Postbaccalaureate Premedical Certificate
PPC

Beyond the classroom, you can choose from a range of co-curricular opportunities to deepen your academic and professional preparation while engaging with KGI and the surrounding communities.

Academic and Professional Development

• MCAT review course (additional fee required)
• Field trips to regional medical schools and guest lectures from admissions representatives
• Practice individual, group, and multiple mini interviews
• Networking events with KGI alumni and professionals across medical specialties

Clinical and Research Experience

• Clinical shadowing and medical scribe positions in local and underserved communities
• Volunteer service at the Pomona Free Clinic
• Research opportunities with KGI faculty and partner institutions

Community Engagement and Service

• Health and wellness educator for The Claremont Colleges
• Mentorship programs with local K–12 schools
• Participation in community initiatives, such as Mingle and Munch with senior citizens, K–12 tutoring, and the Diabetes Free Riverside Project

At KGI, we aim to provide you with as many opportunities as possible to strengthen your academic and professional readiness, helping you excel when applying to advanced healthcare programs. To support your holistic growth, you can choose from several à la carte academic enrichment options available at a discounted rate.

For questions, please contact Admissions at admissions@kgi.edu.

Medical Spanish Immersion

As an aspiring healthcare professional, you’ll find that gaining international experience and proficiency in a second language not only strengthens your medical school application but also enhances your ability to provide exceptional care and build deeper connections with patients.

At KGI, you’ll have the opportunity to get hands-on medical experience in Mexico while developing your Spanish fluency. CENEU, an international education organization, hosts a two-week special session in Ensenada exclusively for KGI students, held two weeks before the start of the fall semester.*

* Minimum participation of 10 students required

MCAT Review Course

To position yourself as a strong medical school applicant, it’s crucial to have a competitive MCAT score. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), applicants for the 2023–2024 cycle earned an average score of 506 (67th percentile), while matriculants averaged 511.7 (82nd–84th percentile).

KGI’s partnering MCAT Review Course helps to improve your test-taking strategies and content mastery, ensuring you’re equipped to achieve a competitive score.

Medical Assistant (MA) Training Program

Medical schools and healthcare programs often seek applicants with clinical experience as a means of assessing their preparedness and familiarity with the field. That’s why we offer an intensive, two-day Advanced Training in Medical Assistance Skills Workshop to kick-start your clinical preparation. Our workshop covers essential topics:

• Patient privacy, HIPAA, and OSHA standards
• Bloodborne pathogen safety
• Basic clinical and patient care skills

Completing this workshop demonstrates hands-on patient care experience and boosts your eligibility for medical assistant positions.

Prerequisite Completion

If you still need prerequisite courses before advancing to your graduate studies, KGI offers summer sessions in:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Biochemistry

These courses help you to efficiently complete requirements and keep you on track toward attaining your professional goals.

Admissions Interview

At Keck Graduate Institute, we seek out students who are ready to thrive and grow—both personally and professionally—through the PPC program. Our interview process helps us get to know you and assess a mutual fit with our mission, vision, and distinctive learning environment. It’s also an opportunity for you to explore what makes KGI unique and determine whether our community aligns with your goals.

Interviews are by invitation and take place virtually or on campus. We look forward to meeting you!

Application Review

The Admissions Committee, which is composed of faculty and senior admissions administrators, thoroughly and holistically reviews each application. We consider applications in the context of the total applicant pool and our general admissions standards.

All admissions decisions are final for the academic term in which they are rendered.

Admitted Students

Admitted students must submit a non-refundable enrollment fee of $400 to secure their spot in the program. Additionally, counselors contact admitted students to ensure that all official documents have been received.

Admitted students also receive regular communication from the Admissions Office with important information about preparing for study, student life, housing, orientation, and other topics of interest.

Advanced Placement

Transfer credits for didactic and experiential courses are not accepted. All KGI PPC program courses within the curriculum are required for graduation. No credit or advanced placement is granted for prior experiential learning, coursework, degrees, certifications, or advanced training.

Admissions Interview

To ensure you are positioned for success in the PPC program and gain a competitive edge for medical school admission, you must complete the required prerequisite coursework. This provides foundational scientific and analytical knowledge that is essential for success as a medical professional.

Prerequisites include:

• Biology with lab (2 semester or 3 quarter terms)
• General Chemistry with lab (2 semester or 3 quarter terms)
• Physics with lab (2 semester or 3 quarter terms)
• Organic Chemistry with lab (2 semester or 3 quarter terms)
• Recommended Math: One must be Calculus and/or Statistics (2 semester or 3 quarter terms)
• Recommended Biochemistry (1 semester or 2 quarter terms)

You may apply even if you have prerequisite courses in progress; however, most prerequisites must be completed before starting the PPC program. A limited number of prerequisites can be taken at KGI at a discounted rate. All prerequisite courses must have been completed at accredited institutions within the past seven years.

At KGI, we welcome students from diverse academic backgrounds into the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Certificate program.

If you’re still completing your bachelor’s degree, you may still apply to the program. However, a conferred bachelor’s degree is required before you begin the program. Please note that transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended are required.

Unofficial transcripts that clearly display both your name and the institution’s name can be uploaded through your applicant portal. While unofficial transcripts are accepted during the application process, official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions must be received no later than one week before the start of the term for your enrollment to be finalized.

At KGI, we do not require the GRE or MCAT for admission to the PPC program. Submitted scores may be reviewed but will not be a significant factor in the admissions process.

For admission into the PPC program, we require at least one letter of recommendation that highlights your character, strengths, and professionalism, offering specific examples that demonstrate your abilities and work ethic.

We recommend asking someone who knows you well and can provide a detailed, thoughtful assessment. Appropriate recommenders may include professors, colleagues, supervisors, or other professionals who can speak to your potential for success in a graduate-level program and as a future medical professional.

While KGI does not require a specific number of clinical experience hours, we strongly encourage pursuing these opportunities. Gaining exposure to clinical settings can help you make informed decisions about your future in healthcare and strengthen your medical school application.

Clinical experiences may occur in hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, community health centers, long-term care facilities, or other settings where healthcare professionals deliver care. Most applicants find these experiences both motivating and inspiring as they confirm their commitment to the field.

KGI strives to create a welcoming environment for international students.

Transcripts from international schools that are not provided in English directly by the issuing institution must be presented in their original language form and then translated into English by a translation agency, an official translator, or World Education Services (WES).

Undergraduate applicants who have not completed a high school diploma or a bachelor's degree in which English was the language of instruction may be requested to provide English proficiency test scores.

KGI accepts scores from:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Duolingo English Test (DET)

The score must be sent directly from the testing service and must have been taken within the two years preceding the application date. Institutional versions of the test are not accepted.