In just one year, UVM’s Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med (PBPM) program prepares students with undergraduate degrees in a wide range of fields—from environmental studies to music and almost everything in between—for medical or or other health-professional school. Celebrating 30 years of excellence this year, the program has helped over 4,000 students become dentists, nurse practitioners, physicians, physician assistants, veterinarians, and more.

The program offers prep tracks for those who have strong academic records but lack the necessary science and math courses to pursue pre-dental, pre-health, pre-med, pre-physician assistant, or pre-vet pathways. “For example, a recent student transitioned from a successful legal career to a successful candidacy in med school,” says Maggie Lambert, Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med Program Director for UVM Professional and Continuing Education (PACE). 

The PBPM program partners with UVM Larner College of Medicine and UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences, providing students with access to top-tier resources and opportunities at a leading medical center, teaching hospital, and Level I trauma center. Agreements with these colleges, Franklin Pierce University, and the University of New England guarantee qualifying students that they will receive interviews or application reviews for Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Doctor of Optometry (O.D)., Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.), Doctor of Physical Therapy (P.T.D.), and Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) programs. “Over the past three decades, our program has been a beacon of success for aspiring medical professionals, most recently boasting an impressive 83 percent medical-school matriculation rate,” Lambert says. 

The three following College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) graduates—all of whom are currently in or have completed the PBPM program—exemplify this level of excellence. Each has made the courageous life change required to shift to a career in a medical field. Here, they share a bit about their unique journeys. 

Name: Bobby Kelly

Undergraduate major: Psychological science

What he’s doing now: Prepping for the MCAT while finishing the PBPM program, with the intention of attending an M.D. program

“Throughout college, I did not have a firm idea of exactly what I wanted to do,” says Bobby Kelly. “But in the most general sense I knew for certain that I wanted to work with people.” His original career plans were to do social work or perhaps become a therapist.

Kelly decided to get an early start and took a social-work job at The Howard Center, a nonprofit providing mental health and developmental disability services in Burlington, during his junior year at UVM. He found it challenging but rewarding, and particularly enjoyed working with families and people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. This sense of fulfillment, combined with his shifting academic interests, caused Kelly to rethink his career path and cemented his decision to invest the time and money to attend med school. “Seeing some of the challenges these people and their families face prompted me to decide on medicine,” he says, “which, at the end of the day, is just social work in a different jacket.”

Though preparing for the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) isn’t easy, Kelly says the rigor and difficulty of his pre-med classes have been his biggest challenge so far. “However, when people try to scare you about how difficult a certain class is,” he says, “they never mention how cool some of the things you learn are. For example, physics is quite a hard class, but I know how special relativity works now.” He says learning new things like that is the most rewarding part for him, especially as somebody who started the program with minimal scientific knowledge and math skills.

Name: Anel Peco 

Undergraduate Degree: Biology

What he’s doing now: Preparing to apply to medical and osteopathic schools, with the goal of graduating in the fall of 2026

Anel Peco initially knew he wanted to have a career in health care or the sciences, but it wasn’t until he was halfway through his undergraduate studies that he realized he wanted to be a physician. “The opportunity for continuous learning and the ability to apply knowledge in ways that directly improve people’s lives was what drew me to the idea,” he says. He completed his undergrad degree with a major in biology and went on to attain a Master of Public Health degree, but the desire to be a physician remained so strong with him that he decided to apply to the PBPM program. 

Peco knew that he needed to strengthen both his resume and academic record to become a more competitive med-school applicant. “The post-baccalaureate program was the perfect opportunity for this. The coursework, mentorship, information resources, and structured support allowed me to improve my GPA and gain a deeper insight into the medical field and medical school.”

One of Peco’s biggest challenges has been navigating the rigorous path of a pre-medical student while also being a first-generation college student. “There were many aspects of the process that I was unfamiliar with at first, and at times I struggled to access or even become aware of available resources,” he says. Through the PBPM program, Peco has the support he needed to manage coursework more effectively and navigate the application process with confidence. 

“The most rewarding part of this journey has been overcoming these challenges and seeing my hard work translate into tangible progress toward the goal of becoming a physician,” Peco says. Another significant reward has been the relationships he has built with classmates and health-care providers that have both enriched his learning experience and extended beyond the classroom and clinical settings, shaping both his professional and personal growth.

Name: Eli Rickner 

Undergraduate Degree: Psychology

What he’s doing now: Preparing to enter the Direct Entry Doctor of Nursing Practice program at UVM in August 2025

Eli Rickner finished the PBPM program in 2024 to complete the prerequisites for the UVM Nurse Practitioner program. He chose to pursue this route as a way to expand his medical knowledge and capabilities, with the hopeful goal of being able to give back to Vermont communities. 

For the last nine years, Rickner has worked in emergency medical services, and he is currently the Deputy Chief and Training Officer at Bristol Rescue Squad, an ambulance agency in Bristol, Vermont. “Medicine has always been a passion for me,” he says. 

Rickner, who was already working as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) when he graduated from UVM with his undergraduate degree in psychology in 2022, says his biggest challenge was the period following graduation when he was unsure of the career path he wanted to take. 

“The sense that I was stuck was pretty unshakeable,” he says, “but ultimately, it just required some decisiveness.” That’s when he committed to continuing his learning journey through the PBPM and expanding his skills to include nursing.  “The biggest reward, by far, is being able to make a difference in the lives of patients, family, loved ones, and friends,” he says.