Medical Technology
In Their Own Words: Heather Marsh ('12) |
 "I am definitely missing Marist including all of the wonderful teachers. I am about to start my second semester in PA school down in Florida, and have realized how much Hematology and Intro to Medical Technology has prepared me for the medical classes that I have." |
Are You... |
Medical Technology offers exciting educational and career opportunities for students wishing to combine an interest in the sciences with laboratory medicine. As vital members of the health care team, medical technologists perform diagnostic laboratory tests used to prevent, diagnose and treat disease.
Technologists have diverse career opportunities in hospital, university, government and industrial laboratories. They represent the upper division of medical laboratory personnel and can pursue challenging positions in laboratory administration, specialized research, technical services, marketing, or education. Graduates are qualified to enter graduate programs leading to masters and doctoral degrees. Medical Technology is a very good choice of undergraduate major for those interested in professional school because it provides an excellent foundation in diagnostic medicine.
Medical Technology at Marist
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 local clinical laboratories to provide a four-year curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Medical Technology. Students are broadly educated in the liberal arts while taking courses in biology, chemistry, math and computer science to prepare for advanced clinical courses. Students take clinical courses on campus and gain experience in a simulated medical laboratory equipped with state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation. Clinical courses include Hematology, Clinical Microscopy, Immunohematology, Clinical Microbiology and 
Clinical Chemistry.
The curriculum emphasizes an understanding of the pathogenesis and manifestation of diseases analyzed by laboratory testing and the theoretical principles supporting diagnostic tests. Students complete a six month internship at an affiliated medical laboratory studying diagnostic evaluation and therapeutic monitoring of actual patient cases. They study side by side with professional medical technologists and are under the direct supervision of Marist College faculty.
Clinical Sites
The Marist program has eight internship sites through its formal affiliation with five medical laboratories: St. Francis Hospital, Poughkeepsie/Beacon, NY; MDS Hudson Valley Laboratories, Poughkeepsie, NY; the Veterans Affairs Hudson Valley Health Care System, Castle Point, NY; Kingston Benedictine Hospitals Laboratory, Kingston and Benedictine Hospitals, Kingston, NY; and St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital, Newburgh/Cornwall, NY. All of these facilities are located within commuting distance of the college so students can continue to reside on campus and fully participate in campus life. Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in all required science and math courses to participate in the clinical portion of the program. A grade of C or better is required in all professional courses. All qualified students are guaranteed an internship in their senior year.
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 60 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.
