Pre-Health Advising

Find a career in the health professions that puts your unique skills to work

Supported by our liberal arts foundation, attentive faculty, and focus on experiential learning, Lake Forest College's pre-health advising program helps our students make it.

The pre-health advising program assists students who are interested in entering programs in the health professions, including medical and dental school, nursing school, pharmacy school, physical therapy training, physician assistant programs, and veterinary school.

student at shirley ryan abilitylab

Graduates of our pre-health programs go on to advanced study at top medical schools, including Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, and the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, and top Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine including Marian and A.T. Still University.

Pre-Health

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Advising students on the path to:

Medical School (MD and DO)
Nursing (MSN)
Physician Assistant Practice (MS-PA)
Dentistry (DMD, DDS)
Pharmacy (PharmD)
Optometry (OD)
Occupational Therapy (Masters and Doctoral)
Physical Therapy (DPT)
Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
Clinical Counseling/Clinical Psychology
Biostatistics/Data Analytics/Epidemiology/Epidemiology/Public and Global Health

The Pre-Health Advising Committee assists Health Professions Program students with academic planning as well as provides information and opportunities for internships and other experiences for students planning for specific health professions.

Plus, our strategic partnerships with neighboring health professional schools such as Rosalind Franklin University, Rush University, and DePaul University help students gain the education and advanced skillset needed to excel in their chosen field of study. Our dual degree programs provide students a leg up in their graduate studies when they choose to pursue a select number of master’s or doctoral degrees.

“

As someone with eclectic interests, Lake Forest allowed me to learn about a wide variety of topics while still focusing on my main passion of science. The liberal arts taught me the importance of collaboration between fields, and it broadened my view of the world.

Ellie Bacon '19, DVM University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Personal approach to advising

Pre-health advising begins the moment you step on campus when you connect with a pre-health faculty member in addition to your academic advisor. The Pre-Health Committee helps plan your undergraduate experience to ensure you have the credentials and tools necessary to succeed no matter your post-graduate plans.

Dual degrees and affiliations

Our strategic partnerships with neighboring health professional schools such as Rosalind Franklin University, Rush University, and DePaul University help students gain the education and advanced skillset needed to excel in their chosen field of study. Our dual degree programs provide students a leg up in their graduate studies when they choose to pursue a select number of master’s or doctoral degrees.

Proximity to Chicago

Chicago is our second lab, classroom, and research site. Students intern and research at world-class institutions in and around Chicago like the Shirley Ryan Ability Labs, Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, Rosalind Franklin University, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Horizon Pharma, Abbvie, Abbott Labs, and Medline, and many local area hospitals. These internships and research opportunities lead to valuable networking opportunities and career-building connections.

“

I had an internship at Lake Forest Acute Care which turned into a job for me as a medical scribe and patient care tech before starting graduate school to become a Physician Assistant. The hands on medical and healthcare knowledge I gained while working there has helped me prepare for graduate school more than any lecture or lab-based class ever could have.

Mara Negru '17, MS-PA Rosalind Franklin University

Research, experiential learning, and access to advanced lab equipment give our graduates a unique edge.

Working closely with PhD faculty experts in their fields of study, students are introduced to research as early as their first year. Our recently-updated Lillard Science Center provides the space and equipment needed for students to build an impressive research-based resume, giving them an edge in graduate school or the job search.

Our labs are equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation to facilitate high-level collaborative research for students and faculty—opportunities not often available to undergraduates at large universities. Experience with such equipment and conducting research alongside faculty mentors has proven to be a valuable differentiator for our students when applying to top graduate and medical schools as well as securing competitive jobs in science related fields.

Pre-med, chemistry major Annie Ahern ’23 and psychology major, Chinese minor Autumn O'Reilly ’23 interned at the nationally-recognized Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and their experiences helped them reframe their outlook on the future and complete hands-on work in a hospital.

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab has been recognized as the leading rehabilitation hospital for 32 years, specializing in brain, spinal cord, nerve, muscle and bone, pediatric, and cancer rehabilitation. As the first-ever “translational” research hospital, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab integrates the best medical and research experts to innovate patient recovery from medical conditions that affect ability.

Pick your dream, plan your path.

The pre-health advising program is open to all majors, unlocking unlimited interdisciplinary potential that sets our graduates apart.

Our most popular pre-health majors include:

Biology
Chemistry
Neuroscience
Biochemistry and molecular biology
Psychology
Spanish
Mathematics
Philosophy
English

“

he liberal arts approach is what really makes being here worthwhile. Because the College is so small, there are so many opportunities to bring departments together. I went into neuroscience because I love the brain, but I was able to bring in philosophy as a minor, which set me apart in grad school and my career.

Jessica Dudley ’14, MSN, DNP Advanced Population Health

Pre-Health grads go on to graduate programs at top schools:

Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Harvard Medical School
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Mayo Medical School
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine

News

September 24, 2024

Lake Forest College shares #1 spot for Social Mobility in U.S. News rankings

September 13, 2024

Princeton Review ranks Lake Forest among ‘Best Colleges’ for 2025

students sitting in breezeway window openings

December 19, 2023

Wall Street Journal ranks Lake Forest College ‘Best in Midwest’

Drone shot of Blackstone and Harlan in fall

September 18, 2023

Lake Forest takes top spot on U.S. News ‘Social Mobility’ ranking

Related Programs

Nursing Pathways Program

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Biology

Neuroscience

Contact Us

FACULTY CONTACT

Ann Maine, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biology
Chair of Health Professions Program, Pre-Health Advising and Nursing Pathways Program
847-735-6037
maine@lakeforest.edu

ADMINISTRATIVE CONTACT

Kathleen Elsasser
Health Professions Program Coordinator
kelsasser@lakeforest.edu
847-735-6041

CAREER CONTACT

Khadija Manzoor
Science and Health Care Internship and Pre-Health Specialist
Career Advancement Center
manzoor@lakeforest.edu