Applicants for Fall 2012 entry should apply online by either January 17^th, 2012 (for those wanting an admission decision prior to April 10^th) OR apply by March 15^th, 2012 (for those wanting an admission decision prior to June 1^st).  When completing your online application for graduate admissions, you will be asked to complete a section regarding “Degree Program” information.  Please follow the exact directions below to insure a successful application to the MS degree program in Biomedical and Translational Science:

Please read the helpful information in order to ensure your completion of a competitive and successful application.  The remaining parts of the electronic application should be self-explanatory.  However, should you have questions you can contact us.  Your paper Letters of Recommendation that are not submitted via UC Irvine’s online system and your academic transcripts should be mailed to the following address:

Biomedical & Translational Science Degree Prgm.
Attn.: Francine Jeffrey, Program Director
100 Theory Bldg., Suite 110
School of Medicine
University of California
Irvine, California  92697-5800

The School of Medicine faculty has developed a comprehensive set of curriculum tracks in order to address the acute need for clinical researchers trained to meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of the clinical research environment we operate in today.  An inaugural class of MS-BATS students is now being recruited for entry beginning with the fall of 2012.  

There is an acute recognition of the accelerating gap between the rapid expansion of biomedical discoveries and the implementation of those discoveries into clinical practice.  This gap is exacerbated by the current shortage of adequately trained physician-investigators who are needed if we are to keep pace with the current rapid expansion being experienced.  In the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) ‘Roadmap’, Dr. Elias Zerhouni articulated his vision to stimulate the application of "bench" research to the "bedside" care of patients to address this need. 

He called for the transformation of biomedical training and mentoring to promote synergism between physician-investigators and those trained in basic science and other non-clinical disciplines (see EA Zerhouni, New Eng J Med 2005; 353: 1621-1623).  Dr. Francis Collins, the current director of the NIH, has underscored the importance of translational research, along with the development of comparative-effectiveness research, by placing them among his top priorities for the NIH research agenda (see E Dolgin, NatureNews 2009; 460:939).  Currently, less than 2% of active physicians pursue careers in research.

While the need on a national level continues to be articulated by numerous physician leaders, the faculty leadership at UC Irvine clearly sees the urgency to expand local training opportunities in clinical research; especially for our trainees in clinical residency and fellowship programs.  In addition, there are related shortages of qualified researchers that must be addressed across a broader range of the biomedical and translational science spectrum, from the study of disease on the molecular level and the conduct of clinical research on human subjects, to the synthesis of evidence-based medicine and the development of guidelines to improve clinical practice.

Initially, our MS degree program curriculum will focus on the conduct and interpretation of clinical research and the assessment and improvement of quality of healthcare.  The long-range expectation is to offer additional fields of emphasis, especially in  molecular medicine and population health sciences.  Molecular medicine will focus on the molecular mechanisms and molecular physiology of human disease.  Population health sciences will focus on the application of epidemiologic research and research methods to clinical practice.  Eventually, the faculty expects that as the MS-BATS program expands,  it will offer medical specialty and disease-focused elective concentrations corresponding to different medical specialties and sub-specialties throughout the School of Medicine. 

The current curriculum design of our MS-BATS degree program is sufficiently flexible to encourage trainees from various departments to enhance their specific training through electives specific to the content focus of their departments or research interests.  While it is expected that research projects of our trainees will be related to the content focus of the trainee’s department, a multi-disciplinary approach will be strongly encouraged by and reflected in the student’s mentoring committee.