Meredith’s M.A. in Biomedical Sciences Program Fills Crucial Need

Since welcoming its first students in the fall of 2024, the M.A. in Biomedical Sciences (MABMS) program has made an impact in its short history. This impact includes helping its first applicant, Matt Coty, gain admission to his target program: a physician assistant (PA) program at Methodist University, where he will start courses this fall.

Jason Andrus, director of Meredith’s MABMS program and professor of biological sciences, says the program was started to fulfill a need that couldn’t be fully met by the College’s highly successful post-baccalaureate health certificate program. 

“We began to see more applicants who had some success in their undergraduate courses required for health professional school, but needed to continue to demonstrate academic achievement in more challenging courses. The postbac program, while robust, would not have been able to best meet that need,” Andrus said.

Coty said the program “was in fact the last piece of the puzzle to getting in” to PA school for him.

“I had tons of patient care experience, work, and extracurriculars, but always had a GPA that lacked competitiveness and would weigh down my application,” he said. “This program allowed me to demonstrate that I can excel in a master’s-level science curriculum and that I deserved a shot to be a PA student.”

Meredith’s MAMBS program has several elements that make it unique among similar programs nationally, Andrus said, including a strengths framework that helps students “grow academically and professionally.”

“We believe our curriculum not only prepares them academically, but trains students how to effectively communicate to admissions committees through their applications and interviews who they are and what their potential is as a healthcare professional,” Andrus said.

Another distinguishing factor is the program’s exposure to real-world experiences through courses such as Medical Microbiology, Healthcare Ethics, and Professional Development.

“Our courses provide an opportunity to collaborate on group projects, engage in project management, and partake in evaluations with each other, which gives [students] the opportunity to both give and receive constructive feedback,” Andrus said.

Specifically, the Healthcare Ethics course “challenges students to consider ethical decision-making in complex medical scenarios,” Andrus said. “Additionally, our professional development courses provide unique opportunities for students to organize and participate in a community service project, host speakers in the health care professions, participate in mock multiple mini-interviews, and work on the application materials.”

Coty said the professional development course was among the most helpful for him, giving him the confidence boost he needed to be more successful in his PA school applications and interviews. 

“The course spent significant time preparing [me] for prospective professional school applications, interviews, and personal statements. It truly made a huge difference in my confidence going into my applications and interviews,” he said.

Getting to know students like Coty, their individual goals, and helping them achieve them is what drives Andrus as program director and faculty member.

“Every one of our students is a talented, interesting, and committed individual, even if they do not yet see that in themselves,” he said. “Seeing students gain confidence in their ability to meet their goals is where I believe the program makes the biggest change.”

Coty said he and his fellow cohort of students could feel how committed Andrus and all their Meredith professors were to their individual success.

“All the professors were knowledgeable and genuinely cared about the students learning the material and progressing in a way that would further them toward their ultimate goal.”

For more information about Meredith’s MABMS program, visit meredith.edu/master-of-biomedical-sciences.