UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (BIMS, USVM, NRSC-TPC) Biomedical Sciences is a broad field of applied biology that is directed toward understanding health and disease. This degree is offered on both the College Station campus and at the Texas A&M Higher Education Center in McAllen, TX. Our mission is to educate students who will create a healthier future for humans and animals through the medical professions, biomedical innovation and discovery, global service and outreach. The program both emphasizes versatility in the biological and medical sciences, and prioritizes a One Health approach to education through courses that emphasize the interconnectedness of animal, human, and environmental health; while bringing together students with interest in medical careers that impact all three. A highly effective counseling program assists the students with the development of an individualized approach and course package that orients and prepares the students for entry into the medical, allied health field or graduate program of their choice. Such an approach enhances their educational experiences, improves their placement in professional and graduate programs, and facilitates their entry into the biomedical science job market.
BIMS students make up a large portion of Aggie students that matriculate to Texas professional schools.
44%
of Aggies matriculated to veterinary school in 2021.
43.5%
of Aggies accepted to medical school in 2021.
45%
of Aggies accepted to dental school in 2019.
Highlights from FY22 include: •
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During the ’21-’22 academic year, and in response to the Texas A&M Path Forward https://president.tamu.edu/path-forward/ index.html, the Biomedical Sciences Program (BIMS), University Studies Veterinary Medicine (USVM) and NeuroscienceTranslational and Preclinical Sciences (NRSC-TPC) programs prepared to move to the newly established College of Arts & Sciences. The academic advising and administration office for the undergraduate programs were moved, along with 8 faculty members, to the new college beginning Sept. 1, 2022. The VMBS undergraduate enrollment in the Fall 2021 included 2,623 BIMS students (85 of whom were from the McAllen Higher Education Center), 76 USVM students and 19 NRSC-TPC students for a total of 2,718 students. • The total undergraduate enrollment was 70% female and 52.47%* URM. Hispanic students comprise 30.7% of the total undergraduate enrollment and 98.8% of the enrollment at the Higher Education Center, McAllen (HECM). (*This is an expanded definition from last year based on changes with the NIH definition of URM. It includes all ethnicity categories except white, unknown and international.) • First generation students comprise 24.2% of the undergraduate students. At HECM, 64.7% of students are first generation students. The undergraduate program continues to graduate record-breaking numbers of students. In academic year ’21-’22, 628 students graduated. • The graduating seniors were 50% URM* (URM = all ethnicity categories except white and international). (*This is an expanded definition from last year based on changes with the NIH definition of URM.) • 24.4% were First Generation students • 68.5% were Female students • 66 students graduated with a Biomedical Research Certificate • 24 students graduated with an International Certificate in Cultural Competency and Communication in Spanish (Spanish Certificate). The BIMS office expanded. In addition to the Katherine Crabill (hired in November 2021 and previously reported), we hired Arlene Pacheco, Academic Advisor II.
10 • 2022 VMBS Annual Report
