Post-Bac Pre-Medical Certificate
For more than 35 years, Mills College has been preparing students to become physicians and other healthcare professionals through our post-baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program.
About the Program
This program is designed for students with bachelor's degrees who lack some or all of the basic science courses to pursue study in the fields of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacology, veterinary medicine, or optometry. Students who need to complete all of the basic pre-medical science courses take two years (four semesters) to complete the program. Students who have completed a year of general chemistry, a year of general biology, and a semester of calculus are often able to finish in one year. The program is flexible and can be tailored to fit a student’s specific background in science and mathematics. View our certificate requirements for further information.
Post-bac pre-med students enroll in Mills science and math courses taught by distinguished faculty. In most cases, they attend separate lecture sections designed specifically for pre-med students. The average class size is about 25 students, large enough to offer a diverse intellectual community but small enough to provide individual attention. At Mills, students find a supportive environment of motivated peers who work collaboratively toward mutual goals. Faculty members are accessible and involved in helping students succeed.
Teaching assistants are available in each course for individual and group help. Students plan their academic course work with one of several faculty advisors. Other aspects of their preprofessional training are planned in consultation with the pre-health professions advisor.
Graduates of the post-bac Pre-Med Program achieve an acceptance rate of 80 to 85 percent to medical school or other health science professional schools and matriculate at some of the nation's most respected schools of medicine, including UCSF, Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, Washington University, and Yale. Our linkage with an osteopathic medical school allows some of our select students to start medical school in the fall after completing their studies at Mills, thereby eliminating the application year.
Certificate in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Some students who complete the post-bac Pre-Med Program decide to pursue laboratory science rather than medicine. Mills College offers a certificate program in biochemistry and molecular biology for these individuals. The program consists of course work equivalent to that required for a BA degree in biochemistry and molecular biology at Mills. Individuals apply to this program through the post-bac Pre-Med Program; work for this certificate can usually be completed in one year after completion of the requirements for the post-bac pre-med certificate. View the requirements for the biochemistry and molecular biology certificate.
For information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the post-bac Pre-Med Program, and other important information, please refer to the Federal Gainful Employment Disclosure Statement.