Depending upon whether the one year of Bio, two yrs Chem, one yr Physics, all with lab, plus Biochem, a year of English comp, calc, stats, psych, and sociology are counted towards the major or not, there might not be much room for electives. Coop could be ok, if it can be used for scribing or medical assisting, getting in those clinical hours.
If what she really loves is the social sciences, then she should major in the social sciences - absolutely no need for this to be camouflaged by a major with a scienc-y or health-oriented name. She can work with premed advising and take the premed science classes, regardless, and what will matter is how she does in those classes (and overall), not how they relate to her major.
But if she does want something health-oriented, public health is a terrific premed major that includes lots of social science content (sociology for studying human behavior at the population level, and psych at the individual level), stats & data analysis, and health promotion. Examples: Global Public Health | Binghamton University
https://www.sph.pitt.edu/academics/bachelors-program
BS in Public Health | Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health
Also related is this: Health Behavior Science | Health Behavior & Nutrition Sciences | University of Delaware
But, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a garden-variety social science major - psyc, soci, anthro, or something interdisciplinary. It does not need to be âpackagedâ for pre-health. (Anthro is a particularly excellent premed major that ties social sciences and life sciences together, and many high school students have never been exposed to the field or considered it as a major. For example: When you major in anthropology) For that matter, music and dance are fine too!
I would consider flexibility, in terms of access to different major options and ease of changing, to be a high priority, so that she is free to explore!
There are about 25 coops listed for NJIT, and while they look impressive (at least to me) for some fields, they donât look like they provide premed experiences: scribe, medical experiences, working in underserved communities etc.
Honestly, I would pick a different major if you attend NJIT. The Science, Technology and Society major seems disjointed with a lot of empty spaceâŠcompared to other majors such as biology, chemistry, psychology, public health etc (I realize some of those free electives are for prerequisites).
At some schools, STS is popular as a second major, to round out a STEM major with more societal context. I wouldnât be surprised if this were the case at NJIT - it would explain why it seems a little⊠insubstantial⊠by itself.
The majors and coops offered at NJIT do not look like they align with the interests of this student. IMO NJIT is not the best fit compared to the other schools. HoweverâŠ.given the cost and the possibility of medical school, I think it is a good idea to visit and ask questions. It is possible that the student could be pleasantly surprised!
We will inquire about this the STS program offerings and premed coops when we visit NJIT and other schools and will report back.
Thank you for providing this insightful tip.
putting cost aside that was my daughterâs impression, but hoping to be proven otherwise when we speak to the department heads on our college visits
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