Health & Wellness Cluster

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB)
• Kinesiology: Exercise Science concentration
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Psychology: Behavioral Neuroscience concentration
• Sociology

The following are just a few courses that you might consider while exploring this career cluster. Please note that course numbers and titles are subject to change. Consult with your faculty advisor and the Course Catalog for current course information and recommendations.

• Kinesiology: KIN 111, 207 (cross-listed as BIO 207), 237, 310 
• Biology: BIO 141, 142, 205, 211
• Chemistry: CHE 121, 122, 225
• Mathematics: MAT 121, STA 201
• Psychology: PSY 161, 282
• Sociology: SOC 101, 351

General information about off-campus study, travel abroad, passport applications, and affiliated and non-affiliated study abroad programs are available from the Office of International and Off-Campus Studies. Students may participate in multiple off-campus study opportunities during their career at Cornell. In order to be eligible to participate in any off-campus study at Cornell, students must:

• have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 (unless a higher grade point average is specified)
• be in good disciplinary standing with the College
• be in good financial standing with the College

• American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)
• American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
• American Dental Education Association (ADEA)
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
• Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC)
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
• American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
• American Public Health Association (APHA)
• National Network of Public Health Institutes
• Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA)
• American Society for Clinical Pathology
• Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA)
• American College of Nurse Midwives
• American Optometric Association (AOA)
• American Society for Bioethics and Humanities
• American Academy of Forensic Science
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

• Health Professions Society (HPS)
• Beta Beta Beta (Tri-Beta) Honors Society
• Cornell College Sports Medicine
• Chemistry Interest Group
• Active Minds
• Student Senate
• Colleges Against Cancer
• Health Promotions

Recent internship and research sites:

• Mayo Clinic, Center for Sleep Medicine, Rochester, MN
• Harvard University, Department of Immunology, Boston, MA
• Children's Hospital Colorado, Division of Orthopedics, Denver, CO
• Catalysis, Appleton, WI
• Iowa Humane Alliance, Cedar Rapids, IA
• University of Colorado, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Denver, CO
• Palmer Research Institute, Davenport, IA
• Cornucopia Art Center Inc., Madison, WI
• AbbVie, Lake Buff, IL

• Hospital Intern, Hospital Moreno Vazquez, Gualaceo, Ecuador

• Intern and Physician Shadow, NL Family Health Center, North Liberty, IA

• Physical Therapy Assistant Observer, Iowa Physical Therapy, Mt. Vernon, IA

• Senior Pharmacy Technician, Walgreens, Cedar Rapids, IA

Job search resources:

• Explore Health Careers
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics (search for your healthcare field of interest on the main site)
• HOSA (look under the Resources tab) 

Ingenuity in Action Experiences and Funding:

• Operation Walk
• Berry Career Institute (BCI) Experiential Learning
• Additional Off-Campus Studies scholarships

Use the “See Alumni” button on the Cornell College page on LinkedIn to view alumni by major, geographic location, industry, etc.

Alumni Careers

• Pharmacology Research Assistant, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
• Physical Therapist, Jefferson County Health Center, Fairfield, IA
• Medical Student, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
• Patient Care Technician, Fresenius Medical Care North America, Waltham, MA
• Physician Assistant, University of Iowa Health Care, Iowa City, IA
• Neurology Resident Physician, The University of Texas Health Center, Austin, TX
• Veterinary Assistant, San Diego Humane Society, San Diego, CA
• Senior Scientist, Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
• Certified Medical Assistant, Baylor Scott & White Health, Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, TX
• Clinical Application Specialist, Elevate Women's Health, Denver, CO
• U.S. Medical Affairs Oncology Intern, Merck, Rahway, NJ
• Bilingual Behavioral Health Specialist, Ecker Center for Behavioral Health, Elgin, IL
• Medical Laboratory Scientist, Great River Health, West Burlington, IA
• Clinical Research Coordinator II, University Health KC, Kansas City, MO
• Adjunct Prfessor in Anatomy & Physiology, Miami Dade College, Miami, FL
• Preventive Medicine Resident Physician, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA

Should I earn a postgraduate degree?

This depends on your career goals and what you'd like to practice:

• Master’s programs are designed to expand and focus knowledge and skills to allow you to specialize. For many healthcare professions, a master’s is the minimum. If you wish to go into public health, you will likely pursue a Master’s of Public Health (M.P.H.); to become a Physician Assistant (PA), a master’s will be necessary; if you are interested in nursing, but wish to have more autonomy or engage in more advanced practice, a Master’s of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) is necessary. Additional master’s programs of relevance exist for other programs, such as speech-language pathology (S.L.P.).

• Doctoral programs are required for several clinical professions. If you wish to become a physician, you will need to attend a four year medical school (either M.D. or D.O.), followed by residency. For physical therapy (D.P.T.), dentistry (D.D.S.), veterinary medicine (D.V.M.), pharmacy (Pharm.D.), and some others, you will need attend the relevant professional program, typically lasting 3-4 years depending on the degree you seek.

• Other doctoral programs (Ph.D.) are generally designed for people interested in scientific research related to healthcare. These programs typically last 5-6 years; examples of disciplines may include medicinal chemistry, immunology, or epidemiology. If you are interested in clinical research, there is a specialized M.D.-Ph.D. (physician scientist) training program, which lasts 7-8 years.