Curricular Development of a Master of Science in Medical Physiology Program Using Evidence-Based Learning Strategies to Enhance Academic Proficiency and Student Success

The Master of Science in Medical Physiology program at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University was designed to improve the academic readiness and application competitiveness of students seeking admission to medical and dental school programs, ultimately enriching and diversifying the respective applicant pools. The 30-credit, course-based program establishes a strong foundation of knowledge in human physiology, which underpins the field of medicine. More than half of the credits in the program are in medical physiology and pathophysiology, which serves to establish a solid foundation in medical physiology upon which students will build their pre-clinical medical or dental school knowledge upon matriculation. In similar programs at other institutions, students sit in medical school physiology lectures. In contrast, students in the Master of Science in Medical Physiology program receive instruction by medical school faculty delivered in an extended class format, providing additional opportunities for content reinforcement and student engagement. To accomplish the goal of improving academic readiness, the program curriculum utilizes evidence-based best practices for learning. Frequent no- and low-stakes formative assessments provide opportunities for active recall to improve content reinforcement and to prioritize mastery over memorization in preparation for summative assessments. Case-based learning and in-class interactive lab activities using Lt sensors (Lt by ADI Instruments) provide opportunities for scaffolding and integration of content. Self-directed learning using Lt assignments and activities provide opportunities for interleaving and spaced retrieval of content. Currently in its third cohort of students, the Master of Science in Medical Physiology program at the Medical College of Georgia establishes a strong foundation of knowledge in medical physiology while providing students targeted academic support to facilitate their development into stronger, and more confident learners. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.