Admission Requirements Scholarships and Expenses Program-Specific Policies Curriculum Summary Progress, Promotions and Graduation For additional information, please view our Frequently Asked Questions

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Kathy Kenwright, Ed.D., Program Director
Alex Ryder, M.D., Medical Advisor

Program Objectives

The curriculum is designed to produce graduates who reflect the current expectations of the profession and of employers, particularly with respect to the need for problem solving and supervisory skills in the laboratory. Graduates of the program are prepared to function effectively as medical laboratory scientists (MLS) in any laboratory setting and eventually to assume positions of responsibility in laboratory management, teaching and consulting.

Curriculum Description

The curriculum of the medical laboratory science program is a two-year professional program. Students complete two years of prerequisite courses at other colleges or universities, and then complete two years (21 months) of professional coursework on the Memphis campus of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Clinical experience is integrated throughout the curriculum. The curriculum is designed so that there are opportunities for interactions with other health sciences students, and for integration of professional principles with the techniques of medical laboratory science.

Students are required to pass either a comprehensive examination upon completion of the program covering all courses in the curriculum, or comprehensive examinations at intervals as specified by faculty. Examinations may be written, practical, or both. Where a sequence of courses is described below, each course in the sequence is prerequisite to the subsequent course. Generally, for promotion to the next term or to graduation, all courses in each term must be completed with a passing grade.

Accreditation

The UTHSC program in medical laboratory science is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018- 5119, (773) 714-8880; http://www.naacls.org.

Admissions Requirements

To be eligible for consideration for admission into the BSMLS program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Completion of the following 57 credit hours of prerequisite coursework with a grade of “C” or better in each course:

 

Prerequisite coursework	Credit Hours
General Education
English Composition	6
English Literature	3a
Humanities or Fine Arts	3
Social/Behavioral Sciences	3
Natural Science/Mathematics
College Algebra or Statistics	3
American History	6b
Subtotal	24
General Education Electives	6
Subtotal	6
Prerequisite Course Work
General Chemistry	8
Organic Chemistry	4
General Biology or Zoology	8c
Human Physiology or Anatomy/Physiology	4
Microbiology	4
Subtotal	28
Total	58

** All students receiving a baccalaureate degree in the state of Tennessee must have completed one unit of American History on the high school level or six credit hours of college-level American History (three credit hours of Tennessee History may be substituted for 3 credit hours of American History).

1. Courses in literature may be used to fulfill the Humanities/Fine Arts requirement
2.  Students lacking the required one unit (one year) of American History from high school must complete six (6) credit hours of American History or three (3) credit hours of American History and three (3) credit hours of Tennessee History to fulfill the requirements in General Education.  Students who have successfully completed one unit (one year) of American History in high school will need to complete six (6) credit hours of electives to have thirty (30) credit hours in General Education.
3. Human Physiology II or Anatomy/Physiology II may be used to fill one of the General Biology requirements.

 

2. Submit official transcripts of above coursework.
3. A minimum overall GPA of 2.5.
4. Personal interview with faculty members.
5. Foreign applicants whose native language is not English must submit results of the TOEFL, with a minimum score of 550 on the written test, 213 on the computer test or 80 on the TOEFL iBT®
6. Completed application form including an essay describing the applicant’s reasons for choosing the profession and their career goals.
7. Pre-professional advisory committee recommendation from college or university attended OR two letters of recommendation from previous college instructors.
8. Ability to meet published technical standards for the professional practice of Medical Laboratory Science.
9. Coursework from another professional degree program may not be transferred to meet the requirements for admission to or graduation from the MLS program.  There is no advanced standing or placement in the program

Applications are accepted online at http://www.uthsc.edu/admissions/chp.php.

Application deadlines
Early deadline: Regular deadline: Late deadline:	December 1 April 1 June 15

Health Requirements

In addition to general University of Tennessee Health Science Center requirements, medical laboratory science students are required to have an annual skin test for tuberculosis and to be immunized against Neisseria meningitides and the Hepatitis B virus.

Technical Standards

For admission to the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science degree programs or the Master of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), students are expected to be able to successfully meet the Technical Standards outlined below. Students are required to sign the Technical Standards Commitment form indicating their understanding and ability to meet these standards either with or without accommodations (for persons with documented disabilities). Any questions about these technical standards should be directed to the program director of the MLS programs.

 

UTHSC receives applications from a diverse body of potential students including those with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to help students meet these technical standards when appropriate, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Any student wishing accommodations should contact the Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion (SASSI) for further information. Information regarding accommodations can be found on the SASSI website page:

https://uthsc.edu/sassi/disability_services.php or by calling 901-448-5056.

 

In the event a student cannot fulfill these Technical Standards with or without reasonable accommodations at any time in their program, the student will be ineligible for admission or continued enrollment in the program. In addition to ensuring that students can meet the intellectual, emotion and physical criteria for medical laboratory science, it should also be noted that of utmost importance is the student’s ability to provide for the welfare and safety of their patients and others. This is the foundation of all Technical Standards and if this cannot be done, the student is unable to meet the criteria outlined by the Technical Standards.

 

Once enrolled in the BS MLS or MS CLS Program, students must meet the requirements of the curriculum, including the demonstration of the skills described herein for the Program in order to progress through the curriculum and to graduate.

 

General Standards

The students must have the ability to:

• Assess and make appropriate judgements regarding lab services and patient outcomes.
• Prioritize and perform laboratory testing.
• Adapt to a variety of patient care situations, including crisis.
• Communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing.
• Participate in discussion in the classroom, the clinical arena and with colleagues and patients.
• Acquire information developed through didactic instruction and clinical experiences.
• Comprehend reading assignments and to search and evaluate literature.
• Prepare written assignments and maintain written records.
• Perform duties and assignments in a timely fashion while under stress and in a variety of settings.
• Meet deadlines and manage time.
• Utilize the computer for instructional assignments and patient care activities.

 

Physical and Motor Skills

The student must possess:

• Dexterity with both wrists, hands and arms, and dexterity with al fingers.
• Motor skills to grasp, pinch, push, pull, finger, hold, extend, rotate, cut.
• Ability to obtain and/or verify patient samples.
• Sufficient stamina to tolerate physically taxing workloads.
• Ability to operate/manipulate and effectively evaluate the status of laboratory instruments and equipment.

 

Sensory Skills

The student must possess:

• Visual acuity (corrected to 20/40); visual perception with respect to depth and color.

Cognitive, Integrative, Quantitative Skills

The student must possess the:

• Ability to measure, calculate, analyze, interpret, synthesize and evaluate as applicable to clinical practice.
• Ability to solve one or more problems within specific time frames, which are often short.
• Ability to comprehend spatial relationships.

 

Affective, Behavioral and Social Skills

The student must be able to:

• Function as part of a team (communicate effectively in English, consult, negotiate, share, delegate).
• Delegate to and supervise others.
• Adhere to safety guidelines for self and others.
• Comply with standards and regulations required by external agencies.
• Follow instructions/procedures with accuracy and precision.
• Maintain intellectual and emotional stability and maturity under stress, while also maintaining appropriate performance standards.
• Learn and exhibit professional attributes.

 

General Education Competencies

General education competencies for all UTHSC baccalaureate degrees are:

Critical Thinking
​Students will demonstrate their ability to solve problems, construct and present cogent arguments in support of their views, and understand and evaluate arguments presented by others.

Communication
Students will demonstrate appropriate skills in planning, preparing, and presenting effective oral and written presentations.

Interprofessionalism
Students will be able to explain interprofessional practice to patients, clients, families, and/or other professionals, describe the areas of practice of other health professions, and express professional opinions competently, confidently, and respectfully while avoiding discipline specific language.

General education competencies will be measured through tools and strategies such as student performance on oral presentations, written critiques of research papers, and papers written in capstone courses.

Scholarships and Expenses

The following scholarships are available to students entering the Medical Laboratory Science program:

• UTNAA Scholarship
• Ann Bell Scholarship
• Elam Scholarship
• Elizabeth Club Scholarship
• Loretta Cox Stuckey Scholarship

Information about these scholarships is available in the general college section of the bulletin.  Students receive a scholarship application during the admission process.

Clinical Affiliations

Clinical affiliation sites are located in Memphis and throughout Tennessee. Due to the limited number of clinical sites in Memphis, it may become necessary for students to accept the financial impact of traveling and living out of town for a portion of their clinical assignments. The  Medical Laboratory Science program will make every effort to place all students on clinical rotation.  Occasionally, a scheduled clinical experience at an external site is unavailable due to circumstances beyond the control of the University; however, because the experience is required for graduation, the Medical Laboratory Science program has exercised a number of replacement options.  A student’s graduation due to lack of clinical placement could be delayed if a clinical rotation could not be secured in Memphis and the student could not be placed in one of the following:  A site outside of Memphis or a simulated laboratory experience on campus.

Program-Specific Policies

Attendance Requirement

Medical laboratory science students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, student labs, and clinical lab assignments. In the case of absence due to illness or emergency, the student must notify the medical laboratory science office and clinical site no later than 8:30AM of the day missed. For any other absences, prior arrangements must be made with the specific instructor(s) involved. Makeup tests, missed lectures, or laboratory sessions should be coordinated with the course director. Appointments for health services should not be made during scheduled class time.

Grading Policy

Written and practical examinations and performance evaluations are a part of the educational program throughout the curriculum. All courses in each term must be passed before the student is allowed to progress to the next term. No credit for any course is awarded until the end of the term. The point- grade conversion scale used by the medical laboratory science program for all courses is as follows:

94-100 = A

92-93 = A-

89-91 = B+

85-88 = B

83-84 = B-

80-82 = C+

75-79 = C

73-74 = C-

71-72 = D+

65-70 = D

Below 65 = F

Practicum courses may be graded on Pass (P)/Fail (F) criteria as indicated in course syllabi.  These grades are not included in calculating the grade point average (GPA). 

Information about grading for incompletes and withdrawals is covered in the general college section of the bulletin. Students should reference this information about grade assignments in these situations