Pre-Professional Program Health Professions

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Lawrence University

Program Overview

The Pre-Professional Program in Health Professions at Lawrence University is designed for students preparing for professional health programs such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and other healthcare fields. Students build a strong liberal arts foundation while completing the science coursework, academic preparation, advising, and experiential opportunities needed to pursue admission to professional health programs.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1: Students establish a foundation in the sciences and liberal arts while beginning the prerequisite coursework relevant to their intended health profession. Courses such as General Chemistry and Biology help develop the scientific knowledge and laboratory skills needed for later professional-health study.

Year 2: Students deepen their scientific preparation through subjects such as Organic Chemistry and Biology, while continuing courses that develop analytical, communication, and critical-thinking abilities. Students also work with Lawrence’s pre-health advising resources to ensure their course selection remains aligned with their intended professional program.

Year 3: Coursework becomes increasingly advanced, with students typically completing subjects such as Biochemistry and Physics, depending on the requirements of their intended health profession. Students can also strengthen their preparation through research, clinical or community experiences, and preparation for professional-school admission examinations where applicable.

Year 4: Students complete remaining major, science, and liberal arts requirements while preparing their applications to professional health programs. The final year can also be used to consolidate research or experiential learning and work closely with advisors on professional-school applications and interviews.

Focus Areas: Pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-veterinary medicine, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, pre-optometry, and preparation for other health professions.

Learning Outcomes: Scientific reasoning, laboratory skills, critical thinking, quantitative analysis, written and oral communication, ethical reasoning, interdisciplinary learning, and preparation for the academic and experiential requirements of professional health programs.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): Not stated as a separate professional accreditation for the Pre-Professional Program in Health Professions. The program is a pre-professional preparation pathway rather than a professional healthcare qualification.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): Not stated on the official Lawrence University program information reviewed.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Lawrence University’s Pre-Professional Program in Health Professions gives students practical exposure through healthcare-focused courses, medical shadowing, internships, research, student organizations, and direct engagement with health professionals. Students can also gain clinical experience through an accelerated CNA training partnership and apply their training in an Appleton-area hospital or nursing home, while the new Pre-Health Commons connects students with healthcare professionals and community partners including Mosaic Family Health and Prevea Health. These opportunities allow students to explore different health professions and build relevant experience alongside their academic preparation:

Pre-Health Commons: The dedicated Pre-Health Commons provides a healthcare-focused environment for students to learn, collaborate, develop practical skills, and connect with professionals; it also hosts networking opportunities with physicians, physical therapists, public health professionals, and mental health professionals from the Fox Valley region.
Clinical Experience: Through partnerships with local technical colleges, students can complete an accelerated CNA training program and apply their skills in an Appleton-area hospital or nursing home.
Medical Shadowing: The Health Professions program specifically provides opportunities for medical shadowing, helping students observe healthcare professionals and better understand potential clinical careers.
Internships: Students can pursue internships ranging from public health to medical research, with Lawrence’s Health Care and Medical Professions Career Community providing examples of placements including Be Well Fox Valley, Wisconsin AHEC Community Health Internship Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Summer Internship Program, and the Waisman Center at UW–Madison.
Pre-Health Research: Students can undertake independent research as a pre-health experience, and the Kasel Trust Fund for Pre-Health Experiences can support medical internships, independent research, and certification or training such as CNA or EMT preparation.
Alumni and Professional Mentoring: Students connect with Lawrence alumni physicians and medical practitioners who share professional experiences, provide firsthand career perspectives, and offer internship opportunities.
Health Professional Networking: The Pre-Health Commons is designed to strengthen connections with healthcare professionals and the surrounding Fox Cities community, including partnerships with Mosaic Family Health and Prevea Health.
Career Tools and Internship Search: Lawrence’s Career Center supports students with individualized career advising, alumni networking, internship preparation, and Handshake, the university’s platform for internships, jobs, interviews, and career events.
Research and Faculty Engagement: Students can work closely with faculty whose expertise includes developmental biology, nutrition and human biology, biophysics, and medical anthropology, supporting research-oriented exploration of health and medicine.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Pre-Professional Program in Health Professions at Lawrence University is designed to prepare students for professional health programs rather than a single healthcare occupation, with personalized advising for pathways including medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, and public health. Lawrence states that its medical school acceptance rate is above the national average, supported by personalized advising, strong liberal arts preparation, healthcare-focused courses, medical shadowing, student organizations, internships, and research opportunities.

Typical Career Paths: Physician, Dentist, Pharmacist, Physician Assistant.

Career Development and Professional Preparation:

Health Careers Advisory Committee: Students receive guidance on selecting prerequisite courses, exploring healthcare careers, choosing professional schools, preparing applications and interviews, and planning for admissions tests.
Health Care & Medical Professions Career Community: Lawrence provides specialized resources for pathways including pre-medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, public health, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, speech-language pathology, and allied health professions.
Career Center: Students can access career advising, internship and job opportunities, employer and alumni networks, Handshake, VMock SMART Résumé, Big Interview, Forage Job Simulations, and international career resources through Interstride and GoinGlobal.
Healthcare Experience: Students can gain practical exposure through medical shadowing, healthcare internships, research, student organizations, and an accelerated CNA training program conducted through partnerships with local technical colleges, followed by experience in an Appleton-area hospital or nursing home.
Professional Connections: Lawrence connects students with alumni physicians and medical practitioners who share career experiences and can provide internship opportunities and firsthand perspectives on healthcare professions.
Internship Opportunities: Lawrence's official Health Care and Medical Professions resources identify internship opportunities with organizations including Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Summer Internship Program, Waisman Center at UW–Madison, Wisconsin AHEC Community Health Internship Program, American Physical Therapy Association, American Academy of Physician Assistants, American Dental Education Association, and American Public Health Association.
Employment and Salary: Lawrence reports that 99% of graduates are employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation. A specific employment rate or salary figure for the Pre-Professional Health Professions program is not stated on the official program page.
Industry Partnerships: Lawrence specifically identifies partnerships with local technical colleges for accelerated CNA training and relationships with healthcare practitioners and organizations that provide internships and professional exposure.
Professional Accreditation: This is a pre-professional program rather than a professional healthcare degree, so a program-specific professional accreditation is not stated by Lawrence. Its purpose is to prepare students for admission to accredited professional schools in their chosen health field.
Graduation Outcomes: Lawrence reports that 99% of graduates are employed or continuing their education within six months, demonstrating strong overall post-graduation progression; health-professions students can use their undergraduate preparation to progress into medical, dental, veterinary, pharmacy, nursing, allied-health, or public-health professional education.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the four-year undergraduate program, students can apply to professional schools in their selected health pathway, including medical school, dental school, veterinary school, pharmacy school, physician assistant programs, physical or occupational therapy programs, nursing programs, and public-health programs. Lawrence's Health Careers Advisory Committee supports students throughout professional-school selection, prerequisite planning, applications, interviews, and admissions testing.