Health Professions

What do Medical Technologists do?
Medical Technologists perform a responsible and vital role in the clinical laboratory.  Working with method and speed, with precision and curiosity, the Medical Technologist operates complex electronic equipment , computers and precision instruments.   They conduct fact-finding tests and evaluate results in an accurate, efficient cost-effective manner to help in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Medical Technologists are educated to understand the scientific theory and interpretation for the tests they perform.  Their expanding role will find them not only performing tests, but teaching, supervising and serving as consultants, researchers or directors of laboratories.

In the hospital educational programs students learn to perform laboratory procedures on actual specimens from hospital patients, under the close supervision of certified Medical Technologists.  Because their learning is directly related to patient care, the students develop a sense of responsibility to the patient, an important professional component in the profession of Medical Technology.

Program Description:

Before entering hospital training, students enrolled in the Medical Technology Program at Baldwin-Wallace College may elect one of two options: the three-plus-one hospital-based affiliation program or the four-plus-one hospital-based affiliation program (Post-BS option). Both options require the fulfillment of the College requirements for graduation and also the following requirements of the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS):

Sixteen hours of biological sciences, including Microbiology, Immunology, Genetics or Molecular Biology, Anatomy and Physiology; 16 hours of chemistry including Organic or Biochemistry; Statistics; the bachelor's degree, and a 12 month hospital training program.  A minimum GPA of 2.75 is required for acceptance into the hospital training program

The hospital presently affiliated with Baldwin-Wallace is Southwest General Health Center.

Before admission to the hospital training program, a student’s transcript is evaluated by the registrar and sent to the hospital at the student’s request. Requests for this evaluation, as well as an application for admission to the hospital school of medical technology, should be submitted about one year prior to entrance into the hospital training program.

Upon satisfactory completion of one year of hospital training, the student receives a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in biology and is then eligible to take a National Certification Examination. Four hours from the hospital training program will count toward the Biology major at Baldwin-Wallace.

Students will receive close personal counseling. A faculty advisor with practical experience and genuine concern will work with any student who seeks this help. Periodically, there are opportunities to visit medical technology laboratories and to interact with professionals, as well as students, currently in training.

For more information, contact Dr. Michael Kovach, Program Liason between Baldwin-Wallace College and Southwest General Health Center, School of Medical Technology and Chair of the Baldwin-Wallace College, Department of Biology & Geology.

For questions regarding the clinical aspects of the program, please contact Ms. Corinne Hartwell, Program Director, School of Medical Techology.

MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY

Ten credit hours

Lectures and laboratory experience in bacteriology, parasitology, mycology and immunology; culture and identification of microorganisms; utilization of media; antibiotic sensitivity studies; serology tests.

CLINICAL CHEMISTRY

Eight credit hours

Lectures and laboratory experience; applied automated techniques in quantitative chemistry of blood and other body fluids.

HEMATOLOGY

Six credit hours

Lectures and laboratory experience; blood morphology in health and disease; normal and abnormal physiology of blood; venipuncture technique; blood cell counting and identification.

IMMUNOHEMATOLOGY

Three credit hours

Lectures and laboratory experience; common blood group antigens and antibodies; identification; compatibility testing; collection and preparing blood products for transfusion.

CLINICAL MICROSCOPY

One credit hours

Lectures and laboratory experience; chemical and microscopic examination of urine.

SPECIAL SUBJECTS

Four credit hours

Lectures, demonstrations and laboratory experience that might include special subjects such as hospital orientation, laboratory computer systems, management and education.