2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences
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TERRANCE PASKELL, M.A., M.L.S., (ASCP) CM, Chairperson
Mission:
The mission of the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences is to provide students with a thorough understanding of the body of knowledge in the field of medical technology and its application in the medical laboratory setting.
Medical technologists assist physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases by performing tests on tissue, blood and other body fluids. Medical lab technicians most commonly work in hospitals or doctors’ offices.
Objectives:
The Program of Study in Medical Technology is Designed to Achieve the Following Objectives:
- To educate students to perform competently as entry-level medical technologists.
- To develop students’ problem-solving skills and leadership qualities in preparation for educational and supervisory positions in medical technology.
- To cultivate students’ appreciation for continuing education and the need for lifelong learning in the field of laboratory medicine.
- To provide students with the foundation for further study and advancement in many academic and professional areas.
Although not a requirement for graduation, students are prepared and eligible to take national certification examinations. On completion of the degree requirements at Marist College and national certification, graduates are qualified to apply for a New York State Department of Education license to practice in clinical laboratories in the State of New York.
Medical Technology offers exciting educational and career opportunities for students wishing to combine an interest in the sciences with laboratory medicine and diagnostic health care. As vital members of the health care team, medical technologists work closely with pathologists and other physicians to provide information needed for the diagnosis and therapeutic management of disease. Technologists may pursue diverse career opportunities. They may work in hospital, university, government, or industrial laboratories. They represent the upper division of medical laboratory personnel and can establish challenging careers in laboratory administration, specialized research, technical services, marketing, or in medical technology education. Graduates are qualified to enter graduate programs leading to masters and doctoral degrees. Medical Technology, with carefully chosen elective coursework, is an excellent major for students wishing to pursue professional degrees in human medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician/pathologist assistant programs, podiatry, physical therapy, and other health areas.
The Medical Technology Program at Marist College is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).* The program represents a cooperative effort between the College and regional clinical laboratories to provide a four-year curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Medical Technology. Students have a strong foundation in liberal arts and take courses in biology, chemistry, math, and computer science in preparation for advanced clinical courses. Students in clinical courses on campus gain experience in a simulated medical laboratory. Clinical courses include Hematology, Clinical Microscopy, Clinical Immunology/Immunohematology, Clinical Microbiology, and Clinical Chemistry. The curriculum emphasizes an understanding of the pathogenesis and manifestation of disease analyzed by laboratory testing and the theoretical principles supporting laboratory tests. Students spend six months in affiliated medical laboratories studying diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic monitoring of actual patient cases. They study side by side with professional medical technologists, utilizing state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation, while under the direction and supervision of Marist College faculty.
The Marist program is formally affiliated with ten medical centers: MidHudson Regional Hospital of Westchester Medical Center, Poughkeepsie, NY; Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Poughkeepsie, NY; Putnam Hospital Center, Carmel, NY; Garnet Health, Middletown, NY; the Veterans Affairs Hudson Valley Health Care System, Castle Point, NY; Health Alliance of Westchester Medical Center Health Network, Mary’s Ave. and Broadway campuses in Kingston, NY; St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital, Newburgh, NY; Columbia Memorial Hospital, Hudson, NY; Sharon Hospital, Sharon, CT; Danbury Hospital, Danbury, CT;and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, NY. All of these facilities are located within commuting distance of the College (except MSKCC, a voluntary rotation site) so students can continue to reside on campus. Students must achieve a minimum grade-point average of 2.5 in all required science and math courses with no grade below a C to participate in the clinical portion of the program. A grade of C or better is required in each clinical course (I and advanced). All clinical I courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C prior to starting the internship phase of the program.
The program provides an opportunity for students with an Associate degree in Medical Laboratory Technology or the Natural Sciences to complete a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Medical Technology at Marist College. These transfer students receive a maximum of 70 credits for courses taken at other accredited institutions of higher education and can usually complete the Marist College program in two years with full-time study.
* National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 5600 N. River Rd., Suite 720, Rosemont, Illinois 60018-5119, Phone: (847) 939-3597 or (773) 714-8880, web page: http://www.naacls.org
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