What Is This Program?
The online Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology is offered through the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. This program consists of 9-14 credits offered entirely online.
Students can complete the graduate certificate in as little as one semester. Courses are offered all semesters, and students are accepted year-round. Upon completion of this program, students will receive a Certificate in Medical Physiology. It is an excellent way for students to add to their knowledge base and their resume.
Why a Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology?
The graduate certificate is a way to gain practical knowledge for careers in the medical field. It is a postgraduate program in that students must have a bachelor’s degree in order to be admitted. However, it differs from a master’s degree because it can be completed in just one semester, and it is mainly focused on medical or graduate school preparation. This certificate also prepares students for the MCAT and other similar exams, as well as National Board examinations.
The graduate certificate is made up of six courses. The 1-credit Fundamentals of Medical Physiology course is required, and the other five courses are electives. While students may take all 14 credits, only 9 credits are required for completion. The number of credits for each course is reflective of the number of lectures, problem sets, and workshops required for each course. The courses are self-taught and can be taken in the same semester. However, the course content for GMS6440 (Fundamentals of Medical Physiology) must be completed BEFORE the course content for all of the electives.
| Course # | Course Title | Credits | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMS 6440 | Fundamentals of Medical Physiology | 1 | X | X | X |
| GMS 6401 | Medical Renal Physiology | 2 | X | X | X |
| GMS 6402 | Medical Respiratory Physiology | 3 | X | X | X |
| GMS 6419 | Medical Endocrine Physiology | 3 | X | X | X |
| GMS 6474 | Medical Cardiovascular and Muscle Physiology | 3 | X | X | X |
| GMS 6479 | Medical Gastrointestinal Physiology | 2 | X | X | X |
Who Is This Program For?
This graduate certificate is beneficial for:
- Medical professionals, such as nurses and physician assistants
- Students preparing for the MCAT or other standardized tests
- Medical school applicants
- Nursing school applicants
- Physician assistant school applicants
- High school biology teachers or community college professors
Why Medical Physiology?
A graduate certificate in medical physiology is valuable for many career paths. This certificate can help a wide range of pre-professional students to prepare for their future whether they decide to become dental, nursing, or physician assistants, or continue to public health and other graduate studies. Once admitted into a professional program, this certificate can help students prepare for National Board exams and other standardized tests.
This exciting field of study provides a deeper understanding of human physiology at a level required for clinical medicine. Students will learn from UF’s experienced professors in graduate-level courses, expanding their knowledge of advanced anatomical and physiological principles and giving them an advantage in the competitive world of medicine.
GMS 6440 Fundamentals of Medical Physiology
This is an introductory course that teaches the basic functions of the human body. Students explore normal physiology and common diseases in each organ system. Participation in online workshops will help students understand the integration of physiology with genetics, genomics, molecular biology and cellular physiology as a basis for understanding human disease.
GMS 6401 Medical Renal Physiology
This course teaches the functions of the renal system of the human body at a level required for clinical medicine and basic research in medical physiology. Students will explore how systems act in an integrated manner to regulate overall body functions and how the failure of these normal physiologic functions and integrations are associated with some diseases.
GMS 6402 Medical Respiration Physiology
This course teaches the functions of the pulmonary system of the human body, including the uptake, transport and utilization of oxygen and other blood gases. Students will discover acid-base physiology and the mechanisms for controlling pulmonary function and gain an understanding of how the pulmonary system works with other systems.
GMS 6419 Medical Endocrinology and Reproduction
This course teaches the functions of the endocrine and reproductive systems of the human body. Students will gain an understanding of hormone function, including the hormonal control of reproduction, how the hormonal systems work with other human systems to regulate body functions and the diseases associated with the failure of the endocrine and reproductive systems.
GMS6474 Medical Cardiovascular and Muscle Physiology
This course teaches the functions and regulation of the muscle and the cardiovascular system. Students will learn adaptations that occur in response to exercise, the environment and disease and apply their knowledge of these systems to identify when a cardiovascular system may fail when associated with some diseases.
GMS6479 Medical Gastrointestinal Physiology
This course teaches the functions of the digestive system of human body. Students will explore how the endocrine and neural mechanisms control the gastrointestinal systems and gain an understanding of how the systems act in an integrated manner to regulate overall body functions.
