Physician - MD

Overview

Over the last 12 years, Biola has almost tripled the annual number of graduating seniors earning admission to medical school, with close to a 90% success rate across all applications. Recent Biola graduates have been accepted into a variety of medical schools — both locally and around the country — including UCLA, UCI, Loma Linda, USC, Dartmouth, Yale, Georgetown, University of Washington, Oregon Health Sciences University, Wisconsin, University of Texas, University of New Mexico, UC Davis, California University of Science and Medicine, UC San Diego, St. Louis, University of Arizona, and many others.

Biola’s excellent science curricula and faculty equip each student with the knowledge base necessary for a future medical career, as evidenced by medical school admission test (MCAT) scores significantly above the national average. To further support students as they prepare for admissions testing, Biola pre-meds have the option of several leading (national) professional test prep companies that offer online review courses for pre-med and pre-health students.

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Reasons to Study pre-Med at Biola

1. Integration

   Science instruction and teaching at Biola is always implemented in the context of the sovereignty of God, and as a tool to further explore and appreciate his creation. A distinctive of the pre-Med program at Biola University is that it offers excellent preparation for medical school as an integrated part of the much larger on-campus Christian community.

2. Personal Advising

   Every pre-Med student has access to personal advising from BOHPA, the Biola Office of Health Professions Advising. Specifically, each student has the opportunity for multiple advising appointments with Dr. Harvey Havoonjian who himself is an M.D. degree graduate from the UCLA School of Medicine.

3. Clinical Experience

   Every pre-Med student is eligible to enroll in the upper division clinical shadowing program (BIOS 460) at Biola University. This semester-long experience for juniors and seniors provides weekly or biweekly opportunities to observe and interact directly with a physician seeing patients in clinical practice. Clinical shadowing allows students to explore a field of interest, gain valuable clinical experience, provide sources for letters of recommendation and make decisions about future career paths.

4. Community

   Biola has a wonderful pre-med and pre-health peer-to-peer community in the student-led Health Careers Club (HCC). The HCC provides opportunities for like-minded students to gather, fellowship, learn and share the pre-med journey together. Student officers of the HCC plan biweekly activities and presentations directly related to the medical field. Speakers from various specialties are brought in to discuss their clinical work and topics in their field. Christian professionals and sponsoring missions organizations are also scheduled for students interested in short-term and long-term missions. Unlike some of the larger state schools, the Health Careers Club at Biola University ensures that no student has to undertake the challenging pre-med journey alone.