Post-Baccalaureate Questions

New What is the success rate of the Pre-Health Post Baccalauareate Certificate Program?

Since 1993, the Health Professions Advising Office has had over 184 Post Baccaluareate students, primarily science majors, successfully matriculate into medical school, 44 to dental school and another 46 to professions such as Optometry, Pharmacy and Physicians Assistant. Schools include UCSF, UCI, UCSD, UCLA, USC, Harvard, Loma Linda, University of Michigan and Boston U.

In 2004 we set into place a formal certificate program that would allow non-science postbaccalaureate students to have access to the courses they would need to fulfill pre-professional school requirements. The program was very small (4 students entered in 2004) and was not widely advertised. In 2009 the program was moved to University Extended Education and greatly expanded to accomodate a cohort structure. Since 2004 of the 27 students who were admitted under the Pre-professional certificate, 24 have been accepted to health professions (10 to MD, 7 to DDS, 4 to DO, 1 PharmD, 1 PA and 1 DVM). Schools attended by our program alumni include Albert Einstein, Columbia, UCSF, UCI, UCLA, UC Davis and St. Louis.

What if I majored in a science discipline (biology, chemistry, etc.) but did not do well in my coursework? Will I be eligible for this program?
No. This is not a remediation program but is designed for career changers who have little science background. If you have recently completed more than 15 units (within the last 5 years) of the certificate classes then you would not be eligible for the certificate program.

At my undergraduate College/University I was on the Quarter system, how will I know what the semester equivalence is?

Quarter/Semester Unit Conversion
If you're transferring from a College/University with a Quarter system you must convert your grades to the Semester system equivalence.

Quarter Units X .667= Semester Units

Quarter units are converted to semester units by multiplying the quarter units by .667. The resulting figure is not rounded. Only the first two digits to the right of the decimal point are used.
Example: 25 quarter units x .667
= 16.675 semester units
= 16.67 semester units
NOT 16.68 or 17.0.

The information was provided by http://www.fullerton.edu/aac/transfer_students/quartsemconversion.asp

What makes your post-bac program distinctive as compared to other post-bac programs?
Lower cost.  High quality of instruction. Opportunity to do research.

How hard is it to gain admittance to the post-bac program?
There are 20 slots available per year in the program.  The ratio of admittance will depend on the number of applicants for these 20 slots.

What is the cost of attending your Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Health Program?
As of right now, our program costs $400 per unit. However, this fee is subject to change.

How long does it take to complete the postbac program?
Typically it takes 4 semesters and a summer class.  Any increase in length would have to be approved by the coordinator.

I'm very interested in your program, but I'd like to come to campus first and talk with some current Postbac Premed students before applying. Is this permitted?
Yes.

How do I apply through Health Professions Advising Office?
Applications for Fall 2010 will be accepted beginning on February 1, 2010 and the application window will close on April 9, 2010. Review of applications will start on March 1, 2010 and due to the rolling admissions process, we would strongly advise interested applicants to complete their application as soon as possible. The Spring application is available for viewing here. Please note that the Fall 2010 Cohort will be the only cohort accepted during the 2010-2011 academic year. We anticipate accepting 30 students for the Fall 2010-2012 cohort.

How long does the admissions process take?
Admission will be determined within four weeks from the admission closing date. 

Are there any prerequisite classes needed before I enter the program?
Yes, there is one class that needs to be taken before entering the program. Intro into Chemistry needs to be taken with a minimum grade of a “B” or above. If this class is taken at CSUF, Chem 115 fulfills this prerequisite. This course can also be taken at a Community College and you can check if it transfers by going onto www.assist.org. Any Introductory Biology class is also recommended.

It would be strongly advised that you also prepare yourself for calculus by taking or refreshing with a pre-calculus class. All accepted students will be required to take the Math Qualifying Exam (MQE) before they enter the program to determine their suitability to enter into the Calculus class, Math 130.