Clinical Laboratory Science

Curriculum

The program's curriculum not only provides the student with the fundamentals necessary for entry into the profession, but also provides the student with the knowledge and skills to function as a leader in an expansive and ever-changing profession.

The program is a one-year intensive course-of-study in all aspects of Clinical Laboratory Science. The curriculum is divided into two phases. Phase I is didactic and includes lectures and student laboratory practice.

Areas studied include

• Body Fluids
• Hematology/Hemostasis
• Bacteriology
• Mycology/Virology/Parasitology
• Immunology
• Blood Bank
• Clinical Chemisty

Phase I, lasting 17 weeks, prepares the student for clinical rotations by providing the necessary background information and basic skills for the clinical rotations (practicum).

Phase II, lasting 32 weeks,encompasses the clinical rotations and two advanced courses, Management andEducation and Research and Clinical Correlations.

Clinical rotation courses include

• Phlebotomy
• Urinalysis
• Hematology/Hemostasis
• Microbiology
• Virology
• Immunology
• Blood Bank
• Clinical Chemistry
• Molecular

Students rotate at the Scott & White laboratories and at the program's clinical affiliates. Clinical affiliations are maintained with King's Daughters Hospital and the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System,both in Temple. The clinical rotations and advanced courses prepare the student to be a competent entry-level clinical laboratory scientist.

Students who successfully complete all course work are awarded a certificate of completion from Scott & White. After receiving this certificate,students are eligible for the ASCP (American Societyfor Clinical Pathology) Board of Registry and/or the National Certifying Agency (NCA) examinations. Students from the program's six affiliated universities transfer their course workto the university for credit toward a bachelor of science in medical technology or clinical laboratory science. Graduation from the program is not contingent upon passing any external certifying exam.

Retraining Option

The program offers a retraining option for certified clinical laboratory scientists who have been out of the profession for a period of time and wish to reenter the workforce. These individuals may update their knowledge and skills in the profession by taking the lecture/student laboratory courses during the first part of the curriculum, the clinical rotation courses in the second part of the curriculum or both phases of the curriculum.

If you are a certified clinical laboratory scientist (medical technologist) and interested in updating your knowledge and skills in the profession, contact the Program Director, Mary Ruth Beckham, for more information.

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