A New Path to Healthcare Careers

With dreams of medical school on the horizon, applicants know that competitive advantages are incredibly important. The Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences offers a fully online program for a Master of Science in Medical Science. The graduate degree gives students a powerful advantage when applying for medical, dental or other professional health schools.  

Recent graduate Morgan LeFaye Burt, M.S.M.S. ’24, originally got her bachelor’s degree in biology, but knew there was more for her. After working in caregiving for a few years, she was ready to take the next step. 

“I always knew I wanted to go into the healthcare field,” Burt said. 

Burt started doing at-home caregiving in college and realized she wanted to pursue something where she could continue to care for others. She decided to attend physician assistant school. 

“Most people don’t come into physician assistant school with a master’s degree, and I think it’s going to make me stand out,” Burt said. “Fellow cohort members are looking to go to medical school, dental school, veterinary school — the possibilities are endless.” 

The faculty and staff are an instrumental part of the program and continue to have an impact on students past and present.

“When I started the cohort, there were only a few of us, but the professors were so helpful and communicative. I felt connected even though the program was all online,” Lesly Gil, M.S.M.S. ’23, said. “They were always available for us, and I knew they wanted me to succeed.” 

Baylor was Gil’s dream school since she was a child; Gil grew up with parents who didn’t speak English as a primary language, and she often served as a translator. Gil’s experience led her to want to bridge the barrier of language that exists in medicine, hence her hope of becoming a physician. Today, Gil works as a research assistant at MD Anderson and is currently preparing for the MCAT. 

“Applications for the MCAT opened in May, and I met with the Career Center at Baylor to get all the resources I could,” Gil said. “Even now, Baylor continues to be a part of my journey.” 

The program is meeting a unique need. Nine students graduated with the first cohort in December 2023. The program now has more than 130 students enrolled and continues to grow.