WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University professors are joining a national effort to redesign undergraduate coursework to help develop resources for a national science curriculum for premedical and prehealth students.
The four-year effort is being done as part of a $1.8 million project involving three other universities. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County; the University of Maryland, College Park; and the University of Miami are also participating in the National Experiment in Undergraduate Science Education.
The goal is to revamp how biological sciences are taught by injecting relevant topics into the classroom experience and tossing out less applicable matter, The West Lafayette Journal & Courier reported.
"The time to do this has come," Jean Chmielewski, a distinguished chemistry professor at Purdue, said. "There will be some push back. People are reluctant to make decisions of what will be left out of courses, but this is going to better prepare students. That's what we want."
The work is being done in anticipation of changes to the Medical College Admission Test expected in 2015. Each university is designing a component of the curriculum.
Purdue's work focuses on revising introductory chemistry courses.
Chmielewski said expected changes to the MCAT exam will allow her to update organic chemistry material related to the medical field and prepare students for higher-division courses.
"We are really hoping to take a different approach," she said.
Purdue associate professor of biological science David Sanders said another change will include having students take biochemistry in the first two years of their program instead of the third or fourth year.
"We are not watering this down," he said. "This is rigorous."
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