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Medical technology students bring skills to community

Angela Santoro, a senior medical technology student, takes a blood sample for a cholesterol check at the Church of the Resurrection in the Pike Creek area near Newark.
3:53 p.m., Feb. 4, 2004--A group of UD medical technology students spent part of Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1, at a church health fair, gaining experience in their future profession while performing a public service.

It marked the second year the Department of Medical Technology took part in the event at the Church of the Resurrection in the Pike Creek area near Newark. Mary Ann McLane, associate professor in the department and a member of the parish, said the health fair was an opportunity for students to gain practical experience and for parishioners to get important health information.

The students used lab equipment on loan from the University Wellness Center, which enabled them to test cholesterol levels. Within five minutes of testing a drop of blood from a client’s fingertip, they could share with the clients the results, which showed levels of the so-called good and bad cholesterol.

“We medical technologists are able to give what we call a ‘lab diagnosis’ and tell the person we’ve tested what kind of pattern the data indicates,” McLane said. “We also give out general educational materials about cholesterol and, maybe most important, we suggest three or four questions the person might want to ask his or her physician.”

Such information is vital, she says, because physicians rely heavily on lab test results but often lack the time to explain them and their implications in detail to patients.

Parishioners said holding the health fair, which also included other tests and educational displays, at the church during Sunday morning services was useful and convenient.

“I’m thinking of entering a triathlon in July, so I’m trying to get back into shape and improve my general well-being,” John Palombo, who stopped by for a cholesterol check before attending Mass, said. “My wife saw a notice about the health fair in the church bulletin, and this seemed like a good place for me to start.”

The Department of Medical Technology, part of the College of Health and Nursing Sciences, is a four-year undergraduate, professional program, accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Medical technologists are clinical laboratory scientists whose work is related to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Article by Ann Manser
Photo by Kathy Atkinson

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