MLS(ASCP) Certification Exam Pass Rates*

Employment/Graduate School Placement Rates**

Graduation/Attrition Rates

*** as defined by the NAACLS: percentage of students who have begun the final half of the program but subsequently left (voluntary or involuntary).

****as defined by the NAACLS: percentage of students who have begun the final half of the program and successfully graduated from the program.

For traditional students, courses completed past junior year determine the final half. For online BS completion program for MLTs, their "final half" starts after the first 15 credit hours.

ODU Medical Laboratory Science Program is privileged to offer clinical practica at the sites listed below. Internships/practica will be assigned by the Program Director and Education Coordinator as they become available and may be made for evening, night, as well as day shifts. Student learning experiences in clinical practicum courses are performed under the supervision of a preceptor. Student learning experiences, however, are not substituted for the work of the staff. Service work performed by students outside of academic hours is not required or permitted to fulfill practicum requirements. Assignments will be made on a priority basis, i.e., preference will be given to those students who are ready for graduation immediately upon completion of practicum courses. In case of a shortage of clinical sites, assignments will be made based on academic performance, centered on cognitive, psychomotor as well as affective behaviors.

Students may be required to attend several different clinical sites. Transportation is the student's responsibility. Internships/practica may be local or at distant sites. Newly acquired clinical sites may require relocation for the assignment period.

Medical Laboratory Science (formerly Medical Technology)

Eligibility:
Graduates of a formal accredited medical laboratory technician training program who are MLT certified and currently employed in a full service clinical laboratory.

Interested applicants for the MLT to MLS Degree Completion Program should click here to contact a Health Sciences Enrollment Coordinator.

MLT to MLS Articulation

Articulation into the BSMLS Program is available to individuals who are graduates of a formal accredited medical laboratory training program. Students with previous laboratory training may complete the degree by completing courses in the traditional BSMLS Program or the BSMLS Degree Completion Program. Advanced placement will be based on educational background and work experience.

Degree Completion Program

The BSMLS Degree Completion Program is available for laboratory practitioners who are graduates of accredited associate degree, hospital or military Medical Laboratory Technician programs who are currently employed in a full service clinical laboratory. MLT certification is required for admission. The program builds on previously acquired strengths and accomplishments, allowing students to acquire advanced technical, managerial, and problem-solving skills. The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of local and distant practitioners who seek a baccalaureate degree. Program courses are delivered online to accommodate the schedules of working students.

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Medical Laboratory Science Teaching Faculty

Rachel Childs, M.S., MLS(ASCP) Clinical Assistant Professor Teaching: hematology and hemostasis, urinalysis, and bodily fluids	Margaret Goodman, M.S., MT(ASCP) Riverside Doctor's Hospital Adjunct Assistant Professor Teaching: immunology and immunohematology	Barbara Kraj, PhD, MLS(ASCP)MB Associate Professor and Program Director Teaching: immunology, immunohematology, and molecular techniques
Ellie Luethy, MHS, MT(ASCP) Adjunct Instructor (distant learning) Teaching: management in clinical setting, instrumentation, and clinical chemistry	Linda McClenney, MS, MLT(ASCP) Bon Secours Mercy Health Mary Immaculate Hospital Adjunct Assistant Professor (distant learning) Teaching: hematology and hemostasis	Louise Midland, MT(ASCP) Adjunct Instructor Teaching: blood bank laboratory
Peter Mollica, Ph.D., MB (ASCP) Assistant Professor Monarch Molecular Technical Supervisor Teaching: instrumentation, clinical chemistry and directed study in MLS	Mary Petty, M.S., MT(ASCP) Veteran's Administration Medical Center, Hampton Adjunct Assistant Professor (distant learning) Teaching: statistical applications in the clinical laboratory	Jenni Rickerson, MLS(ASCP) Adjunct Assistant Instructor
Christina Ruffy, MT(AMT), BB (ASCP) Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth Adjunct Instructor Teaching: summer blood bank practicum, flow cytometry	Angela Wilson, M.S., M(ASCP) Clinical Assistant Professor Teaching: orientation to MLS, clinical bacteriology and virology, mycology, and parasitology

Staff

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General Education & Program Prerequisites

Program of Study

The general education courses, prerequisite science courses, and remaining courses necessary for the degree can be completed on campus or at local community colleges.

The delivery formats for the medical technology courses are web-based.

All students in the BSMLS Degree Completion Program must complete the clinical component of the program which requires students to demonstrate competence in the following areas of the clinical laboratory:

• Hematology/Coagulation
• Microbiology
• Clinical Chemistry
• Immunohematology

Recommended Degree Plan

* Choose from the list of approved general education courses.
** The foreign language requirement may be met with three years of a foreign language in high school or two years of two different foreign languages in high school.

Note: Junior year core courses that are over three years old prior to graduation, must be reevaluated by the faculty member at ODU in charge of the specialty, in both theoretical knowledge and technical skills. Reevaluation may result in the requirement to repeat and/or audit out-of-date courses. This applies to both part-time and returning Degree Completion Program students.

For consultation and evaluation of eligibility for degree completion program contact: healthsciencesonline@odu.edu

Technical standards represent the essential functions that students must master to successfully complete program requirements. Standards for this program are listed below.

Students must be able to:

1. Perform laboratory assays and tasks with coordination and control.
2. Manipulate small objects and devices.
3. Turn dials, press buttons and keypads, and move switches.
4. Maneuver around instruments in the laboratory and in patient care settings.
5. Perform and interpret laboratory assays, including the ability to: distinguish red, yellow, blue, and other color reactions; distinguish between solutions that are clear, cloudy or particulate; identify stained and unstained cellular and non-cellular components in the range of 1 um using a microscope; and read calibration lines or scales that range 1 mm apart.
   
6. Perform tasks and assays that require responses to auditory stimuli.
   
7. Perform phlebotomy, blood and body fluid processing, and testing procedures safely.
   
8. Perform laboratory assays and interpret results, including the ability to communicate effectively in English, both in written and non-written forms.
   
9. Read, understand, and follow directions printed in English.
   
10. Maintain cognitive, psychomotor, and affective performance standards while retaining intellectual and emotional stability and maturity when confronted with stressful and rigorous circumstances.

Who is a Medical Technologist/Medical Laboratory Scientist?
Medical Technologists, currently known as Medical Laboratory Scientists, are laboratory health professionals who provide vital information about the status and function of the body and its systems. The data is utilized in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.

How desirable is this profession?
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook* "An increase in the aging population is expected to lead to a greater need to diagnose medical conditions, such as cancer or type 2 diabetes, through laboratory procedures. Prenatal testing for various types of genetic conditions also is increasingly common. Medical laboratory technologists and technicians will be in demand to use and maintain the equipment needed for diagnosis and treatment".

Additionally "Job prospects will be best for medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians who complete an accredited education program and earn professional certification."

*https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-and-clinical-laboratory-technologists-and-technicians.htm (visited January 30, 2018).

Are there job opportunities in Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science?
Most of our graduates obtain local job offers before completing the program.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook "Employment of medical laboratory technologists is projected to grow 12 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations."

What prerequisite courses do I need?
Biology (4 hrs), foundations of chemistry/equivalent to ODU CHEM 121N/122N and CHEM 123N/124N (8 hrs), organic chemistry (5 hrs), anatomy and physiology (3-8 hrs), and statistics (3 hrs) are required science prerequisite courses.

I have a BS degree in science. Do I qualify for admission?
Yes. As long as the prerequisite courses listed above are met, applicants are eligible for a second baccalaureate degree in Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Sciences (BSMT/BSMLS). A faculty advisor will evaluate your credentials.

I am transferring to ODU from a community college/another institution. What should I do?
Contact the Health Sciences Advising Center-an advisor can assist you in getting prepared to apply to the MT/MLS Program:

Health Sciences Advising Center
3133 Health Sciences Building
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA 23529-0288
Phone: (757) 683-5137
Email: hsadvising@odu.edu

What GPA do I need in order to be eligible to apply to the MT/MLS Program?
The minimum GPA is 2.0 overall and a "C" in all prerequisite science courses. However, admission is competitive. Admitted students who are the most successful have a GPA that is 2.8 or higher.

When do I apply?
Prospective transfer and second degree students and students tracking from their freshman year (spring of their sophomore year), should apply by February 1 for traditional on-campus program.

Applications for Degree Completion Program are accepted during fall or spring semester. It is recommended students apply when they are within one - two semesters of finishing the general education and prerequisite course requirements.

If I miss the application deadline, am I allowed to begin taking MT/MLS Program courses?
Yes, prospective students may begin taking program courses prior to formal admission to the program. A faculty advisor will recommend selected courses based on completed prerequisites.

What is the difference between the traditional BSMT/BSMLS Program and the BSMT/BSMLS Degree Completion Program (DCP)?
Program courses in the traditional BSMT/BSMLS Program are offered on ODU campus during the day. Degree Completion courses are web-based courses for applicants who are already certified as Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLTs) due to completion of a formal, NAACLS accredited medical laboratory training program or applicants with an Army/Navy or Air Force Medical Laboratory Specialist Certificate (such as 68K). The BSMT/BSMLS Degree Completion Program is preferably offered to practicing laboratory professionals.

I am a Laboratory Technician. How does my previous coursework apply towards obtaining a BSMT/BSMLS?
Articulation into the BSMT/BSMLS Program is available to certified individuals who are graduates of a formal accredited medical laboratory training program. Students with previous laboratory training may complete the degree by completing courses in the traditional or Degree Completion Program. Completion of the Laboratory Technician program does not exempt the applicants from the science prerequisites. Advanced placement will be based on educational background and work experience.

How long does it take to complete the Program?
Students beginning the traditional BSMT/BSMLS Program as freshmen can complete the program in 4 years. Transfer students can complete the program in five semesters (including summer). Second-degree students can complete the program in four semesters (including summer).
BSMT/BSMLS Degree Completion Program students can complete the program in five semesters (including summer).
Total time for completion of both programs will vary depending on what prerequisites courses are needed.

Are professional Medical Laboratory Science courses taken at another institution transferable to the ODU Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science program?
Professional courses in Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science taken at another institution are considered for transfer on a case-by-case basis. Transfer decisions will depend on the number of credit hours taken, syllabus evaluation by the faculty and, the grade earned by the student. Professional courses completed in non-accredited programs and courses in which the applicant achieved less than a B will not be considered for evaluation.