Medical Laboratory Technician - CLLS.AS

Accreditation and Program Outcomes

The Medical Laboratory Technician program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, (NAACLS).

The accreditation process involves an external peer review in which NAACLS grants public recognition to education programs that meet established education standards in clinical laboratory science disciplines of Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS), Doctoral Clinical Laboratory Scientist (DCLS), Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), Cytogenetic Technologist (CG), Diagnostic Molecular Scientist (DMS), Histotechnician (HT), Histotechnologist (HTL), and Pathologists’ Assistant (Path A). All accredited programs are required to submit a self-study and host a site visit in the cyclical review process. Accredited programs are eligible for a maximum award of ten years.   These programs must either grant the associate degree or higher or a certificate of completion (if students already hold a degree) upon the successful culmination.  The NAACLS Accreditation process is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

NAACLS Contact Information:

In keeping the NAACLS Benchmarks, the STCC MLT Program strives to obtain the following regarding graduation, certification and placement rates:

• The last three active years of results of graduate certification rates demonstrating an average of at least 75% pass rate on the ASCP-BOC examinations, for those who take the exam within the first year of graduation as calculated from at least the last three active years.
• At least the three active years of results of graduation rates demonstrating an average of at least 70% of students who have begun the final half of the program go on to successfully graduate from the program as calculated by the most recent three-year period.
• At least the three active years of results of graduate placement rates demonstrating that an average of at least 70%* of respondent graduates either find employment in the field or a closely related field (for those who seek employment) or continue their education within one year of graduation as calculated by the most recent three-year period.

The STCC CLLS.AS program admits 16 students each fall semester out of an average applicant pool of 44; the acceptance rate is generally 36%. The average graduation rate over the past three years is 97% for those who enter the final half of the program. Of the graduates who took the National MLT Certification Examination in the past three years, 100% have passed.

The program administers student didactic and clinical course surveys, clinical performance assessments, graduate opinion surveys, clinical and academic faculty surveys, advisory board surveys, employer surveys and aggregate data from the National Certification Examination to assess the effectiveness of the program. For those students who graduated between 7-1-17 and 6-30-20, 100% of the graduates who sought employment have reported they were able to secure a position within one year of passing the national certification examination. Some graduates choose to continue their education and do not seek employment.

• 97% average Graduation Rate
• 100% average Graduate Certification Rate
• 100% average Graduate Placement Rate

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Program Objectives

The Medical Laboratory Technician Program design provides a quality education to the student, facilitating the attainment of entry level of proficiency and competence required in the modern clinical laboratory.  The program’s design prepares students to enter the workforce as competent entry-level Medical Laboratory Technicians.  To that end, the programs strives to:

• Deliver a high quality, effective academic and clinical education in Clinical Laboratory Science subjects.
• Ensure that, upon program completion, students have sufficient knowledge and skills to be competent at the career entry-level and successfully prepare them for employment.
• Instill in students the importance of safety, honesty, integrity, ethical behavior and professionalism in the workplace.
• Cultivate knowledge and communication skills in students that provide for effective and professional interactions with patients, peers, fellow employees, and other health care providers in their role as a laboratory professional.

Applying to this Program

• The application review process will begin after March 31 of the acceptance year and will continue until the program is full.  
• Fall start only, day program onlyThis is a competitive program with rigorous standards, therefore only students with all application requirements met will be considered.
• The program admits 14 students out of an average applicant pool of 48. Student application and documents will be scored on a rubric based on the admission pre-requisites as noted below.

Admission Prerequisites:

Proof of High School transcript, GED or HISET

• Completion of 4 years of high school English (grade of C+ or higher) ; OR
• Placement examination score  at ENG 101 level: OR
• Successful completion of ENG 101  (grade of C+ or higher)

Math

• Successful completion of high school Algebra 2(grade of C+ or higher); OR
• Successful completion of  Algebra 2 MAT 097  or college level (100 or higher) math course (grade of C+ or higher): OR
• Placement examination score at MAT-101 or higher
• Note: The following courses will not satisfy the Math pre-requisite: Statistics MAT-115, Contemporary Mathematical Reasoning MAT-100

Biology

• Completion of high school level Biology with a lab (grade of C+ or higher, within 7 years); OR
• Completion of any 4 credit college level Biology with a lab (grade of C+ or higher, within 7 years to the start of the program)

Chemistry

• Completion of high school level Chemistry with a lab (grade of C+ or higher, within 7 years); OR
• Completion of any 4 credit college level Chemistry with a lab  (grade of C+ or higher, within 7 years to the start of the program)

Admission Checklist

• In order to strengthen your application, it is strongly recommended you submit this document along with all other requirements.
• Select one of the following two options:
  • Paper Checklist (click here to download/print, can be mailed or emailed to Admissions Office) OR
  • Electronic (E-FORM) Checklist (to be completed and submitted online) STCC
    • STCC students (currently enrolled) click here for the electronic/online checklist
    • Potential students (not currently enrolled at STCC) click here for electronic/online checklist 

Notes:

Course work with designated time frames must be current within 7 years to the start of the program.(fall of application year)

Mid-semester grades for required and prerequisite spring courses will be considered.  Students requesting consideration for coursework being performed outside STCC must submit mid-term grade reports to the Admissions office with their application. Email admissions@stcc.edu

Conditional acceptances will be given for applicants who have incomplete courses in the spring semester. The condition will state what final grade must be earned to gain full acceptance. Students not meeting stated conditions will not be granted admission to the program.

Upon review of application materials and scoring using the departmental rubric, students will be ranked by score and then accepted into the program.  If there are additional qualified students in the applicant pool, students will be notified and placed on a waitlist.  If a seat in the program becomes available students will be accepted based on ranking and notified by the Admissions Office.

Programmatic Technical Standards: Students with disabilities must be able to meet the technical standards of the program with reasonable accommodations as defined by the ADA.

The following are examples of how to strengthen your application for admission:

Work experience in the healthcare industry will be considered. Please submit the Healthcare Experience Verification Form  with your application if you have previous or current experience in healthcare.

GPA/college degrees: Previous coursework, overall grade point averages and previously earned college degrees (associate or higher)will be considered. Please submit official transcripts from all college level academic work with your application..

STCC students: Students currently enrolled AND/OR who have completed 12 credits of liberal arts/general education and science courses at STCC will strengthen their application.

Course work: Students who have completed required non-MLT course work will receive additional points on the evaluation rubric based on the percentage of the courses completed.100% (7-8 courses) = 4 pts, 75% (5-6 courses) = 3 pts., 50% (3-4 courses) = 2pts., 25% (1-2 courses) = 1 pt.Course credit which has been earned through CLEP or challenge exams are acceptable

Non-MLT course work includes the following courses.

• ENG 101    - English Composition 1 
• ENG 102    - Composition 2: Intro to Literature
• CHM 101    - Survey of Chemistry 1 
• CHM 101L  - Lab: Survey of Chemistry 1
• CMP 106    - Computer Basics: Concepts & Applications
• MAT 115    - Statistics 
• EL-SOC   - General Behavioral/Social Science Elective
• BIO 231  - Anatomy & Physiology 1 and BIO 231L  - Anatomy & Physiology 1 lab
• BIO 232  -Anatomy & Physiology 2 and BIO 232L  - Anatomy & Physiology 2 lab

Applying for Re-Admission to this Program

If a student leaves a health program for any reason, and intends to re-enter the following academic year into the semester in which they left, the student must follow the readmission process as outlined in the School of Health & Patient Simulation Readmission Policy. 

Click here  to see full policy and procedures.

The student seeking readmission to a health program must submit a Letter of Intent to Return, to the Dean of Health & Patient Simulation Office (Building 20/Room 320) and to the Program Director, by November 16 for consideration for return in the spring semester, and by February 1 for consideration for return in the fall semester. These dates may change from year to year.

If a student intends to return to a health program after one full academic year has passed, the student must apply as a new applicant through the college admissions website https://www.stcc.edu/apply/.  

All students must follow the readmission policy and guidelines of their specific department/program.

Additional Requirements for Accepted Students

Deposit: If offered admission, a non-refundable $50.00 deposit will be required to secure your acceptance to this Program.

Mandatory Health Records:  All required health records, immunizations, and physicals MUST be filed in the STCC Health and Wellness Center by July 1 for students being admitted in the Fall semester and no later than two (2) weeks prior to the start of the program for students being admitted in the Spring semester of the admission year. The Health and Wellness Center is located in Building 19 Room 177 (413-755-4230). For additional information and required forms please visit the Health and Wellness Center website at http://www.stcc.edu/healthservices. The college/program reserves the right to rescind the admission status of any student not meeting, as well as not submitting, all post-admission requirements in a timely manner. 

Background Check: College programs involving potentially unsupervised contact with children, the disabled, or the elderly, including fieldwork (a clinical affiliation, internship, externship, or field placement) with a private or public healthcare provider or daycare provider, will be required to undergo state-wide and/or national criminal background checks, including but not limited to: Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) and Sex Offender Record Information (SORI), Seven (7) year residential Search, and FBI Fingerprinting checks. The purpose of the background check is to ensure a safe and protective environment for all clients, particularly members of vulnerable populations.

Students choosing not to consent to the required background checks will be ineligible to participate in fieldwork involving vulnerable populations. Ineligibility to participate in fieldwork may affect a student’s ability to successfully complete the program.

Based upon the results of the background checks, a student may be deemed ineligible to participate in academic or clinical activities, which may impact a student’s ability to successfully complete program requirements. Background checks are reviewed by the College’s CORI Board. The CORI Board determines eligibility to participate in academic and/or clinical activities.

Furthermore, please be advised that eligibility to participate in College academic and/or clinical activities following a background check does not guarantee eligibility to sit for a professional credentialing examination(s) or for employment upon program completion. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the certification or licensure board for a particular healthcare or other service profession to determine the standards that must be met for credentialing, licensing and/or employment in that field.

Programmatic Technical Standards: Technical Standards reflect performance abilities and essential skills that a student must demonstrate in order to successfully complete the requirements of a specified program.  These Standards must be satisfied by all students in all aspects of the program, with or without reasonable accommodations, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including in the classroom, laboratories, and externship. If you are an individual with a documented disability who seeks reasonable accommodations, please contact the Office of Disability Services at (413) 755-4785 or stop by Building 19, Room 141 as soon as practicable for information concerning the College’s accommodation process. Additional information can also be found on the Office of Disability Service’s website: https://www.stcc.edu/resources/academic-support/ods/. Please note that Program Technical Standard forms found in your admission acceptance packet must be submitted to the Health and Wellness Center by July 1. The Health and Wellness Center is located in Building 19, Room 177 and can be reached at (413) 755-4230.  

Drug Screening:The School of Health & Patient Simulation is committed to providing high quality education and excellent clinical experiences to students in the health professions. Students are expected to perform at their highest functional level during all educational and clinical experiences in order to maximize the learning environment and ensure patient safety. Thus a student’s performance at all times must be free of any impairment caused by prescription or non-prescribed drugs including alcohol, marijuana, and cannabis-derived products. Students enrolling in Health Professions programs are required to undergo and pass a drug screening analysis in order to be eligible for placement in a clinical facility. STCC student program fees cover the cost of this screening. Additional scheduled and random drug and/or alcohol screenings may be required depending upon clinical facility and/or program guidelines. 

Students who are notified of a negative-dilute result will submit to an observed urine drug test within 24 hours of the previous test (or soonest appointment made available to STCC Health Compliance by the testing agency) in order to confirm the negative or positive finding status of the drug screening. If a student continues to receive a negative-dilute or inconclusive drug screening result, the subsequent drug test will be of the hair collection method until a conclusive negative or positive result is confirmed.

Students with a positive drug screening may challenge the results by filing a written appeal to the College’s Director of Health Compliance within five (5) business days of notification of the test results. An appeal by a student who claims that the positive test was due to a prescription drug and was unable to clarify this matter with the medical review officer (MRO) from the drug testing lab shall include evidence from a health care provider of the type of prescription, dates of permissible use and dosage amounts. Students may be responsible to pay for additional drug screening conducted as part of an appeal. Students excluded from a program due to a positive screening, failure to submit appeal, denied appeal, or refusal to submit to a screening may re-apply for re-entry into a program after one year. Requests for re-admission will be considered on a case by case basis and in accordance with the program criteria.

Health Program Latex Policy  

Student Handbook

The Medical Laboratory Technician Student Handbook can be viewed here .

Program Requirements and Advancement

• Attendance/Tardiness Requirement: The MLT Program is a professional education program.  Due to the depth of content and amount of information conveyed within Clinical Laboratory Science courses, attendance and punctuality at both lecture and laboratory sessions are considered mandatory. 

• Health Risk and Exposure/Phlebotomy Participation Requirement: While enrolled in the Medical Laboratory Technician Program, students will be exposed to biological specimens and blood or blood products, which are potentially infectious.  Although training in and enforcement of all local, state and federal safety practices are practiced, there still exists right of accidental exposure in the student laboratory and at clinical externship sites. Because of risk of exposure, all students are informed of the risk and are required to have the appropriate immunization prior to enrollment in the MLT program and maintain up to date immunization throughout the course. Additionally, students in the Medical Laboratory Technician Program receive basic phlebotomy training and are required to participate in the phlebotomy activities under supervision of an instructor.

• Matriculation Policy and Minimum Grade Requirement:                                                  
  • For First Semester Courses:  To continue in the progression of courses offered in the Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) program:
    • Students must obtain a grade of “C” (73%) or higher in all MLT courses. 
    • Students must maintain an average grade of “C” (73) or higher in all other courses within the program course of study. 
    • Students not meeting the above stated academic requirement will be involuntarily withdrawn from the Medical Laboratory Technician program. 
  • ​For 2^nd, 3^rd & 4^th Semester Courses: The minimum passing grade of a “C” (73%) must be obtained in each component of a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) course in order to remain in the MLT program:
    • Lecture Courses
      • Overall cumulative course average
      • Cumulative Final Examination
    • Laboratory Courses
      • Overall cumulative course average
      • Each laboratory practical exam
  • Failure to obtain the minimum passing grade of “C” (73%) in any MLT course (lecture or laboratory) will result in the student being involuntary withdrawn from the Medical Laboratory Technician program and all program required courses.
• Technology Requirements: All MLT courses in the curriculum are web-assisted.  Accepted students must have access to a lap top or personal computer, with internet access, and must be able to print course materials and assignments.

• Program Completion and Enrollment Limits
  • Students must complete the MLT program within a four (4) year time limit from entry into MLT-110/110L to completion of all MLT academic and clinical course requirements.
  • There is a maximum limit of two (2) acceptance/enrollments into the MLT program per student. 
• Graduation: In order to graduate, and have their degree posted on their final transcripts, students must meet all curriculum requirements including a minimum of C (73) in all the Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) courses.Granting of the CLLS.AS degree is not contingent upon passing any certification or licensure exams.

• Certification: Graduates of the CLLS.AS program are eligible to take the national certification examination for Medical Laboratory Technician through the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) (www.ascp.org ) and other accrediting agencies. Most area employers of Medical Laboratory Technicians require current certification status in order to use the MLT credential in connection with employment.

• Advancement in the field of Clinical Laboratory Science: Many graduates pursue advanced degrees in order to attain certification as Medical Laboratory Scientists.  Traditionally, a majority of the STCC MLT courses will qualify for transfer to applicable baccalaureate programs.  The specific educational requirements for eligibility to sit for advanced certification is located on the American Society for Clinical Pathology at this link:  ASCP.ORG

(CLLS.AS) Curriculum

Program Personnel