WesternU partners with Kern Medical, CSUB and Bakersfield College to nurture and train physicians in Kern County | WesternU News<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cThe main goal is to introduce (these students) to WesternU and let them know about the opportunities for them to pursue any of the colleges (and programs) here, especially MSMS,\u201d Bakersfield College Medical Professionals Program Manager Bianca Garibay said. \u201cWe want them to see if it\u2019s a good fit for them as they continue to navigate their education.\u201d<\/p>\n
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MSMS students Olugbolahan \u201cBol\u201d Fajolu and Corina Lara-Giron talk about their experiences in the MSMS program with visiting students. (Jeff Malet, WesternU)<\/p>\n
MSMS students Olugbolahan \u201cBol\u201d Fajolu and Corina Lara-Giron shared their personal experiences in the program, which included struggles, triumphs and growth. Students asked for advice when applying to WesternU programs. Lara-Giron told them to take the necessary exams, like the MCAT, early, and to make sure they complete prerequisites.<\/p>\n
\u201cBe yourself. Be authentic. Be genuine in your personal statement,\u201d Lara-Giron said. \u201cYou\u2019re not expected to be a perfect student, and clinicians are human too. We have to be real and honest. When you have hardships and experiences, you get to share that with patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dean Grayson told the class on Day 1 of the program was that if you are someone who likes to work on your own, then this isn\u2019t the program for you, Fajolu said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to be able to collaborate with others in order to get where you want to get to,\u201d he said. \u201cIn our careers we will be working alongside providers in order to help the patient in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Students also asked about their biggest takeaway from the MSMS program. Lara-Giron said her biggest takeaway is confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a long time, I didn\u2019t feel like I was good enough. I compared myself to others constantly. But I have seen growth from the very start of the program to now, how different I am in a great way,\u201d Lara-Giron said. \u201cIt\u2019s the confidence for me. If I can survive in this program, I feel like I can survive anything and I mean that in the greatest way possible. I\u2019ve been challenged academically in the best way and I know I can conquer it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fajolu said the MSMS program helped him improve as a public speaker.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing able to hold a conversation with a patient is something I was terrified to do and didn\u2019t believe I could. One thing I learned in this program is that you have to take that step forward. You have to be comfortable in being uncomfortable. That was an area for me I knew was going to be a challenge,\u201d Fajolu said. \u201cTaking the time to be comfortable with public speaking is an important part of health care, not only in talking with patients but advocating for their needs as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Western University of Health Sciences, it is both a privilege and a responsibility to create pathways that expand access, foster belonging, and prepare the next generation of health care leaders,\u201d said CHS Dean Gail Evans Grayson, EdD, MA. \u201cOur partnership with Bakersfield College reflects our shared commitment to meeting students where they are and guiding them toward where they aspire to be. Through programs like the Master of Science in Medical Sciences, we are not only strengthening academic readiness but also cultivating confidence, collaboration, and purpose grounded in humanism. These experiences affirm that when we invest in students and build intentional partnerships, we are shaping a more equitable and compassionate health care workforce for the communities we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Aspiring medical and health care students, primarily from Bakersfield College, visited Western University of Health Sciences\u2019 College of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":295163,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[151,153,152],"class_list":["post-295162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bakersfield","tag-bakersfield","tag-bakersfield-headlines","tag-bakersfield-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=295162"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295162\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/295163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=295162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=295162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=295162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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Aspiring medical and health care students, primarily from Bakersfield College, visited Western University of Health Sciences\u2019 College of Health Sciences MSMS program on Friday, April 17, 2026. (Jeff Malet, WesternU)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/041726-Bakersfield-College-Visits-MSMS-Program-014-300x180.jpg\")
MSMS Program Chair Jenniffer Licero Campbell, PhD, talks to Bakersfield College students about the MSMS program. (Jeff Malet, WesternU)<\/p>\n