Pre-Professional Health Academic Program
Program Description
The Pre-Professional Health Academic Program (PHAP) is designed to provide the competitive advantage needed to enter a health professional school and launch a rewarding career in medicine, optometry, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, and other healthcare fields like public health, nursing and physician assistant.
Students accepted into the program need have completed a bachelor’s degree in a science or non-science field with a minimum cumulative graduating GPA of 2.8. There are two academic tracks in the program depending on student’s undergraduate degree.
Track I
For students with a non-science degree and have not taken any biomedical school prerequisite science courses, the program offers a two-and-a-half-year curriculum (Career Changer). Track I students will complete all foundation science courses plus selected upper division courses in genetics, anatomy and physiology, biomedical physiology, immunology, biochemistry I, biochemistry II, psychology, medical humanities, and two 2-unit post-baccalaureate seminar courses.
Track II
For students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in a science field and taken most or all foundation science courses. Students will complete upper division courses in all major biomedical areas: genetics, molecular/cell biology, microbiology, physiology, neurosciences, immunology, endocrinology, biochemistry, mathematics, psychology, medical humanities, and two 2-unit post-baccalaureate seminar courses.
Program Learning Outcomes
At the completion of the certificate program PHAP students will have:
- Acquired the required baseline knowledge in entrance and advanced science courses to competitively apply to health professional schools.
- Gained necessary experience in various health settings.
- Prepared and taken national entrance exams such as the MCAT, DAT, GRE, PCAT, and OAT.
- Have had opportunities to engage in basic or clinical research and participate in community service.
- Received mentoring and tutoring to prepare for the health professional school application process.
- Developed personal characteristics and acquired skill-based professional training for career advancement.
Admission Requirements
To qualify for entry into the Pre-Professional Health Academic Program (PHAP) at Cal State East Bay, applicants must:
- Submit of a graduate application at www.calstate.edu/apply for either Track I (Career Changer) or Track II (Academic Enhancer).
- Submit a supplementary PHAP application.
- Provide a one page (single-spaced) personal statement detailing applicant’s career objectives in biomedical sciences as part of the supplementary application.
- Hold a baccalaureate degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 (the average accepted GPA is 3.0).
- Submit official transcripts of all courses taken at every college attended.
- Be prepared to participate in a pre-admission interview with the program admissions staff lasting about one hour.
Note: Students who have not taken Math 120 Precalculus or Math 125 Precalculus with Algebra prior to admission will be required to take one of those courses even though they are not offered in conjunction with the program.
