University Communications and Marketing

MLS program at MSU Billings receives grant support

Montana INBRE grant supports student clinical internships for MSU Billings students

Contact:

University Communications and Marketing, 657-2266

MSU BILLINGS NEWS—Select students who are enrolled in the medical laboratory sciences program at MSU Billings will receive funding to support themselves during their clinical internships.

Funding will come from a National Institutes of Health (NIH) five-year grant to the Montana IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). MSU Billings will receive $90,000 a year for the duration of the grant to help fund undergraduate research projects in biomedical and public health areas and clinical internships for medical laboratory sciences (MLS) students.

The MLS program at MSU Billings is a bachelor’s in biology with an MLS option. Students complete core requirements at MSU Billings before applying for admission to an MLS program at a partner institution. Most students from MSUB attend either Montana State University or the University of North Dakota (UND). Students take intensive summer courses at these institutions and then, in the fall, begin their clinical internships.

During the clinical internship period, students pay tuition and living expenses using a combination of financial aid and their own money. Due to the intense time commitment of the program, working part-time during their internships is very difficult. This funding will allow students to be supported during their clinical internships throughout the academic year. Students receiving this internship funding will receive up to 19 hours of funding per week.

Applications will be offered to students who are accepted to and enrolled in the Professional Medical Lab Training Core and that have successfully completed their summer professional core.

Requirements to receive this funding include being enrolled in the professional training core through MSU Bozeman or UND MLS programs; previous laboratory experience or experience as a phlebotomist; placement for the clinical internship portion in Montana; a strong desire to work as a certified medical laboratory scientist in Montana; and a recommendation from a faculty advisor or clinical laboratory scientist.

Preference will be given to candidates who have a placement in Yellowstone County and who have a strong desire to work as a certified medical laboratory scientist in Yellowstone County or a rural area of Montana.

For more information, contact Acting Dean of the College of Allied Health Professionals Kurt Toenjes at 406-896-5940 or ktoenjes@msubillings.edu.

PHOTO: MSU Billings student Cody Walters, a previous MLS recipient.