Mission Statement
The Meredith College Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program provides students with a rigorous foundation of undergraduate scientific coursework necessary for acceptance into graduate level study for occupations in healthcare. The program is dedicated to providing students with personalized programs that fulfill pre-requisites as well as prepare students for the application process for graduate study in their chosen field of healthcare.
Goals
Students completing the Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate will:
- Complete all required coursework for their desired field of healthcare
- Be prepared for the application process of graduate study in healthcare
- Develop a portfolio of experiences related to the healthcare field
Admission
Applicants for admission must submit all materials under the Application Procedure. The admissions process for the Pre- Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program is highly selective. Students must demonstrate potential for academic success in a rigorous course of study in the sciences as well as a dedication to the field of healthcare. A minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0/4.0 is expected. Students must also submit a personal statement related to their desire to pursue a career in healthcare.
The program runs on a cohort of students accepted to begin study in May and complete the program the following May.
Students may begin study in the summer or fall semester depending on their academic needs.
Program of Study
The curriculum for the Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate consists of two distinct tracks. The first is a pre-health careers preparation track designed for students who have a baccalaureate degree but do not have the prerequisite coursework for admission to medical school or other healthcare educational programs. The second track is an enhancement track. This is designed for the student who has all of the prerequisite coursework and has not been successful in applying to health professional schools. Both tracks may start in summer depending on the academic needs of individual students.
Preparation Track
This program is designed for students who have a bachelor’s degree in a non-life-science area and need to obtain the prerequisite science coursework for application to a health program. The preparation track is flexible to allow for variations in requirements of health care-related programs.
Core of Required Courses
- General Biology with lab
- Cell Biology
- General Chemistry with lab
- Clinical experience. Student is required to complete a minimum of 100 hours of clinical shadowing and/or volunteer experience.
- Elective course choices. Students choose a minimum of 17 credit hours to match necessary prerequisites for healthcare program of interest. Program faculty and staff work with students to help select courses they need to gain admittance into the program of their choice.
Enhancement Track
This program is designed for students who have unsuccessfully applied to a health professional school and are looking for an opportunity to enhance their academic credentials.
Core of Required Courses
- Clinical experience. Student is required to complete a minimum of 100 hours of clinical shadowing and/or volunteer experience
- Elective course choices. Students choose a minimum of 24 credit hours to match necessary prerequisites for healthcare program of interest. Program faculty and staff work with students to help select courses they need to gain admittance into the program of their choice.