Matt Weber didn’t have to wait long to get hands-on experience at Illinois State.

Now a senior molecular and cellular biology major, Weber was impressed by how much lab experience he was able to get in his first few years at Illinois State.

The Dunlap native wants to be a medical doctor, so he’s also been able to tailor his work as an upperclassman to achieve that goal. The focus on the undergraduate experience at ISU’s School of Biological Sciences has also given Weber the ability to work one-on-one with faculty and opened doors to research opportunities which may be limited to graduate students at other schools.

Illinois State also offers special pre-professional plans of study (and advisors) for students looking to become doctors, pharmacists, physical therapists, and other professionals.

“Ever since I was about 7 years old, I’ve really I wanted to be a physician,” Weber said. “I definitely confirmed that by being a student here at Illinois State and being able to get awesome hands-on experience.”

See what it’s like to be a biology major at Illinois State in the video above.

Adam Rahn can be reached at amrahn@IllinoisState.edu.