PRE-HEALTH PROFESSIONS CERTIFICATE

AT MEREDITH COLLEGE

GO STRONG

FOR HEALTHCARE.

Pursue a career in healthcare.

Meredith’s pre-health post-baccalaureate certificate is the only program of its kind in the
Triangle. Designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree, our one-year pre-health
post-baccalaureate program gives you the flexibility to design a curriculum that works best
for your needs, no matter what healthcare field you are interested in pursuing in medical
school or other allied health programs. The program can also enhance your credentials for
re-application to medical school.

Meredith’s program offers individualized advising, small classes, and assistance finding
shadowing and clinical experiences. In addition, faculty members provide a committee
letter of recommendation for applicants to programs in the healthcare field. MCAT study
sessions are provided for students working toward acceptance into medical school.

Students of the pre-health certificate program receive

  • Individualized curriculum
  • Small classes
  • Coeducational program open to all
  • Shadowing and clinical experiences
  • Personalized advising
  • MCAT study sessions for students interested in medical school

Meredith’s Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program has a more than 90% acceptance rate to health professional schools. We offer personalized advising, shadowing and clinical experiences, and an individualized curriculum.

Kelsey McCleave, ’20, earned a Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate at Meredith because he wants to ensure people in underserved areas have access to the healthcare they need. Next up: the Physician Assistant program at Campbell University.

Invest in Your Future Healthcare Job


Shape Your Own Path.
Whether you are looking to earn prerequisites for admission to a health professional school or you want to enhance your academic credentials for acceptance into a health professional school, Meredith can help you shape your path. Each path offers a pre-health certificate program with an individualized curriculum based on the needs of the applicant, in addition to small class sizes, shadowing and clinical experiences, and personalized advising.

Coursework supports applications to

  • Medical school
  • Dental school
  • Veterinary school
  • Physician assistant programs
  • Nursing school
  • Physical therapy programs
  • Pharmacy school
  • Occupational therapy programs
  • Ph.D. graduate programs

Register for an Information Session. 

Two students listen intently as a professor explains something.

Medical Field Preparation Track

A student does biology work in a lab.

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 healthcare-related programs.

Core of Required Courses

  • General biology with lab
  • Cell biology
  • General chemistry with lab
  • Clinical experience: Students are required to complete a minimum of 100 hours of clinical shadowing and/or volunteer experience
  • Elective course choices: Students choose a minimum of 24 hours to match necessary prerequisites for their healthcare program of interest. Program faculty and staff work with students to help select the courses they need to gain admittance into the program of their choice

Medical Field Enhancement Track

Ian Taylor in a lab coat and in front of a skeleton.

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: Students are required to complete a minimum of 100 hours of clinical shadowing and/or volunteer experience
  • Elective course choices: Students choose a minimum of 24 hours to match necessary prerequisites for their healthcare program of interest. Program faculty and staff work with students to help select the courses they need to gain admittance into the program of their choice.

Curriculum requirements and course descriptions are subject to changes with each catalogue.

Why Study Healthcare at Meredith?

Our program flexibility allows for individualized curricula to fit the requirements of specific healthcare fields.

  • Student Success – Meredith College consistently prepares students to excel in health fields, with recent graduates attending medical, physician assistant, pharmacy, and other allied health schools around the country. Students benefit from one-on-one interaction with faculty, a modern facility including individual research labs and a scanning electron microscope, and personal advising.
  • Flexible Program – The coeducational certificate program may be tailored to meet the needs of each student. This includes course selection, clinical rotation schedules, and additional opportunities such as professional seminars.
  • Individual Advising – Students work with the program coordinator and advisors to build a program that will best fit their needs and goals. They also receive guidance regarding professional school preparation and the application process.
  • Volunteer Experience – Every student completes at least 100 volunteer hours, choosing from numerous opportunities including hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and counseling centers.
  • Additional Opportunities – Students participate in professional seminars and they are part of a cohort of students.
aerial view of campus

“I was a career changer and came in with no idea of what to expect. The professors made the subject matter approachable – they really built my confidence.”
Nina Didner, ’18

M.D. Candidate, UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine

fountain in front of science and math buildingMeredith’s pre-health post-baccalaureate certificate is the only program of its kind in the Research Triangle. The individualized curriculum is flexible and students design an education tailored to their needs. Approximately 90% of students who have completed the program reported acceptance into health professional schools. 

After earning his pre-health post-baccalaureate certificate Kelsey McCleave, ’20, was accepted into the Physician Assistant program at Campbell University. While at Meredith, he received guidance from Jason Andrus, professor of biological sciences and biology department head, during his application to the Physician Assistant program. 

Students of the pre-health certificate program gain hands-on experience through community involvement hours, where they can choose from various opportunities, including hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and counseling centers. 

While Nina Didner, ’18, was completing her pre-health post-baccalaureate certificate, she conducted physiology research on neural conductance velocity in earthworms. She also gained experience leading a volunteer project at the Women’s Center of Wake County. Her cohort held a luncheon, multiple self-care sessions, and a large toiletry drive where they gathered hundreds of items. After studying at Meredith, Didner said she felt well-prepared to take her Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and confident in her pursuit of medical school.

The coursework completed during Meredith’s pre-health certificate can apply to medical school, dental school, veterinary school, Ph.D. graduate programs, and more. Students who completed this program have been accepted into distinguished schools, such as Duke University School of Medicine, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, UNC Chapel Hill School of Dentistry, NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, and more esteemed colleges across the country.

Frequently Asked Certification Questions

No. We also accept SAT, ACT, or GRE scores.

No, but clinical experience is an important part of our program and is required for both pathways.

You must complete the program within one calendar year.

Classes are held during the day. We do have two post-baccalaureate-only classes held in the evening.

The majority of Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate students begin in the summer semester. If students have already completed a large number of prerequisites for health professional school, it is possible to begin the program in the fall semester.

Yes. We have articulation agreements with the West Virginia University (WVU) School of Medicine, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), and the Methodist University PA program.

Yes. Our Financial Assistance office can help you apply for loans for your post-bac education. The program qualifies for federal loans (5th-year undergraduate).

Meredith graduates have been accepted into numerous healthcare programs including:

Medical Schools (MD/DO)

  • Duke University School of Medicine
  • UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine
  • Boston University School of Medicine
  • Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine
  • East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine
  • Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (Virginia Campus)
  • Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (Carolinas Campus)
  • University of Washington School of Medicine
  • Rush Medical College

Dental Schools

  • Marquette University School of Dentistry
  • UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry

Veterinary Schools

  • NC State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Pharmacy Schools

  • Campbell University

Nursing Schools

  • Duke University

Physical Therapy Programs

  • George Washington University
  • University of New England

Physician Assistant Programs

  • Duke University
  • Wake Forest University
  • Campbell University
  • Methodist University
  • Elon University
  • University of South Carolina

Yes. Graduate programs at Meredith are coeducational.

1 Year

Program completed in one year

90%

Over 90% acceptance rate to health professional schools

Workshops

Interview, test prep, and writing personal statements

One-on-One

Personalized advising for every student

Through Meredith College’s Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program Hunter Peden came to understand health studies from a new perspective and learned he could achieve more than he thought possible.

Pre-Health Certificate News

Meredith College hosted an event for Project Plasma on October 4, in observance of International Plasma Awareness Week 2023. Approximately 120 Meredith faculty, staff, and students attended the fair, where they learned facts about plasma and the importance of plasma donation. Participants were also able to share their reasons for donating.