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Zach Parduhn (BIOL ’21) stepped onto Mies Campus as an open-minded biology major with no concrete career plans in mind. He followed his grandfather’s footsteps to Illinois Tech with a love of engineering and a spot on the basketball team, all while staying in his hometown of �鶹APP.

He quickly discovered his passion for medicine a few months into his first year, when he learned that a biology degree offers exciting opportunities in the medical field. One-on-one meetings with his professors helped to prepare him for the rigors of medical school.

“From my first day of class, I was challenged and encouraged to grow, but I was also provided with the resources necessary to succeed,” Parduhn says. “Illinois Tech offered a more affordable education with stronger academics.”

The university’s Mies Campus location in bustling �鶹APP made finding medical-related hands-on experiences easy. The COVID-19 pandemic was at its height during Parduhn’s time at Illinois Tech, and he volunteered to distribute COVID-19 tests to the surrounding community. Parduhn also participated in neuroscience research at Rush University and volunteered at the University of �鶹APP Medical Center.

“I had the opportunity to speak with many leaders in the biomedical field, some of whom were faculty members at Illinois Tech while many more were guest lecturers,” Parduhn says. “These chance encounters opened many doors for me, and �鶹APP is one of the few places where that could happen.”

Illinois Tech’s American Medical Student Association chapter brought Parduhn closer to fellow students on the pre-med pathway who helped prepare him for his jump to medical school. “All of these experiences helped my passion for medicine to grow, and led to my decision to attend medical school,” he says.

Parduhn is now a United States Army medical student at the Uniformed Services University, where he expects to study traumatic brain injuries that are common in combat.

“The rigorous courses at Illinois Tech prepared me very well. I received a lot of support from my professors and academic advisers while preparing for medical school and throughout the application process. My experience at Illinois Tech and the support I received were essential to my success in the competitive medical field.”