By Erin McElwee Staff writer
Susquehanna has added a new major to the science department. The major, called biomedical sciences, is for students interested in any medical profession.
Jan Reichard-Brown, associate professor of biology and healthcare studies minor director, said this new major benefits students looking for careers in various areas of the medical field.
“This major will especially benefit the students who may be interested in some of the health professions, particularly medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry and physician assistant,” Reichard-Brown said.
“The pre-requisites for many of the programs in those fields include most of the courses included in the new major,” she added.
The major will also better prepare students for the Medical College Admission Test, which is the standardized entrance exam that students must take to get into medical school.
“The new major will cover all of the course work included in the MCAT,” Reichard-Brown said. “Students should have most of that course work finished by the end of their junior year, so they could take the MCAT sometime in the spring or early summer of their junior year.”
The biomedical science major differs from other biology and health-related majors at Susquehanna, as it is interdisciplinary in nature.
Unlike the biology major, the biomedical studies major integrates courses from other areas like chemistry, physics, psychology and health care.
Reichard-Brown said the major requires less upper-level biology classes than the regular biology major, as there is more inclusion of the other scientific fields of study.
This enables students to get a well-rounded science education.
“The biomedical science major is designed so that if students choose to change their career focus and decide they want to enter the job market or go to graduate school, they should be competitive in several areas such as cell biology, molecular biology or physiology,” Reichard-Brown said.
Reichard-Brown added that students interested in the major should reach out to their advisors. Students interested in any of the health professions are also encouraged to reach out to Reichard-Brown to see how the major would fit with their respective career plans.
Reichard-Brown also pointed out that students can easily make the switch from the new biomedical sciences major to the regular biology major.
The science department at Susquehanna is excited to offer this new pre-professional major and hopes that it will help to expand opportunities for students post-graduation.