Goal

The program of study is designed to provide the knowledge and technical skills necessary to qualify students for working in a diagnostic clinical laboratory, research, or industry.

Introduction

Department of medical technology was founded in summer 1999 and offers a four-year Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Since then approximately 60 students enroll in this program each year. Based upon the former five-year junior college program, we create a learning atmosphere that promotes and respects individual inquiry and academic excellence. Recently, in the hope of providing a better learning surroundings and establishing the prospective graduate program in Applied Biotechnology, we have focused our efforts on strengthen the educational quality by readjusting courses curriculum,equipping with new laboratory instruments, recruiting new faculty members and promoting faculty professional growth through research and other scholarly activities. We will continue to strive for a rich environment with rigorous preparation and guidance by faculty to prepare our students for successful careers in both clinical and academic laboratories as well as industrial profession.

Departmental Characteristic

The only medical technologist training program in Hsin-Chu. Courses emphasized in both clinical laboratory science and state-of-art biotechnology.Improving students' bench skills by intensive laboratory courses and hospital practical training. Advantages of biotechnology industrial connection due to locating in the neighborhood of Hsin-Chu Science-Based Park, Chu-Nan iotechnology Research Park and Chu-Pei Medical and Biological Research Park.

Educational Objectives

To provide academic and professional laboratory experiences enabling program graduates to function proficiently in diverse professional settings.

Future Plan

Enhancing student's knowledge and specialties on basic and clinical related subjects as well as abilities on application of foreign languages and computational skill Establishing graduate program in biotechnology Establishing preventive medical research laboratory in the hope of offering the diseases screening services for communities Improving course curriculum for both undergraduate and graduate programs Organizing research and other scholarly activities, such as conferences and workshops.

Faculty and Staff

The faculty and staff team consists four associate professors, thirteen assistant professors, thirteen instructors and two laboratory assistants.

Curriculum

1st year; Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Biology, Calculus and Organic Chemistry. 2nd year: Biochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology, Anatomy, Histology, Physiology and Biostatistics. 3rd year: Pathology, Blood Banking, Parasitology, Molecular Biology, Instrument Analysis, Clinical Microscopy, Clinical Physiology, Clinical Serology and Immunology, Clinical Microbiology, Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Hematology. 4th year: Practical Training for a whole semester and Elective courses, including Clinical toxicology, Biotechnology, Molecular Diagnosis, Laboratory Quality Assurance and Gene Cloning.

Facilities

There are five basic science laboratories, six clinical laboratories, six biotechnology laboratories and five medical research laboratories in this department. The equipments available include ultracentrifuge, HPLC, High-performance Capillary Electrophoresis, PCR controller, Protein purification and analysis apparatus, phase-contrast microscope,reverse-phase microscope, multiple users synchronized instructional microscope, automatic biochemical analyzer, ELISA reader, phase-contrast fluorescence microscope and facilities for both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell culture.

Research

The research interests of faculty have been focused on basic research including gene cloning and transformation, protein engineering, anti-oxidant studies and cancer research, as well as clinical applications such as development of drug detecting and molecular diagnosis kits and production of vaccine.

Possible Career Areas

Medical technologists with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree may work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, doctors' offices, and clinics, and public health centers. They may also work in research or industrial settings, or serve as clinical laboratory scientists, also known as medical technologists. Intensive training in practical lab skills also makes advanced studies in graduate programs an excellent choice for the graduates.