Jacen Moore, Ph.D., Program Director
Alex Ryder, M.D., Medical Advisor
Program Description
The Clinical Microbiology Certificate program consists of 22-credit hours that prepare future health professionals for a career in clinical microbiology. The courses are a combination of online, on-campus, and clinical practicums performed in an accredited laboratory setting. In addition to coursework, students must complete a six-month clinical internship. After completion of the certificate program, graduates are eligible to take the Technologist in Microbiology exam offered by the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC). Graduates of the program seeking employment in the field of medical laboratory science in the state of Tennessee may also require a license to practice from the Tennessee Medical Laboratory Board. ASCP certification is required to obtain licensure in the state of Tennessee (check with the State Board for a list of other acceptable examinations). In addition to national certification, graduates would be required to have six months of clinical experience in order to get a state license. This experience could be gained through employment in a clinical laboratory while the student is enrolled in the certificate program. Graduates from this program would only qualify for employment in microbiology laboratories.
Minimum Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Bachelor’s of Science degree with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale) from an accredited college or university;
- Prerequisite courses to include:
Biology (General Biology or similar) - 8 credit hours
General Chemistry I and II - 8 credit hours
Organic Chemistry I - 4 credit hours
Microbiology - 4 credit hours
Anatomy and physiology - 4 credit hours
College Algebra /Statistics 3 credit hours
- Two letters of recommendation from college instructors;
- Students with degrees older than 5 years may be required to update their science course(s);
- Interview with the faculty;
- Foreign applicants whose native language is not English must submit the results of the TOEFL, with a minimum score of 213 on the computer test or 80 on the TOEFL iBT®;
- Official transcripts from a foreign applicant’s native country must be evaluated by one of the credentialing agencies approved by UTHSC. This evaluation must be sent to UTHSC’s Office of Enrollment Services on or before the program’s application deadline. Contact the Medical Laboratory Science Program for more information.
Application Deadlines
Early deadline: December 1
Regular deadline: April 1
Late deadline: June 15
Applications are accepted online at http://www.uthsc.edu/admissions/chp.php.
Health Requirements
In addition to meeting general UT Health Science Center requirements, medical laboratory science students are required to have an annual skin test for tuberculosis and to submit records in Verified Credentials and EXXAT demonstrating compliance with UT Health Science Center and clinical rotation site immunization and drug screening requirements. Students that do not meet University requirements will not be allowed to register for courses until they meet the necessary requirements. Students who do not meet clinical site immunization or drug screening requirements may not be allowed to rotate at that site. Students are required to have valid health insurance throughout the duration of the program.
Technical Standards
For admission to the BS MLS degree program at the UT Health Science Center, 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 they understand and can meet these standards either with or without accommodations (for persons with documented disabilities). In the event that a student cannot meet these Technical Standards with or without reasonable accommodations at any time in their program, the student will lose their admission eligibility and will be required to discontinue enrollment in the program.
In addition to meeting the intellectual, emotional and physical criteria for medical laboratory science, students must also possess the ability to provide for the welfare and safety of their patients and others. Students that are unable to meet these criteria as outlined by the Technical Standards are ineligible for admission or program continuation. Any questions about these technical standards should be directed to the MLS program director.
Accommodations
Students with documented disabilities who wish to request accommodations must self-identify by registering with Accessibility and Accommodations and submitting documentation. Any student desiring accommodations should contact the Associate Director for Accessibility and Accommodations, Ms. Keri Snyder, in the office of Disability Services at ksnyde21@uthsc.edu for further information. Information regarding accommodations can also be found on the Disability Services web page: https://uthsc.edu/tlc/disability-services.php or by calling 901-448-1218.
Students must self-disclose their disability to Accessibility and Accommodations to make a request for accommodations. Accommodations can be requested at any point during the semester but are not retroactive. Students must be officially approved for accommodations to receive them. Students with a disability who do not wish to seek accommodations are still encouraged to register with the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations.
Once enrolled in the MLS Program, students must meet program curricular requirements including all technical, cognitive, affective, and psychomotor standards described below in order to progress and to graduate.
General Standards
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, Motor, and Sensory Skills
- Dexterity with both wrists, hands and arms, and dexterity with all 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
- Visual acuity (corrected to 20/40); visual perception with respect to depth and color
Cognitive, Integrative, Quantitative Skills
- 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/Social Skills
- 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 include:
- 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 multiple tools and strategies such as student performance on oral presentations and written assessments.
Clinical Affiliations
Clinical affiliation sites are located in Memphis, throughout Tennessee, and in neighboring states. In order to accommodate all students in rotationstudents may be required to accept the financial impact of traveling and living out of town for a portion of their clinical assignments. Students interested in assignment to clinical sites outside of Memphis can request these rotation sites but assignment to the requested site is not guaranteed. 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. The lack of a clinical placement or acceptable substitution may result in the delay of student graduation until a clinical experience can be identified and completed by the student. In order to ensure timely graduation, the Medical Laboratory Science program may exercise replacement clinical experiences including simulated laboratory experiences on campus or assignment to clinical sites outside of Memphis when rotations within Memphis are unavailable.
Clinical Affiliate sites are located at the following locations:
American Esoteric Laboratory, Memphis
1701 Century Center Cove
Memphis, TN 38134
American Esoteric Laboratory, Knoxville
7501 Strawberry Plains Pike
Knoxville, TN 37924
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville
1500 West Poplar Avenue
Collierville, TN 38017
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto
7601 Southcrest Parkway
Southaven, MS 38671
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis
6019 Walnut Grove
Memphis, TN 38120
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton Co
1995 Highway 51 South
Covington, TN 38019
Baptist Memorial Hospital - Union City
1201 Bishop Street
Union City, TN 38261
Baptist Women’s Hospital
6225 Humphreys Boulevard
Memphis, TN 38120
Erlanger Health System
975 E. Third Street
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Jackson-Madison County General Hospital
620 Skyline Drive
Jackson, TN 38301
Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center
848 Adams Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103
Maury Regional Medical Center
1224 Trotwood Avenue
Columbia, TN 38401
Memphis VA Medical Center
1030 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
Methodist Hospital-Germantown
7691 Poplar Avenue
Germantown, TN 38138
Methodist Hospital-North
3960 New Covington Pike
Memphis, TN 38125
Methodist Hospital, Olive Branch
4250 Bethel Road
Olive Branch, MS 38564
Methodist Hospital, South
1300 Wesley Drive
Memphis, TN 38116
Methodist University Hospital
1265 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
Regional One Health
877 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38105
St. Francis Hospital
5959 Park Avenue
Memphis, TN 38119
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place MS 250
Memphis, TN 38105
Program-Specific Policies
Attendance Requirement
Medical laboratory science students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, student labs, and clinical rotation assignments. In the case of absence due to illness or emergency, the student must notify the course director of the absence as soon as possible. For clinical rotation absences, students must notify the course director and the clinical site no later than 8:30AM of the day missed. For other absences, prior arrangements must be made and makeup exams or laboratory sessions coordinated with the respective course directors. While emergencies do occur, every effort should be made to avoid scheduling appointments for services or other meetings during scheduled class or rotation times.
Grading Policy
Written, practical, and performance evaluations occur throughout the curriculum and are a crucial part of the educational program. Students are required to successfully pass all courses in each term before the student is allowed to progress. No credit will be awarded for any course until final grades are submitted by the course director at the end of the term.
The point-grade conversion scale used by the program for all professional courses is listed below:
93-100 = A
90-92 = A-
87-89 = B+
83-86 = B
80-82 = B-
77-79 = C+
73-76 = C
70-72 = C-
60-69 = D
Below 60 = F
Practicum courses may be graded as Pass (P) or Fail (F) if indicated in the course syllabus. Pass or Fail grades are not included in calculating a student’s term or cumulative 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 regarding grade assignments in these situations.
