Knox College recently hosted its inaugural Ignite the Fire: Prehealth Student Conference, designed to ignite students’ passion for careers in healthcare. This event marked a significant milestone for Knox’s growing pre-health program, providing aspiring healthcare professionals with valuable insights and resources to strengthen their academic and career preparations.

The conference featured a keynote address by Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Professor of Family Medicine at the University of California Riverside Denise Martinez, MD, who provided virtual guidance on navigating the path to a medical career. Attendees then participated in interactive workshops led by academic coach Amanda Brem of The Brem Method, learning about study strategies, test preparation, and managing the pressures of being a pre-health student. Brem has previously offered virtual study strategies and MCAT classes for Knox students, but this conference marked the first time these resources were delivered in person.

The event attracted not only Knox students but also pre-health students from Augustana College and Bradley University, creating a broader network of future healthcare professionals.

Knox Director of the Vovis Center for Research and Advanced Study and Health Professions Advising Lisa Harris, who organized the event, envisioned bringing opportunities that are usually offered digitally to the heart of the campus. "My aim with this conference is to help students realize that they can achieve their goals," Harris remarked.

One of the conference highlights was a panel titled "You Don’t Have to Be a Doctor," moderated by Harris. This session invited students to learn from local healthcare professionals, as well as Knox alumni healthcare professionals in the fields of nursing, physician assistant, athletic training, and dentistry.

“It’s great to guide and mentor students and provide a clearer understanding of the medical field,” Dr. Kyle Buchman ’06 said. “These conversations can help students figure out if this field is something they would actually like to do. I think it’s terrific.”

Attendees also networked with alumni and local healthcare providers during lunch and round table chats, choosing seats based on their field of interest to foster direct connections.

“Having a conference like this on campus is helpful because even though I say I want to be a nurse, it's still up in the air. I feel like this is going to give me a new perspective on different career paths moving forward,” Liandry Guilamo ’28 added. 

Harris emphasized that this conference is part of a broader effort to strengthen pre-health opportunities at Knox. "Pre-health preparation at Knox has always been strong. In recent years, however, with the joining of pre-health and research in the Vovis Center, pre-health has benefited from the synergy between these two areas,” she said. 

As Knox continues to expand its pre-health presence, events like Ignite the Fire will play a crucial role in supporting students' academic and professional journeys, ensuring they are well-prepared to enter the next steps of their healthcare careers.