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Clinical Science

Master's Sample Curriculum

Medical Students

Option A:

The MSCS offers intensive course offerings in the Summer semester for medical students, potentially interested in a career as a clinician-scientist, to take a few introductory CLSC Program courses. The Clinical Research Training Program’s introductory courses for CLSC 7996 (Adult) or CLSC 7997 (Pediatric) provide background in six course subject areas (8 semester credit hours) and include topics covering:

1. ethics in human subjects research,
2. responsible conduct of research,
3. evidence-based medicine,
4. research methods,
5. clinical outcomes assessment, and
6. applied biostatistics.

Alternatively, the non-intensive version of the introductory CLSC Program courses can be taken as electives during the essential core periods of the SOM curriculum, since the vast majority of the classes are offered early mornings, late evenings, or weekends on a traditional course schedule. Other health professional students wishing to take introductory graduate courses can register for these six CLSC introductory courses as electives, as well. The course content material covered is the same as in the intensive version of the courses, but the approach used is different with more online materials and supplementary video lectures required in the intensive course approach.

Comparison of intensive course series (CLSC 7996 or CLSC 7997 combined) versus traditional CLSC introductory courses

Option B:

Based on the previous example for the summer semester intensive course offerings as electives, the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine is willing to facilitate a year between phase 2 of the essentials core and the clinical core curriculum periods (or alternatively, the same option between the clinical core curriculum and advanced studies periods) to allow students to complete the MSCS option. The additional coursework required for intermediate courses (8-9 semester credits), advanced courses (4-5 semester credits) combined with 4 credits of a master’s thesis requirement (or a “lead author” scientific research paper submission requirement) appears to integrate well within the new SOM curriculum. Although there may be a slight delay in the clinical training progress (i.e., a year or at most two years taken off while in medical school), it is more likely that the clinical science courses will enhance the clinical core patient care experiences.

The Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometric class offerings are not be directly coordinated with the MSCS program. Thus MSCS students would need to coordinate their schedule within the normal framework for these BIOS or PRMD course offerings; however, the vast majority of CLSC Program courses are offered in time periods to complement a clinical schedule – either in off-hours (early mornings, late evenings, or weekend days) or as intensive courses (in longer blocks of classes performed in sequential days).

Medical students participating in the MSCS will likely need to take off one to two years before their clinical core component to finish classes and to initiate working on their master’s research project. Their master’s thesis project or research paper (for up to 6 credits), however, could be completed in their advanced studies period to complete their degree requirements.

Traditional MSCS Student

A sample of the course curriculum and process used for MSCS students, who are not simultaneously taking courses while in medical school, is shown below.

*Note: The PRMD and BIOS courses will be offered by the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics.