Medical Laboratory Science, B.S. (CIP 51.1005)

Medical Laboratory Science Program

Stephanie Blackburn, M.H.S.
Program Director

The Program of Medical Laboratory Science offers a curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Science. Preprofessional curricula which prepare a student for application to the program are offered on various campuses at other colleges and universities throughout the state. The medical laboratory science program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 5600 N. River Rd., Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018-5119, phone: 837-939-3597.

Medical laboratory scientists (clinical laboratory scientists) perform analytical tests on blood and body fluids. As vital members of the health care team, they provide information necessary for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Medical laboratory science is a profession requiring precise and accurate evaluation techniques and keen problem-solving and judgment skills. Blending the basic sciences and medicine, medical laboratory scientists may specialize in disciplines such as hematology, immunohematology, microbiology, chemistry, or molecular diagnostics. Medical laboratory scientists may practice in hospitals, independent commercial laboratories, clinics, physicians’ offices, blood banks, public health departments, ambulatory care centers, industry, and other settings.

Students accepted into the curriculum in medical laboratory science may enter only after successfully completing all prerequisite courses. The curriculum in medical laboratory science at the Health Sciences Center begins three times a year (May, August, and January) and lasts for 14-16 months, which includes four months in an affiliated clinical site. The student is awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in medical laboratory science upon completion of the curriculum and is eligible to take national certifying exams in medical laboratory science. Upon successful completion of a national certification exam, the graduate is eligible for state licensure.

Minimum Requirements For Admission

Admission to the program in medical laboratory science is on a competitive basis. Students must 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, last 30 hours completed GPA, interview, knowledge of the profession and recommendations. It is recommended that applicants tour a clinical laboratory prior to interview. Class size per year is approximately 24. Louisiana residents are given preference; however, out-of-state applications may be considered. In addition, applicants must be able to master certain technical standards (visual, motor, communication and behavioral skills) that are described in the next section.

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 hours in science courses and 6 hours in English composition in a U.S. college or university.

Technical Standards for Medical Laboratory Science

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 become employable*. 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.

Visual and Observation Skills: A student in the MLS program must possess sufficient visual 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 benchtops 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 (writing, typing, graphics, or 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. (For example, visible tattoos and body piercing, other than ears, are not considered professional appearance.)

*Certain disabilities may limit employment opportunities. Moreover, immunocompromised individuals may put themselves at personal risk due to exposure to infectious agents that occurs in all aspects of the laboratory.

Method of Application

Method of Application

The LSU Health Shreveport Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Program uses an online application system, Allied Health Centralized Application Service (AHCAS).

Applicants will complete  the AHCAS application and send all application materials directly to AHCAS. AHCAS posts Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions on the applicant portal which can be accessed before an application is created. Please read these FAQ’s before submitting your application.

AHCAS Application Checklist:

1.   Complete the AHCAS Application by the respective application deadline. The AHCAS application fee is $95.00 for the first program applied to and $40.00 for each additional program. Submit the following materials to AHCAS:

2.   Official transcripts from all college-level institutions ever attended  (including high school dual enrollment) sent to:

3.   Two letters of reference completed by instructors or supervisors via the AHCAS Evaluation portal

4.   CV/Resume uploaded to the Documents section of the AHCAS application

Applicants meeting admission requirements will be invited to participate in an interview with program faculty.

For more information on specific admission criteria, visit the Admission Requirements webpage.

Application Timeline:

The program begins accepting applications through AHCAS for the 2019-2020 application cycle on September 5, 2019.

***Deadline for complete AHCAS applications: e-submitted, payment received, and all transcripts received.

Contact:

General questions related to admission to the university should be directed to the LSUHS School of Allied Health Professions Admissions and Records Office at ShvAHStudentAffairs@lsuhsc.edu or 318-813-2908.

AHCAS Customer Service is available Monday-Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm EST at ahcasinfo@ahcas.org or 617-612-2883. When contacting via email,please include your full name, AHCAS 10 number and detailed question.

Scholastic Requirements

Scholastic requirements for all SAHP undergraduate programs are listed in the general section of this catalog/bulletin. Students must complete the 15 month curriculum in medical laboratory science in no more than 32 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 32 month requirement, the student will be dismissed from the program.

Academic Progression Requirements

The following requirements pertaining to the academic progression apply to all students in the Program of Medical Laboratory Science.

In order to achieve the status of academic progression, the student must meet the following minimum standards:

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

The program will review students’ academic progress after completion of each semester.  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”.

Transfer of Credits

Transfer credit earned in other NAACLS (National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science) accredited programs or unaccredited programs will not be accepted. Students may petition the program director to receive credit for prior coursework by paying tuition and passing a course examination. If the student receives an acceptable score on the course examinations, credit for each course passed may be given without course attendance. Clinical practicum courses must be successfully completed as described in the course descriptions and are not subject to testing out for credit.

Other Information

1. The faculty of the program makes clinical affiliate assignments. Once an assignment is made, it is final. Students whose entry into the four-month clinical affiliate phase is delayed because of failure to meet scholastic requirements will be given a clinical affiliate assignment based on space availability. This clinical affiliate assignment may not immediately follow the completion of didactic courses. Full-time student status in the School of Allied Health Professions is maintained throughout the program. Part-time status may be considered on an individual basis.
2. Registration and payment of all University fees will be completed for each semester during the program.

Curriculum

• Medical Laboratory Science Curriculum