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
Sciences, Mathematics and Biotechnology
“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?
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
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