Student Profiles: Marilyn Nguty-Nkeng

Marilyn was no stranger to basic science when she came into the DMRT program, having already earned a Bachelor’s degree in microbiology. With her growing interest in infectious disease and cancer, though, this time around she decided to pursue a clinical track. "You have the choice of med technology or biolotechnology research science," she explains."I chose the medical technology track so I can get experience in the clinical diagnosis of disease while learning applications in research."

Marilyn is working part-time as a researcher while finishing her final year of the Bachelor’s degree program in Medical and Research Technology. "It's great," she says. "I can pursue both the clinical and scientific aspects. The DMRT program has really exposed me to the profession of clinical laboratory science. Before I started, I didn’t know there were so many opportunities available to me, so many things I could do with this degree."

Marilyn will work full-time at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in the Rapid Response Laboratory and hopes to pursue a PhD in Molecular Medicine following her graduation from the program this spring. She’s certain she’ll be prepared for such rigorous study. "I’m surprised at how confident this program has made me feel," Marilyn admits. "I came into the program with three years of laboratory experience, but I’ve gotten more comfortable and more confident about my ability since being here, so I’m able to do many more things."

Marilyn, a recipient of the Alpha Mu Tau Fraternity and ASCLS scholarship, is a strong advocate of the program as well as the profession. She has already recruited one friend to the program (see Eugene Ateh, below) and admits she's always telling friends about her experience. "I really like the training I’ve gotten here," Marilyn says. "It’s very clinical. I especially appreciate the teachers. The student to teacher ratio is very small, so you get individualized attention. And we have such seasoned teachers. They have been doing this for years, so they really know what they’re teaching; they’ve experienced it and are passing on that experience to us."