Demand for Medical Lab Scientists booms due to COVID-19, ISU sees 100% job placement rate

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - The pandemic has brought a critical--and often forgotten--medical field to the forefront, and it's benefitting some Idaho State University students.

Medical laboratory science was thrust into our everyday thoughts as the need for COVID-19 tests became so great. But even before the pandemic, the field was growing.

“Medical lab science is a critical, though often hidden profession,” said Rachel Hulse, director and assistant professor for the medical laboratory science program at ISU. “There’s a lot of need for medical lab scientists, even before COVID.”

Due to the high demand for people in this profession, 100% of ISU's graduates from the program are employed in the field or in a closely related field immediately after earning their degree.

“We have certification pass rates consistently above the national average,” Hulse said.

ISU’s medical laboratory science program offers both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, with a fully online option.

The application for ISU's 2021 medical laboratory science program opens in October and is due at the end of February.