I was looking into becoming a patent attorney but I saw that a science or engineering degree is preferred. I am double majoring in kinesiology (with a concentration in public health) and Asian Pacific Islander American Studies and plan to get a B.S. I was planning on going to med school so I’ve taken most pre-med classes except for physics and biochem. Does this affect my job outlook at all?
The degree requirements for eligibility to take the patent bar exam are explained starting around page 4 of this document: https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/OED_GRB.pdf
Kinesiology is not one of the approved degrees, but through your premed course work, or with supplementary courses, you might meet one of the alternative pathways described in the document.
Passing the patent bar allows one to practice law before the USPTO, which is where most patent law happens. You can pass this federal bar and practice law without a JD or membership in any state bar. Such non-JD practitioners are known as patent agents. They cannot litigate in the courts.
On the other hand, going to law school and passing a state bar does not qualify you to practice before the USPTO if you have not passed the federal patent bar exam. Some patent litigators fall into this category. They litigate patent cases in the courts as allowed by their state bar but are not recognized by the USPTO.
Most lawyers in patent work are admitted to a state bar and the federal bar, but there are practitioners that have only one of these credentials. In these less common situations you can be a lawyer and not eligible to be a patent practitioner, or you can be a patent practitioner and ineligible to be a lawyer.
I can’t speak to your job outlook. What sort of work do you imagine when you refer to being a patent attorney? Are you planning to go to law school? Even if you can get work without passing the patent bar you will need to understand technology that is the subject of your work. This is why a certain body of coursework is required.