Medical Laboratory Science Certificate

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Program Description

Do you want to become a valued member of the health care team and currently have a baccalaureate degree or higher in a science?  Consider becoming a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS), and use your scientific background and lab skills to directly help patients.  The Medical Laboratory Science Certificate program is a 12-month medical laboratory curriculum for those students who currently hold a baccalaureate degree or higher in a natural science and wish to become a Medical Laboratory Scientist. 

Medical laboratory professionals are an essential member of the health care team providing physicians and practitioners with accurate lab results vital to patient diagnosis and appropriate treatment.  Our program has a history of producing well-rounded medical laboratorians who are prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation.  Students who are successful in this program and profession are academically strong in rigorous science courses, are detail-oriented, ethical, organized, and have good manual dexterity and fine motor skills.

Our MLS clinical year program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL. 60018.  Upon successful completion of the program, students receive a Certificate in Medical Laboratory Science.  They also become eligible to take the national certification examination for medical laboratory scientists given by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification.  While passing the ASCP-BOC exam is not required to pass the MLS program, it is a nationally recognized credential most employers in the field desire for their employees.

The program’s courses are oriented toward job performance, theory, and clinical correlation.  Students are placed in varied practice environments.  They are also oriented to the need for continuing education and leadership in the planning and management of laboratory services.  The program is specifically designed to facilitate student progress and promote career development in any geographic location.

Medical Laboratory Science Clinical Year Program

The MLS program’s clinical year curriculum begins in May and includes intensive didactic lecture/laboratory courses on campus, followed by two semesters of supervised clinical rotations at an affiliated clinical facility.  Our clinical affiliates include: Children’s Medical Center (Dayton and Cincinnati), CompuNet Clinical Lab Center, Mercer Health, Reid Hospital, Miami Valley Hospital, McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital, Kettering Medical Center, Springfield Regional Hospital, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the Community Blood Center.

Prerequisites, Application, and Admission

• Requirements for admission to the clinical year program are set by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), and the WSU Medical Laboratory Sciences Program with input from its Advisory Committee. Please refer to the BS,MLS page for biology, chemistry and math requirements to the program. Post-baccalaureate applicants to the certificate program must already have a baccalaureate degree in natural science from a regionally accredited college or university including a grade of ‘C’ or better in all courses in biological sciences, chemistry and math, with a minimum overall GPA of 2.7.
• Applications and letters of recommendation are due November 1 of the year prior to the program start.
• Criteria used to determine admission include the academic record, letters of recommendation, and a personal interview. The number of positions in each class for the clinical year is limited and determined each year by the Program’s Advisory Committee.

Eligible applicants from nonaffiliated universities will be considered. These applicants must also meet NAACLS and MLS Program requirements before they can enter the program.

Applicants with a foreign baccalaureate degree must meet NAACLS, American Society of Clinical Pathology, and Program criteria before they enter the clinical year program. A transcript evaluation and an Oral Proficiency Test are required.

Admission to Wright State University or the Department of Biological Sciences does not automatically guarantee admission into the Medical Laboratory Science program.

For additional information:

• Medical Laboratory Science, BS
• Department of Biological Sciences
• College of Science and Mathematics 

Program Requirements:

• MLB 4110 - Orientation to Medical Laboratory Science Credit Hour(s): 1
• MLB 4111 - Orientation to Medical Laboratory Science Lab Credit Hour(s): .5
• MLB 4210 - Urine and Body Fluid Analysis Credit Hour(s): 1
• MLB 4211 - Urine and Body Fluid Analysis Credit Hour(s): .5
• MLB 4310 - Basic Hematology Credit Hour(s): 2
• MLB 4311 - Basic Hematology Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 1
• MLB 4320 - Advanced Hematology Credit Hour(s): 2
• MLB 4330 - Hematology Practicum Credit Hour(s): 3
• MLB 4410 - Hemostasis Credit Hour(s): 1
• MLB 4411 - Hemostasis Lab Credit Hour(s): .5
• MLB 4510 - Basic Clinical Chemistry Credit Hour(s): 2
• MLB 4511 - Basic Clinical Chemistry Lab Credit Hour(s): 1
• MLB 4520 - Advanced Clinical Chemistry Credit Hour(s): 2
• MLB 4530 - Clinical Chemistry Practicum Credit Hour(s): 3
• MLB 4610 - Serology Credit Hour(s): 1
• MLB 4611 - Serology Lab Credit Hour(s): .5
• MLB 4710 - Basic Diagnostic Microbiology Credit Hour(s): 3.5
• MLB 4711 - Basic Diagnostic Microbiology Lab Credit Hour(s): 1.5
• MLB 4720 - Advanced Diagnostic Microbiology Credit Hour(s): 2
• MLB 4730 - Diagnostic Microbiology Practicum Credit Hour(s): 3
• MLB 4810 - Basic Immunohematology Credit Hour(s): 2
• MLB 4811 - Basic Immunohematology Lab Credit Hour(s): 1
• MLB 4820 - Advanced Immunohematology Credit Hour(s): 2
• MLB 4830 - Immunohematology Practicum Credit Hour(s): 3
• MLB 4990 - Medical Laboratory Operations and Education Credit Hour(s): 2

Total: 42 Hours

Notes:

Students must complete all CoSM courses, including courses required for the program, with a grade of “C” or better.