Pre-Health Pathway

The Pre-Health Pathway (PHP) is a program component of BSP that seeks students interested in health care. Students are eligible to apply during their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year at UC Berkeley after meeting with one of our advisors. Throughout our students' undergraduate education we monitor their progress and provide continued support and guidance. We also offer individualized support to students throughout the application process for their respective graduate and professional schools. 

What We Offer

• Support in finding a career that best reflects your interest in science, service, and research
• Assistance calculating and monitoring science GPA
• Individualized advising particular to your career path to help you be a strong applicant to the program of your choice
• Workshops specific to the application process for medical or graduate school (e.g. interview workshops, graduate and medical school visits, student panels, etc)
• Information on research, volunteer, and internships opportunities
• Providing practical assistance with graduate/medical school exams, applications and interviews

Pathway History and Figures

In 2004, with funds from The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, BSP was able to add a career pathway to the core academic support of the program.  The pathway was funded to increase the number of diverse students applying to and gaining acceptance to medical school. 

Over the 6 years of the Moore Grant, BSP has sent 230 undergraduates to medical schools across the country; all committed to serving underserved patient populations as primary care physicians.  The current acceptance rate to medical school of BSP students is 85%.  This is significantly higher than the U.S. average rate of 50%, and the average U.C. Berkeley undergraduate rate of 55%. Since the model was quite successful we applied it to students interested in careers in research, with the Pre-Graduate Pathway.  The PGP started in 2006 and is funded by HHMI.   

In 2007, due to student demand the Pre-Medical Pathway was renamed the Pre-Health Pathway to reflect and include the diverse career goals of all BSP students. The PHP program is funded in part by The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF). Created in 1992 as a private, independent foundation, TCWF's mission is to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention. These funds have assisted to extend the success of PHP advising model to fully encompass a broad range of allied health careers and extend the services offered to all BSP students interested in allied health fields.