Medical Laboratory Technology

Admissions: 1-877-UMA-1234 ext. 3465 or (207) 621-3465
Advising Center: 1-877-UMA-1234 ext. 3149 or (207) 621-3149
Coordinator: Judith Clukey
Website: www.uma.edu/academics/programs/med-lab-tech/

Intro/Overview

The MLT Program of Maine was created as a collaborative effort between the University of Maine at Presque Isle and the University of Maine at Augusta in cooperation with hospitals across the state that serve as clinical affiliates. Medical Laboratory Technology is a two-year program leading to an Associate of Science in MLT.

The program’s vision is “Providing Quality MLT Education to Communities Across the State of Maine.” All MLT lecture courses are available via videoconferencing at locations statewide. Periodic intensive laboratories are held at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta. The final semester is a supervised clinical practicum scheduled at an affiliated hospital laboratory.

There is a strong need for medical laboratory technicians as approximately 40% of the current laboratory workforce is within five to ten years of retirement. The MLT Program strives to continually prepare and graduate the best technicians to ensure ongoing delivery of quality healthcare to communities across the State of Maine.

Upon completion, graduates are eligible to take the nationally recognized certification exam administered by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP). Students can also pursue a Bachelors of Arts Biology degree through our 2+2 B.A. program so that they may upgrade their certification to Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS).

The MLT Program of Maine is accredited by:
The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
5600 N. River Road, Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018
773-714-8880
http://www.naacls.org/

Mission: Providing quality medical laboratory technology education to communities across the state of Maine.

Program Objectives

The program will provide the student with the academic background and technical skills necessary to enter the health care system as a medical laboratory technician. The program includes a twenty week capstone training in a hospital laboratory during which students gain clinical experience. The student will be prepared as a medical laboratory technician, to take the national certifying examinations administered by the Board of Certification of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists or the American Medical Technology Association.

Learning Outcomes

At career entry, the Medical Laboratory Technician will be able to perform routine clinical laboratory testing in the departments of hematology, clinical chemistry, immunohematology, clinical microbiology, serology/immunology, coagulation, molecular, and other emerging diagnostics.

Upon graduation and initial employment, the medical laboratory technician should be able to demonstrate entry-level competencies in the areas of professional practice listed below:

Collecting and processing biological specimens and other substances for analysis;
Performing analytical tests on body fluids, cells, and other substances;
Recognizing factors that affect procedures and results, and taking appropriate actions within predetermined limits when corrections are indicated;
Performing and monitoring quality control within predetermined limits;
Performing preventive and corrective maintenance of equipment and instruments or referring to appropriate source for repairs;
Applying principles of safety;
Demonstrating professional conduct and interpersonal communication skills with patients, laboratory personnel, other healthcare professionals, and with the public;
Recognizing the responsibilities of other laboratory and healthcare personnel and interacting with them with respect for their jobs and patient care;
Applying basic scientific principles in learning new techniques and procedures;
Relating laboratory findings to common disease processes;
Establishing and maintaining continuing education as a function of growth and maintenance of professional competence.

Admissions Requirements(seeUMA General Education Requirements )

High School Chemistry with Lab or CHY 100 (grade of C or higher)
High School Biology with lab or BIO 110 (grade of C or higher)
MAT 111 - Algebra II or higher-level algebra course or course waiver
demonstrated proficiency in reading, writing and mathematics
for transfer students, science courses will be transferred only if taken within the past ten-year period
GPA of 2.00 for transfer students

Required Essay:

Potential MLT students must submit an essay addressing the following questions:

Why are you interested in the MLT Program? You may comment on previous experiences (work or personal) that have influenced your decision to enter this field.
What qualities do you possess that will help you to be a good MLT?
What are your professional goals?

Lab Tour:

It is highly recommended that you arrange to visit a hospital laboratory for a job tour. If you have not had an opportunity to visit a clinical laboratory, please contact the MLT program coordinator for more information on scheduling a visit.

Pre-Medical Laboratory Technology Program

For those students who do not meet admission requirements or for those students who wish to complete the General Education Requirements prior to enrolling in medical laboratory technology course work, the Pre-Medical Laboratory Technology program is offered. It is an open admission program and allows the student to enroll in a degree program, a requirement to qualify for financial aid, and to be assigned a faculty advisory from the Medical Laboratory Technology Program. Enrollment in the Pre-Medical Laboratory Technology Program does not guarantee admission to the associate degree Medical Laboratory Technology Program. Fifteen (15) students are selected each spring to enter the MLT Program and begin taking the MLT courses in the fall semester.

Transfer

Although the program is primarily intended to be career oriented, it will provide students desiring to continue to the baccalaureate level access to such degree programs within the University of Maine System.

Graduation Requirements

A minimum grade of “C+” (77) is required in all MLT and science courses. Upon successful completion of the program (70 credit hours at a minimum grade point average of 2.00) the student will be awarded an associate of science in medical laboratory technology degree.

Career Opportunities

The challenges and rewards of medicine and science are combined into one in the world of the medical laboratory technician. The medical laboratory technician hunts for clues to the absence, presence, extent and causes of disease.

Medical laboratory technicians (MLT) are vital to the healthcare team as they are often the first to produce patient results. MLT’s use sophisticated biomedical instrumentation, as well as manual procedures, to perform testing and provide results that are essential in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. It is estimated that over 70% of all medical decisions are based in part on laboratory results.

The medical laboratory technician has diverse and multi-level functions in the areas of collecting, processing, and analyzing biological specimens and other substances, principles and methodologies, performance of assays, problem solving, troubleshooting techniques, correlation of clinical procedures and results, principles and practices of quality assessment, for all major areas: clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology, immunohematology, microbiology, and molecular biology practiced in the contemporary clinical laboratory.

Medical laboratory technicians practice independently and collaboratively, being responsible for their own actions, as defined by the profession. They have the requisite knowledge and skills to educate laboratory professionals, other health care professionals, and the public in the practice of laboratory medicine.

The ability to relate to people, a capacity for calm and reasoned judgment and a demonstration of commitment to the patient are essential qualities. Communication skills extend to consultative interactions with members of the healthcare team, external relations, customer service and patient education. Laboratory professionals demonstrate ethical and moral attitudes and principles that are necessary for gaining and maintaining the confidence of patients, professional associates, and the community.

^{Adapted from NAACLS: Unique Standards of the Medical Laboratory Technician.}

Transferable Skills & Competencies

Medical laboratory technicians (MLT) are vital to the healthcare team as they are often the first to produce patient results. MLTs use sophisticated biomedical instrumentation, as well as manual procedures, to perform testing and provide results that are essential in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease. The medical laboratory technician has diverse and multi-level functions in the areas of collecting, processing, and analyzing biological specimens. On a daily basis MLTs are challenged with problem solving, troubleshooting techniques, correlating clinical procedures and results, and applying principles and practices of quality assessment in the contemporary clinical laboratory. Listed below are some representative skills and abilities that MLT students may acquire:

Investigation

Understanding cause & effect
Observing carefully
Performing test validation studies
Related lab findings to common disease process

Communication

Using medical terminology
Writing reports and procedures
Informing/explaining
Meeting with patients
Working as a team member

Technical

Using medical equipment
Maintaining medical equipment
Monitoring quality control
Applying principles of safety

Analysis

Collecting & processing specimens
Attending to details
Examining specimens
Performing tests
Perceiving pattern/structures
Solving problems

Careers

The majority of MLTs are employed in hospital laboratories, with additional career opportunities in physicians’ offices, independent laboratories, reference laboratories, and research laboratories. Medical Laboratory Technology graduates apply their skills in a variety of settings including health care, business and industry, government and research organizations. The following is a selected list of career options for Medical Laboratory Technology majors. Some of the occupations may require additional training.

Health Care

Medical Laboratory Technician
Clinical Toxicologist *
Diagnostic Virologist *
Veterinary Laboratory Assistant
Phlebotomist

Government/Public Service

Water Quality Inspector
Communicable Disease Coordinator
Forensic Laboratory Assistant
FDA Inspector *
Drug Testing Coordinator

Research

Cancer Researcher *
Pharmaceutical Research Assistant
Genetics Researcher *

Business/Industry

Paper Mill Lab Technician
Quality Control Technician
Technical Service Representative
Sales Representative, Biotechnical Instrumentation and Reagents

*Baccalaureate or graduate level study is generally required for these occupations.

Programs

Associate of Science

Medical Laboratory Technology, AS