Preparing Students for Success in Medical School and More
How the MSMS & Tiber Methodology Improve Clinical Reasoning and Recall
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reports that 51,946 students applied to medical school in 2024-2025. Of those students, only 24,172 (46.5%) were accepted and enrolled. The remaining 53.5% of applicants undoubtedly includes talented students who would make excellent physicians with the right academic and career support. That’s where the Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) program comes in.
Initiated by Dr. David Lenihan at Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU), the MSMS was first offered to university partners in 2019. Since then, hundreds of students have earned their MSMS degrees with university partners. Among these graduates:
- 77% were admitted to their desired professional program
- 65% were admitted to medical school
Proven Results in
Foundational Sciences and MCAT Preparation
Tiber Health’s technology and outcomes-based approach is designed to drive measurable student success. Instruction is continuously aligned with the competencies required for medical and health professional training, while ongoing analysis compares pre- and post-assessment performance across medical science topics to evaluate instructional effectiveness.
Tiber Health’s analysis showed a 19.70-point overall increase in knowledge. Neuroscience demonstrated the largest gains, with an average increase of 30.55 points, while Anatomy, Embryology, and Biochemistry also showed strong improvement, ranging from 23 to 24 points. Clinical and Basic Recall areas improved more modestly, increasing by 15.47 and 18.52 points, respectively — illustrating both broad instructional impact and subject areas with the greatest student growth.
Measured Learning Gains Across Core Medical Science Disciplines
Score Summary (Part 1)
Category / Subcategory
Improvement
Overall Score
19.70
Anatomy (Clinical + Recall)
24.17
Embryology (Clinical + Recall)
23.61
Histology (Clinical + Recall)
18.52
Neuroscience (Clinical + Recall)
30.55
Score Summary (Part 2)
Category / Subcategory
Improvement
Physiology (Clinical + Recall)
18.52
Clinical
15.47
Basic Recall
18.52
MCAT
21.20
Score Summary (Part 1)
Category / Subcategory
Improvement
Overall Score
19.70
Anatomy (Clinical + Recall)
24.17
Embryology (Clinical + Recall)
23.61
Histology (Clinical + Recall)
18.52
Neuroscience (Clinical + Recall)
30.55
Score Summary (Part 1)
Category / Subcategory
Improvement
Physiology (Clinical + Recall)
18.52
Clinical
15.47
Basic Recall
18.52
MCAT
21.20
Success Getting Into Medical School, Success in Medical School
What’s more, our research shows that students who enter medical school after completing the MSMS are equipped to succeed in medical school – not just obtain admission. We conducted a study of MSMS graduates from PHSU who went on to medical school and compared how their USMLE Step 1 Exam outcomes compared to PHSU medical students who were admitted to the program directly. This research was published in Academic Medicine in 2023.
At the time of admission, the MSMS students had lower undergraduate GPAs and MCAT scores than applicants that were admitted to the program directly:
- MSMS graduates: Average GPA of 3.46, average MCAT score of 490.2
- Directly admitted MD students: GPA 3.68, MCAT 498.7
Our study was conducted at PHSU’s main campus in Ponce, Puerto Rico, so students were from similar ethnic backgrounds. Both groups of students had similar percentages of first generation college students.
Despite beginning their medical school careers with lower GPAs and MCAT scores, the MSMS graduates went on to achieve similar scores to their directly admitted counterparts. These measurements were based on the old USMLE scoring system that was in place prior to the transition to a pass/fail scoring in 2022.
- MSMS graduates: Average USMLE Step 1 score of 217.4
- Directly admitted MD students: USMLE Step 1 score of 217.8
The Right Approach and the Right Insights
Many pre-medical master’s programs offer students the opportunity to master first-year medical school content. Tiber Health extends this model through an integrated process and analytics that drive an engaging flipped-classroom experience that challenges students to apply theory in practice. Tiber Health Analytics provides continuous, predictive insight into students’ topical strengths and areas for growth through our analytics platform. The result? A unique pipeline program that can and does prepare students to achieve their goals in medical school or any other health profession.
Add a Proven Pre-Med Pathway that Fills Seats with Success-Ready Students — No New Faculty Required.
Find Out More About the MSMS
Begin exploring how becoming a Tiber Health University Partner can help your students pursue their dreams in health care. Contact us today!