Medical Laboratory Science, BS

Mission of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science

The mission of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science is to graduate competent MLSs who possess the knowledge to function at an optimal level in various medical laboratory settings and to meet the changing needs of the profession.

Vision of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science

The Department of Medical Laboratory Science will conduct programs of the highest caliber in medical laboratory science that are recognized as among the best in the U.S. The Medical Laboratory Science graduate is a competent laboratory professional who excels in a collaborative, diverse, and rapidly changing health care environment and has a spirit of inquiry, a commitment to lifelong learning and service, and plays an essential role in quality patient care. Graduates of advanced degree/ certification programs will be leaders who guide education, promote quality patient care, advocate for the profession, engage in research and scholarly activities, and inspire service.

Educational Goals

• Graduate competent practitioners who possess the skills and knowledge to function at an optimal level in various medical laboratory settings
• Graduate competent laboratorians who can meet the changing needs of the profession
• Foster and develop critical thinking and problem solving
• Instill the highest degree of professionalism
• Instill and foster a high degree of professional ethics
• Promote the importance of continuing education and professional association participation

Functional Expectations for Students

The following is an outline of the expectations for students enrolled in the Medical Laboratory Sciences degree programs. This information is provided so students can be knowledgeable about performance skills expected during coursework and clinical rotations, and also to allow students to determine whether accommodations may be needed due to a disabling condition.

Each student is expected to perform the following, with or without reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodation is defined as any change in the environment or in the way activities are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to participate as fully as possible in the academic program. Accommodations may include modification of policies, practices and procedures or the provision of auxiliary aids for communication. Students must not pose a threat to the safety or well-being of patients, other students, staff or themselves.

Observation: The students must be able to observe demonstrations and exercises in the clinical laboratory sciences involving body fluids and products being tested for biochemical, hematologic and microbiologic constituents, including the use of simple and complex instruments and microscopes.

Communication: The student must be able to communicate clearly and sensitively with patients and family members. The student must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with all members of the health care team.

Motor: Students must be able to perform tasks using laboratory instruments and glassware dealing with specimen collection and test analysis.

Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These intellectual abilities include measurement calculations, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. Problem solving is a critical skill requiring all of these intellectual abilities.

Behavioral and Interpersonal Attributes: Students must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of intellectual abilities. This includes, but is not limited to, the exercise of good judgment and the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the performance of procedures with maximal attention to safety of self and others in dealing with potentially hazardous equipment and materials. Students must be able to tolerate periods of taxing workloads and function effectively under stress and with unpleasant materials. They must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems that come to the laboratory. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation as well as the ability to maintain confidentiality of patient results are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the education process.

Academic Performance: The student must obtain information from lectures, laboratory sessions/exercises, audiovisual materials and written materials. Students must take essay and multiple-choice tests, complete papers, deliver presentations and perform required lab practice.

A request for accommodation or modification is not cause for withdrawal of the offer of acceptance. Any student can request accommodations once enrolled in the program. If an accommodation is requested, the department may require additional documentation and information and will follow up with the student to discuss the specifics of the request and the appropriate plan of action. Further information regarding accommodations is available at: http://www.rushu.rush.edu/catalog/aboutrush/disabilityrights.html.

Specific Program Outcomes

Graduates are expected to:

• Demonstrate entry level competence in pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical components of laboratory services.
  • Describe and perform procedures for proper specimen collection and processing of biological specimens.
  • Perform, with a high level of competence, analytical tests on body fluids, cells and blood products.
  • Integrate and relate data generated by various medical laboratory departments while making judgments regarding possible discrepancies and adherence to quality control protocols.
• Describe and apply all safety and governmental regulations and standards for the proper handling of chemical and biological specimens.
• Evaluate the decisions that are made from clinical data.
• Evaluate new techniques being incorporated into daily laboratory operation.
• Demonstrate professional conduct and interpersonal skills with patients, fellow employees, other health-care providers and the public.
• Practice and describe principles of quality assurance/quality improvement as applied to the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical components of laboratory services following standard operating procedures.
• Behave in an ethical, culturally-sensitive and professional manner following established guidelines.
• Describe and practice instructional techniques and terminology used to educate users and providers of laboratory services.
• Evaluate published studies as an informed consumer knowing research design and practice principles.
• Describe and apply concepts and principles of laboratory operations and management including:
  • Performance improvement
  • Dynamics of health care delivery systems as they affect laboratory service
  • Critical pathways and clinical decision making
  • Laboratory informatics
  • Human resource management
  • Financial management
• Participate in ongoing professional career development through active membership in professional societies, attending professional society meetings and maintaining certification.

The Medical Laboratory Science professional program consists of two parts: didactic (classroom learning) and clinical (practice in the medical laboratory). After the completion of the program, graduates should take a national certification examination.

All students entering one of the MLS degree programs are required to have a criminal background check before matriculating. The student’s ability to begin the clinical portion of the program and to complete certification and licensure requirements for entry into the profession may depend on documentation of such things as drug screening and a background check for a history of criminal offenses. A drug screen is required before entering the clinical practica. Students are prohibited from using academic or professional credentials until the satisfactory completion of a degree and appropriate credentials are awarded.

Accreditation

The BS and MS programs in Medical Laboratory Science are accredited by the:

National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
5600 N. River Rd., Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018-5119
(847) 939-3597
(773) 714-8880
(773) 714-8886 (Fax)
http://www.naacls.org

The Specialist in Blood Bank certificate program is accredited by the:

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
1361 Park St.
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 210-2350
http://www.caahep.org

State Licensure Requirements

Some states require that Medical Laboratory Scientists be licensed in the state in order to work in the medical laboratory in that state. Illinois does not license Medical Laboratory Scientists. The Medical Laboratory Science program at Rush University satisfies requirements for certification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification and complies with the standards of accreditation established by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences, but may not satisfy the licensing requirements for some states. In particular, our program may not satisfy the requirement for clinical training set by the state of California. Students who intend on moving to a state that has licensure after completion of the program are encouraged to check with the requirements for state licensure before starting the program to make sure that the Rush University curriculum will satisfy the requirements for licensure in that state.

Documentation of Hepatitis B Virus Vaccination

Before a student is allowed to begin the program, he or she must have on file documentation that he or she has either begun or has finished the course of inoculations for the Hepatitis B virus vaccine. This documentation must be sent directly to the Program Director or his or her designate.

If the student has just begun, but has not yet finished, the series of inoculations at the start of the program, he or she must provide documentation that he or she has finished the course of inoculations as soon as possible in order to remain in the program. This information will be reviewed quarterly and the student will be notified if he or she is not in compliance with this requirement. Students who fail to complete the Hepatitis B virus vaccination protocol in a timely manner will not be allowed to register for the following quarter until he or she can provide documentation that he or she is in compliance. Students must submit a Hepatitis B virus titer as proof of immunity.

Documentation of Tuberculosis Testing

All students must provide the results from tuberculosis screening tests in order to begin the program. Students must be tested annually for tuberculosis and must submit the results to the Program Office. Failure to comply with this policy can lead to dismissal from the program or prevention of attendance at the clinical site regardless of GPA. In cases where the tuberculosis screen is positive or contraindicated, students must be screened annually by a physician for symptoms of active tuberculosis and submit documentation that they have been screened and are symptom-free.

Required Rush University Medical Center OSHA, HIPAA and Safety Training

Students are required to take all Medical Center training courses that apply to medical laboratory scientists. These courses must be taken annually and are available through Rush University’s LEAP Online system. Students failing to remain current in these training areas will not be allowed in the clinical laboratories.

Midterm Warning Notices

Students not maintaining a passing-level grade at midterm time will be given a written warning notice. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the course instructor immediately to ascertain how the grade can be improved.

Academic Progression

High academic performance in required courses is expected. Students will be considered in good standing at Rush University unless placed on academic probation.

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 is required to be eligible to continue in the baccalaureate program, and at least 3.0 is required in the graduate programs. Cumulative grade point averages will be reviewed after each quarter. No student will be permitted into the clinical rotation portion of the program unless they have the required GPA. The faculty reserves the right to request the withdrawal of a student whose conduct, health or performance demonstrates lack of fitness for continuance in a health profession. Any such student not voluntarily withdrawing will be dismissed from the University.

Academic Probation

Academic probation is assigned to any student in the undergraduate program who receives a quarterly grade point average below 2.5 or whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.5. Students in the graduate program who receive a quarterly grade point average below 3.0 or whose cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 will also be placed on academic probation. Students placed on probation have two quarters in which to regain the status of good standing as follows:

The next quarter after being placed on probation, the student must attain a quarterly grade point average of at least 2.5 for undergraduate students or 3.0 for graduate students.

Two quarters after being placed on probation, the student must have a cumulative grade point average above 2.5 (undergraduate students) or 3.0 (graduate students).

Failure to make the minimum quarterly grade point average one quarter after probation or the minimum cumulative grade point average two quarters after probation will result in dismissal from the University.

“D,” “F” or “N” Grades in the Bachelor of Science Program

Undergraduate students who receive an “F” or “N” grade in any course must repeat that course. In the event that a student is required to repeat a course that is a prerequisite for an advanced course, the advanced course may not be taken until the student successfully passes the prerequisite course. Thus, the student’s progression in the program may be affected. Students who receive two “D” grades or a second “F” grade in the same academic year will be dismissed from the program.

All work in Practicum courses must be at or above the “C” level for undergraduate students. Grades less than “C” in a Clinical Practicum course must be repeated, but may be repeated only once, and must be taken within one year with the new grade replacing the failing grade in the cumulative grade point average. A second grade below “C” in any practicum course will result in dismissal from the program.

Comprehensive Examination

All students must take and pass a comprehensive examination at the end of the second year in order to graduate from the Department of Medical Laboratory Science. Students who fail the cumulative examination must retake the examination until they pass. Diplomas will not be given until the student has passed all sections of the comprehensive examination.

Graduate Research Projects

See the Graduate Research Bulletin and Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences policy document for policies and procedures regarding graduate research projects. This bulletin lists specific deadlines for each component of the research project. Failure to meet these deadlines will delay acceptance of the research project and graduation from the program.

Certification

The comprehensive technical curriculum at Rush University prepares the student to enter the practice of medical laboratory science. Graduates are eligible to take the Medical Laboratory Scientists certification examination given by the American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Certification.

Pre-professional Program

The pre-professional curriculum for the Medical Laboratory Science program is taken at an associated college or other accredited college or university and requires two to three years of study, depending upon the college. These years are devoted to preparing the scientific foundation upon which the practice of medical laboratory science can be built. The first year emphasizes courses in biological, physical and behavioral sciences, with options in the humanities. The succeeding years are used to increase depth in the sciences as they relate more specifically to health fields and to enhance personal experience through a broad choice of electives in the humanities. Specific course offerings and requirements may vary from campus to campus due to curriculum offerings, scheduling and course content. Required pre-requisite courses are completed before a student comes to Rush and are listed above.

Professional Program

Students integrate the theory of medical science with the practice of medical laboratory procedures, learning basic theory and skills in hematology, clinical chemistry, immunology, immunohematology, molecular techniques and clinical microbiology in the first year, and go on to more advanced courses in those areas in the second year along with courses in management, education and research to prepare students for supervisory, teaching and research positions.

Students apply basic concepts learned in the first year of the program as they rotate through the laboratories of Rush University Medical Center and affiliated hospitals. Currently, affiliate hospitals include the University of Chicago Medicine, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Loyola University Medical Center, and the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. It is the policy of the Rush University Department of Medical Laboratory Science that all students admitted into the program and who complete all first-year didactic courses will be guaranteed an opportunity to complete the clinical practicum at one of our affiliated hospitals.

Graduates are eligible to take the Medical Laboratory Scientist certification examination given by the American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Certification; upon passing this examination, they become certified as Medical Laboratory Scientists, MLS (ASCP). Students are not eligible to take the national certification examinations until all degree requirements are met. Verification of degree completion is required from the program director by the American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Certification. Graduation from the program is not contingent on successfully passing a certification examination.

Year 1

Year 2

Hours Required for MLS BS Degree: 107 QH

(not including the 90 quarter hours of general 107 QH education courses taken at an accredited college or university prior to entry in the program)

Curriculum is subject to change.