Your liberal arts education at Lewis & Clark will prepare you to enter any of the health professions by giving you a well-rounded education, integrating the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Professional healthcare programs seek well-rounded students with a diversity of interests, leadership experiences, and intellectual curiosity.
Lewis & Clark offers you the opportunities to help you achieve your goal through one-on-one pre-health advising and mentoring, the Health Studies minor, and our Pre-Health Professions Club. Our Center for Community and Global Health offers various workshops and activities throughout the year to help you explore and connect with the health professions.
Explore the below websites, as they offer a vast array of information on various career pathways. Whether you are undecided or know your next steps, you will find helpful information on these sites, ranging from career exploration to how to apply.
Do you like challenges and learning? Are you interested in science and how the body works? Do you care deeply about people, their problems, and their pain? If so, then a career in medicine might be right for you. Visit the American Medical College Application System (AMCAS) to learn more about medical school and get involved with healthcare experience.
Nurses promote health, prevent disease and help patients cope with illness. They have a unique scope of practice and can practice independently, although they also collaborate with all members of the health care team to provide the individualized care needed by each patient. If this health profession sounds exciting to you, visit Nursing Centralized Application Services (NursingCAS) to learn more.
Public health practitioners emphasize prevention, education, and policy to tackle global health challenges worldwide. Public health education evolves along with world health challenges. If this evolving field sounds exciting to you, check out theAssociation of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH).
A veterinarian is a medical professional who protects the health and well-being of both animals and people. They diagnose and control animal diseases and treat sick and injured animals. They also advise owners on proper care of their pets and livestock. If you love working with animals and people, visit the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) for more information.
PAs are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider. If being a PA sounds exciting to you, please visit theAmerican Academy of PAs (AAPA)to find out more.
Healthcare administration is the management of all the non-clinical functions involved in operating a healthcare facility, from day-to-day operations to staffing to budgeting and finance to long-term strategic planning to ensure the success of the healthcare provider or system. You can think of healthcare administration as the process of managing and handling every aspect of the business side of delivering healthcare services. If systems and process is your game, discover Health Administration degrees here.
Pharmacists are medication experts and play a critical role in helping people get the best results from their medications. Pharmacists prepare and dispense prescriptions, ensure medicines and doses are correct, prevent harmful drug interactions, and counsel patients on the safe and appropriate use of their medications. They have specialized expertise in the composition of medicines, including their chemical, biological, and physical properties, as well as their manufacture and use. If this critical member of the health care time sounds exciting to you, please visit Pharmacy College Application Service (Pharm CAS) to find out more.
Optometrists take care of primary health care for the eye. Optometrists focus on regular vision care and perform eye exams and vision tests, prescribe and fit eyeglasses and contact lenses, monitor medically related eye conditions related to diseases like diabetes, manage and treat conditions like Dry Eye and glaucoma, and provide low-vision aids and vision therapy. If you are fascinated by the complexities of our eyes, visit theOptometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS) to discover more.
Dentists play a key role in the early detection of oral cancer and other systemic conditions of the body that manifest themselves in the mouth. They often identify other health conditions, illnesses, and other problems that sometimes show up in the oral cavity before they are identified in other parts of the body. If this challenging yet rewarding profession is exciting to you, visit theAmerican Dental Education Association (ADEA).
Looking for next steps? Try these!
Contact your pre-health advisor, Carolyn Zook to make a detailed plan. Check out events at the Center for Community and Global Health to hear from working health professionals. If you are interested in healthcare and want a guide to what undergraduate classes will help get you there, here’s help from the College Advising Center.
A new AAMC report says most medical schools offer arts and humanities, but it urges more integration into curricula and better evaluation of how those experiences make better doctors.
