Starting a major too late?

College Majors
1

<p>okay here's my problem...
I've been trying to narrow down my choices for what I want to major in. I really want to do something dealing with international health, global studies, or nursing. I don't think there's any way to combine all of these types of things into one major, so it leaves me at this point...
I would really really like to do nursing, however, the BSN program is pretty rigid with structured prereq courses that I have to take. Now since I went in undecided, I'm not taking any of the classes I should be, which means I'm already behind a semester if I want to go into Nursing. And I'll probably be even more behind as freshman year progresses, since I don't think I can fit the other prereqs in my schedule (as long as im in the college of liberal arts as an undecided kid). So..my questions are these..</p>

<p>1) Is it too late to start a nursing degree? Is it even a good idea since I'll be most likely a year behind (roughly) if I start now?
2) If nursing is a bad choice, what are some other majors/concentration areas that deal with global healthcare type issues/international studies?
3) Since my ultimate plan is to go to grad school for a masters in public health, what would be some good courses to take now and what should my major lean towards to make it into that type of program (I'll probably still due a masters in global health even if I do nursing)?</p>

<p>P.S. If I have to, I will double major, since I already know I'm minoring in a foreign language.</p>

<p>Any help would be much appreciated..Thanks in advance!!! sorry this is long..i tend to write quite a bit on these posts!</p>

2

<p>if you would really really like to do nursing, then go for it! You’re only a freshman and another year is nothing in the whole long career ahead of you. It might be a financial burden to go some extra terms to finish, but as far as I know, there are many more financial aid sources available for nursing than the other areas that interest you. Timewise, maybe attending a summer term can help catch you up.</p>

<p>A major in nursing will give you an advantage that many other people going into global health will not have: you will actually have some solid skills in health care. If you change your mind about graduate school or you postpone graduate work, you will have a readily employable degree, that will allow you to get relevant experience for doing a public health degree later on, or to save money for grad school. You also will have solid skills that would be in demand if you decided to get some real-world experience before applying to grad school, e,g., peace corps, military, or an international NGO that works in disaster relief, health, or with refugees. Such experience would help you more clearly define your areas of interest, give you an edge in applying to grad school, develop valuable contacts, identify researchable topics for a thesis, etc.</p>

<p>Alternatively, if you continue in a liberal arts program, you could take the science prerequisites to enter a master’s program in nursing, e.g., Yale, Penn, Case Western, etc. and this may allow some options for international nursing/public health, or a joint degree program.</p>

<p>If you decide not to do nursing, consider a major in anthropology, with relevant coursework in medical anthropology, nutritional anthropology, etc., or consider a major in a science field, e.g., nutrition, microbiology, etc.</p>

<p>Here are some links you might find of interest:</p>

<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Infections and Inequalities: The Modern Plagues (9780520229136): Paul Farmer: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Infections-Inequalities-Plagues-Paul-Farmer/dp/0520229134]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Infections-Inequalities-Plagues-Paul-Farmer/dp/0520229134)</p>

<p>[Rx</a> for Survival . Global Health Champions | PBS](<a href=“http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/rxforsurvival/series/champions/index.html]Rx”>Rx for Survival . Global Health Champions | PBS)</p>

<p>[Peace</a> Corps](<a href=“http://www.peacecorps.gov/]Peace”>http://www.peacecorps.gov/)</p>

<p>[Go</a> Global! The International Careers Website](<a href=“http://go.global.wisc.edu/]Go”>http://go.global.wisc.edu/)</p>

<p>[Yale</a> Nursing-Admissions](<a href=“http://nursing.yale.edu/Admissions/]Yale”>Admissions & Aid)</p>

<p>[Home[/url</a>]</p>

<p>[url=<a href=“http://fpb.case.edu/GradEntry/requirements.shtm]Frances”>http://fpb.case.edu/GradEntry/requirements.shtm]Frances</a> Payne Bolton School of Nursing: Graduate Entry DNP Program](<a href=“http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/gha/Pages/default.aspx]Home[/url”>http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/gha/Pages/default.aspx)</p>