Breaking the Mold

Innovation Sparks Growth in Clinical Laboratory Science

At a time when at least a fourth of the roughly 200 clinical laboratory science (CLS) programs around the country are closing down, the UND program is going strong, attracting more and more students through a novel approach to education that features flexibility and innovation in distance learning.

One of the largest in the country, the CLS program at the UND medical school is building a national reputation for breaking the mold on how best to deliver education and retain critically needed lab professionals, especially in rural and other undeserved areas.

“If our progression holds, by 2007 we will be responsible for ten percentof the people taking the national exam in clinical lab science,” says Mary Ann Sens, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of pathology and medical director of the CLS program.

The whole area of on-line education has opened new doors of opportunity for a field that is in dire need of more professionals.

“Some say that distance education isn’t high quality,” says Ruth Paur, (MSMT ‘93), assistant professor of pathology and CLS program director, “but when they look at our students’ national exam scores, that’s just not the case.”

Part of the extraordinary success of the CLS program involves more than 100 Mayo Clinic employees who enroll at UND to earn a degree in clinical laboratory science while remaining on the job in Rochester, MN.

“They may be working in bloodbanking for part of the day, but switch hats later to become a student and learn microbiology,” Paur says.

According to Jemee Kathrotiya, who is pursuing the bachelor’s degree in CLS, “The true advantage of this degree has been versatility.  Few degrees offer such a variety of options and the opportunity to live nearly anywhere in the world.  I highly enjoyed the BS in CLS program from UND.”

To date, about 30 students have graduated, earning UND bachelor’s degree in CLS through the Mayo program.  Five students have earned the CLS master’s degree, including Jill Vandenameele ‘05, who said, “(T)he availability and flexibility and distance/web-based learning provided the schedule and resources that would otherwise have been impossible to accommodate in a traditional graduate program...  I could not have completed the program without the infinite support and encouragement of... UND staff.” 

In 2005, all graduates passed the national certification exam, scoring 75 to 100 points higher than the national average.  The pass rate for UND CLS is over 95 percent, compared to a national average of 80 percent.

“We’ve got a different model.  No one else in the country has done it,” Paur says.  “It’s working... and we haven’t sacrificed quality.” 

Mayo program skyrockets; employees recruit each other

Since 2002 when UND announced its agreement to train Mayo employees in clinical laboratory science through on-site and on-line education, the program has “skyrocketed,” according to Rob Porter (BSMT ‘93), instructor in pathology and Mayo Cohort Program education coordinator.   

“The Mayo Cohort is highly individualized and flexible,” he says.  “A student can take three CLS courses at a time to finish sooner or one course and stretch it out longer. We academically advise each student from start to finish, whether he or she is enrolled in a CLS course at UND or a prerequisite course at another college.  It’s unique, and also challenging.”

“In addition to on-line coursework, we bring the labs to them,” Porter says.  “This is an innovative model.  We travel to Mayo Clinic three times a year - spring, summer, fall - for two-week, intensive laboratory training sessions.” 

“All these employees are working full time and trying to raise their level of education,” he says.  “They want to know what’s involved and how long it’s going to take them to finish.”  

Porter spends two or three days a month at Rochester, meeting with students and answering questions about their program of study.  These days, he says, prospective students are coming in with much more knowledge because they’ve been informed and sold on the program by their co-workers.  

“It’s really a nice sign,” he says.  “They’re self-recruiting from their peers.”

He credits Mayo as a “huge supporter of education,” providing a culture which encourages professional growth.

WCACLS improves outlook for rural health care 

Another collaborative venture of UND’s CLS program, the Western College Alliance for Clinical Laboratory

Science Education (WCACLS), “also has grown significantly,” Paur says.

WCACLS provides students at 11 regional colleges the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in CLS.   Launched in 1995 with its first partner, the University of Mary in Bismarck, WCACLS has grown to also include Minot (ND) State University, Jamestown (ND) College, the University of Montana, Montana State University campuses in Billings and Bozeman, Bemidji (MN) and Winona (MN) state universities, the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

The program “allows students to remain closer to home,” Paur says, noting that about 35 WCACLS students come to Grand Forks for only 13 weeks of intensive laboratory education in the summer prior to a two-semester clinical experience in their final year.

Because of WCACLS, more rural areas retain CLS graduates. Their students “are ‘home-grown’,” Paur says.  Since they don’t relocate to Grand Forks for an extended period of time, they are more likely to stay and work in their rural communities where they are most needed.  

Many rural medical centers are “giving incentives to students,” she notes, including sign-on bonuses and loan forgiveness if the CLS graduate stays in the profession and in the region.

Job market pushing up demand

Nationally, 4,200 people enter the clinical laboratory workforce annually to fill 12,400 jobs, according to Sens.  “This deficiency is becoming critical for many medical centers and threatens their ability to function effectively.” 

The growing shortage of clinical laboratory scientists nationwide, which the federal government has declared a “crisis,” has fueled increased demand and pushed up salaries.  The shortage is expected to become more severe as the first wave of baby-boomers hits their 60s and 70s.    

“The wages are excellent and the job opportunities are unlimited,” says Paur, noting that many students who are enrolled in or have earned bachelor’s degrees in other sciences are discovering CLS, especially because of bright prospects for employment.

-Pamela D. Knudson

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