The School of
MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES
H. David Wilson, M.D., Dean and Vice President for Health Affairs

HISTORY AND MISSION

The School of Medicine and Health Sciences consists of medical, biomedical research and other health-related academic components which work together to address our mission of educating and preparing North Dakota residents as physicians, medical scientists and other health professionals for service to the people of this region and the nation, and to advance medical and biomedical knowledge through research. These components include:

1.  A statewide, four-year curriculum for medical students leading to the M.D. degree
2.  Postgraduate medical education (residency) programs of three to five years in duration leading to eligibility for board certification in family medicine, internal medicine, general surgery and psychiatry; a one-year transitional program is also offered
3.  A continuing medical education program to address the career-long need of physicians and other health care personnel for continued learning
4.  Graduate programs in the biomedical sciences leading to the M.S. degree, Ph.D. degree, and the combined M.D./Ph.D. degree in anatomy and cell biology; biochemistry and molecular biology; microbiology and immunology; and pharmacology, physiology and therapeutics
5.  Postdoctoral research training programs in the disciplines noted above
6.  Graduate programs leading to M.S. degrees in clinical laboratory science, occupational therapy and physician assistant programs
7.  Undergraduate programs leading to the following degrees: B.S. in athletic training, B.S. in cytotechnology, and B.S. in clinical laboratory science
8.  Undergraduate and graduate coursework in anatomy and cell biology; biochemistry and molecular biology; microbiology and immunology, and pharmacology, physiology and therapeutics

Each program noted above is fully accredited by its accreditation agency.

The School of Medicine was established in 1905 and offered, until 1973, the first two years of medical education. Students transferred to other medical schools for the last two years of medical education to earn the M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) degree. During that time, the school established a strong reputation across the nation for the quality and professional attitude of its students, who were welcomed enthusiastically by other medical schools. In 1973, state legislative action approved a four-year curriculum and authorized the granting of the M.D. degree. This was accomplished in stages using a 2:1:1 plan by which students transferred to medical schools in Minnesota for their third year and returned to North Dakota to complete their final year before receiving the M.D. degree. In 1981 the third year was established in North Dakota, providing for a complete in-state medical education program.

The school also established a strong reputation during its early years, which continues today, for the quality of education and research in the biomedical sciences. The institution is nationally and internationally respected for its research in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and multiple sclerosis; cancer; preventive medicine; osteoarthritis; drug addiction; alcoholism in women, and eating disorders.

The Physician Assistant Program, established as a certificate program in 1970, is administered by the Department of Family and Community Medicine. In 2003, the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree was initiated. In 1949, the medical technology program was initiated with a B.S. curriculum, adding a M.S. degree program in 1978. Medical technology is now known as clinical laboratory science. The occupational therapy program was initiated in 1956 as a part of the medical school. After being administratively located in the College of Human Development (HRD) for a number of years, the department moved back into the medical school in 1995. The Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree program was initiated in 2002. The physical therapy program was initiated in 1968 and the M.S. degree in physical therapy was added in 1991. The doctoral program in physical therapy was initiated in 2002. The B.S. in Athletic Training degree was approved in September 1990 by the North Dakota Board of Higher Education and is administered under the Department of Family Medicine through its Division of Sports Medicine.

In 1996, the name of the School of Medicine was changed to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences to reflect the importance of all components of the school in addressing its mission. Departments included are anatomy and cell biology; biochemistry and molecular biology; community medicine; family medicine; internal medicine; microbiology and immunology; neuroscience; obstetrics and gynecology; occupational therapy; pathology; pediatrics; pharmacology, physiology and therapeutics; physical therapy; radiology, and surgery. The statewide educational program of the school is coordinated through clinical campuses based at Bismarck, Fargo, Minot and Grand Forks.

The School of Medicine and Health Sciences issues a catalog biennially containing information on application to the medical school, including registration, fees, admissions, standards of scholarship, and courses. Interested students may write for the catalog or for other information to the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, P.O. Box 9037, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202-9037. Information is also available concerning all components of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at: http://www.med.und.nodak.edu.

SUGGESTED UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
FOR STUDENTS PLANNING TO STUDY MEDICINE

Four years of college preparation are recommended for students wishing to enter the medical education program of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, although a degree is not a requirement. The student is free to select a major in any area of interest, but must include the following mandatory credits: Minimum Semester Hours

Chemistry, including laboratory 16
Inorganic and Qualitative 8
Organic* 8
Biology, including laboratory 8
Physics, including laboratory 8
Psychology/Sociology 3
Language Arts (English, Speech, etc.) 6
College Algebra or higher math 3

* A student may substitute a semester or quarter of biochemistry for the final semester/quarter of organic chemistry.

The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences recommends that students take elective courses that include subjects of liberal arts value such as humanities, economics, psychology and sociology so that the student’s educational experience will be broad and well-rounded. Computer literacy also is highly recommended. Students are urged to see their advisers regularly.

Application for admission to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences is available on July 1 and must be received no later than November 1 of the year preceding desired admission.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

The following undergraduate degree programs in health sciences are administered by the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. See also the departmental listings.

Athletic Training

Students can pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training through the Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Family Medicine. This four-year degree is designed to prepare entry-level athletic training professionals. The academic program is currently accredited by CAATE. Graduates are eligible to take the national certification test administered by the NATA Board of Certification Inc. Successful completion of this test allows the graduate to be called a “certified athletic trainer.” Application information and requirements are available from the Division of Sports Medicine.

Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS)

The Department of Pathology offers a four-year academic program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science (formerly medical technology). The degree includes two years of pre-clinical laboratory science education followed by two years of professional coursework. Students who have previously earned a B.S or B.A. degree may earn an additional degree in clinical laboratory science by completing a 4 + 1 curriculum option. Students may take much of the professional curriculum on-line through distance learning. Advancement from pre-clinical laboratory science to the clinical laboratory professional curriculum is based on a competitive application process. Application for advancement to the professional education component must be made. The CLS program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for a national board certification examination.

Clinical Laboratory Science Categorical Certificate

The Department of Pathology offers a CLS Categorical Training Certificate which provides advanced skills to baccalaureate-prepared students to become eligible to work in a high-complex clinical laboratory and meet the requirements to take a national certification examination in a specific categorical area. The requirements for entrance include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and completion of 36 semester hours in biology, chemistry and/or medical sciences (in addition to or part of the baccalaureate degree). The categorical certificate program includes four “category” choices: Immunohematology, Chemistry/Urinalysis, Microbiolgy, or Hematology/Coagulation. The curriculum consists of both lecture courses delivered over the Internet and laboratory experience-based courses. All coursework, whether lecture courses over the Internet or laboratory experience-based courses, are located at a clincial affiliation site.

Cytotechnology

The Department of Pathology offers a four-year, degree-granting program leading to the Bachelor of Science in Cytotechnology. A Certificate in Cytology is available to students who possess a baccalaureate degree with at least 20 semester hours of biosciences and 8 hours of chemistry prior to admission. The program has been fully approved by the AMA Board of Schools since 1967 and became a degree-granting program in 1975. Applications are available from the cytotechnology program director (or online at: http://pathology.med.und.nodak.edu/cytotech/index.cfm) in the Department of Pathology and must be submitted by January 1 for the senior-year program beginning the following Fall semester.

Histotechnician Certificate Program

The Department of Pathology offers a Histotechnician Certificate Program. The certificate requires completion of prerequisite coursework before applications will be accepted. The curriculum consists of both lecture courses delivered over the Internet and laboratory experience-based courses. All coursework, whether lecture courses over the Internet or laboratory experience-based courses, are located at the clinical affiliation site. The Histotechnician Certificate Program is actively seeking accreditation from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS). The program has achieved “serious applicant status,” which gives eligibility for the students to complete the national certification exam.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

The Ph.D., M.S. and joint M.D./Ph.D. programs are offered in each of the biomedical science departments. Professional graduate programs are offered in physical therapy, physician assistant studies, and clinical laboratory science. All of these programs are described in the graduate school section of this bulletin.

Clinical Laboratory Science

The Department of Pathology offers a Master of Science degree program in Clinical Laboratory Science. The degree is a non-thesis option that is offered both on campus and through on-line distance learning. It provides a broad medical science background as well as experiences in quality management and laboratory finance. This curriculum is designed to prepare students for careers as administrative laboratory directors, clinical laboratory consultants, technical supervisors or laboratory educators.

Clinical Laboratory Science
Management Certificate

The Department of Pathology offers a Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) Management Certificate at the graduate level. It provides advanced skills to practicing laboratory professionals in health administration, leadership, conflict management, quality assurance, and health informatics. The program is offered by distance learning over the Internet.

Occupational Therapy

The Occupational Therapy Department offers a five-and-a-half-year, entry-level Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree. Occupational Therapy as a profession is based on the belief that purposeful activity (occupation), including its interpersonal and environmental components, may be used to prevent and mediate dysfunction and elicit maximum adaptation. For information regarding the program, visit our web site at: http://www.med.und.nodak.edu/depts/ot/home.htm.

The Occupational Therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). For information regarding accreditation, contact the ACOTE at (301) 652-2682, or 4720 Montgomery Lane, PO Box 31220, Bethesda, Maryland 20824-1220. All basic professional programs must comply with the Standards for an Accredited Educational Program for the Occupational Therapist, 1998. Graduates of the program will be able to sit for the national entry-level certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT, 800 South Frederick Avenue, Suite 200, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150; phone 301-990-7979). After successful completion of this examination, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR). Many states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses may be based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination.

A satellite, professional-level MOT program, also accredited by ACOTE, is available at Casper College, Casper, WY. Tuition and other information regarding the program is available by contacting the Occupational Therapy Department at Casper College, Casper, WY; telephone 307-268-2613. Wyoming residents may call 1-888-699-0006.

Physical Therapy

The physical therapy curriculum is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The six-and-one-half-year program leads to the degree of Doctor of Physical Therapy.

Applications for admission to the professional program may be obtained from the Department of Physical Therapy after December 1 and must be returned by March 1 of the calendar year the student wishes to gain entrance into the professional program.

Physician Assistant Program

The Department of Family and Community Medicine offers a Master of Physician Assistant Studies. This 22-month graduate program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). Enrollment is limited to registered nurses with a minimum of two years professional nursing experience. The program has also initiated a “Pilot Program” for other clinically practicing health care professionals who have a minimum of three years of clinical experience in their field of certification/licensure. A minimum of a baccalaureate degree is required. Graduates are eligible to take the national certification test administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, Inc. (NCCPA). For additional information, or to complete an application form, visit our website at: http://www.med.und.nodak.edu/depts/pa.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Laboratory Education from North Dakota
Laboratory Education from North Dakota (LEND) is a program within the Department of Pathology. The LEND Program provides distance learning opportunities for laboratory professionals to earn continuing education units (CEUs). The Internet is used to deliver the courses and programs, with presentations and case studies available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Students earning undergraduate and graduate credit can apply the credits earned toward degrees in clinical laboratory science.

Indians Into Medicine (INMED) Program

The INMED Program was adopted in 1973 to serve American Indians who are enrolled members of federally recognized tribes. Through a comprehensive recruitment program, INMED seeks to identify and encourage students with an aptitude for and an interest in health careers. This recruitment begins as early as the junior high school level. The program is committed to preparing professionals in all related health care fields. Each year the School of Medicine and Health Sciences allocates places in its first-year medical class to qualified American Indian students.

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES FACILITIES

The School of Medicine and Health Sciences has facilities in Grand Forks (the administrative center of the school), Bismarck, Fargo and Minot. These regional campuses include family medicine centers (in Bismarck and Minot), library facilities, campus offices and a branch of the Center for Rural Health (in Minot). Affiliations with private and public hospitals in the regional campus cities, but also in less populated cities throughout the state, provide the clinical base for the study of medicine and the other health sciences. In Grand Forks the medical school complex includes additions which house the basic sciences departments, the Harley French Library of the Health Sciences, classrooms and offices at the site of what was formerly known as St. Michael’s Hospital. The additions provide state-of-the-art research laboratories and learning space for programs in the health sciences. In 2000, the Biomedical Research Facility, an ultra-modern animal facility, was completed. In August 2001, the University Health Facility was dedicated and opened at Sixth Avenue North and Hamline. It houses the Clinical Education Center and the Evan Lips Auditorium. In the fall of 2004, the Neuroscience Research Facility was completed and opened at Hamline and Fifth Avenue North immediately west of the medical school complex. It houses laboratories for research investigations into neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, as well as drug addiction.

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICAL CENTER

The Medical Center, created by an act of the North Dakota Legislature in 1945, is an administrative unit of the university. Its purpose is to provide facilities for the “coordination, improvement, expansion, and unification of health and welfare activities of the State, its agencies, its political subdivisions and its private practitioners.” The center is “concerned with the training of physicians, nurses and all other personnel concerned with the improvement and preservation of the health of the people of North Dakota.”

The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center.