Objective
Medical Laboratory Technicians are at the forefront of medical advances by working in the world of science where discoveries are made every day that will save lives. MLTs also serve as a vital member of the healthcare team. The MLT performs chemical and biological analyses on blood and other specimens in order to assist physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The objective of the Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program is to provide students with the training necessary to become licensed Medical Laboratory Technicians and seek entry-level in the career field of medical laboratory technology.
Description
The field of medicine depends upon high-quality testing. Medical Laboratory Technicians perform such testing and provide the test results that are used by clinicians to make accurate diagnoses. The Medical Laboratory Technology program is designed to provide knowledge, skills, and hands-on activities that are highly comprehensive in nature. Included in the training are extensive actual testing experiences in all phases of the modern clinical laboratory: Hematology, Clinical Chemistry, Blood Banking Technology, Medical Microbiology, and other areas of diagnostic testing which support patient care by generating laboratory data used by physicians in clinical decision-making. Students enrolled in this program also take a set of general education courses that help train them in critical thinking, verbal and written communications, humanities, mathematical, natural and social sciences.
Medical Laboratory Technology Program Mission and Goals
The mission of the Medical Laboratory Technician program is to prepare the graduate for a career in the medical laboratories of hospitals, reference laboratories, and physician offices, and in other related medical laboratory fields.
Program Goals
- GOAL 1: To provide a strong curriculum based on current needs.
- GOAL 2: To maintain the quality of instruction in clinical laboratory science courses by including instruction in the latest technological advances.
- GOAL 3: To develop an attitude of professionalism required of clinical laboratory technicians.
- GOAL 4: To provide competent entry-level clinical laboratory technicians to the region served by the program.
Externship
Externship courses are included in this program to provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life situations in a cardiovascular setting. Students are required to complete all necessary prerequisite courses prior to each externship course and to complete the required externship hours and other related learning activities and competencies prior to graduation. Immunizations and current CPR certification are also required. Some externship sites may also require a background report and/or drug screening report prior to assignment. Students will not be paid for work performed on the externship site.
Clinical times are generally scheduled Monday through Friday and may require an occasional Saturday. Students may be scheduled to start as early as 6:00 A.M. and end as late as 11:00 P.M. and may require an occasional Saturday based on the discretion of the program officials or externship site schedules.
Academic Progression
In addition to meeting the standards set in the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, students must complete all concentration courses and prerequisite science courses with a minimum grade of “C+” to be considered passing. Any concentration course below a grade of C+ must be retaken. A student can attempt a concentration course no more than two times. Any student who fails to pass a concentration course after two attempts will be dismissed from the program. A student can only fail one clinical/externship course. If the student should fail a second clinical/externship course, they will be dismissed from the program.
Credentialing Exams
Graduates of the MLT programs may be certified as Medical Laboratory Technicians by passing either of the following certification exams: American Medical Technologists (AMT) or American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). Some States may require the graduate to sit for a state licensure exam
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the Medical Laboratory Technology program are prepared to seek entry-level employment as a Certified Clinical Laboratory Technician, Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Clinical Laboratory Technician (Clinical Lab Technician), Laboratory Assistant (Lab Assistant), Laboratory Supervisor, Laboratory Technician, Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), Medical Laboratory Technicians (Medical Lab Technician), or Medical Technician.