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Program Overview
The Medical Laboratory Technology curriculum is a two -year Associate of Applied Science degree program of study that prepares individuals to work in a medical laboratory. This program is designed to meet the standards and requirements for careers in clinical laboratory science. At career entry, the medical laboratory technician/clinical laboratory technician will be able to perform routine clinical laboratory tests (such as hematology, clinical chemistry, immunohematology, microbiology, serology/immunology, coagulation, molecular, and or emerging diagnostics) as the primary analyst making specimen-oriented decisions on predetermined criteria. Upon successful completion of the technical program, the student will be eligible to take a national certification examination.
The Medical Laboratory program consists of two academic years and two summers. Courses in biological, chemical, and social sciences, mathematics, humanities, and fine arts provide foundation and support for the technical courses. The MLT courses combine theory and clinical learning experiences in a related sequence. The practicum is a twenty-week comprehensive learning experience in an affiliated hospital during which the student builds technical skills under direct supervision of the clinical instructor. It comprises the fourth semester and a summer session. Affiliated hospitals are Bolivar Medical Center in Cleveland, University of MS Medical Center Grenada in Grenada, Delta Health-The Medical Center in Greenville, Greenwood Leflore Hospital in Greenwood, Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center in Clarksdale, Tallahatchie General Hospital in Charleston, Baptist Memorial Hospital in Yazoo City, North Sunflower Medical Center, Ruleville MS, and Chicot Memorial Medical Center in Lake Village, AR. Clinical assignments are at the discretion of the college.
The MDCC Medical Laboratory Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS) 5600 North River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018, (773) 714-8880. Graduates of the program are awarded an Associate of Applied Science Degree and are eligible to write for national certification examinations.
Professional Licensure/Certification
Currently there is no Mississippi State Licensure requirement for Medical Laboratory practitioners. However, MDCC's Medical Laboratory Technology program is a program that meets the educational requirements for a Medical Laboratory Technician and qualifies graduates to take a national certification examination which is widely accepted by employers to work as a Medical Technologist (MLT) in the state of Mississippi.
Licensure and certification requirements are established by agencies that are independent of and not affiliated with Mississippi Delta community College. Medical Laboratory certification and licensure varies state by state, and state laws, regulations, and policies may change at any time. States which currently license Medical Laboratory practitioners are: California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Tennessee, West Virgina, and Puerto Rico. Mississippi Delta Community College does not guarantee nor can it confirm that programs that fulfill Mississippi licensure requirements will satisfy the criteria of professional licensure boards in other states or territories. Students planning to seek employment in another state or U.S. territory after completing the program should contact the appropriate licensing board for current requirements. Information regarding certification and licensure can be found on the following websites:
American Society For Clinical Laboratory Science
American Society of Clinical Laboratory Pathologists
For additional information on certification and licensure please contact the program director.
Our Medical Laboratory Technology Program is Noteworthy
The MDCC MLT Program is known for graduating highly competent laboratory professionals who also have an extraordinary success rate on national board examinations.
Accredited by National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences since 1982.
American Society of Clinical Laboratory Pathologists Board of Registry Exam for MLTs - Students graduating from MDCC's MLT Program frequently place in the top ten percent of the country.