By Landon Allison, Contributing Writer
St. Bonaventure University’s School of Allied Health is creating a new public health major for students.
Though this major is in the process of being sanctioned, it could offer many opportunities for those looking at joining a healthcare-related field.
“It’s sitting right now in New York State Education Office’s hands,” stated Claire Watson, Ph.D., executive director of the allied health initiative. “They will determine what the quality of the program is… making sure it follows the rigors both for a bachelor’s of science degree but also in terms of what a public health discipline would need.”
Watson said this new major would have to have a flexible structure, and that is where general electives would come in.
Many courses overlap with the public health major, according to Watson, as there are a multitude of potential occupations that can be reached through a focus on public health.
Electives allow students to specialize their skills, giving them many experiences in fields such as global health, environmental health or healthcare administration management, said Watson.
According to Watson, one hope with bringing this new field into the majors is that Bonaventure can give back to the local community.
“Catt. County—we don’t have the best health ratings in Western New York. The department of public health is trying to address these issues,” said Watson.
The goal is to create a mutually beneficial relationship for those who attend St. Bonaventure to improve, while the community receives easier access to healthcare professionals, Watson said.
According to Sravanthi Polavarapu, a freshman biology major, there are many students at St. Bonaventure interested in healthcare careers already.
“Having the public health major would really be a benefit because, even being a biology major, you can still double major in something that interests you,” said Polavarapu.
One of the issues this major may have, if it comes to fruition, is exposure. According to Polavarapu, not many students are aware of the new major.
“I don’t think a lot of people know about it,” said Polavarapu. “There are maybe three people who know about it and they are probably seniors who are graduating.”
Watson expressed her excitement about the possibilities this new major brings.
“We can both build Bonaventure and the opportunities for students coming in but also address the needs within our local community,” Watson said. “We want to make sure our students are prepared to go on to either to get a job immediately or to be very successful in a graduate program.”
