Medical Laboratory Science Certificate

The Medical Laboratory Science Certificate is intended to train students interested in pursuing careers in the medical laboratory sciences. It is offered to students who have completed a Bachelor of Science degree and who satisfy all the prerequisites for this program. To qualify for acceptance into this program, students must have taken a minimum of 16 semester hours of chemistry. This includes a year of general chemistry and organic chemistry and/or biochemistry. Students must have completed a minimum of 16 semester hours of biological science. The biology courses must be acceptable toward a major in biological science and must include general biology and one semester of bacteriology (microbiology). Immunology is required either as a separate course or as part of another course. A minimum of one course in university-level mathematics is required.

1. Recruitment and admissions outcomes: The program assesses academic preparation of program applicants each year. Reasons for attrition will be documented and reviewed each year for use in determining admission processes and their links to success of students. The program director worked with the new science professors to evaluate the science pre-requisite courses at Heritage University for content and applicability. Changes made included strengthening rigor of course work for matriculating students.
2. Preclinical outcomes: The program will be able to assess the adequacy of student preparation in the general education curriculum of Heritage University, as more internal students enter the program, by monitoring grades and successful completion rates. The adequacy of pre-clinical MLS course work, as preparation for the clinical practicum course sequence, is assessed through the review and analysis of questionnaires and student performance records. This course work includes knowledge tests and laboratory practical tests of student psychomotor achievement in the specialty content areas.
3. Clinical practicum outcomes: The program assessed direct measurements of student knowledge and performance in the clinical setting using records of student performance on knowledge, affective objectives and practical evaluation instruments for individual courses. Course grades are entirely based on student performance on practical performance examinations, daily performance evaluations, and knowledge examinations. Results are used to determine areas for improvement.
4. Certification outcomes: MLS faculty assessed overall program graduate performance on the ASCP Board of Certification MLS Certification Examination. Individual graduate performance, overall pass rate, and mean specialty area scores are routinely compared to national performance figures and reviewed each year with the Advisory Committees and the clinical faculty.
5. Program Review & Planning: MLS faculty assessed program curriculum and course content coordination, in MLS department courses, through meetings with clinical instructors and evaluation forms. Results were used as the basis for content or policy change. Recommendations for change resulted in execution of specific policies and plans. The effectiveness of changes is continually monitored.
6. Graduate and employer outcomes: The program formally and informally assessed graduate satisfaction with the MLS program overall, graduate employment rates overall and in our area, and employer satisfaction through the use of interviews and questionnaires.
7. Service learning outcomes: The program assessed activities through presentation participant evaluations and opportunities for community involvement. We also review student submission publication rates
8. Affiliation outcomes: The program will assess student evaluations and the continued accreditation of affiliates and search for additional affiliate opportunities or improved ways of utilizing the affiliate resources we now have.
9. Program faculty and faculty at clinical facilities: The program assessed written student evaluations of courses and faculty instruction. Departmental forms for student evaluation of clinical instruction were collected, collated and assessed. MLS faculty and clinical faculty assess effectiveness of the program’s administrative team and communication with and among clinical affiliates.