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MATC TRAINS MORE CLINICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIANS
WITH ACCELERATED PROGRAM
Program addresses critical shortage in state for trained clinical
laboratory technicians
To address a critical need for more trained clinical laboratory
technicians in Wisconsin,
Madison Area Technical College (MATC) has developed an accelerated
Clinical Laboratory Technician program that allows students,
particularly in rural areas, to complete a two-year degree in
slightly over
one year. Due to this program, the 10 individuals currently enrolled
will be able to advance in or begin careers as clinical laboratory
technicians following their graduation. An added benefit has
been the transition of some of these students from the traditional
program’s
waiting list to the accelerated program, which allows more students
to be accepted into the two-year program.
The
need for trained clinical laboratory technicians, who perform
routine laboratory tests that help diagnosis and treatment
of disease and injury in a hospital or clinical laboratory
setting,
is high,
especially in underserved rural areas. The vacancy rate (unfilled
positions) for clinical laboratory technicians in rural areas
is as high as 11.7 percent, according to the American Society
of Clinical
Pathologies’ 2002 Wage and Vacancy Survey of Medical
Laboratories report. In addition, the number of jobs for
trained clinical laboratory
technicians is expected to grow by about 20 percent in the
state over the next eight to 10 years, according to the Office
of Economic
Advisors at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.
“By offering a flexible format and an accelerated pace, we hope
our program’s innovative approach can help educate
more workers to fill the critical need for trained clinical
laboratory technicians,” says
Mary Nelson, MATC Clinical Laboratory Technician program director.
“MATC’s program courses are offered in a ‘blended’ format—theory
components are offered online and in CD ROM format, while laboratory
skills are taught ‘face-to-face’ during weekend and
evening workshops. Some courses may require completion of special
activities at an off-site clinical laboratory,” notes Nelson. “Students
already employed at a clinical laboratory will complete
the activities at their place of employment under the
direction of a preceptor.
Those not currently employed in a laboratory will be
assisted in making arrangements for these activities.
Like other locations in Wisconsin, rural areas have expressed
a need for more training and education for clinical laboratory
students
who will remain in the vicinity to practice. At the same
time, the Wisconsin Healthcare Workforce Coalition and
the Governor’s
Healthcare Workforce Taskforce has identified a need
to redesign delivery of health care education to expand
collaboration
between
educators and industry to improve program delivery.
The development of MATC’s program was funded with a grant
from the Southwest Wisconsin Area Health Education Center (SWAHEC),
a Wisconsin-based organization working to improve the supply, distribution
and quality of health care professionals in Wisconsin and to promote
access to health care in the state’s rural and
urban underserved areas.
MATC is one of the largest of the Wisconsin Technical
College System’s
16 colleges and serves approximately 50,000 individuals
annually. It provides a comprehensive curriculum of technical,
liberal arts
and science, adult basic education and life enrichment
studies and activities, as well as customized employee
training. MATC provides
training in more than 100 career programs. It awards
associate degrees, vocational diplomas and certificates,
and offers
non-degree courses. The college serves all or parts of
12 counties located
in south-central Wisconsin and offers instruction through
five campuses and various locations throughout the district.
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Last
Modified:
November 20, 2004
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