Like many Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program students, Jason Veldman knew from an early age that he would pursue a career in health care. He just wasn’t sure in what field.
Sciences, Mathematics and Biotechnology
In our second-annual spotlight, we’d like to introduce you to the Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program’s Class of 2024! Each of the following alumni completed the program in early 2024
Job hunters, we invite you to a Job Forum careers panel discussion and Q&A, focused on job search and career advice from experts who work at innovative health care and biotech companies.
When you trust in yourself and your strengths to take your future one step at a time, things tend to work out as they are meant to be. Such is the case for Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions
The draw to sciences—and continual learning—runs deep for Elliott Asarch. It’s what propelled him to study bioengineering at UCLA and then continue on at Roseman University of Health Sciences to
As a first-generation college student whose parents had immigrated from Mexico, Elizabeth Moreno Galvez never dreamed that a career in a health care-related field could be a reality for her. And
For Vivian Dao-Tong, the importance of clinical research and its positive effects on health are personal. One of her family members participated in a clinical trial for diabetes research and
Brhan Eskinder has the ick that’s going around in early 2024. She’s going to take a few days off from dental school to rest, but she’s determined to log on to Zoom and chat with me about her
Gina LaMothe always wanted a career in the sciences. But in what field? Work in the clinic or be patient-facing? Focus on a certain subject or have knowledge of a wide swath of medicine?
Biotechnology is a major economic driver and companies are seeking skilled professionals who are interested in contributing to rapid innovation and growth.
In 2014, I received a B.S. in Health: Science, Society and Policy from Brandeis University but was unsure about which direction to go in our diverse health care system. I had wanted to become a
It all started with an exciting learning opportunity at Emilie Biondi’s high school. Through the Amgen Biotech Experience, Emilie and her classmates were given the opportunity to produce a protein
In this first of many annual spotlights, we’d like to introduce you to the Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program’s Class of 2023! Each of the following alumni completed the program in
Alis Vazquez immerses herself in all things clinical research—be it on-the-job learning or a structured, expansive curriculum through our Certificate Program in Clinical Research Conduct and
Biotechnology is a major economic driver and companies are seeking skilled professionals who are interested in contributing to rapid innovation and growth.
Fantastic advice can come from anywhere—even from 30,000 feet up in the air. While on a flight, Jennifer Jacobson and a fellow passenger struck up a conversation. Talking about life in general,
Mary Joann (MJ) Aguillon’s strength and resistance are palpable—even over email. Couple that with a commitment to health care and serving veterans, and there’s nothing that can stop MJ—not even a
Years of training, years of dedication. That’s what Lauren Jesse brought to her teams as a competitive athlete in gymnastics and diving. This resilience and fortitude have served Lauren well—not
“I was lucky to have excellent teachers very early in life who opened my eyes to many different subjects and fields,” reminisces Charlotte Young, a 2021 Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions
Biotechnology is a major economic driver and companies are seeking skilled professionals who are interested in contributing to rapid innovation and growth.
For Amanda Allen, health care is all about connecting the dots. For many years—both during her undergraduate studies at University of Colorado Boulder and then at Stanford University and now
Biotechnology is a major economic driver and companies are seeking skilled professionals who are interested in contributing to rapid innovation and growth.
You’ve seen the TV ads time and again: A new prescription drug has just come to market that promises to alleviate the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease, arthritis, allergies, migraines or myriad other
Join this online panel event with professionals from biosciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and regulatory affairs who will share their favorite networking and industry advancement career tips
Alan Tran’s initial interest in biological sciences was influenced by a life-changing experience during high school when he was a volunteer at the front desk of Kaiser Permanente in Fremont.
Reiss Reid is a self-proclaimed nerd. Like a moth to the flame, Reiss could spend all of his waking hours in the lab, developing new therapies to battle cancer by harnessing the power of the
Daniel Benjamin is, by nature, a curious learner. He’s fascinated by the intricacies of the human body, which has been the core focus of his own education and scholarly pursuits.
When Anne Chiruvolu was growing up in Massachusetts, she knew her interest in life sciences and in animals would eventually lead to a veterinary career.
So she attended Johns Hopkins
With an obvious need and depth of roles available for a clinical laboratory scientist, is this field right for you? Read on to see how you can fill the many CLS positions and get certified.
“The pandemic made me realize how essential good health care is and it's been exciting to be a part of that,” says Jeff Peeler, a 2020 program alumnus of our Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alexander Craig attended Princeton University for his undergraduate degree, studying classics and the philosophy of science.
“I had a strong
From a young age, Meagan Barry was drawn to medicine. Her father was an orthopedic surgeon and that type of care resonated with her. But it was during her undergraduate studies at UC Santa Barbara
Facilitated by guest speaker and experienced pharma consultant Maureen Martin, this event will share tips on the importance of finding and utilizing a mentor to launch your career.
Ironically, it was serendipitous that the COVID-19 pandemic hit just when Gilmar Danila began his studies to become a clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) in our Clinical Laboratory Scientist
After becoming a hospice volunteer in 2017, Jeff Peeler never imagined it would lead him to an entire career change. Although he enjoyed his 13-plus-year career in software engineer and manager
“Why?” That’s Laura Potter’s go-to question when it comes to deciphering the intricacies of biological phenomena.
In 2019, Erica earned her B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences from Purdue University. Fresh out of undergraduate school, she went on to work as a medical scribe and a home care provider at an
According to Ferheen Abbasi’s LinkedIn profile, she is “passionate about making strong social change in the world” and her “greatest goal in life is to find a non-hormonal contraception method
Ester Fernandez was interning at a local Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) office in Santa Rosa, Calif., when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. That’s when
Current UC San Diego School of Medicine (Class of 2023) student Anita Satish has long held a goal: Be in a position where she can have one foot in the health care industry and one foot in the
Clinical laboratory scientist.
Laboratory technologist.
Pharmacist.
Physician.
No matter what career path you are on, clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine cover many
Jesus Mejia’s medical career dreams are built on the relationships that he has made. From volunteering at a pediatric hospital in his hometown in Missouri, to participating in the student medical
Cassandra Smith has always had an interest in the medical field. The desire to make a difference in the health care world propelled her to receive a B.S. in Life Science from Kansas State
Seven years ago, Kathleen Douangchak’s life looked a little different. You could find her all the way in Burkina Faso, West Africa, teaching English and science to children and working with the
In a way, Jessica Raya’s personal background has been built on Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs concept. Born in Sacramento, Calif., Jessica eventually moved with her family to the Central
It is no secret that last year was quite a challenge! Now imagine finishing nursing school and starting your nursing career all around that time. We know a nurses role is often underestimated, let
When Dylan Blackburn was 7, he was diagnosed with having a tumor growing on his pituitary gland (Cushing’s syndrome). He underwent brain surgery and was thought to have a life expectancy of 12.
I asked Geoff his thoughts on being named a 2020 Inspirational Instructor. He looked around his garage—where he was taking our interview on Zoom, 2020 being what it is—seemingly trying to come up
A hearty congratulations to the latest UC Berkeley Nobel Prize winner: biochemist Jennifer Doudna in Chemistry. She shares this honor with colleague Emmanuelle Charpentier for the co-development
“I’m a career changer,” Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program student Aidan Loeser writes in her scholarship application.
For more than six years, Aidan was making a difference in
It is not surprising that Robert Matthew (Matt) Klinkel has excelled as a student in UC Berkeley Extension’s Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program; in 2014, he was a Fulbright scholar at
“[Enrolling in the Certificate Program in Clinical Research Conduct and Management] was probably the best decision I've made in my life—I am not exaggerating. I have my current job literally
Genome editing is adapting and evolving rapidly. Learn about the science behind the CRISPR technology and its real-world applications.
“To me, science feels like a giant mystery where the clues are just waiting there for you to find,” says Dr. Rachael Webster, one of our 2019 Honored Instructors who teaches Medical Microbiology
The path to working in the health professions can be a winding road. There are so many questions to ask of yourself:
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. The more educated we are about cancer, the better equipped we will be to fight against it.
While Jayinee Basu was pursuing her double major in literature/writing and political science—with a minor in studio art—at the University of California, San Diego, the thought of becoming a doctor
The decision to make a career in medicine can be a very personal one. Witnessing family members navigate our complex health care system. Finding dead ends when there should be solutions. Lacking
With every step Brandon Lim takes, he’s getting closer to his dream job of working in a patient-centered role.
One year and one month: The fast-track timeframe for Phillip to take his B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Davis and jump-start a career in regulatory affairs. And this career
Despite traveling and working around the globe and working at lucrative tech startups, Bradley Heinz kept feeling the draw to medicine.
For Barbara Hanly, it’s all about making a difference in patient care and health.
About 10 years ago, Marianna Lenoci found herself at a place in her career where she wasn’t advancing. Should she explore a career shift? Would additional education give her the needed bump?
Suzette Nubie has more than 21 years of professional experience working in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. During her tenure, Suzette has worked in both quality control and quality
This continuous flow of information and understanding are what brought Jennifer Cuvin to our Professional Program in Regulatory Affairs.
For almost six years, Kyle Takahashi worked at a private dental practice in Piedmont, Calif. There, he worked on the frontlines with the patients—from scheduling to interacting with insurance
Back in 2015, Leslie Cachola was having difficulty getting accepted into medical school. She had a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University. She had full-time work experience in clinical
PingWah Poon is no stranger to the medical world. He has a bachelor’s in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Davis. He worked at a biotech company for five years: first as a gene
When Victor Gavallos started his undergraduate education at University of San Francisco, his goal was to continue to his studies to become a doctor—specifically, a pathologist.
When pharmacist Swapna Deshpande moved to the United States in 2013, she had a Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Quality Assurance from her native India. One would have thought that she had the
According to the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions, more than 53,000 medical school hopefuls applied for just 21,000 available spots—so only about 40% of applicants were
Nutrition is a complex multidisciplinary field that brings together the biological sciences, economics, politics, human behavior and environmental science. I chose to pursue a graduate degree in
At its base, music is a result of mathematical principles and logic. It's a set of formulas and theories to produce a set of notes that invoke, inspire and imagine. The same holds true for science
In the next six years, the U.S. will need to employ 1 million science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates in order to meet the demands of American industry.
Sure, you could learn about biochemistry or stem cell research by reading a book, attending class lectures and the like, but how does that apply to what you'll be faced with in the real world?
In his finance days, Young Kang would feel a surge of pride every time his clients were on the path to meeting their financial goals. But he wanted to do so much more for them.
The U.S. is just one of the 65 countries and territories with active Zika virus transmission.
\Nutrition plays a major role in our physical, mental and emotional health—a truism that registered dietitian Melissa Javaheri fully subscribes to. And her patients are the better for it.
Longtime UC Berkeley Extension science instructor Monica Ranes-Goldberg has been creating online science courses since 1999.
Genomic medicine is affecting health care by dramatically changing the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
Katie Fenton loved the high adrenaline that comes from being a military nurse—a path she's followed since graduating with a bachelor's degree in nursing
Kashif Ahmad is no stranger to teaching science courses: He has seen the online learning environment become more accepted and a way to implement new technologies.
The field of biological sciences is constantly evolving, what with new discoveries, research and novel techniques inundating a scientist on a daily basis.
Fourth-year medical student Daniel Shapiro successfully matched with Boston Combined Residency Program's pediatrics.
As an undergraduate at SF State, Jarell Cruz was having trouble getting into classes—either they were only offered every other semester or they were full.
When Jennifer Brandl first began the Certificate Program in Clinical Research Conduct and Management online, she was a research associate and felt limited in career prospects as she lacked a
Vanessa Vun is enjoying a successful career as a clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) at the University of California, San Francisco, thanks in part to UC Berkeley Extension's Immunology and
A graduate of the Certificate Program in Clinical Research Conduct and Management, Joyce Nortey is now a clinical research associate—a position she believes is the result of receiving the