Program Prepares Future Physicians
Touro’s Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences Graduates Advance to Meaningful Careers in Health Care.
In a packed Lander Auditorium at the Touro University California (TUC) campus, family and friends welcomed the 2024 graduating class of Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences (MSMHS) with loud, joyous shouting.
Capping off a festive week of graduations from all of TUC’s programs, the auditorium crowd was just as ecstatic, cheering each MSMHS graduate with the fullness of their lungs as each name was called. The room felt alive with the collective breath, undulating between anticipatory, audible deep breaths to thunderous celebration as their loved ones officially became graduates.
“I feel extremely happy and blessed that I graduated surrounded by so many amazing people, faculty, and friends,” says MSMHS graduate Kiana Khosrowkokabi. “The speed and the intense amount of material that we needed to know was intense, but in the end, it was all worth it.”
Khosrowkokabi is taking a gap year, preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and planning to apply to TUC’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM). The one-year MSMHS program offers an entry point for students like Khosrowkokabi. Graduates who maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and receive a 490 or higher on the MCAT get a guaranteed admissions interview to the COM and Physician Assistant programs.
Some of the graduating MSMHS students were already enrolled at TUC for fall 2024. Of the 65 MSMHS graduates, 27 students so far have been accepted into the COM program. Nadine Navarro is excited to start her medical education with many of the same faculty and students, including Kenny Montealegre.
“This master’s program is a great opportunity for people like me who didn't do well on the MCAT but can demonstrate that they can handle med school,” says Montealegre, who is planning on getting dual Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and Public Health degrees.
Beatrice Ark-Majiyagbe, also accepted in the COM program, plans to get into internal medicine before specializing in hematology and oncology.
“The program was tough, but it was also a wonderful opportunity to work with my colleagues and the fantastic faculty, who were incredibly resourceful and helpful,” says Ark-Majiyagbe about MSMHS. “I love it at Touro and I'm looking forward to pursuing my degree in in medicine here in the fall.”
The MSMHS program offers a foundational education in medical sciences, providing graduates with a head start in advanced medical school curriculum. It also offers students, particularly nontraditional ones, the opportunity to ease into the rigors of medical school. At TUC, those meeting the criteria get a guaranteed admissions interview, promoting approximately 43% of 2024 MSMHS graduates to advanced medical degree programs for the fall semester.