Medical lab scientists have been called the “unsung heroes” of health care because few patients or members of the public ever get to see what happens in a diagnostic clinical laboratory. However, excellent jobs and exciting careers await students who decide to major in medical laboratory science.
Medical Laboratory Science is a branch of medicine dealing with laboratory analyses used in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease as well as in the maintenance of health. Medical Laboratory Scientists, also called clinical laboratory scientists or medical technologists, are nationally recognized as individuals possessing a baccalaureate degree who have received education and clinical training (via internships) in chemical and biological testing related to health and human disease. Designed to follow prerequisite courses in basic science areas such as biology and chemistry, professional courses in Medical Laboratory Science programs are upper level baccalaureate courses and clinical training experiences. Following completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take national certification examinations which are necessary for employment in the most clinical laboratory settings.
Meet the Medical Laboratory Science Program faculty.
I’ve always bragged about Salisbury University's Medical Laboratory Science Program, but I didn't truly appreciate the education that I received until I entered the field. They went beyond teaching the curriculum; they trained me to succeed. I graduated with a level of confidence that is invaluable, and I am forever grateful.
Derrick Reed, MLS (ASCP)Lead Medical Technologist Evening/Overnight, Saint Agnes Hospital-Baltimore, MD
Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) has traditionally been known as the branch of medicine dealing with the performance of laboratory analyses used in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease, as well as the maintenance of health. This definition is rapidly undergoing expansion due to the diverse employment opportunities available to the graduate. Today's graduates seek careers in clinical settings (hospital or private laboratories performing tests related to disease conditions in humans and animals); industry (marketing, pharmaceuticals, biomedical technology, occupational health, research and development, quality control, health promotion, laboratory consultation); or public health (epidemiology, crime laboratory science, Peace Corps). In addition, many graduates choose to continue education in medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physician assistant, health information technology, health law and other graduate programs.
The MLS program at Salisbury University prepares so-called laboratory generalists who are prepared to practice in each of the content areas listed below. Some medical laboratories, usually the smaller ones, have generalist practitioners. In many medical laboratories, staff tend to specialize in just one or two areas. Microbiology/ immunology is a common combination as is chemistry/hematology in labs featuring a “core lab” arrangement. Seats in the MLS program are limited and the application process is competitive. Priority is given to students who are MLS majors, and these students will take the generalist curriculum. On a space-available basis, the MLS program offers minors in four areas- clinical microbiology, clinical chemistry, transfusion services and clinical hematology- for students not interested in pursuing the generalist degree.
The following are the areas practiced by medical lab scientists. The brief descriptions of each area only hint at the many possibilities that a medical lab scientist can pursue
An almost limitless number of chemicals can be found in humans and animals, and during the study of clinical biochemistry, students learn how to detect, analyze and quantify many of those chemicals associated with health, disease, injury, and infection. Some determinations are routine such as measuring blood glucose to detect or monitor diabetes and separating "good" and "bad" cholesterol to determine the risk of heart disease. More specialized testing techniques are those required to measure blood alcohol or to detect small amounts of illicit drugs. Clinical chemists must not only know how to perform and troubleshoot sophisticated analytical techniques but they also must be able to correlate specific patterns of results with health and disease in order to ensure that only quality data is reported to other professionals such as patient care providers, law enforcement officials, and veterinarians.
Dangerous microorganisms are in the news a lot. You’ve probably heard about the antibiotic resistant “superbugs” like MRSA and foodborne outbreaks such as E. coli contaminated produce. Because new microorganisms are being discovered all the time and they are developing more and more resistance to antibiotics, there has never been a more exciting time to study Clinical Microbiology.
Clinical Microbiology is the study of any microbes which can cause infection in humans. Because the focus is on human disease, this subject is often studied by the source of the specimen from the body – particular location, type of fluid or specific body tissue. Clinical microbiologists have to be able to tell the difference between normal microorganisms expected in a specimen and those causing an infectious disease. Classically, this is done by culturing the material on an artificial medium in the laboratory and solving the "mystery" of which bacteria, fungus, virus, or parasite may be the culprit in an illness. Following culture, the "suspect" organism is further tested by various manual or automated methods to determine exactly what species it is and sometimes what antibiotics can be used to treat it. For example, E.coli are normal microorganisms in some parts of the body all the time, but when an outbreak of foodborne illness occurs, the medical lab scientist may culture the suspected food and perform specific tests in order to determine if a different, dangerous strain of the E. coli is responsible.
Traditional microbiological culture is still performed, but a whole host of new methods have become important tools in clinical microbiology including rapid molecular testing for slow growing organisms and genetic analysis testing to study the epidemiology of a disease outbreak. As we discover more and more about microorganisms and the threat of bioterrorism is real and present, there has never been a greater need for skilled clinical microbiologists.
Hematology is the study of blood, both the cells and the fluid portion, called plasma. The cells include the red blood cells which carry oxygen to the tissues, white blood cells which function in our bodily defense, and platelets which are a major player in blood clotting. The plasma carries nutrients, other bodily chemicals and messengers, and contains coagulation factors which help the platelets in the clotting process. As medical lab scientists, we study the origins of each of the blood components, the diseases in any of these components, and how we can utilize laboratory methods to help monitor the health of the patient and diagnose diseases of the blood. For example, a medical lab scientist may perform a patient’s complete blood count (CBC) by means of a sophisticated instrument. This blood count may be used by the physician or health-care provider to diagnose sickle-cell anemia, leukemia or an extreme infection. A medical lab scientist can also evaluate the coagulation system by testing plasma and platelet components, for example, to help monitor a patient with hemophilia, or a heart-attack victim on blood-thinners.
In medical situations in movies and on television, someone often calls out "Type and cross for 2 units STAT!". It is the medical lab scientists in the blood bank or transfusion services laboratory that perform the lab testing (blood typing and crossmatching, a “type and cross”) necessary when someone needs a blood transfusion. All health care professionals have patients’ lives in their hands, but blood bankers have to be exceptionally skilled and able to keep their cool in emergency situations. Transfusing the wrong type of blood can kill someone!
You or someone you know probably has given blood at your local blood bank. Blood donor centers screen donors to be sure they are healthy, collect units of blood and then test the donor blood to be sure it is as safe as possible. Single units of blood can be split into components such as platelets, plasma, and cells to stretch that unit as far as it can go. After that, blood is shipped to hospitals where it is needed.
In the field of medical laboratory science, people commonly call this discipline "blood banking." The field has also been referred to as immunohematology in that people working in transfusion services are experts in immunology and hematology (the study of blood) as they relate to providing blood components to patients whose lives may depend upon them. Blood bankers also know a great deal about genetics since your genes determine your blood type and the way your body will react against blood that is foreign to you. Although DNA testing is used now, blood types can be used on blood found at crime scenes or in paternity testing. Transfusion services is an interesting place to work, and you have the satisfaction of knowing that you helped save someone’s life.
Most people take their immune system for granted, little realizing that every day there are white blood cells and antibodies busily scrutinizing every corner of the body for foreign material. Immunology is the study of this dynamic and complex system. Immunologists perform laboratory analyses which demonstrate antibodies to both past and present disease and which can determine if a vaccination has been effective. They can also test, classify and count immune system cells to determine the ability of a person to mount an effective immune response, and these types of assays are important in many diseases such as, for example, AIDS. As the rate and success of organ and tissue transplantation skyrockets, immunologists are also busy determining donor and recipient compatibility and the rejection status of transplants. As knowledge of the immune system continues to grow, the career opportunities for clinical immunologists also expand into ever more diverse areas.
Analyzing urine is still one of the simplest ways to screen a person quickly for underlying medical conditions. That’s why so many physician offices still perform routine urinalysis when you are getting a checkup. Frequently, you are only having your specimen checked by a "dipstick". However, good urinalysis is not really that simple. For example, did you know that if you are taking large doses of Vitamin C that it will make the test for sugar negative? Did you know that you can sometimes even see crystals in urine if a person has kidney stones?
Urinalysis lets us study the kidney and how the body forms urine so that we can understand what things should and should not be present in a urine specimen. Urine is a body fluid that is easily collected and usually plentiful so that many laboratory tests can be performed which can assess the function of the kidney as well as many other organs in the body. The analysis of urine is one of the oldest lab tests performed for these reasons.
When we study urinalysis in the classroom, we study how the kidney forms urine, the physical and chemical composition of urine in health and disease, and the microscopic appearance of a centrifuged urine specimen in health and disease.
Since other body fluids share similarities to urine, we also study their physical, chemical, and microscopic components so that we can assess health or disease states. You can actually see crystals of uric acid in joint fluid specimens of people with gout. Sometimes, bacteria which can cause meningitis can be seen after staining spinal fluid. For all these reasons and others, urine and body fluid analysis remain a powerful tool in medical diagnostics, yet it can only be performed well with the types of knowledge and skills utilized by medical laboratory scientists.
Laboratories cannot function solely with experts in science and technology. Healthcare is a highly regulated environment in which successful outcomes for the patients are critical and the safety and health of medical personnel is assured. Further, healthcare is also a business, and medical laboratory scientists need to understand various aspects of human resource management, sound fiscal policy, safety protocols and quality assurance.
Management
Every organization needs leaders who can effectively manage human, physical and monetary resources and can create an environment in which top quality science can be practiced in a fiscally responsible way. Regulation of health care is continuous at all levels. Changes in the way health care is being delivered and the ways in which services are determined as medically necessary and eligible for insurance reimbursement must be monitored by vigilant lab managers everywhere. In addition, as technology expands, lab managers must become expert in computer technology which not only increases laboratory efficiency but which also provides real-time links with many institutional departments and with healthcare providers in the community. The Electronic Medical Record is a now a national goal, and in the near future patient records will be accessible anytime, anywhere by computer. Therefore, the curriculum continually provides students with education in many of the relevant issues in clinical laboratory management.
Laboratory Science
Scientific laboratories are filled with amazing things to see and do - microorganisms to grow, DNA to analyze, drugs to measure, blood to type, etc. However, it is essential that medical lab scientists know how to handle viruses without becoming infected, chemicals without becoming sick, radiation without becoming exposed, and so on. An essential component of the curriculum, therefore, is safety and quality laboratory protocols. Students in Salisbury's program learn how to perform laboratory testing with high quality and accuracy, but they also can manage a laboratory such that hazards are minimized and emergency response is appropriate. As a result, Salisbury graduates are well able to develop the essential work practices needed for skillful but safe laboratory work.
If space is available, students may choose to earn a minor in one of the content areas in medical lab science. The traditional MLS baccalaureate degree has a classroom component completed on campus and a clinical component (internship) completed at a variety of off campus laboratories in the area. Graduates who earn national certification as generalists are qualified to practice in many aspects of laboratory medicine including hematology, immunology, clinical biochemistry, clinical microbiology, transfusion services/blood banking and urine/body fluid analysis. A minor in a discipline of Medical Laboratory Science would allow students to complete the on-campus classes in a specific discipline such as clinical microbiology, with this recognition posted on a transcript.
Students majoring in MLS are given the first seats in any course. Students who wish to pursue a minor may apply for any remaining slots. In order to hold a space in classes, students who wish to pursue a minor must apply and be approved. Follow the links for details on these minors:
Graduates of Salisbury University’s Medical Laboratory Science Program are eligible to take national certification examinations which facilitate employment in a variety of healthcare settings. An example of an agency providing this certification is the Board of Certification (BOC) of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.
Currently, the State of Maryland does not require state licensure for medical laboratory practice, but many employers in the state give preference to certified individuals. National certification is required or recommended by most employment agencies. Many states recognize national certification and grant licenses based on passing the certification exams, while others require individual state licenses and different exams. The certifying agencies have developed preparation routes and categorical examinations for graduates who wish to become certified only in one discipline. For more information on this process, see Categorical Certification at Salisbury University. Students should always check the requirements of the states in which they expect to practice.
Medical laboratory scientists generally find their first employment in a variety of clinical settings, especially in hospitals. However, after some experience, they often move on to a wide variety of other laboratory-related professions including veterinary and research laboratories, private companies and even government entities such as health departments and the FDA. Some move into management and supervisory roles, while others may focus on related areas such as healthcare information technology and education, including:
Medical school
Pharmacy school
Doctoral programs in various sciences
Master’s programs in forensics, physician assistant, pathology assistant, health care administration
Students planning on graduate study should be aware that a B.S. in medical laboratory science is a useful degree both to get into graduate school and to have a viable career option if graduate or professional school must be delayed. Students interested in graduate or professional schools must typically meet additional course requirements for entry into those programs. SU’s Health Professions Advising Program assists students in constructing academic plans for both undergraduate and graduate health care goals.
Lambda Tau Society is the national honor society for Medical Laboratory Science students. Its purpose is to develop a spirit of cooperation and unity among students entering the profession of Medical laboratory Science.
