I’ve narrowed my career options down to three: a clinical laboratory scientist, a zoologist (working in a zoo), and going onto medical school to become a doctor. There are only two universities in Illinois that offer zoology programs: Western Illinois University and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. The difference is Western offers a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Zoology, and SIUC offers a Bachelor of Science in Zoology.
Is there any difference between these two degrees?
Zoology is the study of animal biology. You do not need a major with the specific title of “zoology” in order to study animal biology. Even within a general biology major, you should be able to find elective coursework in many of the subfields of animal biology. You should keep in mind that the core courses (cell biology, genetics, ecology, evolution) required for most biology majors tend to be common across most subspecialty bioscience majors. Also, keep in mind that most larger universities now include “zoology” courses in a department of ecology and evolutionary biology, rather than the traditional departmental title of “zoology”. There would be little difference in a degree labeled “zoology” and a subspecialty track labeled “zoology” within a general biology major. BTW, Illinois State U also offers a zoology track within its biological sciences major.
If you are considering both working in a zoo and becoming a doctor, you probably should consider veterinary medicine as a possible career. Zoology positions in zoos focus on research, and generally require a graduate degree. There may be more opportunities for veterinarians. The pre-med and pre-vet course requirements are fairly similar, though many vet schools often recommend some additional courses like microbiology and animal nutrition. You would also need some experience working with animals. Many students interested in vet school will major in animal science in a college of agriculture as an alternative to majors in one of the traditional bioscience majors.
Some psychologists and applied behavior analysts also work in zoos in the area of animal behavior, as to some biological anthropologists, who focus on primate behavior.
Clinical laboratory science would require a somewhat different pathway than that of zoology. It would specifically focus on that area, or focus instead on coursework in microbiology, cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, etc. as preparatory to a postgrad program in clinical lab science.