Online Degree Programs A Boon For The Clinical Lab Tech!
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These days it's impossible to find a medical facility of any size that doesn't employ at least one clinical lab technician. They are responsible for running and testing any samples a doctor provides for infections, viruses, drugs or whatever is needed for a diagnosis. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently over 300,000 of them in the U.S. The Bureau extrapolates there will be a need for another 50,000 before the decade is out, making it a profession who's growth is rated greater than average, and one that particularly benefits from an online degree.
While this may sound exceedingly attractive as a career path, coming up with the tuition is a whole other story. These days a four year degree in either medical technology or the life sciences is preferred by recruiters. With the cost of tuition rising faster than the rate of inflation, this can cause many aspiring student to pause. Even with an experienced technician earning over $50,000 a year, a Bachelor's can have a student paying off the loan for years to come. If you need more information about accredited distance learning degree, look on the internet.
Still, there are options available to the future techie beyond the aforementioned student loans and the everyday Pell Grant. Here are a couple of options one should consider when pursuing this field:
(1) S-STEM Scholarships - This program was created by the Federal government and is administered by the National Science Foundation. Its purpose is specifically to help people get their Associate's, Bachelors and even their Masters of Science degree in what are called STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) professions, of which lab techs certainly are. It awards one hundred students anywhere from $100,000 to $600,000 a year. To find out more about this program, one should contact the National Science Foundation.
(2) Professional Societies - If any groups want to see their ranks swell, it's these. For instance, the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Society has a web page containing about 25 programs to assist students and post-grads obtain funding. They detail who handles each program and where you can go to find out more information. This is an excellent resource and one that should be reviewed carefully.
(3) Work Study/Internship Programs - As it happens, this is a very common way for clinical techs to get their education and eventual certification. This kind of employment can come from such major hospitals as the Mayo Clinic to a number of universities. A good way to start is to consult the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Society. This provides great hands-on experience and you could end up being paid to learn. There is an abundance of information about accredited degree on the web.
(4) Corporate Scholarships - A number of health and technological corporations are a source of financial aid. Among them are Tylenol, who gives out $250,000 to promising medical professionals and the Siemens Corporation, who donate over $7 million in STEM-related grants. Do a little homework and you'll find many more.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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