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Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program

Offered in collaboration with the UCI School of Biological Sciences

  • Average Cost
    $43,000
  • Format
    On Campus

    Duration
    Full-time: 24 months

    Curriculum

Overview

The UCI School of Biological Sciences Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program, developed in partnership with UCI Division of Continuing Education, is specifically designed for students who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree in a non-science discipline and are now seeking a cultivating post baccalaureate program that will help them complete the required basic core courses for pre-medical and other allied health professions admission. Students in the program will not only receive the necessary academic preparation to excel in a health professional curriculum, but will also be guided through the extensive application process and entrance examinations. Our goal is to equip our students with the competitive advantage that will result in acceptance into medical school or desired allied health program.

Who Should Apply

We are seeking highly motivated, academically consistent students who can show evidence of compassion as well as a commitment to medicine and the community. It is our goal to support empathetic pre-health students who possess a genuine passion for medicine and have a desire to aid underrepresented communities and become competent future healthcare professionals. Our application for admission opens October 15, and we encourage prospective students to apply early. Visit UCI School of Biological Sciences for important deadlines. We have a rolling admissions policy. Competitive applicants will be invited for interviews on an ongoing basis. Students can expect to be notified of their admission status by email within two to six weeks from their interview date.

Career Insight

Occupational summary for Family Medicine Physicians in the U.S. Source: Lightcast™ 2022

105,043
Annual Job Openings
(2021)
17.4%
Projected Growth
(2021-2031)
$411k
Salary for Highly Experienced Professionals
(Median Salary $208k)

Program Admission

Admission to the program is by separate application only. Applicants selected for admission will then be registered into the program courses through UCI Division of Continuing Education. Detailed information on admissions, including application instructions, forms and benefits for eligible students is available at UCI School of Biological Sciences. Please email the Program Administrator/Premedical Advisor with any questions at premedpb@uci.edu.

Curriculum & Guaranteed Enrollment

This is a rigorous two year program, equivalent to eight quarters, which will include enrollment in two summers. Our intensive, fulltime enrollment curriculum is designed to equip students for a smooth transition into future health professions programs. Basic core courses are taught using problem-based learning to encourage analytical scientific thinking—skills necessary to be successful in any health professions program.

Students will enroll in a minimum of three to four courses per quarter, plus a Health Professions Development Seminar designed especially for our post baccalaureate cohort. Students in the program will be immersed in the same classrooms with UCI undergraduate science majors, which will attest to the strength and competency of the students who complete the post-baccalaureate program. Our students will be able to partake in the same competitive learning experience at UCI as other science majors in similar four year institutions, clearly demonstrating to future medical programs their readiness.

Students accepted into the program have guaranteed enrollment in the basic science core courses and several upper division level courses applicable to admissions requirements such as Human Physiology, Microbiology, Developmental, and Cellular Biology. Upon completion of their basic science courses, students will have the option to enroll in other upper division biology electives that can be beneficial to their career goals. The curriculum is personalized to meet each student’s pre-health admission requirements.

Upon the completion of the program students will have satisfied the following: one year of Inorganic General Chemistry with lab (in an accelerated summer course), one year of Organic Chemistry with lab, one year of Physics with lab and other upper division biological sciences electives courses.

Certificate Eligibility and Requirements

Applicants are required to meet all of the following criteria to be awarded a digital certificate from UCI Division of Continuing Education:

  1. Cumulative grade point average of 3.30
  2. Completion of at least 55 units* taken from the following list of UCI courses:
    • General Chemistry 1A-B-C-LD-LE
    • Organic Chemistry 51A-B-C-LB-LC
    • Physics 3A-B-C-LB-LC
    • Biological Sciences:
      • 97 – Genetics
      • 98 – Biochemistry
      • 99 – Molecular Biology
      • 100 – Scientific Writing
      • 194S – Safety and Ethics for Research
      • E109 – Human Physiology
      • E112L – Human Physiology Lab
      • D103 – Cell Biology
      • D111L – Cell Biology Lab
      • M116L – Molecular Biology Lab
    • Statistics 7 or 8

    *Units applied towards certificate program requirements must be courses completed at the University of California, Irvine.

Advisory Committee

  • Jenna Bauge-Sampson, Interim Director, Biological Sciences Student Affairs Office, University of California, Irvine, School of Biological Sciences
  • Hetty Ha, Program Administrator/Premedical Advisor, Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program, University of California, Irvine, School of Biological Sciences
  • Michael Leon, Ph.D., Professor of Neurobiology, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, University of California, Irvine, School of Biological Sciences
  • Ellena Peterson, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Associate Dean of Admissions and Outreach, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
  • Julianne Toohey, M.D., Professor Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine
  • David van Vranken, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, University of California, Irvine, School of Physical Sciences

English Proficiency Requirement
All certificate programs at UCI Division of Continuing Education (classroom and online formats) require professional-level English language proficiency in listening and note-taking, reading comprehension and vocabulary, written expression, and oral presentation.