Wright State University's Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program is celebrating the success of this year's cohort who on their first attempt achieved a 100% pass rate on the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) certification exams.
Amy Wissman, MS, MT (ASCP) has been at the helm as program director since March 2017. She along with clinical coordinator Laura Rouhana, PhD, MLS (ASCP)CM have continued the success of the Medical Laboratory Sciences program by training and graduating high caliber students --as demonstrated by these outcomes-- who are incredibly valuable to our region's health services.
The ASCP Board of Certification is an independent certification agency that sets industry standards and develops procedures that will ensure the competence of medical laboratory scientists. The board certifies those individuals who meet the academic and clinical prerequisites and who meet required performance levels on their examinations.
Medical Laboratory Science at Wright State is a rigorous program that includes three years of study at Wright State and one-year of clinical laboratory curriculum. The clinical course work starts with an orientation phlebotomy course and progresses through analysis of various body fluids and transfusion services. A typical day for students is divided by 3 hours of lecture and 3+ hours of laboratory procedures. The lectures wrap-up with subject reviews and a comprehensive examination.
Program clinical affiliations range from small community hospital laboratories to large reference laboratories. All MLS students rotate through several specialty laboratories including the Community Blood Center/Tissue Center and Compunet Clinical Lab Specialty labs. These multiple sites provide exposure to various laboratory environments and employment opportunities. Program graduates' acquire excellent technical skills that are considered valuable to many industries. Many graduates are hired by the clinical training sites yet other employment opportunities are available.
Wissman said, "the future job prospects in the MLS profession are excellent". The need for highly trained medical lab scientists is expected to increase as medical advances are made, the scope of diagnostic testing expands, along with the significant increase in the aging population over 65. MLS scientists will conduct the testing and the microanalysis to meet the demand for more personalized patient care.
Most MLS work in hospital labs with the goal of providing expeditious and accurate results on patient samples so that other members of the health care team can make/modify treatment plans. They are an integral component of our health care system with a dynamic range of duties and provide critical information used in clinical decision making.
The MLS program averages a 98% job placement rate at 3 months, post graduation. Additional program outcomes include a 97% graduation rate, and 92% average for first attempt certification pass rate over the last 5 years. In 2018 program graduates achieved a 100% first-time pass rate. The program is accredited by the American Medical Association Council on Medical Education through the National Accrediting Agency of Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).
Admission into the program is selective as the number of students they can accommodate is contingent on the capacity of their clinical training sites as they strive to maintain a quality experience for all of their students. Wissman mentioned that future growth may come from allowing other pre-health profession majors to register for the MLS clinical course lectures. Talks have begun, and will continue as they explore the possibilities with the university, related departments, and programs to expand and implement this option.
Interested students need to apply before November 1 of the calendar year preceding May admission. They are required to complete an application and supply three letters of recommendation with evaluation forms, and to have a minimum overall GPA of 2.7 and a minimum grade of C in all science courses. For more information about the MLS program please visit the program webpage or contact the program director, Amy Wissman.
