MECC Installs Courses for Medical Lab Technician Degree

This fall, Mountain Empire Community College will offer courses in a program that is perfect for individuals who may not have ever considered a career in healthcare, yet like the industry's job security, high-paying jobs, and opportunities close to home.  Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) classes will be offered for the first time at MECC during the fall 2006 semester.  Although all classes will be held on the MECC campus, students will register with Wytheville Community College to earn the MLT degree. 

WCC will provide didactic instruction using ELLUMINATE, a new distance education method involving live web-based presentations.  Lecture portions of the classes will be taught with this method.  An instructor hired by WCC will instruct the lab portions on the MECC campus.  Clinicals required for graduation from the program will be performed at area hospitals.  All other general education requirements will be acquired through MECC.

"We (MECC) have wanted to do the program here for years and for the past two years, we have been urged by people at local hospitals to offer the program," states Kim Dorton, MECC Trainer and Instructor.  "However, there is a difficulty in recruiting qualified students for the program and it is expensive to run.  We would need enough students for the program to pay for itself.  That is why we made the decision to partner with Wytheville."

Dorton believes that MECC is a good fit to administer the program because of the large number of expected MLT job openings in the college's service region. Based on a detailed survey conducted by WCC, approximately 165 of these jobs are expected to open in the region through the year 2010.  Dorton says this data explains why local hospitals have been contacting MECC about beginning the program.

"We are simply responding to the area hospitals' request," she states.  "MLT is a wonderful opportunity for a career where a person can stay close to home, make a good living, and have the opportunity for advancement.  Healthcare may not be your thing, but this might be an area of healthcare you would enjoy."

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, clinical laboratory testing plays a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.  Medical lab technicians perform most of these tests.  They may find career opportunities in pharmaceutical firms, veterans' administration, service agencies, physicians' offices, clinics, public health, research institutions, the armed forces, and laboratories including hospital clinical, reference, industrial, or independent clinical labs.

Individuals interested in applying to the program must meet pre-requisites including having taken biology, chemistry, and algebra in high school.  Students must also pass an assessment test at MECC and be eligible to take English 111.  The college will offer Chemistry 05 this summer for students who did not take the course in high school, but are interested in the MLT program.

Applicants who meet criteria and are qualified will be admitted to the program based on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Interested individuals should contact Dorton right away in order to find out what steps they need to take for admittance.  She can be reached at (276) 523-2400, extension 356 or kdorton@me.vccs.edu.