Biomedical Science Courses Available to Undergraduates
By Chris Matthews

Biomedical courses are available to undergraduates this fall through the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Some students may not know that they can take classes in biomedical sciences and count them toward their degree. Dr. Claud Chastain, director of undergraduate biomedical science education, said the idea started when former dean of the college, Richard Adams saw it in action at Texas A&M. Today, Texas A&M has a four-year biomedical program for undergraduates.

Classes were first offered in the winter of 2003 and interest in the classes has grown every year since then. Dr. David Cross, Clinical Assistant Professor, teaches many of the classes and has noticed an increase in class enrollment every year. One of the most popular courses is Elements of Veterinary Anatomy. Cross said the class had six students last year but has increased in size to 30 this year. In the last two years, total enrollment in all undergraduate biomedical classes increased from 46 to 109. In one recent survey, students were asked if they would recommend their class to others. Chastain said he was surprised when 100 percent of the class said they would recommend it to others.

“I wish it would have been a little less than100 percent so that it would be more believable,” Chastain said.

When asked why students take biomedical courses, Chastain said that different students have different reasons.

“Some students think they are interesting and take them as electives, other students have career goals in mind such as becoming a veterinarian,” Chastain said.

Cross said the courses offer diversity for someone who is majoring in animal science. According to Cross, students can take classes that deal with farm animals through the animal science department and then take classes that study small animals like goats and dogs in the biomedical science department. Chastain said that some of the courses such as anatomy would be practical for people going into the medical field as well.

When asked about any future plans for biomedical undergraduate education, both Chastain and Cross said they would like to see a bachelor’s degree offered in biomedical science. Chastain is interested in integrating a biomedical science degree with certification as a veterinary technologist. According to Chastain, there are already people working in the field with an associate’s degree that certifies them as a veterinary technician. He said that two more years of study would give a person their bachelor’s degree and more flexibility in the job market.

According to Cross “A biomedical science corridor across Missouri” is what Senator Christopher Bond would like to see. Cross said the biomedical sciences field is growing fast and Bond wants to take advantage of that to develop jobs across the state. The corridor would extend from St. Joseph to St. Louis and would include biotech companies such as Monsanto.

If anyone is interested in finding out more about biomedical courses, you can call Dr.Chastain at 882-9594 or Dr. Cross at 882-3200.

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