The symbolic gestures signifies the completion of a patient’s chemotherapy. For Zimmerman, that sweet sound also symbolizes the culmination of a childhood dream. 

“I have always wanted to become a pediatrician since I was a very little girl,” said Zimmerman. “I am very proud that my dream job and career is actually a reality now.” 

The Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Illinois College earned her medical degree from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in 2015 and completed her residency in pediatrics at Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital at Loyola University Medical Center. She recently began a fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology at Washington University St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where she specializes in childhood cancer and blood disorders. 

Zimmerman recalls medical school and residency as being a lot of hard work and a huge time commitment, but she believes that helping her young patients overcome their illnesses has made it a worthwhile endeavor. She says Illinois College prepared her well for the challenge. As a student, Zimmerman took on leadership roles and formed close relationships with faculty like Dr. Elaine Chapman, who helped her prepare for the MCAT exam, and Dr. Larry Zettler, with whom she collaborated on student-faculty research. Zimmerman presented findings from their study on rare orchids at a national conference which helped her transition to stem cell research in medical school.

“My small class sizes allowed me to really develop as a student and enabled me to participate more fully in my education,” said Zimmerman. “I have never been afraid to reach out for help or even to just ask a simple question which helped me transition well to academic medicine.”

Zimmerman also values that she wasn’t limited to biology at IC and says having unique learning experiences as an undergraduate has made her a well-rounded doctor today. She took coursework in other areas she was passionate about including Spanish, chemistry and music, and traveled to Taiwan on a BreakAway to study Eastern medicine and acupuncture.
 

Alex Gardner ’16 agrees that his time at IC helped him become well-rounded and adaptable to the challenges of working in medicine. Gardner is in his third year at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and plans to go into anesthesiology. He recently wed fellow IC graduate Bianca Savarese Gardner ’16, who is finishing dental school at the University of Kentucky. The couple often talks about how important IC has been in their journeys. 

Gardner said he learned to be a leader at IC, through Sigma Pi literary society, in student government and as a captain for the IC soccer team. He says the MCAT Preparation Program played a big role in his acceptance to medical school. 

“I will always be grateful for the generous donations of alumni, especially Dr. Gary Haynes ’74, and for the work of Dr. Elaine Chapman for helping to bring the program to fruition,” said Gardner of the eight-week pre-med program that began in 2015 and continues to help some of IC's top students pursue careers in medicine. Gardner also worked with Dr. Laura Corey, associate professor of biology, on student-faculty research that he credits as another valuable learning experience through the program.

Gardner has been honored to serve the U.S. Army and looks forward to a career in military medicine. He believes studying medicine is a lifelong commitment that requires support and guidance from family, professors, medical professionals, administrators and friends — for whom he is grateful to have found during his journey. Despite the long hours, he has also found his career choice to be incredibly rewarding. 
“Each day I get to learn new things to get better personally and professionally and contribute to improving the lives of others,” he said. 

IC’s MCAT Preparation Program is now in its fourth year. Under the direction of Dr. Corey, the number of students accepted to their top choice for medical school has increased in the past two years. The program is dynamic and has continually adapted to offer growing opportunities for IC’s top students to pursue their dreams of helping others as leaders in medicine.