<p>In short, in the future I would like to become a Foreign Service Officer but I've always had an interest in science and the laboratory part of the medical field. While International Studies is my passion I would still like to have the other option.</p>
<p>Is double majoring in International Studies and Clinical Laboratory Science (with a minor in French) too much of a stretch. I know the two majors have nothing to do with each other but I really don't understand double majoring in two things that are exactly alike.</p>
<p>Also would double majoring leave me too short on time to study other languages. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>Such diverse fields! i believe your school does not require you to declare your major at your freshman year. Why not explore the subjects further and see if you can cope with the workload. </p>
<p>I highly doubt there would be overlapping modules</p>
<p>Its early in the morning so im just going to be honest and not sugar coat anything. Drop the IS major… dont pick up International Relations or anything else of the sort, they are honestly worthless wastes of time and money. (dont believe me Google it) </p>
<p>Studying foreign language above the requirements for your bachelors is also a waste: my parents have a gardener who speaks Portuguese, French, and Spanish (his English is a little dodgy) however it has not helped him get a job other than picking up dog poop and planting flowers. The reason that I relate this is not to put him down, but to point out that foreign language in no way will help you in the real world, and honestly even if you take it all through your college career and spend tens of thousands every summer to go away to a foreign country, you still will not be fluent. It does not really matter anyway you will always deal with a translator or someone who speaks English in your business endeavors, it is understood that English is the language of business and known that people from the US only know English. </p>
<p>If you like Lab Sciences, it is a good major. You can get a degree in one of the sciences and get a really good job with just that degree. You could also go to law school and become a patent attorney (you are required to have many lab sciences to sit for the patent bar and most people going to law school avoid the sciences like the plague because of GPA concerns.)</p>
<p>I think you need to prioritize more… and narrow down your search.</p>
<p>Unless you’re absolutely interested in French authors, literature, accents, and writing styles, you should give up that major, and perhaps just learn fluent French.</p>
<p>However, unlike the above comment, if you know what the FSO is, go after your IR dreams. We no longer live in the Cold War era- we live in a time of globalization. Every business, organization, and government needs people to spread their goals to other nations. </p>
<p>Medicine, is premier in a select few nations. That doesn’t mean you have to go to Sierra Leone, you could go to Slovakia or Thailand and spread innovative medicine practices.</p>
<p>But in this case, which is more important? Learning about other nations, or learning about medicine? Surely you cannot operate on someone just by knowing where they live and who their President is. </p>
<p>Even though I am an International Relations major, I say go for Clinical Lab Science. Then, see if anywhere in that field, you can see the world. Med School is a big big commitment, and throwing something in along the way is a hassle.</p>
<p>I think it would not be very practical to combine both of these specific majors. </p>
<p>Some alternatives to consider:
-Major in microbiology; minor (or certificate) in global health or international studies
-Major in microbiology + major in international studies in a program that offers a subspecialty track in global health
-Major in microbiology; go to graduate school in public health (international focus)
-Major in microbiology; go to graduate school in international studies (if you choose this option, use electives to get some basic background for IS, e.g., at least, principles of econ, statistics, international relations and/or international econ)
-Major in microbiology + a major or minor in area studies if a specific region interests you (for French, this could be African studies, which could open up some interesting opportunities for field work)</p>
<p>Don’t do a formal minor in French, just take language courses/study abroad/study on your own. You would probably have limited time to study other languages in formal courses, but you might be able to study them on your own.</p>
<p>A major in microbiology will have more flexibility and open up more options than clinical lab sciences, and still allow you to seek postgrad training in clinical lab sciences or in other basic or applied biology fields. Keep in mind, though, that the required courses in that major as well as supporting courses in other basic sciences will limit the number of courses you can take in other nonscience fields. </p>
<p>If you study abroad during the regular academic year, however, it may be difficult to fit in your major courses or to find a study abroad program that offers suitable major courses. It would be very unlikely that you could do this with clinical lab sciences, however, due to specific required labs and internships.</p>