Medical Schools in Tennessee
In this article, you can find a comparison of different schools in Tennessee that offer medical degree programs, including a comparison of degree types, tuition, and common admission requirements.
East Tennessee State University
East Tennessee State University's Quillen College of Medicine offers both an MD program as well as a dual MD/MPH program where students can complete both degrees simultaneously with concentrations in areas such as biostatistics, public health administration, community health, and epidemiology. The MD program lasts four years, and during the course of their studies, students engage in two years of pre-clinical science coursework, with years three and four consisting mostly of clinical work. The MD/MPH program takes five years to complete and offers courses such as analytic methods in public health, health leadership, and clinical research.
<h2 id="section---LincolnMemorialUniversity">Lincoln Memorial University</h2><p>Lincoln Memorial University's Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine hosts a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) professional degree program for Tennessee students at both the Harrogate and Knoxville campuses. Courses offered during this program include modern healthcare foundations, medical physiology, neuroanatomy, and osteopathic principles. This program is divided into two phases, with the first two years being the pre-clinical sciences phase and the final two years being the clinical experiences phase.
</p><h2 id="section---MeharryMedicalCollege">Meharry Medical College</h2><p>This medical school, located in Nashville, features clinical departments in areas including pathology, radiology, surgery, and pediatrics. Meharry's four-year Doctor of Medicine program includes a medical research component that consists of a first-year research methods course, an 8-week research experience during the second year, and a required year-long research experience to be completed after years two or three. Students interested in a medical research career can also pursue a dual MD/PhD program.
</p><h2 id="section---TheUniversityOfTennessee">The University of Tennessee</h2><p>The University of Tennessee Health Science Center's College of Medicine offers a four-year MD program for students in Memphis. Some of the course offerings at UT include disease mechanisms, clinical medicine principles, and organ systems pathogenesis. The first two years of this program focus mainly on classroom work, while the final two years are centered around the exploration of different clinical medicine specialties and careers in such areas as psychiatry, pediatrics, neurology, and obstetrics.
</p><h2 id="section---Vanderbilt">Vanderbilt</h2><p>Vanderbilt's School of Medicine hosts a Doctor of Medicine program at its Nashville campus. This is another four-year MD program, and it includes elective courses in such areas as theological healthcare perspectives, global health, and forensic pathology. The latter years of study center around clerkships and clinical studies, and Vanderbilt also offers what it refers to as immersion courses. These courses fall into categories such as advanced clinical experiences, acting internships, integrated science courses, and advanced electives.
</p><p></p><table border="1"><tr><th> School Name </th><th> Programs Offered </th><th> Graduate Tuition Cost (2018-2019)*</th></tr>
<tr><td> East Tennessee State University </td><td> Doctor of Medicine <br/> Doctor of Medicine/Master of Public Health </td><td> In-State: $8,460 Out-of-State: $23,598</td></tr>
<tr><td> Lincoln Memorial University </td><td> Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine </td><td> $17,207</td></tr>
<tr><td>Meharry Medical College </td><td> Doctor of Medicine <br/>Doctor of Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy </td><td> $22,529</td></tr>
<tr><td>The University of Tennessee</td><td> Doctor of Medicine </td><td> In-state: $13,375 Out-of-State: $28,810</td></tr>
<tr><td>Vanderbilt </td><td> Doctor of Medicine</td><td> $47,208</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *NCES</i>
</p><h2 id="section---AdmissionStandardsForTennesseeMedicalSchools">Admission Standards for Tennessee Medical Schools</h2><p>These programs will require you to have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited university. Beyond that, these programs typically like to see a demonstration of your proficiency within this field of study, which, for medical schools, usually means completing a certain number of credit hours in such subjects as biology and chemistry along with associated lab coursework. Students who have completed these prerequisite courses will also need to show that they have achieved an acceptable GPA of at least 3.0, with some of these medical schools requiring a higher GPA in these pre-medical courses, if not overall. MCAT scores will also be a common requirement for application, and scores above the 50th percentile can make you a stronger candidate. Letters of recommendations, usually tendered from undergraduate advisory committees or by science professors from your undergraduate school are also a requirement that one can expect.
</p><p>In summary, there are several medical schools in Tennessee offering degree programs in the medical field, including Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, which take place over the course of four years of study. Admissions requirements are pretty standard, with students needing to have completed a bachelor's degree with an acceptable GPA and prerequisite courses within the discipline, as well as having acceptable MCAT scores and letters of recommendation.</p>