree before enrolling.

 

Only students with undergraduate averages of B or better, or with undergraduate study of otherwise certifiable equivalent quality, ordinarily are admitted. Students required to make up undergraduate course deficiencies before being admitted to the program may be permitted to enroll in Tulane's School of Continuing Studies and cross-register for the necessary courses in the appropriate college or school. Graduate credit will not be awarded for any courses taken to make up undergraduate course deficiencies.

 

A master's degree is not prerequisite to the beginning of study for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, but a student may be required to qualify for the master's degree while working toward the doctorate.

 

The Graduate Record Examination General Test is required and a minimum combined score of 1100 (Verbal 550 + Quantitative 550) is required for the applicant to be considered. The GRE subject test is not required.

 

Students who wish to be admitted to the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences should apply online (see application).The program will not consider any student for admission until all the following documents, plus the $40 online application fee, have been received:

(1) completed application form,

(2) three completed recommendation forms

(3) official transcripts of all undergraduate records and of any previous graduate work

(4) a statement of career objective not to exceed 500 words

(5) an official score report for the Graduate Record Examination General Test. (Certain departments require the appropriate Subject Test score as well) (or MCAT scores for Human Genetics Masters degree).

 

Provisional admission may be granted to students who have not completed all the application requirements, e.g., the submission of acceptable GRE or TOEFL scores.

 

Probationary admission may be granted upon conditions which the applicant must fulfill in the first semester or first year of enrollment in order to have the probationary status changed to regular degree status. All transcripts and other documents and material required for application for admission become the property of the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences and are not returnable.

Foreign Students

A foreign applicant for admission must present satisfactory evidence of sufficient competence in English to read it, write it, speak it, and understand it when spoken. Ordinarily, the applicant will demonstrate competence by presenting an acceptable score on TSE (Test of Spoken English), normally a minimum score of 250. If TSE is not available in the applicant's area of the world, TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) may be taken instead. A score of 600 is required on the TOEFL if the paper version is taken; a score of 250 is required on the computer version; and a total score of 80 is required for the internet version with a minimum of 23 for speaking. For information about these exams, write TOEFL/TSE Services, P.O. Box 6151 , Princeton , NJ 08541-6151.

 

An applicant whose competence in English is unproven or insufficient may be admitted with probationary status on the condition that competence will be proven or improved. The student may be required to prove competence by earning an acceptable score on a test of English (either TSE, TOEFL, or a Tulane University test). A student who scores below the acceptable level of competence may be required to register for less than a full graduate program and to take English as a Second Language instruction without credit until the ESL pro-gram director certifies the student's competence. A foreign applicant is also required to take the Graduate Record Examination.

Physician Scientist and M.D./Ph.D.

By its nature the P/S program requires that students have clearly defined long-term goals as well as a realistic appreciation of those goals.  While rewarding, a career that demands expertise in the rapidly evolving fields of clinical medicine and science will always be challenging.  For these reasons, applicants to the P/SP must demonstrate a refined understanding of this career choice.  Applicants must have evidence of meaningful research experience with strong letters of support from their supervisors.  Publications are not required but are a means of demonstrating research productivity.  Applicants whose research experience is limited to a summer in a laboratory will be at a significant disadvantage.  Applicants must also be able to articulate cogent reasons for becoming a physician rather than a non-physician medical researcher.  In this regard, exposure to "people professions" (such as teaching, nursing, social work) may be invaluable.

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