A University of Kentucky College of Allied Health Professions professor has started the first class of its kind in the United States. Doris J. Baker, Ph.D., associate professor, College of Allied Health Professions, who is an expert in the reproductive laboratory field, first taught the reproductive laboratory science class to clinical lab science students last spring.
"Most laboratory technologists working in assisted reproductive technology (ART) laboratories or fertility clinics are science majors with no formal training in reproductive laboratory science," Dr. Baker said. "To date, ART technologists are trained on the job."
There are no programs at any university or college in the United States that currently award degrees in reproductive laboratory science. Demand for formal education in this specialty is anticipated to grow as regulations of ART laboratories continue to increase.
Baker also developed a compact disk for ART technologists nationwide to use to train on semen analysis. Baker says many of the technologists working in laboratories have been trained incorrectly to complete semen analysis, therefore, making the test results inaccurate.
Dr. Baker's goal is to establish specialty training in reproductive laboratory science in the College of Allied Health Professions. Reproductive laboratory science is one track included in a proposal being developed for graduate education in clinical laboratory science at UK. Work in the reproductive laboratory science specialty will lead to a master's or doctoral degree.