Health and Medical Sciences Program

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2015-16 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu.

About the Program

The Health and Medical Sciences program is a five-year program leading to a master of science degree in Health and Medical Sciences from UC Berkeley and a MD from UCSF. The program’s mission is to produce academic and community leaders in American medicine through early exposure to public health disciplines, medical humanities, bioethics, and social and behavioral sciences. Berkeley awards the master’s degree upon successful completion of the first three years of work and UCSF awards the medical degree after successful completion of the fourth and fifth years. The master’s program is coordinated with both a clinical skills curriculum and a case-based pre-clerkship science curriculum during the first three years. The master’s curriculum requires a minimum of 20 additional units of academic coursework as well as the researching and writing of a thesis. Students are expected to acquire mastery of the pre-clerkship sciences and scholarly expertise in a selected area of interest related to health.

Students selected for this program meet the rigorous academic requirements for entrance into both medical school and graduate school. The selection process screens for students who have a strong interest in determinants of human health and disease beyond the purely medical and who seek a collaborative small-group process for learning.

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Admissions

Admission to the University

Minimum Requirements for Admission

The following minimum requirements apply to all graduate programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:

  1. A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
  2. A grade point average of B or better (3.0);
  3. If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g., Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 90 on the iBT test, 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, 230 on the computer-based test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these); and
  4. Sufficient undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.

Applicants Who Already Hold a Graduate Degree

The Graduate Council views academic degrees not as vocational training certificates but as evidence of broad training in research methods, independent study, and articulation of learning. Therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to pursue new subject matter at an advanced level without need to enroll in a related or similar graduate program.

Programs may consider students for an additional academic master’s or professional master’s degree only if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.

Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second master’s degree, despite the overlap in field.

The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:

  1. Applicants with doctoral degrees may be admitted for an additional doctoral degree only if that degree program is in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field in which they earned their original degree. For example, a physics PhD could be admitted to a doctoral degree program in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a PhD in statistics.
  2. Applicants who hold the PhD degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or professional master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.

Applicants may apply only to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.

Any applicant who was previously registered at Berkeley as a graduate student, no matter how briefly, must apply for readmission, not admission, even if the new application is to a different program.

Required Documents for Applications

  1. Transcripts:  Applicants may upload unofficial transcripts with your application for the departmental initial review. If the applicant is admitted, then official transcripts of all college-level work will be required. Admitted applicants must request a current transcript from every post-secondary school attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs. Official transcripts must be in sealed envelopes as issued by the school(s) attended. 
    If you have attended Berkeley, upload your unofficial transcript with your application for the departmental initial review. If you are admitted, an official transcript with evidence of degree conferral will not be required.
  2. Letters of recommendation: Applicants may request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division.
  3. Evidence of English language proficiency: All applicants from countries or political entities in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, most European countries, and Quebec (Canada). However, applicants who, at the time of application, have already completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better at a US university may submit an official transcript from the US university to fulfill this requirement. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement: 1) courses in English as a Second Language, 2) courses conducted in a language other than English, 3) courses that will be completed after the application is submitted, and 4) courses of a non-academic nature. If applicants have previously been denied admission to Berkeley on the basis of their English language proficiency, they must submit new test scores that meet the current minimum from one of the standardized tests.

Where to Apply

Visit the Berkeley Graduate Division application page . 

Admission to the Program

Applicants to the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program must be eligible for admission to the University in graduate standing, with an undergraduate upper division grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0, and a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. They must have fulfilled the standard premedical requirements and have taken the Medical College Admission Test (instead of the GRE) within three years of application. Initial application is via AMCAS, and admission is coordinated with the School of Medicine at UCSF.

Master's Degree Requirements

Unit Requirements: 20 Semester Units

Twenty semester units must be offered for the master's degree. Eight of the units must be HMS master's program units. 

Curriculum

HMEDSCI 261Research Seminar (3 semesters)1-2
PB HLTH 250AEpidemiologic Methods I3
HMEDSCI 262Qualitative Analysis Thesis Working Group (4 semesters)8
or HMEDSCI 264 Mixed Methods/Community-Based Research Thesis Working Group
or HMEDSCI 265 Epidemiology/Reproductive Health/Evaluation Research Thesis Working Group
or HMEDSCI 266 Clinical Medicine/Bench Research/Clinical Epi/Behavioral Thesis Working Group
or HMEDSCI 267 Bioethics, Medical Humanities, or Archival Thesis Working Group
Graduate Elective in research methods, approved by thesis adviser
Graduate Elective in content area of research

CITI Protocol

Capstone/Thesis (Plan I)

MS thesis based upon research project. Theses are directed by a thesis committee consisting of at least three faculty members. 

Courses

Health and Medical Sciences Program

HMEDSCI 200A Contextual Integrated Case-Based Curriculum 10 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
The six semester sequence (200A-200F) introducing principles of the medical basic science, health policy, public health, and clinical aspects of medicine taught in a contextual-integrated case-based format. The sequence includes curriculum in biochemistry, histology, microbiology, immunology, neuroanatomy, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical sciences.

HMEDSCI 200B Contextual Integrated Case-Based Curriculum 10 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
The six semester sequence (200A-200F) introducing principles of the medical basic science, health policy, public health, and clinical aspects of medicine taught in a contextual-integrated case-based format. The sequence includes curriculum in biochemistry, histology, microbiology, immunology, neuroanatomy, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical sciences.

HMEDSCI 200C Contextual Integrated Case-Based Curriculum 10 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
The six semester sequence (200A-200F) introducing principles of the medical basic science, health policy, public health, and clinical aspects of medicine taught in a contextual-integrated case-based format. The sequence includes curriculum in biochemistry, histology, microbiology, immunology, neuroanatomy, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical sciences.

HMEDSCI 200D Contextual Integrated Case-Based Curriculum 10 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
The six semester sequence (200A-200F) introducing principles of the medical basic science, health policy, public health, and clinical aspects of medicine taught in a contextual-integrated case-based format. The sequence includes curriculum in biochemistry, histology, microbiology, immunology, neuroanatomy, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical sciences.

HMEDSCI 200E Contextual Integrated Case-Based Curriculum 10 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
The six semester sequence (200A-200F) introducing principles of the medical basic science, health policy, public health, and clinical aspects of medicine taught in a contextual-integrated case-based format. The sequence includes curriculum in biochemistry, histology, microbiology, immunology, neuroanatomy, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical sciences.

HMEDSCI 200F Contextual Integrated Case-Based Curriculum 7 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
The six semester sequence (200A-200F) introducing principles of the medical basic science, health policy, public health, and clinical aspects of medicine taught in a contextual-integrated case-based format. The sequence includes curriculum in biochemistry, histology, microbiology, immunology, neuroanatomy, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, and clinical sciences.

HMEDSCI 202A Clinical Skills 1 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
The first course in a six-semester sequence introducing first-year medical students to the skills necessary to obtain a complete medical history, to manage successfully the dynamics of the doctor-patient interaction, and to master interpersonal communication skills required of doctors in a clinical setting.

HMEDSCI 202B Clinical Skills 2 2 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
Students learn the cardiovascular, pulmonary, eye, and gastrointestinal exam and practice a complete medical history and physical exam with their preceptor. The dynamics of the physician-patient relationship are discussed on an ongoing basis with both the preceptor and the faculty instructor. Each student is required to turn in at least five patient write-ups per term.

HMEDSCI 202C Clinical Skills 3 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
Students learn the neurologic, musculo-skeletal, ear, nose, throat, thyroid, and skin exam and practice the medical history and physical exam with their preceptor. The dynamics of the physician-patient relationship are discussed on an ongoing basis. Each student is required to turn in at least five patient write-ups per term.

HMEDSCI 202D Clinical Skills 4 2 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
Students learn the male genito-urinary exam and practice the complete medical history and physical exam with their preceptor. The dynamics of the physician-patient relationship are discussed on an ongoing basis. Each student is required to turn in at least five patient write-ups per term.

HMEDSCI 202E Clinical Skills 5 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015
Students learn the gynecologic exam and practice the complete medical history and physical exam with their preceptor. The dynamics of the physician-patient relationship are discussed on an ongoing basis. Each student is required to turn in at least five patient write-ups per term.

HMEDSCI 202F Clinical Skills 6 1 Unit

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
Under supervision, students perform a complete history and physical exam on hospitalized or clinic patients five times during the semester. They present the patients in written and verbal format to the instructor and class. These presentations are critiqued and the tools to effectively present cases are taught. The course runs for the first half of the student's last semester in the program. Each student is required to turn in three patient write-ups.

HMEDSCI 203 Introduction to Clinical Radiology/Anatomy Correlates 1 Unit

Terms offered: Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Summer 2016 8 Week Session, Summer 2015 8 Week Session
An introduction for medical students to the study of radiology and the examination of healthy and diseased organs by imaging techniques, correlated with the Gross Anatomy and Anatomy of Human Development courses. Areas that will be covered include introduction to the major organ systems through the use of radiographs.

HMEDSCI 211 Narrative and Medicine 1 Unit

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
This course's goal is to provide a method for medical students to think, write about, and discuss feelings engendered by clinical encounters. Medical students are taught the need to be emotionally detached from patients, yet being emotionally detached does not mean devoid of emotion. This course offers a means to express and analyze those feelings. Also considered is the value of regarding the medical history as "text" which can be written and read from differing, equally valid viewpoints.

HMEDSCI 261 Research Seminar 1 - 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017
A seminar to help Joint Medical Program students acquire skills necessary to define a research question, find appropriate mentorship, and design a research project. Summer course introduces research design, methods, and expectations for M.S. research in Health and Medical Sciences. Fall and spring semesters address topics in research; student progress toward M.S. thesis is reviewed and critiqued. Development of research plan, protocol design and implementation, and research findings will be reviewed. Each student takes this course three times in the first year.

HMEDSCI 262 Qualitative Analysis Thesis Working Group 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
The Qualitative Analysis TWG provides JMP students a supportive small group student-centered environment in which to discuss their qualitative research with other students engaged in qualitative research towards the goal of the successful completion of the required JMP MS.

HMEDSCI 264 Mixed Methods/Community-Based Research Thesis Working Group 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
The Mixed Methods/Community-based Research TWG provides JMP students a supportive small group student-centered environment in which to discuss their research with other students engaged or interested in mixed methods/community-based research projects towards the goal of the successful completion of the required JMP MS.

HMEDSCI 265 Epidemiology/Reproductive Health/Evaluation Research Thesis Working Group 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
The Epidemiology/Reproductive Health/ Evaluation TWG provides JMP students a supportive small group student-centered environment in which to discuss their research with other students engaged in Epidemiology/Reproductive Health/ Evaluation projects towards the goal of the successful completion of the required JMP MS.

HMEDSCI 266 Clinical Medicine/Bench Research/Clinical Epi/Behavioral Thesis Working Group 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
The Clinical Medicine/Bench Research/Clinical Epi/Behavioral TWG provides JMP students a supportive small group student-centered environment in which to discuss their Clinical Medicine/Bench Research/Clinical Epi/Behavioral projects towards the goal of the successful completion of the required JMP MS.

HMEDSCI 267 Bioethics, Medical Humanities, or Archival Thesis Working Group 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
The Bioethics, Medical Humanities TWG provides JMP students a supportive small group student-centered environment in which to discuss their research with other students engaged in Bioethics, Medical Humanities projects towards the goal of the successful completion of the required JMP MS.

HMEDSCI 296 Special Study 1 - 10 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015
Designed to permit qualified graduate students to pursue special study under the direction of a faculty member.

HMEDSCI 298 Directed Group Study 1 - 5 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016
Group study for graduate students. Intensive examination of health-related topics.

HMEDSCI 299 Independent Study and Research in Health and Medical Sciences 1 - 12 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2017, Summer 2017 8 Week Session, Spring 2017
Independent study, research, and writing in an area related to program of study, sponsored by an approved faculty member and approved by program adviser.

Faculty and Instructors

Faculty

John R. Balmes, Professor in Residence.

Lisa F. Barcellos, Associate Professor. Public health, genetic epidemiology, human genetics, autoimmune diseases, multiple schlerosis, lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, epigenetics, genomics, computational biology.
Research Profile

Jack Colford, Professor. Public health, epidemiology, infectious diseases, biostatistics, meta-analysis.
Research Profile

Laurent Coscoy, Associate Professor. Immunology, viruses, viral infection, immune responses, immune evasion.
Research Profile

Ronald Dahl, Professor. Decision-making, adolescence, brain development, behavioral and emotional health, pubertal maturation, affective neuroscience, social neuroscience.
Research Profile

Marian C. Diamond, Professor. Environment, neuroanatomy, immune functions, hormones, mammalian forebrain structures, Cambodian orphanage, cerebral neocortex.
Research Profile

William H. Dow, Professor. Health economics, international health, economic demography.
Research Profile

Lia C. Fernald, Associate Professor. Poverty, obesity, child development, public health nutrition, global health, psychosocial and biological determinants of health, overweight, nutritional and epidemiologic transition, chronic disease, malnutrition, child health and development, early experience, inequality and health disparities, Latino health, Mexican-Americans and other immigrant groups, stress hormones, salivary cortisol.
Research Profile

Mary K. Firestone, Professor. Soils, environmental policy, environmental science, policy & management, wildlife, miicrobial biology.
Research Profile

Sharon E. Fleming, Professor. Plant biology, health and nutrition.
Research Profile

Sylvia Guendelman, Professor. Public health, maternal & child health, health and social behavior, health policy and management, specialty area in multicultural health.
Research Profile

Helen Halpin, Professor. Public health, health policy and management, health services & policy analysis.
Research Profile

S. Katharine Hammond, Professor. Public health, environmental health sciences.
Research Profile

Seth M. Holmes, Assistant Professor. Immigration and migration, medical anthropology with foci on social theory and ethnography, social studies of medicine and science, social difference related to race, social difference related to socioeconomic status, social difference related to citizenship, social difference related to gender, social difference related to sexuality, the naturalization and normalization of social hierarchies and health disparities, social suffering and symbolic violence, urban and rural Latin America and North America, population health with focus on global health, population health with focus on health disparities, population health with focus on social determinants of health.
Research Profile

Alan Hubbard, Associate Professor.

William J. Jagust, Professor. Neuroscience, cognition, brain aging, dementia, imaging, Alzheimer's disease.
Research Profile

Thomas W. Laqueur, Professor. Medicine, religion, body, human rights.
Research Profile

Jane Mauldon, Associate Professor. Demography, public policy, quantitative methods, health policy and economics, poverty and public policy, the teen-parent component of California’s welfare reforms.
Research Profile

Maria Mavroudi, Professor. Byzantine studies.
Research Profile

Guy Micco, Clinical Professor. Aging/old age, suffering, and death, the medical humanities.
Research Profile

Suellen Miller, Adjunct Professor.

Meredith Minkler, Professor. Public health, health and social behavior, community health education.
Research Profile

Mahasin S. Mujahid, Assistant Professor.

Amani M. Nuru-Jeter, Associate Professor. Health disparities, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic position, stress and health, place and health, cardiovascular risk, birth outcomes.
Research Profile

Lee Riley, Professor. Public health, infectious diseases, molecular epidemiology, global health, tuberculosis, drug-resistant infections, slum health.
Research Profile

Eleanor Rosch, Professor. Cognition, psychology, concepts, Eastern psychologies, psychologies of religion, cross cultural, causality.
Research Profile

George W. Rutherford, Adjunct Professor.

Allan H. Smith, Professor. Public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health sciences.
Research Profile

Sandra Smith, Associate Professor. Trust, urban poverty, joblessness, race and ethnic inequality, social capital and social networks.
Research Profile

Harvey M. Weinstein, Clinical Professor.

Lecturers

Karen Sokal-Gutierrez, Lecturer. Nutrition, maternal-child health, early childhood health, oral health, child health in developing countries, children's health in child care, parenting education, health education for low literacy populations, health disparities.
Research Profile

Emeritus Faculty

Joyce C. Lashof, Professor Emeritus. Public health, health policy.
Research Profile

John Swartzberg, Professor Emeritus.

S. Leonard Syme, Professor Emeritus. Social epidemiology, community interventions.
Research Profile

Contact Information

Health and Medical Sciences Program

570 University Hall

Phone: 510-642-5479

Visit Program Website

Program Director

John Balmes, MD

Phone: 510-643-4702

jbalmes@medsfgh.ucsf.edu

Head Graduate Adviser

Colette (Coco) Auerswald, MD, MS

coco.auerswald@berkeley.edu

Graduate Student Affairs Officer

Tracey Jones

Phone: 510-642-5671

jmp@berkeley.edu

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