Nearly 100% UToledo’s job placement rate for graduates of the master’s program in transplantation and donation sciences — the first program of its kind in the U.S.
The transplantation and donation sciences master’s program at The University of Toledo is the first academic program in the country to prepare students to coordinate and oversee organ donation and transplantation.
UToledo’s transplantation and donation sciences program within the College of Medicine and Life Sciences offers two tracks:
UToledo graduates of the transplantation and donation sciences program earn a professional science master’s degree (P.S.M). The P.S.M. combines basic and medical science classes with professional skills development. Students take elective courses in such areas as business, project management, policy and law. They are prepared for high-level leadership roles.
The traditional on-campus track provides entry-level, professional preparation to become an organ-procurement coordinator. Donation coordinators facilitate the donation process from start to finish. They are the liaisons between the donor’s family, the coroner or medical examiner, the medical and nursing staff, the organ procurement organization and the transplant center.
UToledo’s transplantation and donation sciences program attracts students from across the U.S. — those with science backgrounds and those with non-science degrees. All graduate students must meet our minimum science prerequisites.
Hands-on clinical work. UToledo students in the master’s program have many opportunities to participate in real-life clinical experiences as part of their course requirements. They role play and learn how to foster compassionate conversations about organ donation. They also can volunteer within the local donation and transplantation community.
State-of-the-art simulation center. UToledo’s Lloyd A. Jacobs Interprofessional Immersive Simulation Center is one of the best places in the country for students to learn health care. Its three simulation centers offer the latest technological tools, including virtual-reality simulations.
Network with guest lecturers from the donation and transplantation industry. UToledo also has an active alumni network.
UToledo has a nearly 100% job placement rate for our graduates in the transplantation and donation sciences master’s program. Most graduates begin their careers as coordinators at an organ procurement organization. The average starting, annual salary for a donation coordinator is $65,000.
80% of our graduates during the past 15 years continue to work in the field of donation and transplantation. This is a remarkable number, given how stressful the job can be. One of four of them has been promoted to management or leadership roles.
UToledo graduates are prepared to take national certification exams offered by the American Board for Transplant Certification after working in the field for one year.
Alumni of UToledo’s transplantation and donation sciences program have been employed at:
UToledo ’08 alumni Eric Lanphear is co-creator of The Carousel of Hope and Healing, a unique, brain-based training that inspires organ donation. Eric is a seasoned organ-procurement specialist. For 17 years, he has worked with hundreds of ethnically diverse families throughout the country. He knows how to speak to grieving families and help them find a path of hope. His partner, Stephanie Shipper, is a certified trainer of neuro-linguistic programming and a consulting kinesiologist. Together, they provide training in how to build solid relationships and speak with grieving families, as well as how to retain and keep staff who are performing this stressful work.
"As a graduate of The University of Toledo, I entered the organ-donation field with a strong foundation from which to launch my career as an organ recovery coordinator. After seven years in the field of donation and transplantation, I can honestly say I am still passionate about what I do. Now I am leading our organ recovery team, and I have the privilege to continually support the program and its graduates as they begin their careers.” Melissa Alt, ’11
Learn about how the transplantation and donation sciences program at The University of Toledo came to be and how our students are trained in this Blade article.
UToledo’s unique curriculum in the transplantation and donation sciences master’s program combines science and medical classes with business and management course work and clinical experience. Students take courses on the legal, ethical, sociocultural and behavioral dimensions associated with death, organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
The final semester includes two internships at organ procurement organizations across the country and a capstone seminar.
Transplantation and Donation Sciences Graduate Program Sample Classes
Faculty members in this innovative program are basic scientists and clinical faculty from The University of Toledo Medical Center. Students also learn from leaders in the organ and tissue donation and transplantation field, who provide guest lectures, workshops and clinical experiences.
Each student works with a faculty advisor to complete a scholarly project. Past projects have tackled such subjects as how the opioid crisis affects transplantation.
