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Pre-health students at Wheaton College
Health Professions

Health Professions

Why Pursue Health Professions?

Healthcare practitioners are needed in the United States and throughout the world to address the needs of those suffering from illness and disease and promote health and wellness to all individuals. The Health Professions Program provides personalized advising, health career exploration and engagement opportunities that allow students to develop and demonstrate excellent character traits, leadership skills and the compassionate heart of Christ to others. Ultimately, we aim to encourage your holistic development and future success in a healthcare career.

2
credits available through a health professions seminar / internship course
50+
internship opportunities
71%
acceptance rate to medical and dental schools

Why Pursue Health Professions at Wheaton?

The Health Professions office provides an array of support services and opportunities to enhance and facilitate the students' formation of a pathway to the health profession of their choosing. You’ll get one-on-one advising, small group workshops, and events aimed to help you explore and understand our healthcare environment. We also host a mock interview evening with local alumni physicians to help you hone your interviewing skills. When it comes time to apply to health professions schools, we’ll be there to help.

  • We regularly bring in Wheaton alumni from the healthcare fields to share their experience, and resources are provided to help student find volunteer opportunities in the community.
  • The Pre-Health Club is a student organization, which connects students with ways to exercise practical service, minister in the health professions, and prepare for professional school and other scientific fields. The club offers students unique opportunities through student mentoring, volunteer opportunities within the surrounding community, and events each year designed to provide students with the resources and skills necessary to succeed in their chosen field of study.
  • Candice Eisenhauer, M.Ed., Director, Health Professions, is a member of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) and served on the board of directors for the central region (CAAHP) of the national organization (NAAHP) from 2019-2021.

All work is worship. We help you reflect on how you can incorporate your faith with your health profession of choice and how your faith will guide your future practice.

You’ll be encouraged to develop character traits that will allow you to demonstrate the compassionate heart of Christ to others and become a leader within your chosen health profession.

  • A Spring Break trip through the Office of Ministry & Evangelism allows students to observe a variety of different healthcare professionals in Wichita, Kansas.
  • Health Professions Practicum course provides local observation experiences with health professionals.
Learn More about Health Week
  • Department-sponsored lunch and dinner events with Wheaton alumni healthcare professionals
  • Visits to and from health professional schools and admissions representatives
  • Observational experiences with local healthcare practitioners
  • Notification of national summer research and volunteer opportunities
  • Mock Interview evening with local alumni physicians
Learn More about Student Opportunities

What Will I Learn?

Students can declare a specific goal based on the intended future profession (Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Physical Therapy, etc.). Advising is centered upon the declared interest.

You will be guided to take specific prerequisite courses at Wheaton, in concert with your general education and major requirements. Resources and support are targeted to you within each particular professional interest area.

The Health Professions program offers an opportunity for students to discuss current topics within the healthcare field and interact with healthcare professionals, hearing first-hand stories of the challenges and joys of serving others in a variety of healthcare careers. Two courses are taught during the year providing unique experiences for students to engage, explore and personally reflect upon various issues within the healthcare environment.

Learn More about Courses

Students interested in the field of nursing can opt to complete the nursing major which is part of a dual degree program offered at Wheaton. While at Wheaton College, students complete three years of general education and pre-requisite course study. In the beginning of the third year, students apply to one or more nursing programs to complete the nursing curriculum. The specific program determines the length of time to complete the nursing degree. One program can be completed in fourteen months after Wheaton and the other programs take two years.

Learn More about the Nursing Program

Consult the course catalog for full listing of current courses available in this field.

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Contact Us

Health Professions Department
Meyer Science Center 104
501 College Avenue
Wheaton, IL 60187
630.752.5193
health.professions@wheaton.edu

ALL PROGRAMS

Careers in the Health Professions

With self-assessment and reflection, graduates consider whether they are well-suited for a health profession related to diagnosing and treating; an associated field; a rehabilitating profession; an administrative field; or an affiliated field independent but related to health care.

The overall acceptance rate varies each year. Approximately 64-78% of Wheaton College students are accepted to medical and dental schools each year. For the past application cycle (22-23 academic year), the acceptance rate was 78%. 

For the 2022 – 2023 cycle, 75% of Wheaton College medical school (MD & DO) applicants were accepted. 85% of the students who applied interviewed with at least one school.

For the 2022 – 2023 cycle, 100% of Wheaton College dental school applicants were accepted.

Additional Information:

  • Nationally, almost 53,000 students applied to allopathic (MD) medical schools and 43% were accepted (2023 entering class). 

  • The average GPA and MCAT score for Wheaton College’s accepted class to US medical schools (MD & DO, entering fall 2023) is 3.64 SCI GPA, 3.76 CUM GPA and 512.2 on the MCAT. 75% had a 510 or higher on the MCAT.

  • It is important to keep in mind that admissions decisions are not made solely based on GPA and MCAT scores. A variety of factors are considered for admissions. For more information on the Holistic Review process occurring during the medical school admissions process please see the AAMC website and AACOM website.

How many Wheaton students apply to medical and dental schools annually?

During the recent application cycles of the last several years (2018-2023), our Pre-Health Professions program offered assistance and support services to students and alumni applying to graduate programs. The average number of applicants to allopathic medical schools annually was 36 (range: 37-44); to osteopathic medical schools 12 (range: 10-16); and to dental schools 4.5 (range 2-9).

  • Creighton University School of Medicine (Phoenix campus)
  • Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University
  • Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University
  • George Washington University School of Medicine
  • Illinois College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University
  • Loma Linda University School of Dentistry
  • Loma Linda University School of Medicine
  • RUSH Medical College
  • Texas A & M School of Medicine
  • University of Illinois College of Medicine
  • University of North Carolina School of Medicine
  • University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
  • University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston

 

  • Abilene Christian University, Doctor of Occupational Therapy program
  • Butler University, PA program
  • Illinois College of Optometry
  • Indiana University - School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Physical Therapy (DPT) program
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
  • Northwestern University, PA program
  • RUSH College of Nursing
  • Rush University, Occupational Therapy Doctorate program
  • University of Delaware, Physical Therapy (DPT) program
  • University of Iowa, PA program
The Health Professions Office is such a wonderful resource on campus. I have been so blessed by the advising I received as I prepared for nursing school. — Emma Gingrich '16, Student, Emory University, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing
The Health Professions Office has been absolutely invaluable to my pursuit of, application to, and matriculation into medical school. From collecting and compiling recommendation letters, to offering strategic interview and application advice, to putting me into contact with Wheaton alumni at several medical schools, [Wheaton faculty] have been incredibly helpful throughout this process. — Topher McCauley '16, Student, University of North Carolina School of Medicine Raleigh, North Carolina
I had the opportunity to live and work in Quito, Ecuador, and . . . was able to shadow and assist as an intern in two different medical settings. The healthcare professionals demonstrated to me what a profession of Christlike care ought to look like and confirmed for me that I feel called into healthcare. — Molly Reeves '16, Recipient of the Global Health Internship Scholarship