Occupational Objectives: Positions for Medical Laboratory Technicians are available in hospitals, private laboratories, physicians’ offices, health departments, and industrial medical laboratories.

Admission Requirements: General college curricular admission

Additional Admission Requirements: Students interested in the Medical Laboratory Technology program must submit an application to the program director for consideration prior to the deadline for acceptance in the corresponding semester. Students should first enroll in the Pre-Nursing and Allied Health Career Studies Certificate (CSC) to complete the prerequisite courses. Admission to the MDL program is competitive, and only a limited number of students will be accepted. Fully-qualified students will be ranked according to GPA, prior degrees achieved, and a completed application packet. (See the program application packet for full explanation of ranking of applicants.) A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required for consideration. Completion of the Pre-Nursing and Allied Health, Medical Laboratory Technology CSC does not guarantee admission into the AAS degree program

Program Notes: Students admitted into this program will be approved for entry into major/clinical courses (MDL 101 and higher) when they have satisfied the following requirements:

Any student who receives a final grade lower than "C" in any core course (MDL prefix) must repeat the course. Students failing to obtain "C" or better in any two MDL prefix courses will not be  able to progress the Medical Laboratory Technology program. Courses with the MDL prefix must be completed successfully prior to entering the final Coordinated Internship courses.

Malpractice insurance coverage will be furnished by the college. It is recommended that the student have appropriate health insurance. The student is responsible for covering the cost of medical care required while in the clinical setting. Students are responsible for securing any required uniforms and lab coats as required by the clinical site.

Upon satisfactory completion of the five-semester program, the graduate will be eligible to take Medical Laboratory Technology registry examinations (e.g., ASCP, AMT or equivalent) for national certification.

The Medical Laboratory Technology (MDL) classes may be taken for retraining by certified technologists who have been out of the field for a period of time. Permission of the program head is required prior to registration.

Courses in the program are offered on campus as well as via distance learning with in-person or proctor required. Students in the distance program must attend mandatory laboratory classes offered at the distance learning sites. Tests may be taken at an approved Testing Center as determined by the faculty member and the program.

Progression through the Program:  The college offers this program in affiliation with the healthcare agencies and practitioners in the communities the college serves.  The college relies on its community affiliates to provide clinical education opportunities for its students, expert clinical preceptors, and course instructors for many courses.  The often rapid changes in healthcare law, standards of practice, technology, and content of credentialing examinations increasingly necessitate sudden changes in the program’s course content, policies, procedures and course scheduling.  As a result, the college cannot guarantee every student continuous and uninterrupted clinical and course instruction as outlined in the printed catalog curriculum for this program.  Circumstances beyond the control of the college may necessitate the postponement of course offerings or changes in the sequencing and/or location of scheduled courses or clinical assignments.  Additionally, the college may have to change the instructor for courses after instruction has started.

Financial Requirements: In addition to the regular college tuition and fees, the Medical Laboratory program requires the items listed below:

Note: An additional fee for the national registry examination is not a requirement for graduation and is not included above. The fee is approximately $185.00.

Computer Competency Requirement: Students in this program will meet the college’s computer competency requirement by successfully completing ITE 115. Students can also meet this requirement by passing the college’s computer competency exam, administered in the testing centers on each campus, in which case they will receive college credit for ITE 115. Students not passing the computer competency exam may retake the exam only once.

Program Accreditation and Administration: The Medical Laboratory Technology program is accredited by the National Accreditation Agency for Clinical Laboratory  Sciences, 5600 N River Rd, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018 (773-714-8880 and NAACLSinfo@naacls.org ). The program's faculty medical director is Dr. Brad T. Siegmund, M.D., a board certified Pathologist, also serving as medical director, Southside Regional Medical Center, Petersburg, Virginia. The program director is Becky M. Clark, M.Ed., MT (ASCP), Ph.D_(c), an experienced medical  laboratory scientist and Certified Medical Technologist.