In the event that I am not admitted into the public health program at Old Dominion University my junior year, my parallel plan is to change my major to biology. One interesting fact about this major is that it is the most common undergraduate degree used to get into Physician Assistant school which is what I hope to do after I complete my bachelor’s degree. If I end up pursuing this degree and getting a job in the biology field I could get a job as a research scientist. I think I would enjoy this line of work because I like being able to work hands-on. Another thing that makes me interested in being a research scientist is that every day will look different which will make coming to work each day exciting. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average salary for this career is 79.6 thousand dollars once I obtain at least five years of experience. The hours for this job are very flexible and vary on weekends depending on preference and what kind of facility I work at. Typically this job does not include holidays. I could also be employed by many different places such as a hospital, private company, or university. Reneldo Randall is one of the many advisors I could contact for this major to make sure I take the correct classes once making the change. One other advisor I could contact is Christine Woods. 

The reason I chose this as my parallel major is because of its cohesiveness with the prerequisites needed for Physician Assistant school. If I chose to change my major the major course differences are that I will need to take BIOL 291 and BIOL 292 along with an oral communication class because it is not met within the major like with public health. One way I could gain professional experience in this field is by volunteering as a lab assistant here on campus. There are many of these positions available, and I actually have a few personal connections that could help me land a spot.