Overview
Boston University's School of Medicine Provides Medical Education with an Eye Toward Improving Public Health
Boston University is a public research university with an interdisciplinary focus, giving students a breadth of knowledge beyond what most universities offer. Researchers at BU regularly use knowledge from multiple disciplines in their efforts to solve complex problems such as integrative biology, health care delivery, and sustainability.
The multifaceted approach to learning at BU provides students with a broad appreciation of the many sides of complex issues, while still offering more intensive instructions in various areas of concentration to give students a more profound understanding of their chosen traditional discipline.
BU's School of Medicine is dedicated to the study and practice of medicine, and seeks to help students develop to study and practice medicine as well. Students at BU's School of Medicine receive training to spur their educational, intellectual, professional, and personal development. Students contribute to biomedical research, the greater medical community, and the public health. Public health is an important value at BU, where the community places a strong emphasis on social justice and public service, in addition to academic excellence and integrity.
BU's School of Medicine is nationally known for providing outstanding clinical education in 25 affiliated hospitals, 15 neighborhood health centers, and numerous private clinics and doctors' offices. Students have the opportunity to get lots of hands-on experience in real environments while dealing with real problems.
The school is a leader in innovative scientific knowledge, advancing biomedical research thanks in part to $282 million in faculty research grants in 2008. Members of the School of Medicine faculty are among the leaders in their fields, engaged in treating diverse patient populations, and performing cutting edge research while sharing their expertise with students.
BU Offers a Master of Arts Degree in Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine, and a Dual Degree in Medical Science
The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine is an intensive 60-credit degree program designed to meet the requirements for an independent mental health-care license in Massachusetts and other states. The primary objective is to prepare individuals in mental health counseling interventions with a complementary background in behavioral medicine and neuroscience. Graduates of the Mental Health and Behavioral Medicine (MHBM) program provide a range of assessment, diagnostic, and treatment-focused counseling services to clients in mental health, medical, research, and independent practice settings.
The MHBM program provides a unique experience in mental health counseling within a diverse urban multicultural health context, using a biopsychosocial model of health across the lifespan. Students learn how to provide effective and ethical clinical treatment for a variety of populations, disorders, and settings. Students study basic skills in the first year, preparing them for copious on-site clinical work. A Dual Degree in Medical Sciences & Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine is also available.
BU Students Can Take Advantage of Boston's Many Cultural Offerings, and BU's Many Local Affiliated Hospitals
Boston University has over 300 student organizations and clubs, ranging from Alpine Racing to Zen Meditation. Literary magazines, music appreciation clubs, and academic associations are all options for BU students. Sports range from the standard options such as football to atypical sports such as broomball, a game played on a hockey rink with no ice skates. Numerous arts and culture groups are available, including everything from ballroom dancing and theater to a cappella singing.
Off campus, students can continue their arts and culture appreciation in the city of Boston, which offers music in the form of world-class opera, theater, rock concerts, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra (which offers a great discount for BU students). Numerous museums exist throughout the city, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Dance and theater can be seen at the Wang Center for Performing Arts, the Shubert Theatre, and the Charles Street Playhouse, among other venues.
With over 60 colleges and universities in the Boston area, Boston is a city that caters to the needs of students. Rich in modern vitality while retaining a historic old-world charm, Boston is a diverse cultural and intellectual center. Perhaps more importantly for medical students, Boston has long been recognized as one of the leading health care centers of the world.
Boston University Medical Center, located in the South End of Boston, forms a semiautonomous but integral part of the university. It consolidates the resources and activities of the School of Medicine, School of Public Health, the Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston Medical Center, and units such as the Humphrey Cancer Research Center, Cardiovascular Institute, and the Autism and MRI Centers. Twenty-five local hospitals are affiliated with the School of Medicine, offering students a wide variety of clinical environments in which to learn.
