More Shawnee State University Medical Laboratory Technology students are getting hands-on training earlier in their program thanks to funding from the SSU Development Foundation and a partnership with King’s Daughters Medical Center Ohio.
MLT students using the Diatron Pictus 500 in the lab
A Diatron Pictus 500, purchased new through Foundation funding, and an ACL Top 300, donated by KDMC Ohio, have been installed in the MLT student lab. The instruments give students the chance to perform troubleshooting, maintenance, and quality control on automated chemistry and coagulation analyzers long before their clinical rotation.
Before this addition, students did not get hands-on time with automated equipment until their fifth semester, once they were already in the clinical setting.
"With the analyzers now in the student lab, students have the opportunity for hands-on learning throughout the program that is equitable with the technology they will encounter during their clinical rotations and in their professional careers," said MLT Program Director Andrea Zaph said. "Providing these analyzers for our MLT students personifies 'Where Learning Works.'"
The students say the new equipment not only helps them be more prepared for their clinicals but also gives them more confidence in their work.
"It helps us become more comfortable with the instruments, gives us a better idea of what to expect in a clinical lab, and better prepares us for our careers as MLTs," said student Alexis Harstine.
"I had made learning automation out to be an insurmountable behemoth in my mind, but our new analyzers are helping me to bridge the gap between our academic foundation and clinical practice,” added student Adrian Winters.
Nikki Wheeler, Laboratory Manager for KDOH and Core Lab, said the donation was a natural extension of KDMC's commitment to training the next generation of lab professionals.
"By donating this laboratory instrument, we hope to provide students with valuable hands-on experience using the same types of technology and equipment they may encounter in their future careers," Wheeler said. "It is a privilege to help prepare tomorrow's laboratory professionals and support their continued growth, learning, and success."
For more information on the Medical Laboratory Technology program, and how donations to the Shawnee State University Foundation can directly impact SSU students, please visit givetossu.com.