Medical Laboratory Science, BS

Requirements and Prerequisites

Admission to the program in medical laboratory science is competitive. Students should have attained a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or greater (4.0 scale) for all applicable college courses taken prior to the date of application. A grade of D or F in any prerequisite course is not accepted and the course must be repeated until an acceptable grade is achieved. Grades in repeated courses are not deleted in the determination of GPA. Other factors considered for admission are science/math GPA, interview, knowledge of the profession, writing skills and recommendations. It is recommended that applicants tour a clinical laboratory prior to interview. In addition, applicants must be able to master certain technical standards (visual, motor, communication and behavioral skills) that are described in the next section. Class size is approximately 25 per year.

Minimum prerequisites for admission include satisfactory completion (prior to the date of registration) of the courses listed below or their equivalent (as determined by the departmental faculty). In addition, international students must take a minimum of 6 Credits in science courses and 6 Credits in English composition in a U.S. college or university.

Prerequisite Courses

• English (Composition) [6 Credits]
• Chemistry
  • (General Lecture and Laboratory) [8 Credits]
• Mathematics (College algebra or above) [6 Credits] *
• Biology (Lecture and Laboratory for Science Majors) [8 Credits]
• Microbiology (Lecture and Laboratory) [4 Credits]
• Science Elective (2000 Level or above) [6 Credits] **
• General Electives [9 Credits] ***
• Humanities [9 Credits]
• Social Science [6 Credits]
• Art Elective [3 Credits] ****

Total: 65 Credits

Note:

Survey courses in math or science are not accepted.  See “General Admission Policies ” of the School of Allied Health Professions for further requirements and procedures relating to admissions.

Procedure

Classes begin in the Spring; therefore the application deadline is August 31. Applications received after this date will be considered based on space availability for the incoming class. Procedure for applying for admission to the Bachelor of Science degree program in medical technology is as follows.

1. An Application for Admission form may be obtained on-line or by addressing a request to the Office of Student Affairs or the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences.
2. The Application must be completed and returned to the Office of Student Affairs no later than the application deadline listed above for admission to the program. Applications received after the deadline may be accepted, but they will be held for processing and consideration according to available space.
3. Applicants must have transcripts sent to the Office of Student Affairs from all colleges and universities attended to arrive no later than September 15 for Spring admission. (Applications may be sent prior to sending transcripts.) Current enrollment in any remaining courses will allow conditional acceptance into the program. An additional transcript is required at the end of the semester in which prerequisite courses are completed to verify successful completion of these remaining courses.
4. Two recommendations are required.  At leats one of the recommendations should be from a college instructor.
5. A personal interview will be scheduled by the Department’s Admissions Committee.
6. Notification of action taken by the Admissions Committee will be sent in writing to all applicants no later than 60 days prior to the first day of class.
7. Applicants who have been accepted into the program are expected to notify the Department in writing if, for any reason, they wish to withdraw as an accepted applicant (i.e., change in plans, or failure to complete all prerequisites.)
8. Applicants, who have been notified that they were not accepted, but who meet minimum requirements, will be retained on the waiting list until classes begin that year. If one of the accepted applicants withdraws prior to registration, an individual on the waiting list may be accepted.

Technical Standards

Technical Standards (Essential Functions) are the non-academic standards that a student must be able to master to participate successfully in the MLS program and enter clinical practice. Examples of this program’s essential functions are provided below.  If you are not sure that you will be able to meet these essential functions, please consult with the Admissions Chair for further information and to discuss your individual situation.

Observation Skills: A student in the MLS program must possess sufficient skills and skills of observation to perform and interpret laboratory assays, including the ability to:

• Observe laboratory demonstrations in which lab procedures are performed on patient samples (i.e. body fluids, culture materials, tissue sections, and cellular specimens).
• Characterize the color, consistency, and clarity of biological samples or reagents.
• Use a clinical grade binocular microscope to discriminate among fine differences in structure and color (i.e. hue, shading, and intensity) in microscopic specimens.
• Read and comprehend text, numbers, and graphs displayed in print and on a video monitor.
• Recognize alarms.

Motor and Mobility Skills: A student must possess adequate motor and mobility skills to:

• Perform laboratory tests adhering to existing laboratory safety standards.
• Perform moderately taxing continuous physical work. This work may require prolonged sitting and/or standing, over several hours and some may take place in cramped positions.
• Reach laboratory bench tops and shelves, patients lying in hospital beds or patients seated in specimen collection furniture.
• Perform fine motor tasks such as pipetting, inoculating media, withdrawing a blood sample from a patient, handling small tools and/or parts to repair and correct equipment malfunctions, and transferring drops into tubes of small diameter.
• Use a  computer keyboard to operate laboratory instruments and to calculate, record, evaluate, and transmit laboratory information.

Communication Skills: A student must possess adequate communication skills to:

• Communicate with individuals and groups (i.e. faculty members, fellow students, staff, patients, and other health care professionals) verbally and in recorded format (unaided oral speech, writing, typing, graphics, and telecommunication)

Behavioral Skills: A student must possess adequate behavioral skills to:

• Be able to manage the use of time and be able to systematize actions in order to complete professional and technical tasks within realistic constraints.
• Possess the emotional health necessary to effectively apply knowledge and exercise appropriate judgment.
• Be able to provide professional and technical services while experiencing the stresses of task-related uncertainty (i.e., ambiguous test order, ambivalent test interpretation), emergent demands (i.e. “stat’ test orders), and distracting environment (i.e., high noise levels, crowding, complex visual stimuli).
• Be flexible and creative and adapt to professional and technical change.
• Recognize potentially hazardous materials, equipment, and situations and proceed safely in order to minimize risk of injury to patients, self, and nearby individuals.
• Adapt to working with unpleasant biological specimens.
• Support and promote the activities of fellow students and of health care professionals. Promotion of peers helps furnish a team approach to learning, task completion, problem-solving, and patient care.
• Be honest, compassionate, ethical, and responsible. The student must be forthright about errors or uncertainty. The student must be able to critically evaluate her or his own performance, accept constructive criticism, and look for ways to improve (i.e. participate in enriched educational activities). The student must be able to evaluate the performance of fellow students and tactfully offer constructive comments.
• Show respect for individuals of different age, ethnic background, religion, and /or sexual orientation
• Exhibit professional behavior by conforming to appropriate standards of dress, appearance, language and public behavior.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

The following requirements pertaining to the status of satisfactory academic progress apply to all students in the Department of Medical Laboratory Science.

In order to achieve the status of satisfactory academic progress, the student must meet the following minimum standards.

1. Satisfy the scholastic requirements listed below and in the SAHP general section of this catalog/bulletin.
2. Satisfactorily complete the required number of credit hours per semester established by the Department.

The Department will review students’ academic progress after completion of each semester. The names of those students who receive financial aid and have not achieved the status of satisfactory academic progress will be forwarded to the Director of Financial Aid for appropriate action. Students in this category may request that their progress be re-evaluated more than once per academic year. Appeals may be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in the section of this catalog/bulletin entitled “Student Academic Appeals.”

Scholastic Requirements

Scholastic requirements for all SAHP undergraduate programs are listed in the general section of this catalog/bulletin. Full-time students must complete the 16-month curriculum in medical technology in no more than 28 months after initial enrollment or the student will be dismissed from the program. If making a grade less than C in a course will prevent a student from meeting the 28-month requirement, the student will be dismissed from the program.