Lehman College's Health Careers Preparation Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program (HealthBridge) is aimed primarily at bachelor degree holders who decided to pursue a career in the health professions (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, or veterinary medicine) while still undergraduates, but did not complete all of the required prerequisites. For some, this is because they have long had a dream of working in the health professions, but chose to defer it during their undergraduate work only to come back to it later in their lives. For others, they have made the decision to pursue a career in the health professions late in their undergraduate study, perhaps as seniors, leaving them insufficient time to complete their coursework. The program will also serve “career-changers,” that is, bachelor degree holders who did not pursue preparation for the health professions as undergraduates, but make the decision subsequent to graduation.

HealthBridge is designed for students who want to complete their preparation in no more than three years. Depending on the number of courses still to take, that may mean part-time or full-time attendance. While some courses are offered on weekends or in the evenings, and some have remote options, that is not true of all of the required courses in the program. HealthBridge students should expect to be attending some of their courses in person, and to have some courses scheduled during weekdays.

Students pursuing the Health Careers Preparation Post-Baccalaureate Certificate must choose one of seven tracks, based on their eventual career goal:

• Bridge to Medicine
• Bridge to Physician Assistant
• Bridge to Physical Therapy
• Bridge to Dental
• Bridge to Pharmacy
• Bridge to Optometry
• Bridge to Veterinary Medicine
  

Regardless of track, the Health Careers Preparation certificate is divided into two parts, the Foundational phase and the In-Depth year. It is not necessary to complete the Foundational phase in order to apply for admission to the In-Depth year. Students admitted to the Foundational phase must apply for admission to the In-Depth year once they meet those requirements. The certificate is awarded following successful completion of the In-Depth year.

Completion of the Lehman College Health Careers Preparation Post-Baccalaureate Certificate ("HealthBridge program") does not in itself qualify graduates to practice any licensed profession, nor does it guarantee subsequent enrollment in any graduate health professions program. Graduate programs in the health professions each have individual requirements for prerequisite coursework, which may differ from other graduate programs in the same field, and each may change those requirements at any time. Accordingly, there is no guarantee that completing the courses necessary to receive the HealthBridge certificate will fulfill admissions requirements for any individual graduate program in the health professions.

• Additional Features for the In-Depth Year
• Admission Procedure
• Admission Requirements
• Tuition and Fees
• Additional Questions?

Additional Features for the In-Depth Year

HealthBridge students will have access to the following services in addition to coursework:

• Access to test prep materials (MCAT, DAT, OAT, PCAT, GRE, etc.) suitable for the chosen track at no additional charge
• Intensive advising
• Personal statement workshops
• Mock interviews
• Committee letters for all students who successfully complete the Bridge to Medicine, Dental, or Optometry track; as well as students who complete the Bridge to Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, or Pharmacy tracks with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. (Schools of veterinary medicine often prefer not to receive committee letters.)
• Coordination with tutoring services on campus
• Facilitation of study group formation within HealthBridge students

Admission Procedure

Admissions to HealthBridge is a two-step process:

1. The applicant must apply to Lehman College as a second degree transfer student
2. The applicant must apply to the HealthBridge program through PostbacCAS
   

Applicants are encouraged to pursue both steps of the application simultaneously, in order to expedite the process. Final admission to HealthBridge will not be granted until the applicant has been accepted to Lehman, but applicants may be notified prior to that of conditional acceptance in to the program. If you have received a conditional acceptance, one of our advisors will be available to assist you with the application process to Lehman.

Please note that there is a non-refundable $70 processing fee to apply to Lehman. If an applicant is admitted to Lehman but not to HealthBridge, they have the option to pursue post-bac studies at Lehman as a second degree student.

If HealthBridge or the individual HealthBridge tracks do not appear as options under "intended major" when you fill out the Lehman application, choose Chemistry, Biochemistry, or any other field you choose. The "intended major" choice is non-binding, and is meant to help Lehman track the interests of applicants. Since HealthBridge applicants are also applying via PostbacCAS, we are already aware of their interest in HealthBridge.

Admission Requirements

Admissions to both the Foundational phase and In-Depth year are competitive.

The minimum standards for admission to the Foundational phase are:

• A bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited college or university
• Cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) dependent on track:
  • 2.6 for Bridge to Pharmacy
  • 2.7 for Bridge to Dental or Bridge to Veterinary Medicine
  • 2.9 for Bridge to Optometry, Bridge to Physical Therapy, or Bridge to Physician Assistant
  • 3.0 for Bridge to Medicine
• Placement in to precalculus or higher
• Application through PostbacCAS, including a letter of recommendation and personal statement
• In some cases, applicants may be asked to participate in an interview, which can be remote
  

The minimum standards for admission to the In-Depth year are:

• A bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited college or university
• Cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) dependent on track:
  • 2.8 for Bridge to Pharmacy
  • 2.9 for Bridge to Dentistry or Bridge to Veterinary Medicine
  • 3.0 for Bridge to Optometry, Bridge to Physical Therapy, or Bridge to Physician Assistant
  • 3.1 for Bridge to Medicine
• Placement in to calculus
• Completion of first semester English composition
• For Bridge to Medicine, Physician Assistant, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Optometry, and Veterinary Medicine: completion of second semester General Chemistry lecture and laboratory
• For Bridge to Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, and Pharmacy: completion of first semester Anatomy and Physiology with laboratory
• For Bridge to Medicine, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Dental, Pharmacy, and Optometry: completion of General Psychology
• Application through PostbacCAS, including a letter of recommendation and personal statement
• In some cases, applicants may be asked to participate in an interview, which can be remote
  
• It is not necessary for a student to enroll in the Foundational phase in order to apply for the In-Depth year
• Students admitted to the Foundational phase are not guaranteed admission to the In-Depth year unless they meet the minimum standards specified above
  

Tuition and Fees

Students in both the Foundational phase and In-Depth year of the program will be charged tuition and fees at the rate for matriculated students. In addition, a $2500 Academic Excellence Fee will be due at the beginning of the In-Depth Year. This fee will be used to support the services described above.

Additional Questions?

Please visit our Pre-Health Program Hub. Once there, you can ask a question, request an appointment via Zoom to discuss HealthBridge, sign up for updates on our program, and more.

If you're interested in applying to HealthBridge, please navigate to PostbacCAS.