Health Professions

What made you choose Lake Forest College? 

- I knew I wanted to attend a small school for the countless advantages of small class sizes and access to professors. I was very interested in Neuroscience as well as other disciplines. So, the fact that Lake Forest College offered a Neuroscience Major and opportunities to double major was a big factor. However, what really made Lake Forest College stand out from any other school was the unparalleled sense of community I experienced when I visited. The level of support and collaboration among faculty and peers at the college is invaluable and sets Lake Forest College apart. 

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

- The interdisciplinary nature of liberal arts and the focus on crucial skills, like critical thinking and communication prepared me for graduate school and my career. My liberal arts education gave me the skills to navigate any field as my goals and career trajectory evolved. Biotechnology is a highly interdisciplinary and exciting field that I love working in everyday. Without my liberal arts education, I may never have discovered this passion. I had always been interested in medicine and healthcare. However, through the liberal arts education I learned about healthcare through countless lenses. I came to understand healthcare not just from the perspective of biology and neuroscience, but also perspectives like economics and culture. Understanding my field through so many different disciplines not only helps me do my job better, but also helped me grow as a person. 

 What experiences outside of the classroom do you think helped prepare you for Masters program you engaged in? 

- I was involved in many activities outside of the classroom from completing a thesis, studying abroad, tutoring, being a student leader, to volunteering in the medical field. Through all of these exleriences I learned to adapt to any situation, think critically, communicate effectively, and work as a team. All of these skills are essential for any graduate school applicant to be successful. So, I cannot say that any one of these experiences helped prepare me more for graduate school than the others. My involvement in multiple activities simultaneously throughout college is probably what prepared me the most for my master's program. I was constantly challenging myself inside and outside of the classroom with every opportunity I had. Learning to manage different interests and challenges all at once prepared me to meet the various demands of graduate school. 

How did your time at Lake Forest help you prepare to apply for your current career position in general? 

- The emphasis almost all of my classes at Lake Forest placed on developing presentation and communication skills, helped make me an ideal candidate for consulting positions. In consulting, quickly grasping complex data and information is important, but communicating that data effectively to clients is equally essential. The rigorous interview process in consulting focuses heavily on applicants' abilities to present new and complex concepts on the fly. While interviewing is always stressful, being confident in my ability to present myself and any concept well made the process infinitely less daunting. Working in biotech consulting, I absolutely rely on my technical training in the life sciences, but I could not succeed at my job without the breadth of experiences I had at Lake Forest College.  

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

- I am incredibly excited to hear about the Health Professions Program! Preparing for a career in health professions can be demanding. Helping students explore the range of career paths related to healthcare and prepare early on is increasingly important as this industry continues to grow. I wish this program had been available while I was at Lake Forest. While LFC and RFU collaborated to provide certain opportunities to undergraduates pursuing health professions when I was a student, this program offers many more exciting opportunities. The Health Professions Program is a great way to guide students on their path to a successful career.

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

- While Lake Forest provided me a strong technical foundation in the sciences, the "soft skills" I've gained both in and outside of the classroom will absolutely help me be successful regardless or the goals I set next. The experiences at Lake Forest that are now helping me become successful include designing and conducting independent research, presenting at conferences, organizing campus wide events, and mentoring peers. While many science majors work in a research lab in college, few of my peers have had opportunities to conduct independent research projects, especially as undergraduates. Similarly, while many of my peers were involved on their college campuses as undergraduate, few had opportunities to be as involved in multiple organizations. I believe having had so many experiences that were in-depth and varied will help me be successful because they have allowed me to become well-rounded in all of my interests.

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

 - I would strongly encourage taking advantage of as many opportunities as possible and making the most out of each experience as you prepare for a health professions career. Even experiences that may not seem directly connected to your career goals can provide invaluable preparation and influence the type of professional you become. Lake Forest is a great school to prepare for health professions because it give you the flexibility to pursue many different experiences without having to sacrifice one for the other.