WISCONSIN RAPIDS –Mid-State Technical College (MSTC) will offer three new associate degree programs at the Marshfield campus beginning this fall. The programs are Biomedical Informatics Technician, Clinical Research Coordinator and Laboratory Science Technician. Details for the three Associate in Applied Science Degrees (AAS) follow:

Biomedical Informatics Technician – Biomedical informatics technicians use computer programs and established methods to securely process, compile, maintain and report electronic health information data for patient care, reimbursement, facility planning, marketing, risk management, utilization management, quality assessment and research. Students will be prepared to apply information technology to create and maintain medical and clinical records, and to archive and analyze biological databanks.

According to Eldean Walling, Dean of the Service & Health Division, employment of biomedical informatics technicians is expected to rise faster than average because of rapid growth in the number of medical tests, treatments and procedures that will be increasingly scrutinized by health insurance companies, regulators, courts and consumers. “Biomedical informatics technicians organize and evaluate these records for completeness and accuracy. Technicians assemble patients’ health information and make sure that patients’ medical charts are complete and all necessary information is in the computer.”

Walling said graduates of the Biomedical Informatics Technician program will be prepared to fill entry-level positions such as biomedical informatics technician, biotechnical assistant, clinical informatics technician, health informatics technician and medical informatics technician.

Clinical Research Coordinator – This program prepares individuals who have responsibility for first-level integrity of a research project – the organization, collaboration and coordination, data collection, recruiting, screening, enrolling and scheduling participants. Additional duties include ensuring accuracy of documentation, preliminary technical report writing and initial protocol development. According to Walling, clinical research coordinators work under the direct supervision of principal and co-investigators. “Education and training emphasis is placed on providing assistance in the research process related to regulatory compliance and other research projects.” Walling says the clinical research field is dynamic and challenging with many opportunities for growth and career development. “Career opportunities for clinical research coordinators are found in hospitals, physicians’ offices, contract research organizations, biomedical research organizations and institutions, specialty disease centers and pharmaceutical and medical device suppliers. With appropriate experience, graduates will be prepared to work as a clinical research coordinator or research study coordinator,” said Walling.

Laboratory Science Technician – Students will be prepared to provide laboratory support to the environmental, food processing, medical and agriculture industries. They will learn to conduct or assist in laboratory analysis of food, water, fuel, soil, drugs and other elements. Laboratory science technicians are often the “go-to” team members – operating standard laboratory equipment, performing tests and experiments and troubleshooting production problems. According to Dr. Sue Budjac, Vice President of Academic Affairs, graduates will have a strong basis in scientific principles, quality methodology and process management skills. “This curriculum includes terminology, concepts and techniques used in analytical, research, quality control and processing laboratories.” She added that graduates from the Laboratory Science Technician program will be certified in HACCP (Hazardous Analysis and Critical Control Point) and be prepared for Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Career opportunities for program graduates includes entry-level positions such as agriculture and food technician, biological technician, environmental science protection technician, hydrologists, laboratory assistant, laboratory and research technician and wastewater lab technician.

Each of the three AAS programs is offered at MSTC’s Marshfield campus. However, most of the classes are online so they are largely not location-dependent. For information about MSTC’s new associate degrees, contact enrollment services at 888-575-6782 or visit the college’s web site at mstc.edu.