Biomedical Graduate Education
Biomedical Graduate Education

GEMS-PHSL Pathway

A student presents a poster during the Pharmacology & Physiology poster session

Eligible students in the Georgetown Experimental Medical Studies (GEMS) postbaccalaureate program can earn an M.S. in Physiology & Biophysics (PHSL) in one additional semester, further strengthening their resume and preparation for medical school.

Why Georgetown’s M.S. in Physiology & Biophysics?

Eligibility

Students who complete each GEMS course with a grade of B or higher may apply for the M.S. in Physiology & Biophysics.

Apply for the GEMS-PHSL Pathway

Apply through the Georgetown Graduate Application Portal by the deadline of May 1. In the application, choose “Physiology and Biophysics – Regular Program (M.S.) GEMS Pathway” as the program.

GEMS students must apply and be accepted into the M.S. program. Read our application instructions and submit your application through the Georgetown Graduate Application Portal. Note that as a GEMS student, you are eligible for our affiliation-based tuition fee waiver.

M.S. in Physiology & Biophysics Admissions

Tuition

Students pay the Biomedical Graduate Education cost per credit hour for the 8 summer graduate credits needed to complete the Master of Science.

GEMS-PHSL Timeline

GEMS-PHSL students complete the normal, two-semester GEMS curriculum, then take three courses in the summer to complete the Master of Science.

Calendar links here?

Fall GEMS

*These courses count toward the M.S. in Physiology & Biophysics.
Course NameCredit(s)
Interdisciplinary Medical Science3
Neurophysiology Tutorial (Bootcamp)0*
Clinical Explorations2*
Selected Topics in Developmental Anatomy2*
Selected Topics in Cardiovascular Physiology2*
Introduction to Clinical Anatomy1*
Principles of Gross Anatomy1*
Fundamentals of Biochemistry4
15 Credits

Spring GEMS

Course NameCredit(s)
Medical Cardiovascular Biology3
Medical Respiratory and Renal Biology3
Medical Gastrointestinal Biology3
Medical Endocrine Biology2
Introduction to Clinical Laboratory Science1
Fundamentals of Pathology and Pharmacology3
15 Credits

Summer Physiology & Biophysics

*These courses count toward the M.S. in Physiology & Biophysics.
Course NameCredit(s)
PHSL 6504-01 Biostatistics3*
PHSL 7941 Physiology Literature Research (Capstone)3*
Summer elective2*
8 Credits

Students pay the Biomedical Graduate Education cost per credit hour for the 8 summer graduate credits.

Physiology & Biophysics Courses

Designed for students pursuing graduate degrees outside of biostatistics, this course provides the foundational knowledge to become informed readers of scientific research and methodologies, a key skill for the literature review paper in the spring semester. Students first learn the four pillars of exploring and displaying data appropriately, exploring relationships between two variables, issues of gathering sample data, and understanding randomness and probability. On these pillars, students then can develop the platform for statistical inference including proportions and means, multiple regression, and ANOVA.

Under the guidance of a faculty mentor, students will write a critical review paper on a topic of their interest within physiology, involving thorough research of the current scientific publications in that field.

Students choose a summer elective course.

Visit GEMS Curriculum for GEMS course descriptions.