One of America's Most Diverse Universities Launches New Academic Program to Create More On-ramps to Medical School

In partnership with Tiber Health, Virginia's only Hispanic-Serving Institution, Marymount University, launches new Master of Science in Medical Sciences in response to state demand for culturally-competent doctors and healthcare professionals in healthcare deserts 

ST. LOUIS, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marymount University has announced a new Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) program, powered by Tiber Health, to place skilled medical professionals in communities in need. Launching in August 2022, the MSMS program will provide recent college graduates interested in health sciences graduate programs with a pathway to a wide range of jobs in healthcare or ultimately to an MD program. Marymount University is  currently the only four-year Hispanic-serving institution in Virginia and is tied in the U.S. News and World Report for #1 for campus ethnic diversity. Marymount University has partnered with Tiber Health, an innovative educational model that pairs advanced predictive analytics with a dynamic mix of hands-on classroom experiences and virtual learning to give students a personalized education rooted in real-world medical practice.

America faces a critical shortage of physicians, particularly Black and Hispanic physicians, who have been historically underrepresented in medicine and are projected to become increasingly underrepresented in the next decade. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States is expected to have a shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034 in both primary and specialized care unless the recruitment and training of physicians changes. At the same time, Virginia has seen an immediate staffing shortage at hospitals across the state with 18 percent of hospitals reporting "critical staffing shortages" and 22 percent of hospitals reporting a longer term shortage, signaling an increased need for these types of partnerships.

"Our traditional pathways to graduate healthcare programs are overlooking far too many qualified students who  are ready and eager to pursue careers in medicine, often in communities that have been overlooked themselves. This new program is designed to ensure students are not only prepared to succeed academically, but have the cultural competence and real-world skills needed to be excellent providers," said Dr. Amanda Wright, professor of biochemistry at Marymount University and MSMS program director. "Recognizing the urgent need our country has for highly skilled, culturally competent and highly educated medical professionals, I am thrilled we will be able to prepare them to meet that need and be impactful members of their communities."

The Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) program, powered by Tiber Health with a curriculum delivered by the faculty at Ponce Health Sciences University, provides students at partner institutions an accessible and affordable way to experience medical school by integrating both virtual and in-person customized learning and using advanced analytics to guide student performance as well as predict performance in medical school and the Step 1 exam. The MSMS model was developed at Ponce Health Sciences University where, to date, 98 percent of MSMS graduates at PHSU have passed the USMLE Board Step 1, with higher average scores than their peers.

Currently, Marymount University offers a bachelor's in health sciences with four specialization tracks in exercise science/strength conditioning, pre-physical therapy, pre-professional, and public health as well as a 5-year bachelor's in public health to master's in public health education and promotion program. The new MSMS program will allow students to further their skills in these programs and pursue graduate level programming leading to an MD.

"As we re-examine how we recruit and train medical professionals, programs like this will help us expand the reach and scale of the impact that the next generation of doctors – particularly those from minority backgrounds – can have," Dr. David Lenihan, president of Ponce Health Science University and co-founder and CEO of Tiber Health. "I look forward to seeing the progress and growth of students who will go through the MSMS program and hope to see the continued expansion of partnerships such as this in the future."

About Marymount University
Marymount University is a private, comprehensive university founded in 1950 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, with its main campus in Arlington, Va. Marymount offers students a unique mix of STEM programs and liberal arts fields in an overall curriculum that provides specialized educational opportunities in a wide range of disciplines at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels. Marymount has about 4,000 students enrolled, representing approximately 49 states and 75 countries. The University has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as having one of the most internationally diverse student bodies in the nation.

About Tiber Health
Tiber Health is scaling exceptional medical education to bring more healthcare workers to the places that need it the most. The rigorous curricula, predictive data analytics, and focus on cultural competency aspects of healthcare are transforming the way health science is taught and learned. Tiber Health's large scale data is used to create more medical professionals at an effective rate, all while encouraging students to follow their dream career.

SOURCE Tiber Health