FAQ: What Is in the Tiber Health MSMS Curriculum?

A Bridge Between College and Medical School

For many pre-medical students, the path to medical school isn’t a straight line. Even with strong motivation and a solid undergraduate background, it can be difficult to demonstrate readiness for the rigor of professional medical training. That’s where a Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) can come in.

The Tiber Health MSMS curriculum, offered via our network of university partners, is designed to mirror the first year of an LCME-accredited medical school. It gives students the opportunity to strengthen their academic foundation, experience medical-school-level coursework, and gain data-driven insight into their readiness for professional study.

Below, we answer the most common questions about the MSMS curriculum.

What is the MSMS program?

The Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS)is a rigorous graduate-level program that prepares students for medical, dental, pharmacy, or other professional health-science schools.

Its curriculum replicates the structure and depth of medical school courses, allowing students to prove they can succeed at that level.

How is the MSMS curriculum structured?

The curriculum includes 42 total credit hours completed over three semesters:

• Semester 1: 18 credits
• Semester 2: 18 credits
• Semester 3: 6 credits

The final term offers a lighter load to allow for review, integration, and professional school application work.

What courses are included in the program?

Students complete the following courses:

• Gross Anatomy, Embryology and Imaging
• Physiology I
• Physiology II
• Medical Biochemistry I
• Medical Biochemistry II
• Microbiology
• Neuroscience
• Histology and Cell Biology
• Medical Ethics
• Interprofessional Perspectives in Health Disparities

These courses cover the same foundational biomedical sciences found in the first year of medical school, with added emphasis on ethics and health equity.

What makes the MSMS curriculum unique?

Instead of relying on long lectures, the MSMS uses a dynamic, flipped-classroom model. Students review content—lectures, videos, readings—before class and then spend class time on:

• Case-based problem solving
• Virtual labs
• Team-based discussions
• Clinical and competency exercises

This model emphasizes active learning, critical thinking, and collaborative engagement—skills essential for future healthcare professionals.

How does the curriculum use technology and data?

The Tiber Health MSMS curriculum integrates a proprietaryanalytics system that tracks student performance by discipline and topic.

• It shows how students perform across USMLE-aligned subjects.
• It highlights strengths and areas for improvement.
• It uses benchmarking data from medical school graduates who passed the USMLE Step 1 to gauge how students could perform based on their MSMS progress.

This allows for personalized feedback and targeted study strategies—something few graduate programs offer.

How long does it take to complete the MSMS?

Most students complete the program in 12–15 months across three consecutive semesters. Some of our university partners also offer a 20-month online version of the program that supports students who need to study part-time.

Who enrolls in the MSMS program?

MSMS students are typically:

• Recent college graduates with pre-medical coursework
• Applicants looking to strengthen their academic records
• Career-changers entering the health sciences
• Students improving their readiness for medical, dental, or pharmacy school

What skills are most important for success?

Students who thrive in the MSMS tend to:

• Manage time effectively
• Study actively and consistently
• Use data feedback to target weak areas
• Participate fully in class discussions and case work
• Stay motivated through a demanding schedule

Does the program only prepare students for medical school?

No. While many participants go on to MD or DO programs, the MSMS also strengthens preparation for dental, pharmacy, physician assistant, and other health-science graduate programs.

How does the MSMS address professionalism and ethics?

The curriculum includes:

• Medical Ethics (1 credit): exploring moral decision-making and professionalism in medicine.
• Interprofessional Perspectives in Health Disparities (1 credit): emphasizing cultural competence, teamwork, and understanding inequities in healthcare.

These courses remind students that medicine is about compassion and justice, not just about science.

Building Readiness for Medicine—And More

With a curriculum modeled after the first year of medical education, an analytics system that personalizes student learning, and support from our university partners’ dedicated faculty members, the MSMS offers a strong bridge between undergraduate training and professional health education.

Links for Additional Reading

• Competency-Based Medical Education: What It Is and Why It Matters
• Transforming Medical and Healthcare Education with the Flipped Classroom Model
• Why Your University Should Offer a Master of Science in Medical Sciences Program

Expanding Pathways in Healthcare: Careers for Graduates of a Master of Science in Medical Sciences Program

Key Takeaways

• Graduates of a Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) program can pursue diverse career paths beyond medical school.
• Offering an MSMS program helps universities expand graduate enrollment, build partnerships with health professional schools, and strengthen their profile in biomedical education and workforce development.
• The MSMS degree equips students with adaptable scientific and analytical skills that align with emerging fields such as health informatics, precision medicine, and global health.
• The Tiber Health MSMS curriculum adds the element of data-driven decision-making, with a predictive analytics dashboard that allows for tailored advising of students and a USMLE Step 1 outcome prediction that supports retention.

As the healthcare industry evolves and demand for professionals continues to rise, universities are seeking innovative ways to prepare students for a broad range of health-related careers. One increasingly popular solution is the Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS)—a flexible, interdisciplinary graduate program designed to deepen students’ biomedical knowledge and open multiple professional doors.

While many MSMS graduates use the degree as preparation for medical, dental, or other health professional schools, a growing number choose to launch or advance careers across a spectrum of healthcare and biomedical fields. Understanding these career outcomes can help university administrators recognize the versatility and value an MSMS program can bring to their academic portfolio.

Pathway to Professional Schools

First, the primary purpose of many MSMS programs is to strengthen students’ academic preparation for entry into:

• Medical school (MD or DO)
• Dental, veterinary, pharmacy, or optometry programs
• Physician assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner (NP) programs
• Doctoral studies in biomedical sciences or public health

With a rigorous foundational course modeled that mirrors the first year of pre-clinical education at an LCME-accredited medical school, the MSMS helps candidates demonstrate readiness and competitiveness in professional school admissions.

Biomedical and Clinical Research Careers

Graduates who choose to remain in academia or research-oriented environments find ample opportunities as:

• Clinical research coordinators or associates
• Biomedical laboratory scientists
• Research project managers
• Data analysts in translational medicine or drug development

These roles are critical in bridging the gap between scientific discovery and clinical application. Employers in hospitals, research institutes, and pharmaceutical companies value MSMS graduates for their ability to interpret scientific data and contribute to evidence-based innovation.

Healthcare Administration and Policy Roles

An MSMS program can also prepare graduates to enter healthcare management, public health, and policy development. With added coursework or experience in business or administration, alumni can pursue positions such as:

• Healthcare operations analyst
• Medical science liaison
• Clinical program coordinator
• Health policy analyst

These professionals play a pivotal role in optimizing healthcare delivery systems and ensuring that clinical decisions align with ethical, economic, and regulatory standards.

Education and Communication in the Sciences

With their deep grounding in biomedical sciences, MSMS graduates are also strong candidates for careers in:

• University or community college teaching
• Medical and science communication
• Curriculum development for pre-health or allied health programs

Some graduates find fulfilling careers teaching anatomy, physiology, or biochemistry, while others engage the public through health writing, media, or educational technology.

Industry and Biotechnology Careers

The life sciences sector—especially biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies—offers MSMS graduates diverse opportunities, including:

• Regulatory affairs and quality assurance
• Product development and testing
• Medical device or pharmaceutical sales
• Clinical trial management

These roles combine scientific expertise with business and communication skills, and the MSMS curriculum’s emphasis on applied biomedical knowledge gives graduates a competitive advantage.

Gateway to Interdisciplinary and Emerging Fields

Healthcare innovation increasingly intersects with technology, data science, and community health. MSMS-trained professionals are well-positioned for emerging careers in:

• Health informatics and biomedical data analytics
• Global and community health initiatives
• Precision medicine and genomics
• Medical entrepreneurship

These expanding areas highlight the flexibility of an MSMS education and its relevance to future healthcare needs.

The Institutional Advantage

For universities, offering an MSMS program provides strategic benefits:

• Expands graduate enrollment by attracting pre-health and post-baccalaureate students seeking advancement, including those form underserved backgrounds.
• Strengthens institutional partnerships with medical, dental, and professional schools.
• Enhances the university’s research and health education profile, contributing to workforce development in high-demand fields.

In short, an MSMS program can serve as a bridge—connecting students’ aspirations with healthcare’s evolving needs and positioning the university as a leader in biomedical education.

Explore an MSMS Like No Other

The Tiber Health MSMS curriculum offers more than a pre-medical pipeline program—it opens a gateway to a dynamic range of professional opportunities across healthcare, research, industry, and education.

For university administrators, partnering with us represents a strategic investment in students’ futures: one that brings innovative, data-driven education into their institutions. Learn more about the Tiber Health MSMS curriculum here.

Supporting Non-Traditional Pre-Meds with a Data-Driven MSMS Curriculum

Key Takeaways

• By using analytics to monitor student performance and identify learning gaps, Master of Science in Medical Sciences programs can offer tailored interventions that help non-traditional students succeed academically and professionally.
• The Tiber Health MSMS curriculum provides the biomedical foundation, research exposure, and skill reinforcement that non-traditional students often need after time away from formal education, helping them demonstrate readiness for medical school.
• A data-informed approach not only enhances academic outcomes but also supports personal growth and resilience—qualities valued in modern medical admissions and essential for long-term success in medicine.

In recent years, the pathway to medical school has evolved beyond the traditional four-year undergraduate-to-medical route. Increasingly, non-traditional students—career changers, post-baccalaureate learners, and those returning to school after years in the workforce—are pursuing medical careers.

However, these students often face unique challenges: gaps in academic preparation, limited access to structured advising, and uncertainty about how to demonstrate readiness for medical school.

A data-driven Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) curriculum like the one Tiber Health offers can be a transformative bridge for these aspiring physicians. By combining evidence-based instruction with performance analytics, such programs not only strengthen students’ academic credentials but also provide the feedback and mentorship necessary for long-term success.

The Value of a Data-Driven Approach

Traditional post-baccalaureate or master’s programs often rely on coursework alone to improve GPA or test readiness. In contrast, our data-driven MSMS curriculum leverages learning analytics and outcome tracking to personalize education. Each student’s progress can be monitored across key competencies—biomedical knowledge, critical thinking, and scientific reasoning—allowing faculty to tailor support based on measurable needs.

The MSMS can collect data on exam performance trends, concept mastery, and more. Advisors can then identify at-risk students early, intervening with targeted academic coaching or supplemental instruction. This predictive and preventive approach helps ensure that non-traditional students, who may have been away from rigorous academic settings for years, can regain confidence and rebuild study skills in a structured, supportive environment.

Bridging Academic and Professional Gaps

Non-traditional medical students often bring rich life experiences—work in healthcare, community service, or other industries—that enhance their interpersonal and problem-solving skills. What they frequently lack is recent exposure to upper-level biomedical coursework and research training. A data-informed MSMS program based on the Tiber Health curriculum can fill this gap effectively.

By integrating advanced coursework that’s aligned with the first year of pre-clinical study at medical school and ongoing performance analytics, students receive both the knowledge foundation and the empirical feedback that mirror the expectations of medical education.

Additionally, our MSMS curriculum also makes targeted career advising possible, helping students visualize their readiness for medical school based on an objective metric: their predicted performance on the USMLE Step 1 exam.

Supporting Holistic Development

Beyond academics, non-traditional learners benefit from structured mentorship and professional development. Data-driven programs can incorporate qualitative metrics—such as participation in mentorship sessions, leadership roles, or research productivity—to create a holistic picture of growth. This approach aligns with the shift in medical school admissions toward holistic review, where resilience, empathy, and communication are valued alongside GPA and test scores.

Moreover, tracking engagement and reflection data enables faculty to identify patterns linked to motivation and persistence. Insights from these analyses can inform program design, ensuring that support systems—like mental health resources or peer study groups—are deployed where they are most effective.

Outcomes and Institutional Benefits

The benefits of a data-driven MSMS program extend beyond individual students. Institutions build data that can inform curricular improvements, identify teaching gaps, and measure long-term success rates in medical school admissions. Over time, this creates a feedback loop: program data informs continuous improvement, which in turn enhances student outcomes.

For medical schools seeking diverse and resilient candidates, graduates of these programs bring both proven academic ability and data-backed evidence of their readiness. For non-traditional students, such programs serve as both a proving ground and a launching pad toward a career in medicine.

Explore the Tiber Health MSMS for Yourself

Non-traditional medical students represent an essential and growing part of the healthcare pipeline. Their varied backgrounds, perspectives, and motivations enrich the medical profession, but they require educational models designed for their unique paths.

The Tiber Health Master of Science in Medical Sciences curriculum makes it possible for you to offer your students precisely that—a structured, evidence-based, and supportive environment that empowers students to translate potential into performance. Learn more now.

Links for Additional Reading

• Predictive Analytics-Powered Pre-Medical Education: Advantages for Faculty
• Analytics: The Missing Ingredient in Healthcare Pipeline Programs Aimed at Underrepresented Students
• Why Your University Should Offer a Master of Science in Medical Sciences Program

Four Things Career-Changer Pre-Med Students Need from Universities

Key Takeaways

• Offering part-time, hybrid, or online MSMS programs allows career-changing pre-med students to pursue rigorous preparation without sacrificing work or family responsibilities.
• Tailored advising, mentorship, and peer networks help older students navigate unique academic and professional challenges.
• Universities that accommodate adult learners’ life responsibilities help diversify and enrich the future physician workforce.

The traditional image of a pre-medical student—a young undergraduate heading straight from college to medical school—is evolving. Increasingly, medical schools are welcoming students who are changing careers after years in other professions.

While the proportion of older students is still small—the Association of American Medical Colleges reports that about 3% of new matriculants were over 30 in 2024—these nontraditional pre-medical students bring diverse experiences, maturity, and resilience to the classroom. They also face unique challenges that universities must address to help them thrive.

Here are four ways institutions can better support older, career-changing pre-medical students.

1. Develop Flexible Post-Baccalaureate and MSMS Pathways

Many career-changers need to complete prerequisite coursework or strengthen their science background before applying to medical school. Traditional, full-time post-baccalaureate or master’s programs can be difficult for students who are balancing work, family, or financial obligations.

To meet these needs, universities can expand flexible, part-time, or online Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) programs. These programs allow students to build strong academic foundations in biomedical science while accommodating personal and professional commitments. Online or hybrid options are particularly valuable for students who can’t relocate or leave their jobs.

Flexibility doesn’t mean lower quality—universities can maintain rigorous academic standards while designing schedules and course delivery models that acknowledge adult learners’ realities.

2. Offer Tailored Academic and Career Advising

Older pre-medical students often enter with distinct goals and gaps. Some may need guidance on updating study habits after years away from the classroom, while others might be unfamiliar with today’s medical school application process or new admissions pathways.

Advisors trained to work with nontraditional students can provide personalized support, from helping spot trouble spots in their applications to identifying glide years and application strategies. Career counselors can also help students leverage their prior professional experience—whether in business, education, or the military—as a strength in their medical school applications.

3. Create Supportive Peer and Mentorship Networks

Career-changers sometimes feel isolated among younger classmates or unsure of how they fit into the pre-medical community. Universities can help by building intentional mentorship and networking programs that connect nontraditional students with peers and alumni who’ve successfully made the transition to medicine.

Mentorship from faculty members who understand the demands of adult learning can also help students navigate challenges like imposter syndrome or balancing family responsibilities with academic rigor. Establishing student organizations or cohort models for post-baccalaureate or MSMS students can further foster belonging and mutual support.

4. Recognize and Accommodate Life Responsibilities

Older students may juggle caregiving, mortgages, or full-time work. Universities can make a significant difference by offering practical supports—such as evening classes, asynchronous coursework, extended library hours, or access to childcare resources.

Policies that demonstrate institutional flexibility—like leave options, part-time enrollment, or modular course formats—signal to students that their life experience is not a barrier but an asset.

Building a More Inclusive Pipeline to Medicine

By designing programs that reflect the realities of adult learners, universities can help diversify the future physician workforce—not just demographically, but in terms of lived experience and professional perspective.

Career-changing pre-medical students bring empathy, communication skills, and real-world insight that enrich both classrooms and clinical environments. Supporting them isn’t just a matter of access—it’s an investment in the kind of adaptable, human-centered physicians our healthcare system increasingly needs.

Links for Additional Reading

• Competency-Based Medical Education: What It Is and Why It Matters
• Why Your University Should Offer a Master of Science in Medical Sciences Program

Harnessing Adaptive Learning to Strengthen Pre-Medical and Healthcare Education

Can adaptive learning technology work in higher education – including medical education? This article describes the benefits.

Key Takeaways

• As adaptive learning technology matures and expands into higher education, researchers have found that it can support higher academic performance and student engagement.
• Using adaptive learning in medical education supports the trend toward competency-based education, which is endorsed by the AMA and other organizations.
• Implementing an adaptive learning-powered curriculum such as the Tiber Health MSMS can help universities support pre-medical and pre-health students for success.

Preparing students for medical school and healthcare professions has always been a complex challenge. The curriculum is rigorous, the knowledge base is vast, and the stakes are high. Faculty and administrators face the dual pressures of ensuring students meet competency benchmarks while also addressing the growing diversity in student learning needs. One promising solution is adaptive learning—a technology-driven approach that personalizes the learning experience for each student.

A recent review of 69 adaptive learning studies by researchers in South Africa found that 59% of studies found measurable increases in academic performance after the implementation of adaptive learning, while 36% found improved student engagement. This article looks at some of the benefits of using adaptive learning, like that found in the Tiber Health MSMS curriculum, in health education.

What is Adaptive Learning?

Adaptive learning systems use data and algorithms to adjust instructional content in real time based on a learner’s performance. Instead of progressing linearly through a set syllabus, students engage with material that responds to their strengths, weaknesses, and pace of mastery.

• A student who excels in cellular biology may be quickly advanced to more challenging material.
• A student struggling with organic chemistry concepts can receive targeted practice, scaffolding, or alternative explanations before moving forward.

In addition, faculty gain dashboards and analytics that provide insight into where students’ strengths and weaknesses are, enabling timely intervention. In the Tiber Health MSMS curriculum, for example, faculty can tell how students are performing on key USMLE Step 1 competencies, and, with predictive analytics, get a pass/fail prediction.

Why Adaptive Learning Matters in Pre-Medical and Healthcare Education

The American Medical Association and other organizations are encouraging a shift toward competency-based training in medical education. In competency-based education, students must demonstrate mastery of key skills and knowledge before advancing. Adaptive learning supports this by helping ensure that students do not move forward with gaps in foundational knowledge.

Adaptive learning can also help support learners from many different backgrounds. Pre-medical cohorts are varied—students arrive with varying levels of preparation in sciences, math, and communication. Adaptive platforms can help level the playing field by personalizing remediation and acceleration without stigmatizing learners.

Next, adaptive learning helps faculty provide more targeted support to students. Rather than spending valuable time reteaching baseline content, faculty can focus on higher-level application, case discussions, and clinical reasoning. Adaptive learning systems surface the data faculty need to identify which students need additional mentorship, tutoring, or enrichment opportunities.

By tailoring learning to the individual, adaptive systems can improve knowledge retention and better prepare students for demanding entrance exams (e.g., the MCAT or USMLE) and subsequent curricula. Students move on to their chosen health professional program more confident and with fewer knowledge gaps.

A Strategic Opportunity

Adaptive learning is not a replacement for excellent teaching—it is a complement. When thoughtfully implemented, it can create a learning ecosystem where students thrive, faculty can focus on mentoring and critical thinking, and institutions can strengthen their pipelines of prepared, resilient health professions students.

For pre-medical and healthcare programs, where both the content load and stakes are high, adaptive learning offers a powerful tool to ensure tomorrow’s clinicians are not just knowledgeable, but deeply competent.

Explore the Adaptive, Data-Driven Tiber Health MSMS Curriculum

Want to build a pre-medical pipeline program that pairs LCME-accredited course content with innovative adaptive learning technology? Learn more about Tiber Health’s MSMS curriculum here.

Links for Additional Reading on Adaptive Learning in Higher Education

• “Personalized Adaptive Learning in Higher Education: A Scoping Review of Key Characteristics and Impact on Academic Performance and Engagement” – Heliyon, via ScienceDirect
• “Adaptive Learning” – Harvard Medicine
• “Competency-Based Medical Education” – American Medical Association

Read More from Tiber Health

• Transforming Medical and Healthcare Education with the Flipped Classroom
• Analytics: The Missing Ingredient in Healthcare Pipeline Programs Aimed at Underrepresented Students
• Predictive Analytics-Powered Pre-Medical Education: Advantages for Faculty

Expanding Opportunities: Why Universities Should Consider an Online Master of Science in Medical Sciences

How can offering an online Master of Science in Medical Sciences support strategic goals for universities?

Key Takeaways

• Demand for more accessible pre-medical and pre-health education options is rising, and online MSMS programs can meet this demand.
• A well-designed MSMS, such as the Tiber Health MSMS curriculum, can support student success by combining innovative learning technologies with coursework that mirrors pre-clerkship medical school classes.
• Offering an online MSMS can contribute to strategic goals around recruitment, innovation, and sustainable program offerings.

In recent years, the demand for advanced education in the health sciences has surged. Universities are uniquely positioned to meet this demand by offering flexible, innovative programs that align with both student needs and workforce trends. One such opportunity is an online Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS)—a program designed to serve students seeking career advancement in healthcare, preparation for professional schools, or expanded opportunities in research and industry.

At Tiber Health, we’ve managed to make our innovative, predictive analytics-powered MSMS curriculum available online. Here are some of our insights into how an online MSMS can benefit your institution—and your students.

Today’s Students Need More Flexibility

Today’s students often balance multiple responsibilities—employment, family, or preparation for medical, dental, or other health professional schools. By delivering the MSMS online, universities can provide:

• Accessibility: Students can enroll regardless of location, opening recruitment to a national or even international pool.
• Flexibility: Working professionals or recent graduates can complete coursework at a more manageable pace, reducing the need to disrupt careers or relocate.
• Equity: Online learning lowers barriers for students who cannot afford to move or attend traditional, on-campus programs.

Our university partners that offer an online MSMS do so in a part-time format, typically around 20 months in duration. This puts advanced preparation for a healthcare career within the reach of more students.

Supporting Professional School Preparation

Just as with an on-campus program, students can use the online MSMS as a stepping stone to professional schools. Our MSMS curriculum helps strengthen applicants’ academic credentials with coursework that mirrors the first year of pre-clinical study at an LCME-accredited medical school.

Its unique structure, which harnesses predictive analytics and adaptive learning to generate personalized, real-time performance statistics for each student, ensures that faculty at our partner universities can provide targeted mentorship. Students also have the opportunity to access advice for navigating medical, dental, pharmacy, or physician assistant admissions processes, and may be able to participate in research or extracurricular experiences to further enhance their medical school applications.

Expanding Career Pathways

An online MSMS can also serve students pursuing careers outside of medicine. Graduates may pursue roles in:

• Biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries
• Clinical research and regulatory affairs
• Public health and health policy
• Teaching or academic support roles in healthcare programs

Tiber’s analytics dashboard can help advisors guide online MSMS students toward appropriate pathways.

Enhancing University Visibility and Growth

Online programs expand a university’s reach beyond local communities. Recruitment beyond geographic boundaries leads to larger applicant pools, high-demand programs in the health sciences are positioned for sustainable growth.

There’s also the reputation enhancement and enhanced visibility that can come with offering cutting-edge, flexible programs for pre-med and pre-health students.

Conclusion

The Tiber Health online Master of Science in Medical Sciences is more than just another degree program—it’s a strategic investment in the future of your institution. By offering flexible access to advanced biomedical education that’s powered by adaptive learning and a unique predictive analytics model, you can attract a more varied student body and prepare learners for professional success. In addition to meeting student needs, you’ll also have the opportunity to advance institutional goals for growth, innovation, and impact.

Learn More About Tiber Health’s Online or On-Campus MSMS

Interested in exploring how you can offer students access to advanced health education that leverages innovative technology 100% online? Learn more about Tiber Health’s MSMS curriculum here.

Links for Additional Reading about Online Pre-Medical Education

• “Is Virtual Learning Here to Stay? A Multispecialty Survey of Residents, Fellows, and Faculty” – Current Problems in Cardiology, via PubMed Central
• “Adaptive Learning” – Harvard Medicine
• “Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of E-Learning in Healthcare” – Healthcare (Basel), via PubMed Central

Read More from Tiber Health

• Transforming Medical and Healthcare Education with the Flipped Classroom
• Why Your University Should Offer a Master of Science in Medical Sciences Program
• What Is Curriculum as a Service (CaaS) and What Can It Do for You?

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have become buzzwords in academia and healthcare, yet they are often misunderstood or used interchangeably. For university administrators overseeing healthcare education programs, understanding the distinction between these terms — and their specific applications — can be vital to preparing students for a future shaped by adaptive technologies.

This article provides a basic explanation of AI and ML, outlines their differences, and highlights actionable ways these technologies can be incorporated into healthcare education.

Understanding the Difference: AI vs. Machine Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a broad field of computer science focused on creating systems that can simulate human intelligence. This includes reasoning, learning, problem-solving, perception, and natural language understanding.

Machine learning (ML) is a subset of AI. It involves algorithms that learn patterns from data and improve over time without being explicitly programmed. In other words, all machine learning is AI, but not all AI is machine learning.

A virtual assistant that can schedule appointments, answer medical queries, and adapt its communication style, for example, is a form of AI. The component of the assistant that learns from user behavior to improve its recommendations is the ML aspect of AI.

Applications in Healthcare Education

Integrating AI and ML into healthcare education doesn’t just enhance learning — it prepares students for the digital transformation happening in clinical practice. That’s because, as Dr. Vijaya B. Kolachalama of Boston University School of Medicine put it in a recent paper, “AI frameworks driven by machine learning algorithms have the potential to accelerate the workflow of clinicians and other care providers.”

Here’s how these technologies can be used in healthcare education:

Personalized Learning Pathways (ML-Powered)

Machine learning algorithms can analyze student performance data to identify strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. Adaptive learning platforms use this information to tailor content delivery—ensuring students spend more time on challenging concepts and progress at their own pace.

An intelligent tutoring system might detect that a student struggles with pharmacology and automatically suggest supplemental materials or quizzes in that subject area. Our Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) curriculum incorporates these types of personalized learning pathways.

Virtual Patients and Simulation (AI-Driven)

AI-enabled simulation platforms can create virtual patients with realistic behaviors and evolving symptoms. These tools allow students to practice clinical reasoning and diagnostic skills in a risk-free environment.

A virtual patient might simulate multiple conditions and respond differently based on the student’s diagnostic decisions, offering feedback that mimics real-life outcomes.

Automated Assessment and Feedback (ML-Powered)

Natural language processing (NLP), a branch of AI that includes ML, can evaluate written assignments, clinical notes, or verbal communication for accuracy, empathy, and completeness.

For example, a speech analysis tool might assess how clearly a student delivers an explanation to a patient, offering targeted feedback to improve communication skills.

Curriculum Design and Optimization (AI/ML Combined)

Data from past cohorts, board exam results, and student feedback can be processed through AI systems to optimize curriculum design. Predictive models can forecast student outcomes and help in early intervention strategies.

An ML model might flag students at risk of falling behind based on attendance, grades, and engagement metrics, allowing faculty to intervene early. This is another aspect of AI/ML that we’ve integrated into our MSMS curriculum – early intervention and support are key aspects of ensuring students persevere with their studies.

Clinical Decision Support Training

Medical students can be trained to use AI-powered clinical decision support systems (CDSS) that are increasingly integrated into hospital systems. Exposure to these tools during training builds familiarity and digital literacy.

Case-based learning modules might include CDSS tools that simulate real-world electronic health records (EHRs), helping students learn how to integrate AI insights with clinical judgment.

AI and ML Are Here to Stay in Medical Education

The integration of AI and machine learning into healthcare education is not merely a technological upgrade—it is a strategic imperative. By understanding the distinct roles of AI and ML and embracing their applications, university administrators can ensure their institutions remain at the forefront of educational innovation and clinical readiness.

Empowering tomorrow’s healthcare professionals starts with preparing them for the digital tools they’ll inevitably use – and leveraging the educational technology tools that help us better support them. Now is the time to lead that transformation. Learn how you can partner with Tiber Health to offer an AI/ML-powered MSMS program that equips students for medical and professional health careers.

At Tiber Health, we’re working to help address one of the most pressing problems facing the healthcare industry: the shortage of doctors. According to the most recent workforce projections by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States could face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.

These shortages, however, won’t be evenly distributed. Some specialties face deeper deficits than others. Factors driving these shortages vary and can include a higher proportion of specialists near retirement, longer training times, location, and more. This article looks at five medical specialties likely to experience the most severe physician shortages in the coming decades.

Vascular Surgery

Vascular surgeons manage complex conditions involving arteries and veins, including aneurysms, peripheral artery disease, and dialysis access. Recent projections from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) predict that by 2037, there will only be enough vascular surgeons to meet 64% of healthcare demands – the lowest supply-to-demand ratio of all specialties.

The training path is long and highly specialized, and fewer residency and fellowship slots exist compared to demand. Additionally, an unusually large portion of the current vascular surgery workforce is nearing retirement – in a 2022 address to the Society for Vascular Surgery, Dr. Michel Makaroun noted that while 32% of all physicians in the U.S. were 55 and older, 42% of vascular surgeons were in that age bracket.

A shortage of vascular surgeons could result in:

• Limited access to life-saving procedures in urgent situations
• Increased limb amputations from untreated peripheral artery disease
• Delays in elective procedures like endovascular repairs

The shortage of vascular surgeons is particularly dire in rural and underserved areas, where patients often face long travel times and worse outcomes due to delays in care.

Thoracic Surgery

Thoracic surgeons operate on the lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest. Training takes over a decade, and the specialty faces a dual challenge: high burnout due to the demanding nature of the work and a rapidly aging patient population requiring more surgeries. For example, a 2024 paper in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery found that the number of cardiothoracic surgeons per 100,000 people in the U.S. declined by 12 per cent, and linked this decline to poorer outcomes for lung cancer patients in particular.

A thoracic surgery shortage could lead to:

• Delays in lung cancer resections and other time-sensitive surgeries
• Strain on existing surgical teams in academic and community hospitals
• Lack of availability to life-saving surgery in smaller and rural hospitals

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons estimates that 900 cardiothoracic surgeons will retire by 2035, during which time demand will rise by 20 per cent. This would mean that there would only be enough thoracic surgeons to cover 69 per cent of demand for procedures.

Ophthalmology

Ophthalmologists manage everything from cataracts and glaucoma to retinal diseases and eye trauma. With an aging population experiencing higher rates of vision problems, the demand for eye care is outpacing the number of new ophthalmologists entering the field. The HRSA projects that there will only be enough ophthalmologists to meet 68% of demand by 2037.

This might result in:

• Long waits for vision-restoring surgeries like cataract removal
• Delayed diagnosis and treatment of conditions like macular degeneration
• Reduced access in rural or lower-income areas

Over one-third of practicing ophthalmologists are over age 60, and retirements are expected to significantly outpace new graduates in the coming years. In fact, a 2022 article in the Review of Ophthalmology reported that while 550 ophthalmologists were expected to retire each year over the next decade, only 450 new doctors are graduating from residency programs. In the meantime, demand for eye care is projected to rise by 5 per cent per year.

Family Medicine

Family medicine physicians are the cornerstone of primary care, especially in rural and underserved communities. Yet the specialty has struggled to compete with higher-paying and more specialized fields. Many graduates from U.S. medical schools are opting for other paths, while family medicine residency slots go increasingly to international graduates.

A lack of primary care physicians, including family physicians, can mean:

• Delays to or gaps in preventive care and chronic disease management
• Rising use of urgent care and ERs for non-emergent issues
• Physician burnout from high patient volume and administrative burdens

HRSA projections indicate that by 2037, we will only have 73 per cent of the family physicians required to meet care needs.

Geriatrics

Despite the growing population of Americans over 60, geriatrics remains one of the most underrepresented fields in medicine. The specialty tends to attract fewer trainees due to lower compensation and limited visibility in medical education. Geriatricians are uniquely trained to manage the complexities of aging, including dementia, frailty, and polypharmacy.

Without enough geriatricians to care for senior citizens, we could face:

• Poor care coordination for elderly patients with multiple conditions
• Increased hospitalizations and emergency visits due to unmanaged issues
• Heavier reliance on generalists without geriatric-specific expertise

The American Geriatrics Society reports that there are fewer than 7,000 board-certified geriatricians are practicing in the U.S., despite tens of millions of Americans entering their senior years. HRSA projections indicate that by 2037, there will only be enough geriatricians to cover 78 per cent of healthcare needs in this specialty.

Contributing to a Solution to Physician Shortages – in Any Specialty

From complex surgeries to basic primary care, the consequences of physician shortages are far-reaching — delayed diagnoses, worse outcomes, and increased strain on remaining providers. Addressing these shortages requires a multi-layered approach: expanding residency and fellowship opportunities, creating incentives for rural practice, reducing administrative burdens, and investing in workforce development programs.

Your institution can play a role in alleviating these shortages by partnering with Tiber Health to offer a Master of Science in Medical Sciences. This innovative pipeline program combines an LCME-accredited medical curriculum with a predictive analytics-powered learning environment that helps talented students develop the skills and confidence they need to successfully apply to medical school. Learn more here.

In a healthcare landscape that’s more collaborative than ever, it’s crucial to ensure that future medical professionals are truly prepared to meet real-world challenges before they graduate. Traditional educational models, which often emphasize lecture-based classes, may not always guarantee that graduates have the clinical reasoning and patient skills they need.

This is where competency-based medical education (CBME) comes in. CBME is a transformative approach to instruction and assessment that’s gaining traction in healthcare education around the globe. A 2024 review of CBME practices in BioMed Central Medical Education found that it is being used in nearly every region of the world, including China, Canada, Turkey, and in multiple West African nations.

What Is Competency-Based Medical Education?

CBME is an outcomes-based instructional approach. It focuses on measuring whether a learner has achieved specific, predefined competencies rather than just completing a set amount of coursework or training hours. In this model, students progress by demonstrating mastery of skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are essential for professional practice.

Competencies are often defined by accrediting bodies or professional organizations and can include technical skills (like performing a physical exam), clinical reasoning, communication, professionalism, and teamwork. The goal of CBME is for all learners to reach a high standard of performance on specific skills that show what they can do and be, rather than facts they have memorized.

Why Competency-Based Medical Education Matters

Medical schools have been experimenting with CBME because new physicians are not always ready to perform effectively when they enter the workforce. According to a 2025 paper on CBME in the New England Journal of Medicine, “current evidence suggests that [traditional medical education] has not been effectively preparing learners and that we are at a crisis point that requires a paradigm change.”

CBME aims to ensure that new doctors not only have strong clinical skills, but are well-equipped to work in multidisciplinary teams, handle and analyze information, and more. CBME has the potential to drive better outcomes not just in the classroom, but in the clinic and at the population level. There is also a possibility that CBME could contribute to reduced burnout among physicians: better-prepared, more capable clinicians may feel less overwhelmed in their roles.

What CBME Looks Like in Practice

The first step of CBME is defining the competencies students need to know and describing the acceptable standards for performing those skills. Many medical schools work to align their curricula with competencies outlined by bodies like the AAMC or, in Canada, the CanMEDS framework. Standards often include entrustable professional activities, or EPAs. EPAs, according to Stanford University, are the “every day” tasks that healthcare providers should be able to perform without supervision once competent. For instance, one EPA might be “initiating management for a patient with chest pain.”

The next step involves designing assessments. One option is OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations). OSCEs are simulated scenarios which allow students to demonstrate competencies in a controlled setting. OSCEs can use patient mannequins or actors and are often structured as a series of stations presented in a timed circuit. These simulations test critical skills like patient communication, decision-making, and emergency response.

Finally, student performance must be tracked and analyzed. Many programs use e-portfolios to track a learner’s progress through milestones. These tools allow for personalized learning trajectories and help identify areas where additional support or practice is needed. In the Tiber Health MSMS curriculum, for example, we deploy a predictive analytics-powered dashboard that shows students and instructors exactly where students stand on specific USMLE topics.

Challenges of CBME

CBME’s main advantage is that it puts students in the center of the learning process and focuses on helping them develop their skills to a high level of quality, rather than in presenting a certain amount of material within a certain amount of time. However, it is difficult to implement CBME well.

This difficulty isn’t the result of a lack of will to use CBME. It’s the fact that adopting it requires a cultural shift in how faculty teach and assess, significant faculty development, and robust systems for tracking and documenting learner progress. These are all heavy lifts for even well-resourced universities.

However, as the authors of the New England Journal of Medicine article note, “maintaining a physician education system that fails to consistently produce competent physicians because change is hard reflects fundamentally flawed logic.”

Put Competency-Based Education to Work for You

Competency-based medical education is a paradigm shift that can ensure learners become truly competent professionals. If you want your institution to take its first steps toward CBME, start by becoming a Tiber Health MSMS university partner.

Our innovative curriculum mirrors the first year of pre-clinical medical education in a competency-based, predictive analytics-powered learning format that empowers students and faculty to succeed. Learn more here.

As the demand for physicians continues to outpace supply, universities across the country are uniquely positioned to address this shortage through robust pre-medical pipeline programs. These initiatives not only prepare students for the rigors of medical education but also support institutional goals around diversity, student success, and long-term alumni impact.

This article outlines key types of pre-medical pipeline programs that institutions can develop or expand—ranging from early outreach to advanced post-baccalaureate solutions, including emerging innovations like Tiber Health’s predictive analytics-powered Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) curriculum.

Pre-College Programs: Early Engagement to Build Interest and Readiness

Pre-college pipeline programs are designed to spark interest in healthcare careers and build foundational skills for overall college readiness among high school students. These programs often serve as entry points for students who may not otherwise consider medicine as a viable path due to limited exposure, mentorship, or academic preparation.

Pre-college pipeline programs can include:

• Summer enrichment programs in biology, chemistry, and anatomy
• Mentorship from medical students and physicians
• SAT/ACT prep, study skills workshops, and college admissions guidance
• Exposure to healthcare environments via shadowing or simulation labs
• Dual-enrollment programs with community colleges, letting exceptional high school students take prerequisite courses before they graduate

For institutions, pre-college pipeline programs support a variety of goals, including building stronger community partnerships with healthcare organizations and local high schools. They can also support both undergraduate and professional school enrollments by increasing the university’s visibility with high school students throughout the region.

Undergraduate Pathways: Structured Pre-Med Advising and Academic Support

During the undergraduate years, institutions can implement formalized pre-med tracks, programs that provide a structured path toward medical school readiness, and even summer programs that encourage freshmen and sophomores to pursue pre-med coursework, such as the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC’s) Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP).

Pipeline programs for undergrads can include any of the following features:

• Dedicated pre-med academic advising and MCAT preparation
• Health-related service-learning opportunities
• Research opportunities and clinical exposure
• Student organizations, seminars, and mentorship programs
• Honors pre-medical tracks
• Bridge programs with medical schools (e.g., guaranteed interviews or other preferential consideration)

Implementing pre-health opportunities for undergrads can help raise your university’s profile by improving the medical school acceptance rates for graduates. Pipeline programs can also enhance student retention – especially for high-achieving STEM students – while also building connections with medical schools and healthcare organizations.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Programs

Post-baccalaureate (post-bacc) programs are vital for increasing access to medical careers for non-traditional students and re-applicants. Post-baccs generally cater to two different audiences: students who need to fulfill medical school prerequisites they couldn’t take as undergrads, and students who need strengthen their academic credentials.

Students who need to take prerequisites usually pursue undergraduate-level certificate programs. These programs tend to include one or two years of intensive science coursework plus academic advising and MCAT prep, along with the opportunity to receive letters of recommendation from program faculty.

Academic enhancers, particularly those who are looking to pursue admission to exceptionally competitive medical schools, may also pursue certificate programs, but it’s worth noting that the GPA boost from such programs is usually small.

In either case, the advantage for universities of adding such programs are similar to the advantages offered by implementing pre-med pipelines for mainstream undergraduates.

Pre-Medical or Pre-Health Special Master’s Programs

Adding a pre-medical special master’s degree program (SMP) to your institutional offerings allows you to support students who need more intensive academic preparation for medical school or other professional health pathways.

Earning a graduate-level biomedical sciences degree allows students to demonstrate to medical schools that they can manage intensive coursework, even if their undergraduate GPA was not strong. Additionally, master’s graduates can pursue rewarding non-medical careers, including dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician assistant studies, research, and more.

The Tiber Health MSMS curriculum offers universities a next-generation version of an SMP. Featuring coursework that mirrors the first year of pre-clinical education at an LCME-accredited medical school, the MSMS uses advanced data analytics to provide real-time insight into student performance.

This data can be used to identify and support at-risk students early in the program. We also generate a prediction of how the student will perform on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1. This offers students a motivational benchmark – and an additional piece of evidence to help them show medical school admissions committees they’re ready to succeed. In addition, the analytics platform can help guide career decisions for students who choose not to pursue medical education.

A Continuum of Support That Benefits Students, Institutions, and Communities

Successful pre-medical pipeline programs span the full educational journey — from high school to graduate school — ensuring that motivated and capable students are not lost along the way. By investing in structured, data-informed, and mission-aligned pipeline initiatives, universities can help shape the future of healthcare while advancing equity, academic excellence, and institutional impact.