UMA welcomed 75 high school students to its Bangor campus on May 12 for a Rural Workforce Medical Bootcamp, a day designed to give students a closer look at healthcare and human services careers in Maine.

Students from the Katahdin and Washington County regions spent the day with UMA faculty and staff discovering opportunities in nursing, veterinary technology, dental health, medical laboratory technology, and mental health and human services. They rotated through hands-on activities, asked questions, and learned more about the kinds of careers that support Maine communities every day.

The program gives students an up-close look at different career options, with the hope of one day helping fill workforce needs in some of Maine’s most rural communities.

“If you think about the healthcare team, it’s the whole team. It’s not just about getting a provider to an area. It’s about helping secure professions for students who want to stay in their rural communities but granting them the access to really explore what their options are,” said Shannon Gauvin, director of nursing at the Â鶹APP, in a WABI TV5 story about the event. 

The Bangor event followed a recent Medical Bootcamp in Augusta, where approximately 40 Oxford County high school students explored health care programs through hands-on demonstrations in nursing, medical laboratory technology, mental health and human services, and dental programs. The Augusta event was offered in partnership with through a grant.

Together, the two events show how UMA is working with partners across the state to introduce students to healthcare and human services fields earlier, and in a more hands-on way. For many students, a day like this can make these careers feel more real and more within reach.

UMA is grateful to the students, schools, faculty, staff, and partners who helped make the Bangor event possible, including and Executive Director Korah Soll, whose collaboration helped bring students to campus for the experience.

High school students from Oxford County explored the future of health care through Â鶹APP second annual Medical Bootcamp, an immersive daylong event designed to help students connect their interests with in-demand career pathways across Maine.

Approximately 40 students took part in hands-on activities and program demonstrations led by UMA faculty and staff in nursing, medical laboratory technology, mental health and human services and dental programs. The experience gave students a closer look at the skills, settings and opportunities that shape health care careers, while showing how UMA programs can help them take the next step.

The participating Oxford County high schools are part of a Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities grant through Community Concepts. Through this partnership, UMA is helping expand access to career exploration for rural students and strengthening pathways into fields that support Maine’s communities.

The momentum continues May 12, when will host a second Medical Bootcamp for about 150 students from 12 schools in the Katahdin Region and Washington County. That event will feature Â鶹APP veterinary technology program along with nursing, , and programs.

UMA is helping students across Maine see what is possible in health care, one hands-on experience at a time.

The Â鶹APP and the University of Maine at Presque Isle, have partnered to deliver a new Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) to Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) bridge program. As the only MLT to MLS program in Maine and one of just a few in New England, we offer a flexible, fully online path for professionals ready to build on the work they are already doing every day.

For many laboratory technicians, advancing their education can feel out of reach while balancing work and life. This program is designed to meet them where they are, allowing students to continue working as they move toward a bachelor’s degree and prepare for national Medical Laboratory Scientist certification.

Behind the scenes of nearly every diagnosis, laboratory professionals play a vital role. An estimated 70% of clinical decisions are informed by laboratory testing, according to the American Society for Clinical Pathology, and the need for skilled professionals continues to grow across Maine and the nation.

“This program supports professionals who are already contributing to patient care and are ready to build on that experience,” said UMA Assistant Professor of Medical Laboratory Technology Malissa Norfolk. “With a fully online format and no additional clinical rotations, students can continue their work while advancing their education in a way that fits their lives.”

Developed in collaboration with healthcare partners, students gain knowledge they can apply right away, right where they are. The curriculum includes advanced theory in disciplines such as microbiology, molecular diagnostics and laboratory management. 

The program is currently seeking accreditation from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Financial aid and scholarship opportunities are available.

Come up to the lab!

You are invited to join us on Tuesday, April 22 for a special Open House celebrating both our new Medical Laboratory Technology space and the 50th anniversary of the medical laboratory profession!

Faculty will be on site to welcome visitors and answer questions during two drop-in windows:

9–11 a.m. and 3–5 p.m.

Robinson Hall MLT Lab at 37 University Drive, Augusta

This is a great opportunity to tour our newly updated Medical Laboratory Technology facilities—opened just one year ago—and to learn more about the vital role of lab professionals in healthcare. Whether you’re a prospective student, current student, or community member, we invite you to stop by and celebrate with us.

On Tuesday, February 13, 2024, the Â鶹APP celebrated the opening of its new medical lab training facility on Â鶹APP Augusta Campus. This renovated educational space now doubles the program’s student capacity and features state-of-the-art laboratory technology and equipment.

“The collaborative MLT Program between UMA and the University of Maine Presque Isle is the only clinical laboratory training program in Maine, so we very much understand and appreciate the gravity of our responsibilities to prepare and train future laboratorians to serve our communities,” says Elisha Sirios, MLT Program Coordinator.

This new learning space will “provide an expanded facility to address workforce education needs in Maine, a hallmark of what UMA does and what the entire University of Maine System is dedicated to address,” according to Jennifer Cushman, President of UMA.

There is significant need for MLTs in Maine and across the country. Brenda McAleer, Â鶹APP Associate Provost and Dean of the College of Professional Sciences made known that there are approximately 90 medical lab tech positions currently open in our state, and Cushman shared that “according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationally, about 24,000 openings for clinical laboratory technologists and technicians are projected annually over the next decade…as approximately 40% of the current laboratory workforce is within five to ten years of retirement.”

“The MLT Program is invaluable to MaineGeneral Health,” according to its President and CEO, Nathan Howell. “MLT’s fill critical roles in our health care system as 74% of our current lab staff graduated from this program.”

“Historically, because of space availability constraints, MLT program classes have been limited to 8-10 students at a time,” Sirois informed. The lab training had previously been done at MaineGereral where the lab space is just under 800 square-feet. “The combined square-footage of this new space is around 4500.” This under-budget $1.75 million project was funded through support from the University of Maine and several grants including the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan Grant.

Â鶹APP Medical Laboratory Technology program is accredited by the and the new medical lab training facility is in Robinson Hall, at 37 University Drive, on the Augusta Campus.

View more photos from the event .

The UMA 2022-2023 Scholarship application is open now with a deadline of March 31, 2022.

Applicants will be evaluated on academic achievement, leadership, and community and/or campus service.

Steps to Apply

1. Submit the online form available on the Scholarships webpage.
2. Attach resume and cover letter containing a personal statement as to why the applicant feels they should be considered for a scholarship.

Details

• Scholarships based on financial eligibility require the student to submit their by UMA’s preferred filing deadline of March 1, 2022.
• All Scholarships require a minimum academic cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
• Scholarship awardees will be notified no later than May 1, 2022.
• Students graduating in Summer 2022 or Fall 2022 are NOT eligible for these scholarships.

Questions?

Contact UMA Student Financial Services at umafa@maine.edu.

Because of the COVID-19 healthcare emergency, students in the Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) Program at the Â鶹APP and the University of Maine at Presque Isle are graduating early and are eligible to begin work this week.

“Even as they work behind the scenes, our graduates know they are a vital part of the healthcare system,” said Judith Clukey, UMA Co-Director of the MLT Program and Education Coordinator at MaineGeneral Medical Center. “Laboratory testing is involved in 70 to 80% of all diagnoses. We are pleased that all six UMA graduates of the MLT Program have found employment and will begin their careers at this critical time of need.”

According to Leigh Belair, UMPI Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the MLT Program of Maine, students in the MLT program traditionally do their clinical training in the spring at clinical affiliate sites including hospitals, clinics, and laboratories. Due to the physical layout of the state, there are affiliates that UMPI traditionally partners with and those that partner with UMA for student training. However, due to the challenges of COVID-19, hospital administrative policy changes around student internships were implemented and resulted in some student displacements from their training sites.

This resulted in several UMA affiliates stepping in to provide training placements for UMPI students. Co-Directors Clukey and Belair worked together to address the unexpected policy changes and found placements for all students.

“Our clinical affiliates recognize the role that the MLT Program of Maine plays in the workforce as we provide them with lab professionals that are desperately needed in Maine,” Clukey said. “The lab community in Maine is small and our affiliates went above and beyond to provide training opportunities during the pandemic for our MLT students.”

Following Spring Break and due to the impacts of COVID-19, modifications to the remaining MLT training schedule were also necessary: “The practicum schedule was abbreviated, but it still provided our students with an introduction to the remaining departments in their practicums. These changes required a lot of coordination, but it allowed us to balance the health and safety of our students with the academic requirements of the program while meeting the clinical needs of our affiliates,” Belair said.

The students have met the degree requirements for MLT and are now able to begin their careers in clinical laboratories two weeks sooner than originally planned. The students were originally scheduled to finish up on May 15 and be eligible to start work on May 18; instead, they took their last test on May 1 and became eligible to work on May 4.

The MLT Program of Maine is a collaborative program sponsored by UMPI and UMA in cooperation with hospitals across the state that serve as clinical affiliates. The Associate’s degree program prepares students for careers as medical laboratory technicians in settings that include hospitals, clinics, and forensic laboratories. MLT Program of Maine graduates are often hired before they finish their clinical training and the program has an average 3-year graduate placement rate of 97%.

There are 15 students graduating from the MLT program, 9 from UMPI and 6 from UMA, and the majority of them were already committed to work at sites in Maine starting on May 4.

“The laboratory has faced a shortfall of techs for quite some time. Now, with the challenges of COVID-19, there has never been a more important time to get our students working” Belair said. “The laboratory and lab testing are discussed daily in the news, and it makes me proud that our graduates will play a critical role in this effort. With our profession in the spotlight, the students have an opportunity to contribute both now and in the future.”

For more information about UMPI’s MLT Program, contact Belair at (207) 768-9440 or email leigh.belair@maine.edu. For more information about Â鶹APP MLT Program, contact Clukey at (207) 626-6773 or email judith.clukey@maine.edu.

ROCKLAND – , an Ohio private family foundation, has made a generous gift to the Â鶹APP Rockland Center to expand, upgrade and enhance its science education teaching space in support of nursing and medical laboratory technology degree programs.

The American Foundation’s generous gift of $85,000 to UMA Rockland will support a renovation of the science classroom and its adjacent lab space plus add new microscopes, slides, spectrophotometers, skeleton, and scientific bone models for the teaching of anatomy and physiology plus expand the technology to support instruction.

In the Fall of 2019, the UMA Rockland Center accepted 20 new students into Â鶹APP Bachelor of Science in Nursing. With a serious nursing shortage statewide, Â鶹APP renewed commitment to educating nurses is important to meeting nursing shortages in the midcoast area. With clinical instruction planned for local hospitals, Â鶹APP program will educate students who plan to live and work locally in the health care field.

According to UMA Rockland’s Director, Deborah Meehan, “We are incredibly grateful to The American Foundation as they give generously to support the highest quality science education for local health care professionals. This will allow us to dramatically improve our science education programming at the Rockland Center.”

Jan Corning of The American Foundation says that “We at the Foundation are pleased to support such a worthwhile and needed endeavor in Midcoast Maine. Addressing the nursing shortage here can lead to better healthcare for all of the area’s population.”

“Addressing the nursing shortage here can lead to better healthcare for all of the area’s population.”

The Â鶹APP is currently accepting new applications to its nursing and medical laboratory technology programs for the Fall of 2020. Applications are due by January 31, 2020 and the process is very competitive. For more information about Fall registration, contact UMA Admissions at 1-877.862.1234.

°Őłó±đĚýUMA Rockland Center is one of nine UMA centers in Maine where students can take courses, pursue degrees, and receive all the support needed to earn a university degree close to home, taking classes that fit into busy family and work life. Courses are taught by faculty on-site, online, via interactive television, or two-way videoconferencing.

UMA Rockland has served the midcoast area for more than 30 years, providing access to more than 30 university degree and certificate programs with small class sizes, personalized support services, tutoring in math and writing, and local scholarships. Students may choose from over 40 university courses offered each fall and spring semester, morning, afternoon and evening in a face-to-face format. In addition, more than 500 courses are offered through distance education technologies.

UMA transforms the lives of students of every age and background across the State of Maine and beyond through access to high-quality distance and on-site education, excellence in student support, civic engagement, and professional and liberal arts programs.