Pre-Health

What made you choose Lake Forest College?

When I applying to colleges, I was not sure if I wanted the big university atmosphere. Thinking that I could be in lecture halls with up to hundreds of other students worried me that I could get lost in that large sea. I visited Lake Forest after applying and being accepted and immediately fell in love. I enjoyed the atmosphere and that it felt like a place I could strive in. I also enjoyed hearing about all the success stories of many students getting accepted into medical school and other graduate health professional schools. The idea that I could have a chance to have meaningful interactions with my professors was a big plus for me as well. I also wanted the chance to do research and possibly get published. I was successful in getting published on two separate papers while at Lake Forest College. Applying and going to Lake Forest College has been one of the best decisions I have made in my career.

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

As cliché as it is to say, having a liberal arts education made me well rounded. I am an Emergency Medicine physician and they must be well rounded in order to be proficient and efficient in the emergency room. At Lake Forest College, I had many projects that required public speaking. This has help me improve my ability to speak to my attending physicians and consultants in the emergency room to convey an accurate story about the patient I am presenting. Additionally, having so many wonderful classes that improved my writing and reading skills have allowed me to be able to read and decipher information that is released in medical journals much easier.

What experiences outside of the classroom do you think helped prepare you for MD at RFU?

I believe my time playing rugby at Lake Forest College helped me tremendously. Getting to play rugby helped in multiple ways. First, I learned to balance the extremes of a intense academic schedule with practice and games. Learning to be able to balance life inside of school or medicine and outside is key to decreasing the possibility of burnout in medical school and beyond. Secondly, the emergency department is very similar to a team sport. Everyone is working in conjunction to help the people that need you the most. Being a great communicator and team player is extremely important in the emergency room and this was improved and solidified during my time on the rugby team.

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

I think this is an excellent program. There has already been an amazing relationship between LFC and RFU for research. I am glad to see that they are pushing the relationship further that will definitely help students in the future. Healthcare is always growing and will continue to do so. However, the difficulty in pursuing many of these degrees continue to grow. I believe that having a dedicated health professions program between LFC and RFU put Lake Forest College students at a great advantage. Additionally, you will be immersed into health sciences at a much earlier stage than many other undergraduate students as well. Having the option of earlier interactions in the field for your future profession is extremely valuable. What is great, however, is the program does not take away from an excellent liberal arts education. On top of having early access to your future profession, you will continue to become well rounded which will contribute to your success at the next level of your education

How did your time at Lake Forest help you prepare to apply to MD programs?

My entire time at Lake Forest helped prepare me for medical school and beyond. The intensity of the classes and excellent education at the college made me a strong medical student. I believe that I was able to accomplish my good grades and boards scores during medical school due to the excellent curriculum at Lake Forest. Additionally, being able to work in Dr. DebBurman’s research laboratory helped tremendously as well. He helped teach me discipline during my time there and also was a great mentor and friend who pushed me to my limits of knowledge and work ethic. I was able to carry the heavy load of medical school curriculum in part to the work ethic I learned in his lab and classes.