On Aug. 4, Amnie Ashour will be the first student to graduate with a Graduate Certificate in Anatomical Sciences from UCF.
By completing the 22-credit-hour graduate certificate program, launched last summer, she’s gained an in-depth knowledge of human anatomy and dissection technique through substantial hands-on experience in the gross anatomy laboratory.
Ashour (B.S. in biomedical sciences ’16) thinks the program’s rigorous training gave her an advantage when applying to medical school. She will begin classes at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in Stony Brook, New York, in August.
“The curriculum also prepares students for a career as an anatomist in health or medical science education,” said Patrick Pabian, director of the Division of Physical Therapy in the College of Health Professions and Sciences, which houses the graduate certificate program.
Graduates will have the requisite number of credit hours to meet regional and professional accreditation standards to pursue a teaching career in anatomy or human gross anatomy in higher education fields.
Pabian said there is a need in the U.S. for individuals who are prepared to teach advanced anatomy and that UCF’s new graduate certificate in an innovative approach toward meeting this need.
Ashour plans to become an OB-GYN physician, and she has a passionate interest in surgical procedures. The ability to develop dissection skills drew her to the anatomical sciences program. She encourages other students interested in surgical procedures to consider the program as well.
“I feel like everything I learned for this certificate will prepare me for the first year of medical school,” she said. “We have to take anatomy for the first six months, but I already have that knowledge from this program.”
