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Structured Programs in Specialty Areas For Biology Majors

There is a serious nationwide shortage of medical laboratory professionals, which is projected to continue for the next decade. In order to address the demand for qualified medical technologists, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) is supporting the offering of structured programs in the four specialty areas of medical laboratory science (i.e., Blood Banking, Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, and Clinical Microbiology) to students majoring in biology. Biology majors opting for education and training in a medical laboratory science discipline must have the same educational experiences in a NAACLS-accredited program as a medical laboratory science major. Biology majors who have met the Marist medical laboratory science coursework and internship requirements for a medical laboratory science discipline are therefore eligible for ASCP Board examination and certification in that discipline.

Completion of a structured program in a medical laboratory science discipline, coupled with ASCP Board certification, affords job security and opens up exciting career opportunities in diagnostic and industrial laboratories. Biology majors who achieve certification hold the titles of Blood Bank Technologist, Chemistry Technologist, Hematology Technologist, or Microbiology Technologist, depending on the chosen area of study.

Medical Laboratory Science Discipline Course Requirements

Blood Banking

• BIOL 315 Immunology
• MEDT 315 Hematology I
• MEDT 340 Clinical Immunology/Immunohematology I
• MEDT 441 Adv Clinical Immunology/Immunohematology
• MEDT 442 Adv Clinical Immunology/Immunohematology Lab

Clinical Chemistry

• MEDT 305 Clinical Chemistry I
• MEDT 406 Adv Clinical Chemistry
• MEDT 407 Adv Clinical Chemistry Lab
• MEDT 345 Clinical Microscopy
• MEDT 445 Clinical Microscopy Lab

Hematology

• MEDT 315 Hematology I
• MEDT 411 Adv Hematology
• MEDT 412 Adv Hematology Lab
• MEDT 345 Clinical Microscopy I
• MEDT 445 Clinical Microscopy Lab

Clinical Microbiology

• BIOL 312 Microbiology
• MEDT 301 Clinical Microbiology I
• MEDT 402 Adv Clinical Microbiology
• MEDT 403 Adv Clinical Microbiology Lab
• MEDT 464 Adv Clinical Microscopy and Parasitology

Students in structured programs must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in all required science and math courses in order to be eligible for an internship. They also will be required to fulfill the same phlebotomy requirements as the medical laboratory science majors during clinical training. Internships, which begin in June and end in December, are complemented by an advanced lecture series on campus. medical laboratory science majors will be given first priority for internship placement if there is an insufficient number of internship slots due to increased class sizes.