Pre-Health Advising

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.

We specifically advise HPP students planning for: 
  • 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

Here's how we prepare our current students for success:

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

State-of-the-Art Equipment

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.  

Research Opportunities

Working closely with PhD faculty experts in their fields of study, students are introduced to research as early as their first year. Our newly renovated and expanded 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. 

Lake Forest College gives its students a unique edge

The overall medical school acceptance rate of Lake Forest College graduates is nearly twice the national average. 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.

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. The program is open to all majors but the most popular majors include biology, chemistry, neuroscience, biochemistry and molecular biology, psychology, Spanish, and mathematics.

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

  • 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

Meet Our Students and Alumni

Sydni Cole

Sydni Cole ’12

Neurology Residency, Beth Israel Hospital (Harvard medical School)
Vascular Neurology Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania

Roberta Dume ’13

Roberta Dume ’13

PharmD
Rosalind Franklin University

Ellie Bacon ’19

Ellie Bacon ’19

DVM
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Mara Negru ’17

Mara Negru ’17

MS-PA
Rosalind Franklin University

Related Programs

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