MEDICAL AND SPORTS SCIENCES PROGRAM EXPANDS!

In response to overwhelming student interest, the Medical and Sports Sciences program has doubled in size and expanded its area of study to include a broader spectrum of health careers. As a part of this expansion, we have hired an additional instructor to teach this program. Betsy McLane is a registered Medical Technologist with over twenty years of experience in the laboratory field. She has worked in many areas within the laboratory including the hospital setting and companies serving the clinical laboratory industry.

The first year of the program will be expanded to include a full year of anatomy and physiology as well as some pathology and rehabilitation. Laboratory experiences will be expanded to include microscopic analysis, dissection and laboratory experiments using simulated body fluids (ie: blood testing using simulated blood). The much anticipated clinical observations will still be included during the first year of the program. Wendy King, PT and Betsy McLane, MT (ASCP) will co-teach this curriculum. Wendy King, who is teaching her fourth year of the program, was recently honored as BTC’s teacher of the year!

During the second year of the program the students will be divided in half and the instructors will spend a semester with half of the group exploring exciting topics in their area of specialty. For example, Wendy will cover topics in modalities (heat, ice, ultrasound, electrical stimulation) and kinesiology (assessment of the joints of the body). Betsy will cover topics in laboratory diagnostics such as hematology and microbiology as well as forensic science. Clinical experience will also be included in the second year.

To support this program, BTC was recently awarded a $20,000 grant. These funds will be directed to the Medical and Sports Sciences program to help fund equipment, guest speakers and the development of agreements with neighboring colleges and universities in the hope that students can earn college credits for this program.