health professions program

Health Professions Program

Be a part of the future of healthcare

Bring your passion and interests to the health careers and find success with mentorship, guidance, and hands-on learning through the Health Professions Program (HPP) at Lake Forest College. HPP prepares students from any major for a career in healthcare. 

student taking blood pressure

The Health Professions Program is designed to give any student access to the the unlimited potential of the healthcare career umbrella. Our innovative approach prepares students with the skills needed to practice in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare systems.

A program of many paths

HPP includes pre-health students and beyond. In addition to students seeking medical school placement, this program is also suited for students interested in:

  • Healthcare administration
  • Public health
  • Medical technical writing
  • Biostatistics
  • Clinical counseling
  • Clinical nutrition
  • and more!

The Health Professions Program encourages you to think outside the traditional box and explore the future of where healthcare careers are headed. HPP students can still pursue up to two majors and a minor. This program has no additional cost.

dejneka photo
A liberal arts education allowed me to explore my broader interests while preparing for medical school. I was able to minor in philosophy, which I enjoyed because it gave me access to perspectives that I would not find in my science classes.
Alexandra Dejneka ’21

Become the next generation of leaders in health fields with the liberal arts advantage

A liberal arts curriculum is at the foundation of all of Lake Forest College's undergraduate work, providing a grounding in the sciences and humanities as well as problem solving, critical thinking, and solid communication skills.  HPP equips graduates with the foundation of a liberal arts and sciences curriculum and interprofessional acumen.

This education model combines access and early exposure to healthcare faculty, pioneering research labs, and graduate-level experiences at Rosalind Franklin University. HPP allows for hands-on exploration—taking the guesswork out of your future career path.

The curricular core merges four basic natural science/math/social science courses, two “SHIP” courses (Science and Health from an Interdisciplinary Perspective), and several experiential activities into a foundation that will prepare students for continued study or immediate employment in a host of health-related fields.

Desire Nalukwago Uwera ’22
Lake Forest College provides unique opportunities like the Richter program that allows undergraduates to conduct research with professors. This program was instrumental in shaping my career interests and set me on the path to graduate school.
Desire Nalukwago Uwera ’22

Gain graduate-level experience through RFU

The Health Professions Program consists of a core of health-related courses and opportunities for exploration along with clearly articulated joint-degree programs with nearby Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFU). 

Part of the Health Professions Program's experiential activities include multiple seminar series that will take students to the nearby RFU campus and expose them to the breadth of programs and interprofessional practices at RFU.

The joint-degree programs clearly lay out your curricular path through Lake Forest College and the milestones to meet in order to have a seamless transition into a program at RFU. These joint-degree programs help ease the anxiety of post-graduate planning.

athletic training

Health Professions Program expands with pathways to Aurora University, Midwestern University

This year, Lake Forest College expanded the Health Professions Program partnership with two universities. Students can now pursue pathways in Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) at Midwestern University's Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) and a Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) at Aurora University.

Learn More

Joseph Mountain ’22
My time at Lake Forest College was essential in preparing me to apply to graduate school. The professors at the College played a key role in my development as they were able to push me to reach my full potential.
Joseph Mountain ’22

HPP dual-degree pathways

HPP offers pathways to a variety of graduate degrees with our partner institutions. Explore the dual-degree possibilities below.

Apply to HPP

RFU believes strongly in the value of the College’s liberal arts education, and our goal is to create an inclusive program that can draw students from any major. You can still pursue up to two majors and a minor. This program has no additional cost.

To apply, students submit a short essay describing their interests and motivations to study health-related professions. There is an application window in the fall and in the spring. There are milestones for continued participation, including a minimum semester GPA and progression through the requirements. 

Students can apply to join the Health Professions Program up through the fall of their junior year to maximize flexibility for most of our current students and create opportunities for incoming transfer students to participate in the program.  

students in health lab in college

Lake Forest College, RFU share $1M gift for Nursing Pathways Scholarship Program

Earlier this year, Lake Forest College and RFU received a $1 million gift from The Grainger Foundation to support scholarships for the novel Nursing Education to Workforce (NEW) Pathway Program. The multi-year scholarships provide transformational opportunities for eligible students from underserved areas in Lake County, who want to return post-graduation to their local communities to practice.

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Few national liberal arts colleges have such a close and distinctive partnership with a premiere interprofessional health sciences university. —Dr. Shubhik DebBurman

Few national liberal arts colleges have such a close and distinctive partnership with a premiere interprofessional health sciences university. —Dr. Shubhik DebBurman

Few national liberal arts colleges have such a close and distinctive partnership with a premiere interprofessional health sciences university. —Dr. Shubhik DebBurman

Few national liberal arts colleges have such a close and distinctive partnership with a premiere interprofessional health sciences university. —Dr. Shubhik DebBurman

Few national liberal arts colleges have such a close and distinctive partnership with a premiere interprofessional health sciences university. —Dr. Shubhik DebBurman

Related Programs

Contact Us

FACULTY CONTACT

Ann Maine, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biology
Chair, Pre-Health Advising
Director, Health Professions Program and Nursing Pathways Program

Lillard Science Center 246
847-735-6037
maine@lakeforest.edu

ADMINISTRATIVE CONTACT

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

CAREER CONTACT

Khadija Manzoor
Career Advising Contact 
Career Advancement Center
kmanzoor@lakeforest.edu