Medical Laboratory Technician, AAS

Program Description: The Medical Laboratory Technician program will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work in the medical laboratory performing diagnostic tests to help physicians detect, diagnose, and treat disease. Students must have a strong background in chemistry, biology and math. Technicians must learn to work with microscopes, computers, and instruments on body fluids, tissues and cells. Technicians are employed in hospital laboratories, clinics, doctors’ offices, blood banks and research and commercial laboratories.

Program Accreditation: The MLT program achieved Accredited Status in the spring 2021 with the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018, phone (773)714-8880, fax (773) 714-8886, www.naacls.org

Program Coordinator: Kerry Toups, MS, MLS (ASCP)

Program Instructor(s): Kerry Toups, MS, MLS (ASCP); Heather Howard, BS, MLS (ASCP); Theodus Nguyen, MS, MLS (ASCP) SBB; Huy Le MPH CLS, MLS (ASCP); Jackie Garding, MS, MLS (ASCP)

Special Comments: All courses in this program of study must be completed with a grade of C or higher on a seven- point grading scale.

Overall Grade Point Average: Program requirements must be completed with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

Course Grade Requirements: All courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

Clinical Sites: Cardiovascular Institute of the South, Children’s Hospital, Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center (Ochsner-Chabert), Ochsner Clinic Foundation, Ochsner Foundation, Omega Diagnostics, Ochsner-St. Mary (Formerly Teche Regional), Terrebonne General Health System, Thibodaux Regional Health Systems, University Medical Center of New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center

In the event a clinical facility terminates its agreement with the program, students will be reassigned to another approved clinical affiliate in order to complete the program requirements.

Program Outcomes

1. Certification Rates: Maintain graduate certification rates demonstrating an average of at least 75% pass rate for those who take the exam within the first year of graduation calculated by the most recent three-year period.
2. Graduation Rates: Maintain graduation rates demonstrating an average of at least 70% of students who began the program go on to successfully graduate as calculated by the most recent three years
3. Job Placement Rates: Maintain job placement rates demonstrating an average of at least 70% of respondent graduates either find employment in the field or a closely related field.
4. Attrition Rate: Maintain attrition rates demonstrating an average of at or below 30% of students are loss during the program as calculated by the most recent three years.

Student Learning Outcomes

MLTs are highly skilled medical laboratory professionals who perform the analysis of blood and body fluids, evaluate test results and correlate test results with patient conditions. Graduates of the Medical Laboratory Technology Program are expected to possess requisite knowledge and skills in all major areas of clinical laboratory practice. The analysis of blood and body fluids requires a basic understanding of the critical role laboratory test results play in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Graduates of the MLT Program will have an in-depth understanding of anatomy and physiology as related to health and disease, the relationship of laboratory findings to common disease processes, proper procedures for performing laboratory analyses, instrumentation used in laboratory testing, factors that affect laboratory test results, proper procedures for reporting test results and will demonstrate this by achieving a minimum 80% competency rating in the following:

1. Perform the routine analysis of blood/body fluids with minimal supervision;
2. Demonstrate the ability to perform routine laboratory procedures in all major areas of clinical laboratory practice to include Clinical Chemistry, Hematology/Hemostasis, Urinalysis/Body Fluids, Microbiology, Immunology, Immunohematology and Laboratory Operations;
3. Identify test principles, methodologies, significance of test results, reference ranges, alert values and sources of test variability;
4. Assure accuracy and validity of test results by application of appropriate quality control and quality assurance procedures;
5. Perform basic analytic techniques, demonstrate appropriate use of laboratory instrumentation; select appropriate trouble-shooting procedures when necessary;
6. Comply with laboratory safety regulations to include proper handling of biologic specimens, safe use of chemicals and safe use of equipment in the laboratory;
7. Identify sources of pre-analytic, analytic and post-analytic error; correlate test results with disease processes;
8. Interpret quality control data and initiate appropriate corrective action when control results are not within acceptable limits;
9. Respond appropriately to stress, time constraints and changes in the workplace;
10. Accurately report test results using lab information systems and other means for communicating test results;
11. Demonstrate a commitment to patients, to the profession and to professional development.

Admission Criteria/Selection Process:

• Pre-Petition Phase: Students must be eligible to take ENGL 1010 , BIOL 1030  and BIOL 1031 , and MATH 1213 .
• Active Phase: Students must have successfully completed MLTS 1012  and MLTS 1011 , ENGL 1010 , BIOL 1030  and BIOL 1031  and MATH 1214 /MATH 1213  (or MATH 1104 /MATH 1103 ).
• Clinical Phase: Eligible students may apply for the clinical phase each spring. Students who are accepted into the clinical phase of the program will attend clinical in the summer and fall, or fall and spring depending on availability of clinical sites and progress of students in the program. Additional information for the MLT clinical application and selection process is included in the current MLT Admission Guide found on the Fletcher website.

CIP Code: 511004