Hands-On Health Care Reshapes Career Path
“I wasn’t someone who always knew they wanted to become a doctor,” admits Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program alumna and current Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine graduate student Priscilla Suh. “But looking back, I realize I was always comfortable in a health care setting. My dad, who is a physician, would sometimes take me to work with him and I remember playing with the blood pressure cuffs and listening to my heartbeat with his stethoscope.”
One sign that a medical career may have been in her future was her role as a youth development counselor for the Center for Courageous Kids (CCK), a camp for children living with disabilities and chronic illnesses. While not involved in clinical care there, Priscilla gained a firsthand perspective on the medical challenges these children face—conditions like pica, diabetes and sickle cell anemia—and how it feels to grow up in and out of hospitals. “I began to understand the world through their eyes,” she says, “a world that often lacks accessibility, empathy and a willingness to really listen to them and include them in their own care.”
After earning her undergraduate degree from Centre College in Kentucky in anthropology and sociology, minoring in social justice—with a few science courses in the mix—Priscilla’s work during the early stages of the COVID pandemic shifted her career goals back to the sciences.
“It wasn’t until during my first post-undergraduate job as a medical assistant with Lifetime Internal Medicine in Virginia that I began considering a career in medicine,” Priscilla notes. “It was that hands-on experience that sparked something. Working closely with patients and physicians gave me a new outlook on the health care field, and that’s when the journey to medical school truly began for me.”
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What led to the decision to change to a career in the health care field?
I graduated during a time of great uncertainty—right in the midst of the pandemic. I had finished the last few months of my senior year in quarantine and the overseas job offer I had lined up before COVID had fallen through. Like many others, I was trying to figure out a completely new normal. I started applying to jobs across various platforms and there were a lot of health care positions open at the time and that’s how I came across the role at Lifetime Internal Medicine.
Looking back, I can honestly say that year changed a lot careerwise for me. Without that hands-on experience, I may not have even considered applying to UC Berkeley Extension’s Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program.
The position gave me firsthand patient care experience, and I found myself constantly curious, wanting to learn more with every patient interaction. The physicians I worked with fostered that passion and willingness to learn. I’ve always been a people person, and the work felt deeply rewarding. It sparked something in me and made me start thinking seriously about medicine as a career.
I’ve always been passionate about social issues and my undergraduate studies focused on these areas and the intersectionality of communities, which helped me understand the broader forces that shape people’s lives, especially in health care. The assistant role helped me see and realize how my academic background and personal passions could come together in medicine. It felt like the perfect intersection of my interests in social justice and hands-on patient care. It married the two things that I was passionate about and I ensued on my journey to where I am today.
Why did you choose to register for our post-bacc program?
One of the primary reasons was its flexibility. Many of the other programs I considered did not offer the same level of freedom and support for non-traditional students looking to change their career and enhance their academics like myself.
Additionally, I knew I was going to be working full time and the program’s evening courses made it possible for me to balance both work and school without compromising either. I also wanted a new experience by living in a new environment that would offer me more opportunities.
What stood out most to me about the Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program was how personalized it was. Every student comes in with a unique background, and the program really respected that.
The greatest benefit of registering for the Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program rather than just taking individual courses was undoubtedly the access to comprehensive, personalized advising. Pauline Alnajjar and Dr. GuhaMajumdar offered so much insight as well as emotional support. Applying to medical schools is rigorous and stressful and it can be a very emotional process. The staff helped me build a polished school list and provided as many mock interviews as I needed. Their feedback was both supportive and realistic, which at times was difficult to hear but necessary. They were some of my biggest cheerleaders when receiving my interviews and acceptances and were always ready to help regardless of my countless and neverending emails.
The med school application is notoriously overwhelming: Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) strategy, personal statements, interviews, timelines—it’s a lot. While there are countless online resources, it’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed. Having advisers who know what medical schools look for and can offer objective, candid feedback made a huge difference. While I leaned on my friends and family—those in the medical field and not—it was reassuring to turn to my advisers who have my best interest in making me the best candidate while maintaining an objective view when needed. I don’t think I would have been able to get the most out of the program if I had just taken the individual courses I needed.
How did the program prepare you for medical school?
What stood out most to me was how personalized it was. Every student comes in with a unique background, and the program really respected that. I had a number of science prerequisites I needed to complete before applying to medical school. UC Berkeley Extension gave me the flexibility to build a course plan tailored specifically to my needs. The program didn’t place unnecessary restrictions on what I had to take, but instead provided the structure and support to help me get to my goal. That level of autonomy made the process of completing my prerequisites much smoother, and ultimately helped me make a confident and successful transition toward medical school.
What truly prepared me for Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine’s medical curriculum wasn’t just mastering content—it was the self-discipline I developed during the post-baccalaureate program. Instructors treated us as adult learners; they expected us to take ownership of our education and held us accountable. That environment combined with night courses forced me to manage my time with care, balancing full-time work and studies. The time management skills I learned really assisted when it came to Touro’s flipped classroom model, weekly exams and tight schedules.
Post-Bacc Courses Priscilla Completed
Organic Chemistry II with Lab
General Human Anatomy
Introduction to Human Physiology
Cell Biology
Introduction to Statistics
Biochemistry
Physics II with Lab
Biology of Aging
What does your future career in health care look like?
I’ll either be in residency or have finished residency, and hopefully will be able to be in a position where I can give back to my community. I would love to start a free health clinic or work with nonprofit organizations such as Doctors Without Borders.
After I completed the post-bacc program, I took time to reflect on whether medicine was truly the right path for me. It was a decision I considered carefully, even exploring the possibility of pivoting into the public health sector. During this period, I worked in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district as a clinical outreach specialist, a role that closely resembled case management. This experience offered invaluable insight into the lives of underserved populations and the systemic barriers they face—such as limited access to nutrition, transportation and insurance—long before they can prioritize their health. While I found the work meaningful and developed strong connections with the clients I served, I came to recognize that my greatest impact lay in addressing these challenges through the lens of medicine.
Recently, I attended the annual American Medical Association conference, where I was able to meet and engage with other medical students around the country to vote on different policies, and I hope to continue that on the physician side. During that conference, I attended a mentoring session with the women’s physician group where I saw and learned so much about the different avenues and projects that led into their careers. Hopefully, in five to 10 years I will still be attending these conferences and be able to mentor someone who was once in my shoes and pay it forward in that same spirit.
Do you have any career change tips or advice?
I think the number one thing to remember and take away is that it is absolutely possible to pursue a career in medicine. Don’t let the “traditional” route mindset deter you from pursuing it if you truly are passionate.
I’ve seen peers embarking on their third, fourth or even fifth careers. Yes, it is a little more challenging and takes a little longer than the conventional path, but the Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program is a great way to start. I found it to be incredibly flexible and customizable—it worked for me, not the other way around.
Lean on the people who can provide support and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Seek out the people who know the process and can guide you. For me, Dr. GuhaMajumdar and Pauline were instrumental in being that support and guidance, which I believe made a big difference.
