Pre-Health

What made you choose Lake Forest College? 

The small student to faculty ratio, ability to know and meet professors easily, and the research opportunities at the college.

How did a liberal arts education make a difference for you? 

It really broadened my horizon and made me more complete in my education. I learned a lot of things that most people won’t in other colleges, where I was able to take unique courses that expanded my knowledge beyond the sciences.

What experiences outside of the classroom do you think helped prepare you for graduate studies in Dental Medicine?

Being able to conduct research and then presenting it at large scientific conferences really gave me confidence in my ability to speak with and engage in conversations with highly reputable professors and scientists. I feel confident in carrying conversations with noble, knowledgeable people.

How did your time at Lake Forest College help you prepare to apply to graduate school? 

The challenges and rigor of the academics at Lake Forest College, especially in the neuroscience major, gave me confidence in my ability to apply to graduate school. Some people get overwhelmed or anxious about taking tests like the DAT or MCAT, but the studying techniques, habits, and tips I learned through taking rigorous courses at Lake Forest made me better off on performing to the best of my ability on the DAT specifically. Also, being able to hold conversations and talk to reputable faculty helped me through my interview process, as I was extremely confident in my speaking ability.

What do you think of the new Health Professions Program between LFC and RFU? 

I think it’s great. For one, the Health Professions Program really provided insight into the various health care professions, but also it explained how to be the best health care professional possible.  In addition, being able to learn and understand the problems in health care today as well as solutions to such problems is something extremely valuable as we are the next wave of health care professionals.

What skills and experiences at Lake Forest College do you believe will help you be successful? 

I think the most important skill the College helped me develop was my inter-personal skills. As a prospective dentist, my career focuses on patient relationships and personal interaction, and the skill of being able to share empathy, hold meaningful conversations, and listen is something I was able to get better at during my experiences at Lake Forest College. One experience that helped me was being able to present the research I conducted at scientific conferences, and this really gave me the confidence to speak with other people and engage in meaningful conversations.

What advice would you give a high school student looking to pursue pre-health and is considering Lake Forest College? 

I would say the best advice would be to take it one step at a time. You’re not going to become a doctor in one day, a dentist in one day, or anything for that matter. It all takes time and focusing on the present and what you can do now is important. For me, I always worried about the future and all the things I had to get done. But, taking it one day at a time and getting better each and every day is the best advice since everything you want to achieve takes hard work and time, and taking it step by step allows one to not feel overwhelmed.