Messenger - Vol. 1, No. 3, Page 15 Spring 1992 Alumni and friends assist Medical Technology Program An advisory panel of alumni and friends from the health-care community has begun working to build a scholarship fund, increase summer internships and recruit more majors for the University's Medical Technology Program. The program was one closely examined by the University during this period of fiscal constraint, and it had been considered for elimination because of its expense and under-enrollment. Expressing concern over the shortage of qualified health care professionals, a group of alumni and medical community representatives sought and received a postponement of a decision on the program's future. Although the program still must be reevaluated each year to assess progress toward larger enrollments and reduced costs, R. Byron Pipes, provost and vice president for academic affairs, told the advisory panel that the University is committed to graduating the med tech students who will be admitted next fall and that the program will go forward "one freshman class" at a time. Members of the advisory panel include representatives from the Association of Delaware Hospitals; the Medical Center of Delaware; the Du Pont Co.; the Veteran's Administration Regional and Medical Center; Medlab Clinical Testing Inc.; and five nearby hospitals, including Taylor Hospital in Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and St. Francis, Milford Memorial and Kent General hospitals in Delaware. About half the panel are alumni of the Delaware program, which was established in 1949. According to program director Anna Ciulla, letters requesting donations for a scholarship fund have been sent to more than 500 alumni and 1,200 physicians, as well as to regional hospitals and private laboratories. Summer internships already have been added for medical technology students. In addition to two ongoing internships at Medlab, three to five positions have been designated for the University's med tech students at the Medical Center of Delaware. Graduates of the Medical Technology Program can expect careers in hospitals, private clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, public health agencies or research laboratories in academia and industry. According to Ciulla, there is a shortage of medical technologists in the region and across the country. Some 57,000 job vacancies are expected by the year 2000, she said. Entry-level salaries range from $26,000 to $35,000. The University's program has openings for 26 senior and 26 junior students per year. Freshmen and sophomores who declare an interest in medical technology are advised to take basic science courses in biology and chemistry.