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