糖心Vlog

Meredith鈥檚 Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate and the Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences programs held a networking event on October 22.

With a panel presentation and Q&A followed by a casual dinner, the fall social allowed students in both programs to socialize and network with healthcare professionals, according to Karthik Aghoram, professor of biological sciences and director of the pre-health post-baccalaureate program.

鈥淢ainly, it is an opportunity for them to hear from and network with health professionals who have taken non-traditional paths to becoming healthcare providers,鈥� said Aghoram.

The presenters were Laurel Carter, M.D., and Ansley Heath, PA-C.

鈥淒r. Carter took a non-traditional route to medical school, and so hearing from someone who has walked the same path that our students are now walking gives them the necessary knowledge and confidence to follow in their footsteps,鈥� said Aghoram.

A Perfect Fit

Heath completed Meredith鈥檚 program in 2020. As an alumna of the pre-health program, she attended the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and is now employed as a Physician Assistant.

Heath said Meredith鈥檚 program was the perfect fit as it offered every class she needed in one year, whereas some of the other programs she considered either didn鈥檛 fulfill all the requirements or would have taken more time to complete.聽

鈥淭he rigor of taking all of these classes in a year that would typically be spread out over multiple years in an undergrad setting helped prepare me for the demands of PA school and demonstrate to prospective schools that I was ready for that challenge,鈥� said Heath. She added, 鈥淗aving spent my undergraduate years at a large university, it was so refreshing to have a chance to get to know my professors, ask questions, seek guidance, and feel I wasn鈥檛 just a number. I truly felt Meredith faculty were invested in my success.鈥�

According to Heath, individual guidance from faculty is a critical component of student success.

鈥淢eredith offers support to the nontraditional pre-health hopeful 鈥� whether due to age, academic falters, or life and career path changes 鈥� and the faculty far surpasses expectations in providing a tailored experience to help students achieve their goals.鈥�

Heath said she was happy to speak with the current students in the program and share her path to medicine as 鈥�… proof that every path doesn鈥檛 have to be perfect or follow the typical timeline. The most important prerequisite is a passion for and commitment to medicine.鈥�

Learn more about the Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate and the M.A. in Biomedical Sciences.