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Hey, I'm a pre-med student thinking of majoring in medical technology. Do you know if this will help me out in med school?
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Pre-Medicine and Med Technology
- Thread starter Pathologist
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Who cares about whether it'll help you out in med school? Major in whatever you want... But if you really want to know, I really don't think a degree in med technology will "help you out" in med school, unless you're thinking of researching or something.
S
shotokankarate
Yes, you will have a general and clinical biochemistry background with some junior level anatomy and phys background.
It has helped people I know in med school. I kinda wish that I had done that as an undergrad.
It has helped people I know in med school. I kinda wish that I had done that as an undergrad.
I cannot answer whether or not a degree in med technology can help you out once you are in med school, but it probably won't help you get admitted to med school. The science admission requirements have to be those taken by biology, chemistry and physics majors. Those are not technology courses.
Nor are technology courses likely to help you be well prepared for the MCAT.
MDs are not technologists. They leave that work to technologists. This does not mean you shouldn't take any technology courses if you want to, but they will be for your own personal satisfaction.
Nor are technology courses likely to help you be well prepared for the MCAT.
MDs are not technologists. They leave that work to technologists. This does not mean you shouldn't take any technology courses if you want to, but they will be for your own personal satisfaction.
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Gower, I don't think you have a clear understanding of what medical technology is. A med tech major is a four year BS program. I have to take biology, chemistry, organic chem, biochem, phsyics, immunology, and anatomy before I can even take med tech classes. Then, the med tech classes are things like serology, hematology, bacteriology, virology, parasitology, and mycology. I'm interested in pathology, so I was pretty sure those classes would be tied into the type of doctor I would like to become.
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I am a senior Med Tech ajor at MSU, and I feel that it has provided an excellent background for medical school. The level of diagnostic microbiology and biochemistry that I have had to take to obtain my degree can only help when all of the same information is thrown at me even faster next year as a MSI
I agree with the last message. People do not have a clear understanding of medical technology. So let me shed some light on this issue. I have worked for the last three years as a clinical laboratory scientist (A.K.A medical technolist). I work the night shift in a 400 bed, inner-city hospital. I work in blood bank, heme, chem, micro, tox and coag departments.
Let me share a few stories with you from the control room of modern medicine (the lab). Last night, I received a call from an MD who had a patient bleeding out and had no idea what labs to order. So I told him to run plt count, hemoglobin, PT/INR, APTT, D-Dimer, and fibrinogen. Everything was normal except for the elevated PT/INR of 30.2 (0.9-1.2 norm). So I called the MD back and suggusted 2 units of Fresh Frozen Plasma along with a blood type and screen. After giving several units of FFP and vitiamin K the patient's bleeding was under control.
Two weeks ago, I was working blood bank and heme. Labor and delivery order a plt count and hgb. The plt count was 45,000 (norm is 140,000-440,000). This woman was in active labor and the MD wanted to give an epidral but couldn't due to the critially low plt count. (pt may bleed into the spinal cord ) So the MD called me and asked what else to order to ruleout a bleed. So I told the MD to order a bleeding time and I'll come up and do it. The bleeding time was 9.5mins (norm 2-8mins). After giving the RN the results, the MD called me in the lab to ask what I thought of a potential bleed. To make a long story short. I urged the MD not the give the epideral but to ruleout a plt antibody.
Well these are just a few stories of what it is like working as a med tech. The experience that I have received will put me miles ahead of other peolpe applying for med school. Also I agree with the previous message about science classes. As a med tech you have many more indepth classes which will help you in med school. For instance, during my 9 month internship, I took a parasitology/mycology class which was given by a lady that worked for the CDC. My class mates were other med tech interns, 2 PA s, and 3 residents from internal medicine. So if you are on the fence, deciding about medical technology and medicine, it will only make you a better doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let me share a few stories with you from the control room of modern medicine (the lab). Last night, I received a call from an MD who had a patient bleeding out and had no idea what labs to order. So I told him to run plt count, hemoglobin, PT/INR, APTT, D-Dimer, and fibrinogen. Everything was normal except for the elevated PT/INR of 30.2 (0.9-1.2 norm). So I called the MD back and suggusted 2 units of Fresh Frozen Plasma along with a blood type and screen. After giving several units of FFP and vitiamin K the patient's bleeding was under control.
Two weeks ago, I was working blood bank and heme. Labor and delivery order a plt count and hgb. The plt count was 45,000 (norm is 140,000-440,000). This woman was in active labor and the MD wanted to give an epidral but couldn't due to the critially low plt count. (pt may bleed into the spinal cord ) So the MD called me and asked what else to order to ruleout a bleed. So I told the MD to order a bleeding time and I'll come up and do it. The bleeding time was 9.5mins (norm 2-8mins). After giving the RN the results, the MD called me in the lab to ask what I thought of a potential bleed. To make a long story short. I urged the MD not the give the epideral but to ruleout a plt antibody.
Well these are just a few stories of what it is like working as a med tech. The experience that I have received will put me miles ahead of other peolpe applying for med school. Also I agree with the previous message about science classes. As a med tech you have many more indepth classes which will help you in med school. For instance, during my 9 month internship, I took a parasitology/mycology class which was given by a lady that worked for the CDC. My class mates were other med tech interns, 2 PA s, and 3 residents from internal medicine. So if you are on the fence, deciding about medical technology and medicine, it will only make you a better doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just 2?.
I suppose that those sorts of experiences one would get pursuing a med tech degree could be valuable after you are accepted into medical school (in terms of relative ease with classwork; some being review and the like) and beyond in the clinical rotations. The trouble is, it doesn't provide a good deal of breadth in one's educational experience (which I obviously think is important or I wouldn't be mentioning it).
If you are not accepted to med school yet as a med tech student, then you will go up against all of the dime-a-dozen "pre-med's" who make up a little less than half of the entering class nation-wide. I don't see this as a benefit. The balance of the admissions group goes to non-pre-med's. I'm not sure it will increase your chances for getting in.
I'm also not sure it will help you with the MCAT either since the med tech classes have very little to do with the MCAT content. Besides, the non-science majors on average do better than the science majors (granted it has a great deal to do with reading skills which many science students never develop to the same degree as non-science).
Will it make you a better doctor? I guess this has a great deal to do with what you consider a good doctor to be. I personally think it will make you into a doctor that knows what a med tech does. Being a better doctor is up to the individual's notion of what that is, and how well he/she manifests that notion.
So, I guess if you want to be a med tech (should med school not go your way), then it is the best degree program for you since I personally don't see how it will enhance the chances for acceptance. Perhaps it will be of benefit once you are there, but I don't see that as a good enough reason to pursue the degree.
Just my opinion.
I suppose that those sorts of experiences one would get pursuing a med tech degree could be valuable after you are accepted into medical school (in terms of relative ease with classwork; some being review and the like) and beyond in the clinical rotations. The trouble is, it doesn't provide a good deal of breadth in one's educational experience (which I obviously think is important or I wouldn't be mentioning it).
If you are not accepted to med school yet as a med tech student, then you will go up against all of the dime-a-dozen "pre-med's" who make up a little less than half of the entering class nation-wide. I don't see this as a benefit. The balance of the admissions group goes to non-pre-med's. I'm not sure it will increase your chances for getting in.
I'm also not sure it will help you with the MCAT either since the med tech classes have very little to do with the MCAT content. Besides, the non-science majors on average do better than the science majors (granted it has a great deal to do with reading skills which many science students never develop to the same degree as non-science).
Will it make you a better doctor? I guess this has a great deal to do with what you consider a good doctor to be. I personally think it will make you into a doctor that knows what a med tech does. Being a better doctor is up to the individual's notion of what that is, and how well he/she manifests that notion.
So, I guess if you want to be a med tech (should med school not go your way), then it is the best degree program for you since I personally don't see how it will enhance the chances for acceptance. Perhaps it will be of benefit once you are there, but I don't see that as a good enough reason to pursue the degree.
Just my opinion.
