Med Tech 2
Top of the Class
Since the early 1990s, the med tech program at UW Oshkosh has consistently ranked in the top quarter in the state. Over the last 20 years, Strous says, only three students have failed the national certification exam the first time they took it, a test that is usually taken upon graduation for better job placement.
John Strous (left) teaches medical technology students at UW Oshkosh about the Coulter Counter, a machine that analyzes blood samples. Photo by Tom Hanaway. |
“You can look at Oshkosh versus the national average and we consistently beat it,” he says. “Nationally, people take the exam the first time and 18 to 20 percent fail. We are 10 times better than the national rate.”
Strous chuckles when people tell him that they had no idea that UW Oshkosh has one of the most successful and highly regarded med tech programs in the state.
“To the best of my abilities I try not to keep it a secret,” he says. “It’s a high quality program and I am very proud of it. I make an effort not to keep it a secret.”
Strous is also proud to say that students in the med tech program have little trouble landing jobs after graduation, finding employment in a variety of settings, such as blood banks, public health agencies, health centers and research laboratories.
“All of my students, if they are willing to move a county or two, will find jobs, ” says Strous, who graduated from Oshkosh with a B.S. in Biology in 1972 and finished his M.S. in Biology/Microbiology ten years later.
He credits much of the program’s success to the combination of rigorous coursework and the partnerships with area hospitals.
Podcast (Audio-only)
In this audio-only podcast, Janet Rosin, Lab Education Coordinator of
the School of Medical Technology at St. Elizabeth Hospital, touts the
benefits of the partnership with the UW Oshkosh Medical Technoloy
Program.
The interview was conducted by COLS Special
Reports Producer Grace Lim. |
---|