Building on an already strong relationship between two campuses that sit just five miles apart in Lake County, IL, the new program will create a pathway for students from Lake Forest College, a highly esteemed liberal arts college, to Rosalind Franklin University, which is nationally recognized for its model of interprofessional, team-based graduate education and collaborative practice.

“The Health Professions Program will encourage our students to think outside the traditional box and explore the boundless possibilities of a future in the health care professions,” said Lake Forest College President Stephen Schutt. “Our joint-degree programs clearly lay out a curricular path through Lake Forest College and the milestones students must meet for a seamless transition into a program at Rosalind Franklin University.”

HPP students will enter a track designed specifically to prepare them for careers in a wide variety of health care fields, including allopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, pharmacy, biomedical science, physical therapy, physician assistant, pathologists’ assistant, clinical psychology, and other RFU programs. 

“Academic partnerships can help us redefine and transform health care,” said Dr. Wendy Rheault, president and CEO of Rosalind Franklin University. “The future isn’t visit- or procedure-based. It’s a lifelong quest for health and wellness. We are preparing future health professionals who can see the big picture, who can think critically, communicate clearly, change and adapt quickly. Students who are educated in the liberal arts and sciences are uniquely prepared for graduate-level training in the art of caring and the science of systems.”

Nationally, jobs in health care are projected to grow 14 percent through 2028, faster than the average for all other occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Forty percent of students who enter Lake Forest College are interested in health care Health Professions Program Fact Sheet