Medical Laboratory Professionals Week is an annual celebration of those who play a vital role in health care and patient advocacy. In honor of this year’s Medical Laboratory Professionals Week on April 14-20, Assistant Clinical Professor Ronette Chojnacki offers these thoughts:

How does a practitioner know what antibiotics to prescribe to a patient when they have a bacterial infection? How does a patient know for certain that they are diabetic besides showing symptoms?

These are just a couple of examples of what medical laboratory scientists can determine when performing medical tests in the laboratory.

Did you know that 70% of medical decisions are determined by laboratory testing to guide the patient’s diagnosis and treatment? Without laboratory personnel performing tests on peripheral blood, urine, stool, body fluids and tissues, many patients would not get the help they need to feel better.

Medical laboratory scientists perform tests in the disciplines of clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology, immunohematology (blood bank), microbiology and molecular diagnostics. The tests are performed by manual methods as well as biomedical instrumentation to generate laboratory results that are given to clinicians to treat patients.

The Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Medical Laboratory Science program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Our students take several science and math prerequisites before applying to our program, which spans five semesters, including a 20-week clinical experience in a local hospital. 

Students graduate from our program with the entry-level skills needed to launch their careers. In a shining example of Wayne State University’s College to Career initiative — which seeks to provide every student with experiential learning opportunities that allow them to encounter the world, gain deeper insights and new perspectives, and prepare for prosperous careers — 100 percent of our students are employed within just three months of earning their degree.

The bachelor of science in Medical Laboratory Science is offered through Wayne State’s Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences with an application deadline of May 1. Medical laboratory scientists work behind the scenes to provide critical information to doctors through medical tests. Medical laboratory scientists may also pursue careers in medical information systems technology, research and design new testing methods, or go on to medical school.

An anchor in urban health care

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is built on more than 100 years of tradition and innovation in the heart of Detroit. We have grown deep roots in our city, harnessing its powerhouse hospital systems and community service organizations as vibrant, real-world training grounds for students, with an ongoing focus on social justice in health care. And our research at all levels – from undergraduates to veteran faculty members – translates into creative solutions for healthier communities.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering approximately 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 24,000 students.