WesternU develops pathway program for Bakersfield College graduates to enter MSMS program 

Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Health Sciences (CHS) is partnering with Bakersfield College (BC) to create a pathway for BC graduates to enter CHS’s Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) program.  

The agreement is part of Bakersfield College’s Aspiring Medical Professionals (AMP) Pathway in partnership with WesternU and California Health Science University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU COM). Leaders from all three institutions announced the launch of the AMP Pathway at a news conference today, March 27, 2026, at Bakersfield College.   

 The program is designed to address critical regional health care needs and expand access to education by creating a streamlined path from Bakersfield College to medical school and/or other graduate medical programs. Local clinical training and residency opportunities will be supported through partnerships with Kern Medical and Adventist Health.  

Students will begin the AMP pathway at Bakersfield College, completing the bachelor’s degree in research laboratory technology (RTEC), then have the choice of pursuing the MSMS program at WesternU or the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program at CHSU-COM, followed by clinical training and residencies in Kern County.   

“Our students are driven to make a difference in their communities, and this pathway gives them a clear and achievable route into the medical profession,” said Dr. Stacy Pfluger, Interim President of Bakersfield College. “Through strong partnerships and intentional design, we are reducing barriers and creating opportunities for students to pursue careers in health care here at home.”   

“At Western University of Health Sciences, our commitment to humanism calls us to expand pathways for students who are dedicated to serving their communities with compassion, integrity, and purpose,” said WesternU CHS Dean Gail Evans Grayson, EdD. “The MSMS program reflects this mission by creating opportunities for aspiring health professionals to pursue their goals while addressing the health needs of the communities they call home. Through our partnership with Bakersfield College and the RTEC-MSMS linkage, we are proud to support students in the Central Valley as they develop into future leaders and advocates for health equity, access, and community-centered care.”  

“Kern Medical, in partnership with Western University of Health Sciences, is excited to announce our long-term vision of providing a pathway for local students interested in a career in health care to become doctors and receive part of their medical school training in Kern County,” said Dr. Glenn Goldis, Chief Medical Officer for Kern Medical. “With a goal of serving our community upon completion of their residency, we aspire to remove barriers to receiving a medical education while at the same time offer community-based services that facilitate better access to patient care.”  

The Aspiring Medical Professionals (AMP) Pathway is designed to respond to one of Kern County’s most pressing challenges: a shortage of local physicians and health care professionals. By creating a locally rooted pathway into medical careers, Bakersfield College and its partners aim to expand access to education and strengthen the health care workforce across the Central Valley.  

The AMP Pathway, which reserves five slots per year in the MSMS program for Bakersfield College students who complete the bachelor’s degree for research laboratory technology, builds upon WesternU’s collaborative partnership with Bakersfield College. The Pre-Medical Pathway program, announced in November 2025, connects Bakersfield College graduates to California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), where they will complete a bachelor’s degree, and then go on to WesternU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP), creating a direct route for students who aspire to become physicians.     

Guided by the vision of its founders, the Master of Science in Medical Sciences program has been dedicated to advancing academic excellence by preparing students from diverse educational, economic, and social backgrounds to become both skilled professionals and compassionate, service-driven, successful leaders in health-related and biomedical fields, said MSMS Program Chair Jenniffer Licero Campbell, PhD.  

“Our collaboration with Bakersfield College is especially significant in California’s Central Valley, where the need for accessible, high-quality health care and workforce development continues to grow,” Dr. Licero Campbell said. “Together, we are creating a purposeful pathway that expands educational access, strengthens the health care and biomedical research pipeline, and reflects WesternU’s and the College of Health Sciences’ enduring dedication to humanism by educating professionals who will enhance and extend the quality of life of the communities they serve.”