Pre-Health Student Experience
Carthage’s Pre-Health Program prepares students for a future in healthcare.
Being a pre-health student at Carthage means you are set up to succeed in your education and your career. Carthage has a 92% medical school acceptance rate compared to the national average rate of 41%. Whether you wish to pursue only a bachelor’s degree, be a part of one of Carthage’s many dual degree programs, or prepare for enrollment in healthcare professional school, Carthage can help you find the path to your future.
Receive personalized guidance on the pre-health path for you
Carthage provides personalized support to pre-health students through dedicated advisors, mentors, and resources. Students have a faculty advisor who is assigned through their specific majors and a pre-health coordinator to help them prepare for healthcare professional school. The faculty advisors and pre-health specialists work together to support the student’s individual needs and plan toward their healthcare career.
Academic advising with expert professors
Faculty advisors support student’s academic preparation. Pre-health students have unlimited access to advising specialists year-round, and advising begins the first week of school.
Pre-healthcare professional guidance
Pre-health coordinators help students with career exploration, application planning and preparation, resource and experience connection, and interview preparation.
Choose from a wide variety of pre-health paths and majors
Carthage offers 11 pre-health programs: pre-athletic training, pre-chiropractic, pre-dental, general pre-health, pre-medical, pre-occupational therapy, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, pre-physician assistant, pre-public health, and pre-veterinary. Students also have the capability to create a new program that is not listed through assistance from the pre-health team.
Students interested in pre-health at Carthage can major in any area they choose. Many of our students choose to major in allied health science, biology, chemistry, exercise and sport science, healthcare administration, neuroscience, nursing, or psychology. However, those are not the only pathways, and we encourage students to pick a major that suits their interests.
Learn through innovative courses and exploratory workshops
Carthage’s pre-health programs are designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and experiences to succeed in their future careers in healthcare. These programs typically offer a curriculum covering topics such as biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy, and physiology. By mastering these fundamental science courses, students develop a strong foundation of knowledge that is essential for success in professional programs.
In addition to scientific coursework, the program facilitates opportunities for students to explore career options within healthcare and prepare for professional school through workshops and alumni connections.
- TeamSTEPPS — This five-week series focuses on learning tools to increase patient safety in healthcare. This is a nationally recognized training.
- Shadowing Workshop — A session where underclassman learn about how to find shadowing opportunities and what to do during those experiences.
- Career Exploration Speaker Series — A seven-week series featuring alumni and community speakers discussing different career paths within healthcare.
- Interview Workshop — This session is designed to help students prepare for interviews for professional school.
- Personal Statement Workshop — A month-long workshop in which students get help developing their personal statement for healthcare professional school.
Participate in unique research and study abroad opportunities
Pre-health students have plenty of opportunities to enrich their education through research or unique classes abroad.
Summer Undergraduate Research Experience
The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, or SURE, offers Carthage students the opportunity to work one-on-one with a professor during the summer doing real research work. Students receive a stipend, room and board on campus, and a small research budget. All students and faculty participating in SURE meet weekly for lunch and discussion.
Study Abroad
J-Term is a month-long period of study in January in which all academic departments offer innovative courses on campus, as well as study tours in other countries. J-Term study tours allow pre-health students the opportunity to study abroad without disrupting their rigorous academic schedules. Popular J-Term study tours for pre-health students include Global Perspectives in Healthcare: Service Learning in Honduras, and Biology and Geography of Nicaragua.
Gain hands-on experience through shadowing and volunteering
Students shadow at most surrounding hospitals and clinics, such as Froedtert South, Aurora, Childrens Wisconsin, and others.
Students also volunteer at the following local institutions: Hospice Alliance, Advocate Aurora Hospital, Feed my Starving Children, Boys and Girls Club, Girls on the Run, Special Olympics, Shalom Center, Children’s Wisconsin, The Sharing Center, Kenosha Community Health Center, and HALO.
Join an active pre-health student community
Carthage pre-health students can get involved in several student organizations dedicated to putting what’s learned in the classroom into practice. Join Pre-Health Club, Biology Club, Pre-OT Club, and more!
See pre-health student organizations
Read our monthly pre-health newsletter
The entire pre-health student community at Carthage gets updates on upcoming events and healthcare news, tips, and tricks on applications through the Pre-Health Newsletter. The newsletter is published the first Wednesday of each month through email and The Bridge. The Carthage community may send submissions for the newsletter to Ashley Greenwood, co-chair of the pre-health program, at agreenwood@parkviewhousebb.com. Submissions should be of general interest to pre-health undergraduate students.
Start your career sooner with an advancement program
Carthage has several programs that allow students to earn their bachelor’s degree and either a certificate or professional degree in a shorter amount of time.
medical school acceptance rate among Carthage pre-health students. * National average: 41%
Get help with healthcare professional school applications
Most students will need another degree after Carthage. Our pre-health programs focus on preparing students for the admissions process to professional schools. This includes guidance on preparing for standardized exams like the MCAT or DAT, assistance with crafting personal statements and application essays, and support with securing strong letters of recommendation.
Launch your career in the growing field of healthcare
Healthcare is a high-demand field that is predicted to be on rise significantly from 2022 to 2032 with an average of 1.9 million job openings each year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salary depends on the profession, but the average salary for healthcare professionals was $80,820 in May 2023.