Competencies required of the laboratorian in the move toward personalized genetic medicine will include more direct links to patient care, customer relations, teaching, consulting, data analysis and process improvement.
There is a workforce shortage of laboratory professionals in the health care industry, in CT and nationwide. The average vacancy rate was recently reported at ten-percent[1] with a projected need for 150,000 new employees in 2014[2].
College enrollment is expected to increase by 14 percent between fall 2010 and fall 2019[3], with applied professional programs related to employability rising in popularity[4].
The PSM in Health Care Genetics at UCONN was designed to address the workforce shortage, be relevant to the interests of college applicants, and to meet the trends of genetic testing and the expanding role of the clinical laboratorian.
There is a workforce shortage of laboratory professionals in the health care industry, in CT and nationwide. The average vacancy rate was recently reported at ten-percent[1] with a projected need for 150,000 new employees in 2014[2].
College enrollment is expected to increase by 14 percent between fall 2010 and fall 2019[3], with applied professional programs related to employability rising in popularity[4].
The PSM in Health Care Genetics at UCONN was designed to address the workforce shortage, be relevant to the interests of college applicants, and to meet the trends of genetic testing and the expanding role of the clinical laboratorian.
[1] Bennett, A., et al., ASCP wage and vacancy survey of U.S. Medical Laboratories. Lab Medicine, 2009. 40(3): p. 133-141.
[2] Tobias, S., Professional Master’s Education, in American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Today. 2010.
[3] Snyder, T.D. and S.A. Dillow, Digest of Education Statistics 2010 (NCES 2011-015). 2011, National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences: Washington, DC.
[4] Altbach, P.G., L. Reisberg, and L.E. Rubley, Trends in global higher education: tracking an academic revolution, in A report prepared for the UNESCO 2009 World Conference on Higher Education. 2009: Paris.