Welcome to the Department of Health Sciences

Welcome to the Department of Health Sciences! Our department provides both academic programs and advising support for students interested in being part of the health care team. Healthcare encompasses a wide range of disciplines that include direct patient care as well as diagnostic, technical and therapeutic professions. Currently our department offers two undergraduate programs in Medical Laboratory Science and Respiratory Therapy and graduate program in Applied Health Physiology. In addition, our department provides academic planning assistance, through the Health Professions Advising Program (HPAP), for students interested in health careers that involve post-baccalaureate education. HPAP provides academic guidance to students on developing their academic career, knowledge, and experiences necessary to gain admission to a post-baccalaureate health profession program of their choice. Additional information about the academic programs housed within the department can be found directly below. Students seeking academic guidance for post-baccalaureate medical professions not available through our department can be found by clicking on the link to HPAP located below on the right side of the webpage.

About the Department

The Health Sciences Department strives to be a leader in the generation, dissemination and application of knowledge that advances the sciences and practice of our integrated health-related disciplines. We build and sustain academic programs that meet current and emergent needs of the health care community.

The Health Sciences Department is comprised of two undergraduate programs, medical laboratory science and respiratory therapy, and a graduate program in applied health physiology. Each program provides a curriculum that prepares graduates for national certification in their fields of study. Health Sciences Department students must have an aptitude for science and a good working knowledge of chemistry, biology, physiology, math and microbiology.

During the first two years of each undergraduate program, students take prerequisite and General Education courses. Admission into each of the undergraduate programs is a two-step process that includes both admission to Salisbury University and acceptance into the upper-division professional program. Program admission is competitive, and it is highly recommended that students wishing to pursue the degree seek academic advisement early. Information about admission policies can be found within the University’s catalog. The last two years comprise the professional core, offering courses in the major with student laboratories accompanied by rotations through clinical facilities. The courses prepare students to practice in laboratory science or respiratory care under the guidance and supervision of professionals during internships in “real-world” environments.

OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SCIENCES

• Being a Medical Laboratory Scientist
  
  Medical laboratory science (MLS) is a branch of medicine dealing with laboratory analyses used in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease as well health maintenance. Successful MLS students generally like science and laboratory work. They love solving the diagnostic puzzle, and many incorporate additional science courses into their studies to allow for admission into a variety of graduate schools including medicine, forensics and pharmacy. If you have ever been fascinated by what you saw looking through a microscope, what you watched happen in a test tube or what you found growing in Petri dish, this major could be for you.
  
  Career opportunities for MLS graduates are expanding and the job market is good. Think of how many medical laboratory procedures are now standard protocol: cholesterol testing, drug screening, DNA analysis, microbiological cultures, etc. As the population in the U.S. ages and the capabilities of medical laboratories expand, there is no end in sight for increased demand for medical laboratory services.
  
  The national standard for MLS is a baccalaureate degree that incorporates clinical internships. At SU, after two years of prerequisite courses in basic science areas such as biology and chemistry, upper-level courses are provided in chemical and biological testing related to health and human disease, as well as internships in various hospitals throughout the region. Following completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take national certification examinations which are recognized by medical laboratory employers.
   
• Being a Respiratory Therapist
  
  If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment where your technical and scientific responsibilities will be matched by a real need for human relations skills, the profession of respiratory therapy may be the career you are seeking. Respiratory therapy is a health care specialty that offers a set of unique challenges in the areas of prevention, treatment, management, and rehabilitation of people with diseases of the lungs and cardiovascular system.
  
  As a respiratory care practitioner, you will be involved in a wide variety of life-saving and life-supporting situations. You will work side by side with physicians, nurses and others on the health care team, treating patients ranging in age from newborns to senior citizens. Your expertise will be in demand, and opportunities to expand your knowledge and skills will be great.
  
  In the current job climate, the respiratory care practitioner’s talents are a precious commodity in most medical institutions. In addition, many clinics, nursing homes and home care programs are beginning to realize the potential benefits of having a trained respiratory care practitioner on staff. Coupled with the ever-increasing number of cardiopulmonary disorders diagnosed, these demands ensure that individuals who enter the profession will enjoy good career opportunities.
  
  Students can complete their respiratory therapy coursework in Salisbury on the main campus or at the Universities at Shady Grove, in Rockville, MD.

Applied Health Physiology

If you have ever wondered how you could incorporate your passion for studying exercise and human performance as a career, then applied health physiology may be for you. This Master of Science professional degree program is designed to prepare graduate students for employment in a variety of settings that promote health, fitness and wellness (e.g., strength and conditioning, cardiovascular/ pulmonary rehabilitation, geriatric centers, youth centers, state and local health departments, and corporate wellness programs). The curriculum emphasizes both theory and practice in the preparation of administrators, technicians and supervisors. The program has been designed to include the knowledge, skills and opportunities for practice that are essential for the development of health care and strength and fitness professionals. A career in this field will allow you to apply evidence-based best practice guidelines to individuals with their unique needs and medical conditions, feeling the satisfaction of knowing that you have improved their lives and future health.

Applied health physiology students read, study and discuss a wide range of theories and ideas related to health and physiology. Students have actual and simulated experiences in practicing the technical, administrative, and supervisory skills of a health care provider and strength and conditioning specialist. The program curriculum allows graduates to go directly into health care settings, but many graduates also use it as a stepping stone to further education in a doctoral program.

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