MEDT: Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology Major

(Clinical Laboratory Scientist)

About the MEDT Major:
The Medical Technology Major (MEDT) is offered through the Biology Department at Winona State University. This Bachelor of Science major is intended for career-minded students interested in pursuing certification by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS) or the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA).  After completing board examinations, individuals with a degree in Medical Technology find employment in clinical settings, where they are responsible for routine laboratory tests on body fluids. Frequently, at a large hospital or clinic, an individual will work primarily in one area of the field, such as maintaining a blood bank. Many smaller institutions assign more diverse duties to broadly-trained medical technologists. The medical technologist assists the physician by providing vital quantitative information needed in diagnoses and the therapeutic management of patients.

Students complete a four-year sequence of courses: three years at the Winona State University campus, and one year at a coordinating accredited School of Medical Technology, where the skills of the profession are acquired. Upon completion of the four-year sequence, a baccalaureate degree in Medical Technology is conferred by Winona State University. If a student has the baccalaureate degree before completing the clinical year, they will also be awarded a certificate in Clinical Laboratory Science from the School of Medical Technology after all clinical prerequisites are met.  Upon satisfactory completion of the program, the student is eligible to apply for examination by two certifying agencies:
    •National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS)
    •Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation (CAHEA)

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ACCEPTANCE INTO THE FOURTH YEAR OF TRAINING IS NOT AUTOMATIC UPON COMPLETION OF THE THIRD YEAR AT WSU. 

Students are selected by affiliated institutions on the basis of academic achievement and potential as a medical technologist. The latter is determined through a personal interview with appropriate officials at approved schools of medical technology.  Presently, most students qualifying for clinical internship have completed the course of study outlined below with a minimum grad point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).  Students accepting an invitation for clinical training in medical technology from an approved institution will complete the training required for graduation at that institution. Tuition will be assessed on a semester basis by WSU, and students will be evaluated each semester.

NOTE: Students expecting to complete the WSU requirements within a three-year period should consult with the program director prior to registration. All student programs (schedules) must be approved each semester by the Director of Medical Technology.

Director:  Frances Ragsdale, Ph.D. Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota

Adjunct Faculty: (ASCP = Certified by American Society of Clinical Pathologists)

Community Memorial Hospital, Winona, Minnesota

•Dennis A. Rollman, B.S., M.T. (ASCP), MBA, Laboratory Director
•William McNeil, MD, Medical Director

 

*Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Ill.

•Donna M. Wray, MT (ASCP), Program Director
•Myron E. Rubnitz, MD, Medical Director

 

*Mercy Hospital Medical Center, Des Moines, Iowa

•Kyla Deibler, MS, MT (ASCP), CLS (NCA) Program Director
•Vijaya Dhannavada, MD Medical Director

 

*Hennipen County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

•Pat Elringer, MSEd, MT (ASCP), SBB, Program Director
•John T. Crosson, MD, Pathologist, Medical Director

 

*Sacred Heart Hospital, Equ Claire, Wisconsin

•Ken Johnson, MT (ASCP), Program Director
•Thomas Hadely, MD, Pathologist, Medical Director

(*Schools which have affiliated internship programs with WSU.)

Clinical Affiliations:
Winona State University has enjoyed a very enviable placement record for the past thirty years, with over 90 percent of our students being placed in the clinical training facility of their choice. Presently, Winona State University is affiliated with accredited clinical laboratory professional programs at the following hospitals/medical centers indicated above.

In addition to these formal affiliations, WSU medical technology majors have completed their clinical practicums at the University of Iowa and Duke University. Other hospitals/medical centers which have offered temporary affiliations with WSU include: Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Loyola Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois

Additional information on Medical Technology and other Allied Health careers, including address of clinical sites, can be found in the Allied Health Educational Directory, which is published by the American Medical Association and is annually updated in the WSU library.

Who to contact?
Students interested in the MEDT major should contact Dr. Frances Ragsdale, Director of Medical Technology, Winona State University, Winona, MN 55987-5838 She can answer any questions you may have about majoring in medical technology and will be happy to assign a Medical Technology program advisor. Dr. Ragsdale can also be reached at tel: (507) 457-5270, or by email: FRagsdale@winona.edu Information about WSU and the Biology Department is also available on the WWW at http://bio.winona.edu/ and http://www.winona.edu/

Preparation for the MEDT Major:
Freshman entering the Medical Technology are normally expected to have completed a rigorous, college preparatory high school curriculum including 4 years of English, 3 years of Math and 3 years of science (biology, chemistry and physics).

B.S. MAJOR - MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY (Clinical Laboratory Scientist)
120 - 124 s.h. (No Minor Required)

GENERAL ECUCATION COURSES (30 s.h.)

Skill Requirements (9 s.h.)
    ENG 111 English Composition (4)
    CMST 191 Speech Communication (3)
    MATH ((The 3 s.h. MATH requirement is met below with MATH 150 & 155 or MATH 120.)
    Select courses from the approved list of physical education activities courses (2).
Humanities (6 s.h.)
    Select courses from the approved list of humanities courses and two departments.
Natural Science (0 s.h.)
    (The 6 s.h. Natural Science requirement is met below with CHEM 212,213 & PHYS 201.)
Social Science (6 s.h.)
   Select courses from the approved list of social science courses and two departments.
Different Culture (6 s.h.)
    Select courses from the approved list of different culture courses and two departments.
Allied Studies (3 s.h.)
    Select a course from the approved list of allied studies courses.

MAJOR AREA COURSES (30-32 s.h.)

Required Biology Courses (25 S.H.)
    241 Basics of Life (4)
    242 Organismal Diversity (4)
    308 Cell Biology (3)
    307 Cell Biology Lab (1)
    409 General Microbiology (4)
    443 Urinalysis (1)
    444 Hematology (2)
    445 Immunology (3)
    460 Parasitology (3)
    NOTE: BIO 241 and BIO 242 should be taken prior to BIO 308 and BIO 307.

Major Electives: (5-7 s.h.)
    BIOL 310 Genetics (3)
    BIOL 333 Medical Laboratory Techniques (1)
    BIOL 201 Human Anatomy (4)
    BIOL 323 General Physiology (5)
   STAT 305 Biometry (4)

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (28- 30 s.h.)

Chemistry (16 s.h.)

*212 Principles of Chemistry I (4)
*213 Principles of Chemistry II (4)
340 Organic Chemistry (4) or 350 Principles of Organic Chemistry I (4)
400 Biochemistry (4) OR 425 Analytical Chemistry I (4) OR 426 Analytical Chemistry II (4)

 

Mathematics (4-6 s.h.)

*120 Precalculus, Functions & Graphs (4) or
150 Mathematics for the Earth and Life Sciences I (3) and
155 Mathematics for the Earth and Life Sciences II (3)

Physics (8 s.h.)

*201 General Physics I (4)
202 General Physics II (4)
NOTE: PHYS * 221 and PHYS 222 may be taken in place of the above series. Be aware that MATH 160 is a prerequisite PHYS 221 and that this substitution may prevent completion of the major in four years.

* Course may be used to satisfy certain General Education Requirements

Clinical Education (32 s.h.)

BIOL 450 Medical Technology I (12)
BIOL 451 Medical Technology II (12)
BIOL 452 Medical Technology III (4)
BIOL 453 Medical Technology IV (4)
NOTE: The clinical training can be completed at any approved clinical training site.

OTHER ELECTIVE COURSES:

Some clinical schools require a course in statistics; therefore it is recommended that students select Statistics 305 as an elective in the MEDT major.

Course selection and scheduling:
Winona State University requires 128 semester hours of credit for graduation with a baccalaureate degree. However, the Medical Technology major requires 96-98 semester credit hours for the pre-professional phase of the program, followed by 32 semester credit hours of clinical study, for a total of 128-135 semester credit hours. This gives the student a very strong, sound background in chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics. At the same time, the student acquires a very good liberal arts background from the general education requirements of the baccalaureate degree.

Because of a complex, busy schedule and time constraints, it is essential that all students who wish to complete a Medical Technology major in four years follow the four-year course programming outlined below, and that all students carefully plan their individual programs with the Director of Medical Technology. Many of the required courses are only taught once per year and so it is very important to work very closely with your faculty advisor in planning your schedule. Further, the biology department enforces the pre-requisites established for its offerings and so students should make every effort to complete the First-year/Second-year sequence of courses according to the recommended schedule. Note that enrollment in the elective courses in biology requires completion of the First-year/Second-year course sequence. Inappropriate course selection could result in scheduling conflicts in later semesters and possible delays in attaining eligibility for clinical training.

Typical Class schedule:
There are many ways to progress through the MEDT major and it is not possible to detail each of them. The idealized schedule detailed below can allow a student to graduate in the standard four year program. An alternative five year program is also included below. Careful attention should be given to the selection of general education courses which will satisfy each of the various categories listed in the WSU catalog. A checklist is provided which can be used to track progress in the MEDT major.

Recommended Electives for MEDT Major:

Statistics 305 Biometry
Chemistry 400 Biochemistry I
Chemistry 401 Biochemistry II
Chemistry 425 Analytical Chemistry I
Chemistry 426 Analytical Chemistry II
340 Virology
370 Histology
393 Eukaryotic Cell Culture
431 Molecular Biology Laboratory
409 General Microbiology
499 Student Research

MEDT Checklist:

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