Faculty of Medicine

Summary of Degree Programs

Degrees Offered

Undergraduate

Health Sciences

BHSc Honours

Professional

Doctor of Medicine

MD

Graduate

Graduate Science Education

MBT

MCM

MSc

PhD

Vision

Creating the Future of Health

Mission

An innovative medical school committed to excellence and leadership in education, research and service to society.

The pattern of education in most medical schools is changing rapidly in response to trends in the provision of health services, new concepts of learning, and pressures from the community and from the profession. The philosophy of the Faculty is to modify the curriculum as required in response to these trends to ensure the preparedness of students. There is increased recognition that the content of medical education need not be precisely the same for every medical student. Students should master a curriculum which will provide the fundamentals for the practice of Medicine regardless of the discipline which they eventually elect to pursue. Beyond this, through elective and free time, medical education can be tailored to suit particular talents and interests.

During undergraduate medical training, there is provided independent study time for the student to sample those areas available to him or her after graduation. In many medical schools, considerable emphasis has been given to biomedical research and conventional specialties, such as internal medicine, surgery, and paediatrics. At the same time, these schools have stressed primary care specialties. This is also the pattern at the University of Calgary.

In parallel with the recognition that graduates of a medical school need not all be cast from the same mold comes the acknowledgement that the premedical training need not follow a fixed pattern. For example, students contemplating a medical career in an area such as psychiatry might be advised to concentrate, during their premedical education, on the behavioural and social sciences, but without ignoring the physical and biological sciences. The converse might be true of students contemplating a medical career in an area such as biomedical, pharmacological or physiological research.

Objectives

In response to the needs of the community we serve, the objectives of the Faculty of Medicine are:

1. To admit candidates with the attitudes, skills and educational experiences that are consistent with the Mission Statement, values, principles and beliefs of the medical school. The Faculty recognizes our obligation to promote, encourage and support applications from candidates belonging to our aboriginal population.

2. To teach and evaluate medical students, graduate clinical trainees and practicing physicians in a manner consistent with the principles of life-long learning and towards satisfactory completion of their training and licensure examinations.

3. To promote continuity of learning, from entry into medical school, during graduate training, and throughout professional practice.

4. To teach and provide research training to undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral trainees in a cooperative and multidisciplinary environment which will stimulate the creation of new knowledge, ideas, resources and technology which will be to the benefit of society.

5. To cooperate with affiliated institutions and professional societies in medical education, research and clinical care.

6. To encourage integration of education and research so that these activities become interdependent and of equal status.

7. To continually evaluate and adjust our objectives in order to enhance the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of our educational process to be responsive to the needs of the community we serve.

8. To provide a supportive and stimulating environment for members to carry out their administrative, education, patient care and research responsibilities.

9. To admit candidates with demonstrated interest in obtaining degrees in both medicine and a related field.

Undergraduate

The Faculty of Medicine offers a four-year Bachelor of Health Sciences Honours (BHSc Honours).

Doctor of Medicine

The Faculty of Medicine offers a three-year professional degree leading to a Doctor of Medicine (MD).

Postgraduate

After students finish the undergraduate medical program, before they can practice medicine, they must complete postgraduate medical training. They need to obtain certification from the College of Family Physicians of Canada (a minimum of two years of training) or a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada program (a minimum of four years of training). The University of Calgary has more than 40 residency training programs.

Graduate Science Education

See the Faculty of Graduate Studies calendar for further details of the degree programs, including:

· The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, offers MSc and PhD degrees in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
· The Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences offers both thesis-based MSc and PhD degrees.
· The Department of Community Health Sciences offers a course-based MCM (Master of Community Medicine) degree and a thesis-based MSc degree and PhD degree. Within the thesis-based program, the student may elect specialization in Biostatistics, Epidemiology or Health Care Research.
· The Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences offers a thesis-based MSc or PhD degree in Gastrointestinal Sciences with specializations in Physiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Immunology, Immunopharmacology, and Nutrition.

· The Medical Science graduate program offers both MSc and PhD degrees programs. Students normally specialize in an area covered by one of the Faculty Research Groups.
· In cooperation with the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, an MSc program with a specialization in surgery is offered.
· The Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases offers both MSc and PhD degrees.
· The Department of Neuroscience offers graduate work leading to MSc and PhD degrees.

The Master of Biomedical Technology program offers a one-year course-based MBT degree.
· A combined MD/MSc and MD/PhD program is offered under the title "Leaders in Medicine."