Medical Laboratory Science
in the School of Health Professions
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Appointment Informationin the School of Health Professions
While in the Medical Laboratory Science program, students will learn to determine the presence or absence of disease and provide information to the physician for diagnosis and treatment. The student utilizes didactic knowledge and technical skills to conduct a variety of laboratory tests and correlate those results with disease processes.
The MLS student will be introduced to the importance of quality control (QC) programs and have the ability to troubleshoot and repair laboratory instruments based on those QC results.
The program offers a two-year track leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. See the prerequisites and FAQs (pdf).
Students learn to utilize a number of biochemical tests to identify unknown pathogens
Students use the same tech as medical labs, to perform 100s of chemical assays to provide lab results physicians need to diagnosis/monitor patients
Students learn to identify abnormalities, such as infections, anemia, leukemia or tumors in smears of blood, bone marrow or other body fluids
Close guidance and small class sizes are key components of our laboratory science curriculum
Students performs gel card testing to determine the presence of red blood cell antibodies in patient samples which may adversely affect transfusion
Students learn quality processes by developing the knowledge to run, maintain and troubleshoot a variety of automated analyzers
Program Director
Brandy Greenhill, Dr.PH.
Executive Advisor
Jeffrey Tarrand, M.D.
Chief, Section of Clinical Microbiology and Virology
Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
MD Anderson Cancer Center
The Medical Laboratory Science program is accredited by and has conformed its curriculum to the standards published and monitored by the:
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
5600 N. River Rd., Ste. 720
Rosemont, IL 60018-5119
Phone 773-714-8880
Fax 773-714-8886
Upon graduation, students are eligible to take the Board of Certification (BOC) exam offered by the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and have the opportunities and skills to work in a variety of settings including Hematology, Chemistry, Blood Bank, or Microbiology.
While in clinical rotations, students will further develop their ability to assess patient samples for appropriateness; culture and identify microorganisms from different sources including the ability to differentiate normal flora from a pathogenic organism in Microbiology; perform cell differentials to identify anemias, leukemias and other blood dyscrasias and determine blood clotting disorders in Hematology and Coagulation; determine blood types and identify compatible units for blood and blood component transfusion in Immunohematology; and analyze a variety of chemical constituents of blood and body fluids in Chemistry.
LABORATORY INTERNSHIP PLACEMENT POLICY
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline the process by which a student enrolled in the Medical Laboratory Science Program is informed and affected by a laboratory internship rotation cancellation.
Policy Statement
It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center School of Health Professions Program in Medical Laboratory Science to limit student enrollment to that of available laboratory internship rotations. In case of an internship rotation site cancellation, affected student/s must be informed within 5 school days of the cancellation. Student placement in the remaining laboratory internship rotation will be picked up by one of the MD Anderson rotation sites; or an equitable experience will be offered in the program’s student laboratory; or by other Houston sites to ensure their clinical education will not be interrupted.
STUDENT INTERNSHIP WORK POLICY
Students at the MD Anderson School of Health Professions Program in Medical Laboratory Science are required to perform regular service work in clinical laboratories as a part of their internship education. This allows students to become competent with laboratory science techniques and prepares them to enter the workforce with the necessary entry-level competencies to function in any routine clinical laboratory. All laboratory service work performed by students will be monitored by the assigned preceptor in each laboratory.
THE USE OF STUDENTS IN PLACE OF QUALIFIED HISTOTECHNOLOGY STAFF IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
Note: If the student must be left alone in any laboratory area for an extended period, please notify the Program Director to ensure proper supervision of the student. Students are also exempt from the “on call” rotation and other laboratory experiences outside of the regular working hours.
Approximately 70% of all physician decisions are based on laboratory test results produced by laboratory professionals. Our graduates join thousands of laboratorians around the United States, becoming integral members of the healthcare team.
Year | Graduation Rate |
Placement Rate^ | Pass Rate* |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | 100% | 100% | 94% |
2009 | 100% | 100% | 94% |
2010 | 100% | 100% | 90% |
2011 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
2012 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
2013 | 100% | 94% | 94% |
2014 | 87% | 100% | 80% |
2015 | 100% | 100% | 64% |
2016 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
2017 | 93% | 100% | 91% |
2018 | 100% | 100% | 93% |
2019 | 92% | 100% | 91% |
2020 | 100% | 100% | 93% |
2021 | 94% | 100% | 79% |
2022 | 100% | 100% | 91% |
2023 | 100% | 100% | 100% |
^ Indicates employed or pursued additional education.
* The NAACLS certification exam benchmark standard for accredited programs is three years of consecutive results demonstrating an average of at least a 75% pass rate on the ASCP-BOC examinations, for students within the first year of graduation as calculated from the most recent three-year period. (NAACLS Standard II. B. 1.).
Brandy Greenhill, Ph.D.
713-792-0770
bgreenhill@mdanderson.org
School of Health Professions
713-745-1205
askSHP@mdanderson.org
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