Online MSHS in Biomedical Laboratory Science Program

ESTEPHANY MOLINA: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the virtual information session for the Master of Science in Health Sciences in Biomedical Laboratory Science.

Here are the topics of today’s conversation for our presentation. We will briefly get to know the presenters and their backgrounds, information about the university and its rich history, a breakdown of the way our programs work in an online environment. We’ll cover programmatic details for those new to the industry or for seasoned veterans, an overview of the career opportunities our graduates can expect, hear from faculty directly from the program’s objectives from their unique perspective. And lastly, we will discuss the admission process and all the requirements needed along with your next steps.

All right, well, hello again. My name is Estephany Molina. I’m right there at the bottom. I’ll be your host during this information session. I have been in higher education for a couple of years now, but recently transitioned from working with undergraduate students to George Washington’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences graduate students. Very happy to be here.

Joining me here today is Dr. Rohini Ganjoo. Thank you for joining us. Would you mind introducing yourself?

ROHINI GANJOO: Hi, everyone. I’m Rohini Ganjoo, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences. And I’m the program director for the Master’s in Science in Health Sciences in Biomedical Laboratory Science. I’ve been an educator for over a decade now, and I’m also the founding member for the post-baccalaureate pre-medicine program.

I have a PhD in molecular biology and for the last many years have been working with students. And I’m really excited to talk to you all about our program today.

ESTEPHANY MOLINA: All right, thank you so much, Dr. Ganjoo. All right, so let’s cover some details about the university itself before diving into the program. Collaboration, respect, openness, and diversity are core values that define The George Washington University. In year 201 of existence, George Washington is located in the heart of where health care policy and research are being conducted and decided on. The lengthy history and specialization in medicine allow our faculty to have vast connections within the industry.

Not just a local or national name, George Washington has a strong global alumni list and has students from all 50 states, the district, and 130 countries. There are more than 26,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the university. Strong ranking and recognition from industry experts, such as US News.

OK, so let’s dive into some of the day-to-day expectations in using an online learning platform. All coursework is entirely online and asynchronous. No live lectures. We use Blackboard to manage content, which allows for weekly deadlines within a structured seasonal semester.

There are a total of 36 credit hours required for the program. And this is divided up into 12 courses. Each semester has 15 weeks in its term. You’ll be able to log on as needed within the week to complete assignments, discussion board posts, responses, and quizzes.

The mission of George Washington’s student services support team is to help students succeed at The George Washington University by connecting them to support resources, helping them develop plans of action to meet their goals, and navigating challenging circumstances. Work and engage with real faculty, such as Professor Ganjoo, for your online classes.

ROHINI GANJOO: I wanted to delve a little deeper into why you would want to choose this program. It is an online asynchronous course delivery system. And as you know, when you are studying online with us at GW, you will receive the same benefits and education as all of our on-campus students. And you will be a part of that ever-expanding network of alumni dedicated to making the world a better place.

You can complete your degree in as little as two years. We have a large number of students that are already working in the field. So in addition to the flexibility, our online programs also provide opportunities to collaborate with other students that are seeking to transform health care and improve lives worldwide. The courses are such a rich amalgamation of all of these students because of the fact that the students are all working in different labs or research agencies or the government, or some are even in teaching in other areas.

We do have flexible pathway options, and I’ll talk about that in the next slide. The total number of credit hours that you will be completing when you do this program is 36. And we have absolute world-class expert faculty who hold doctoral and master’s degrees teaching these programs.

So why choose this degree? When we were designing this program, we wanted to facilitate advancement of students into leadership, supervisory, management, or teaching position in labs in research institutions and universities. So we have in our comprehensive online program wanting you to gain both the theoretical as well as practical knowledge so that you have an opportunity to select a specialization in one of our three concentrations. You can also select electives that align with your career interests.

There are three concentrations that you can choose from. The first is translational microbiology. The second is medical laboratory sciences. Immunohematology and biotechnology. Once you graduate, you will have the right management and leadership skills that will allow you to advance your career in the laboratory setting.

The US Bureau of Labor Stats projects that the health care employment will grow 16% from 2020 to 2030, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. And we know that with the expertise that you gain from our degree, you will be able to make health care safer and more effective. Thus, you’ll be at the right place to take advantage of all of these growth opportunities.

Our program is designed for students who want to take their career to that next step. They want to move into leadership positions, supervisory positions across laboratories, biotech companies, public health labs, and more. Our graduates can qualify for the following career opportunities that are listed, for example, biotechnology or government research associate, microbiology lab supervisor or manager, a public health lab scientist or a supervisor, medical laboratory technician, or a medical laboratory scientist teaching position, and so on.

To give you a brief overview of our curriculum, as I mentioned, you will be required to complete 36 credits in our program. You will be gaining both theoretical as well as practical knowledge when you do so. So for the specialization of immunohematology and biotechnology, you’re going to be gaining strategic leadership and practical research skills you need to lead within a laboratory setting. The areas of emphasis will be biotechnology, genetics, immunohematology, and molecular biology.

For the translational microbiology program, you will be interpreting and designing translational microbiology research as well as discovering solutions to infectious-disease-related health issues. The areas of emphasis in this case will be parasitology, mycology, virology, and molecular epidemiology.

Finally, in the medical laboratory science concentration, you will focus on strategic leadership practices and both an understanding of the intricacies of managing and leading a clinical lab. The areas of emphasis would include data analytics, laboratory management, molecular pathology, as well as molecular epidemiology.

We also have a general track concentration wherein you can kind of customize your degree. And you can pick and choose between these three specializations that we have. In all, you will be obtaining advanced skills and leadership knowledge that will allow you to effectively lead in a laboratory setting.

We really pride on our faculty. They are the backbone of our student collaborations. They are the reason we have such a unique and diverse program. Our faculty members who teach courses in our program are subject matter experts. They hold either a master’s or a doctoral degree. And they are qualified to deliver the best possible education so that you may achieve your goals.

ESTEPHANY MOLINA: All right, thank you so much for that information. All right, so let’s touch base about the admission process. So we do have admission counselors available to talk over the phone or on chat to cover each student’s program eligibility. What we look for includes academic success, a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, and an overall 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.

Additionally, we need to ensure that you have a national certification, such as medical laboratory technician, medical technologist, clinical laboratory scientist, medical laboratory scientist, or blood banking technologist/specialist, or even microbiology technologist/specialist. We need to ensure that you also have completed, of course, a fully online application.

We’ll need your copy of your professional resume, two letters of recommendation– can be work or school related– official transcripts from all universities. As long as your institution allows us to request your document on your behalf, we will actually cover those transcript fees. If we cannot, then we will let you know and help you acquire them.

Aside from this, we will need your personal statement or statement of purpose just regarding more so of your goals for obtaining this degree. And then we will need your application fee. It is an $80 application fee, but it may be waived for military or alumni.

All right, so before applying or seeking questions regarding the program in the application process, you’re more than welcome to call or email us at the contact information located here. Like I said previously, we have admission counselors available. They’re available Monday through Friday, with evening hours through Thursday each week. Thank you so much for your time. Have a great day.