The Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) program prepares students to function as medical laboratory technicians who perform a wide range of routine and complex clinical laboratory procedures associated with blood and body-fluid analysis. These procedures play an important role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of many diseases and in the promotion of health. A medical laboratory technician assesses the reliability/accuracy of the testing, maintains and operates diagnostic equipment, evaluates patient results, prepares analytical reagents and controls, troubleshoots problems with specimens/analyzers, and performs other duties.
The medical laboratory technician curriculum encompasses a combination of general education courses, online lectures, in-person laboratory sessions, and clinical experiences in a hospital or clinic. The courses must be completed within the timeframe shown in the recommended plan of study, and students in this program are required to be enrolled full-time. Upon successful completion of the prescribed program, the student is eligible to take the examination for national professional certification and will be prepared to work in a variety of clinical settings that include hospital laboratories, physicians’ offices, and clinics and blood donor centers.
The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Rd. Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018-5119; 773.714.8880.
Program Outcomes
At the conclusion of the program, students will be able to:
- Perform routine clinical laboratory tests in areas such as clinical chemistry, hematology/hemostasis, immunology, immunohematology/transfusion medicine, microbiology, urine and body fluid analysis, and laboratory operations. The level of analysis ranges from waived and point-of-care testing to complex testing encompassing all major areas of the clinical laboratory.
- Achieve diverse functions in areas of pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical processes.
- Carry out responsibilities for information processing, training, and quality control monitoring wherever clinical laboratory testing is performed.
- Apply safety and governmental regulation compliance.
- Utilize principles and practices of professional conduct and understand the significance of continuing professional development.
- Provide communications sufficient to serve the needs of patients, the public, and members of the health care team.
Program Admission Requirements
The MLT program is a selective admissions program, requiring an application beyond one required for admission to WNCC. Interested students should contact the program director located in the Harms Center for more information and to obtain a copy of the application form.
Prior to admission to the program, the student must meet the following criteria:
- Be at least 17 years of age
- Possess a high school graduate or have earned a GED certificate.
- Have completed and met the requirements for admissions to WNCC.
- Have taken the ACCUPLACER® basic skills assessment unless exempt.
- Submit the completed the MLT Program Application with copies of ACCUPLACER® scores and high school and/or college transcripts or GED certificate.
- Upon admission to the program, students must provide the following:
- records of flu vaccinations, tuberculosis (TB) testing, and TDAP (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccination
- compliance with the MLS program criminal background screening policy and the MLS program drug and alcohol screening policy.
Notes
- All students should consult their faculty and transfer advisors early in their WNCC career to determine an appropriate curriculum sequence, and discuss, if appropriate, a curriculum best suited to transfer goals.
Associate of Applied Science
AAS.5110 (66.5 credits)
The Associate of Applied Science degree for the Medical Laboratory Technician program requires 66.5 credits, which includes 17 hours of general education requirements and 46.5 MLT program hours. In this program, students earn not only their AAS but their certificate in phlebotomy, as well.
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