Medical Laboratory Technician Additional Information

I. APPLICATION DEADLINE

The student must submit an application for admission to both the college and the MLT program.   The preferred method is an online application, but the program will accept a paper application turned in to the Allied Health office before the application deadline.  The annual deadline date for program application is June 1st. If the number of qualified applicants falls below the maximum enrollment of 18, the admission date may be extended for new applicants. Application for admission to the MLT program is considered for one application period only. Students who wish to be considered for admission to the next entering class must submit a new application.

MLT Program Application

MLT Program Observation Form

MLT Program Application

The MLT program requires 24 months for completion. A student may enroll in the summer or fall term following notice of admission.

II. EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

To be considered for admission, a student must have:

(1) a minimum Enhanced ACT composite score of 19 or equivalent

OR

(2) have completed at least 10 semester hours of college credit (excluding remedial and developmental courses) in a college curriculum with a minimum overall G.P.A. of 2.5. This curriculum must include college level mathematics and/or science courses such as biology or chemistry, which require laboratory sessions and have been completed within the past 5 years.

Applicants 21 years of age and over with no previously recorded ACT scores are not required to take the ACT or equivalent tests but must complete college academic credits as described above in order to be properly evaluated.

An applicant must have completed the following academic requirements before formal admission to the MLT Program.

(l) High school algebra I and II or its equivalent (elementary and intermediate Algebra offered by a college)
(2) High school biology or its equivalent (at least one term of college biology)
(3) Additional math and chemistry are preferred but not required.

If there has been a time lapse of five years or more since the applicant acquired this background, he will be required to complete the courses as stated or demonstrate his competence in math and biology on competency tests. If competency is not demonstrated by testing, he must then complete equivalent courses in these disciplines before formal admission into the program.

Before entering the program, students should be proficient in computer skills such as file management, document processing, presentation, electronic mail, and internet browsing. To acquire these competencies, a student may choose to complete a formal computer course before admission.

III. EVALUATION SYSTEM FOR ADMISSION

A. Academic background (above minimum requirements) - 30%

Possible 5 points

For a course to be considered as acceptable background, the overall completed grade must be at least a C and credit must have been acquired within the past 5 years.

B. Recorded academics (ACT and/or G.P.A.) - 40%

Routes of Evaluation

1. For applicants with less than 10 semester hours college credit (in an acceptable curriculum and an overall 2.5 G.P.A.), we shall consider:

ACT Composite (5%)
ACT Math Subscore (15%)
ACT Science Subscore (15%)

Possible 5 points in each area above

0.5 point will be given for every point above 19 on the Enhanced ACT - up to a maximum of 5 points.

And

High School G.P.A. (5%)
Possible 5 points

2. For applicants with acceptable college credits and no ACT score, we shall consider:

College G.P.A. (40%)
Possible 5 points

3. For applicants with acceptable college credit and ACT scores, we shall consider either ACT or college G.P.A.(the better of the two) - 40%. They shall be evaluated as stated before.

C. Interview - 30%

Possible 5 points

This is evaluated by interviewers from references, work experience records and observations during interviews using the following criteria:

(1) Medically-related experience
(2) Knowledge about the profession
(3) Well planned goals and future
(4) Communication ability
(5) Self-confidence and composure
(6) Maturity
(7) Well-groomed appearance and good hygiene

The interviews will be held at the main campus and each each affiliate hospital is represented.  Applicants may be given the opportunity to tour the lab if they wish. Observation forms may be turned in to the committee at this time.  Applicants are encouraged to go to an affiliate lab and observe what a Medical Lab Technician does on a daily basis.  The interviews will be scheduled by a program official and will be held in early June. There will be 15 minutes allowed per interview.

Three interviewers may be chosen from the following:

(l) Program Director
(2) Education Coordinator
(3) Medical Director
(4) Clinical Instructors

Each applicant will be interviewed by three or four of the above.

The academic ratings (background, ACT, G.P.A.) will be calculated for each applicant before the interview. The interview ratings by all three interviewers will be averaged. Total ratings will then be calculated by the program director. Those students admitted will be those with the highest calculated ratings. Students will be notified of their eligibility for admission by June 15th.

IV. CLINICAL ASSIGNMENT AND GUARANTEED STUDENT PLACEMENT 

When a student applies for admission into the program, they mark their top three choices for clinical assignment on the application.  Assignments are then based upon the numerical ranking of the students which are calculated after the interview process has been completed.  Students are placed with the travel involved in mind.  The number of students that can train at a facility is the big factor.  Also, we are placing students to allow flexibility for rotations such as microbiology, which are hard to place due to clinical places available.

 In the event that a student is not able to be placed in their assigned clinical affiliate due to a reduction in placements from the hospital affiliate, the Program has several options for student completion.

 The Program Director will maintain the original admission of numerical ranking to decide the placement. After such rankings are complete, the MLT Director and the student(s) will discuss options available accordingly:

• Option 1: If a clinical slot is available at another affiliate, the student can choose to stay in the current cohort at JSCC.
• Option 2: Per the Program’s policy on Transfer (Item XXIV in Program Handbook), a student may have the option to transfer to a state of Tennessee sister program, IF an opening is available.
• Option 3: The student could choose to defer their Clinical Practicum experience for one calendar year and begin with the next cohort scheduled.
• Option 4: If possible, the student could complete the Clinical Practicum in virtual or simulated clinical practice.

V. HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ABILITIES

Good health and physical ability are not criteria for the selection of students; but students must, before admission and registration into the program, present a physician's statement verifying that, in that physician's opinion, the student has no mental or physical handicaps which would interfere with proper performance in a clinical laboratory. The college will supply the student with a letter to present to the physician describing the Essential Functions which include requirements that students be able to engage in educational and training activities in such a way that they will not endanger other students or the public, including patients. These Essential Functions are attached to this document. Students will also be required to be tested for color-blindness. Total color-blindness interferes with testing performance in some areas and therefore will exclude students with such a deficiency from admission. Documentation of the following health records must be complete before enrollment in clinical courses: TB skin test, Hepatitis B vaccination, MMR, tetanus.

VI. TENNESSEE MEDICAL LABORATORY LICENSURE

Any individual who performs technical work (excluding phlebotomy) in a hospital's medical laboratory in Tennessee must possess a medical laboratory license. Completion of the JSCC Associate of Applied Science degree with an MLT concentration will prepare you to meet the minimum educational criteria to qualify to apply for a TN license as a Medical Laboratory Technician. After program completion, you must also pass a Medical Laboratory Board approved MLT certification examination in order to be granted a license. Your notarized application for licensure must also be approved by the Board. Board requirements follow the TN Medical Laboratory Licensure Laws. Applications for licensure include questions about substance abuse and convictions of crimes, other than minor traffic violations. If you should have an affirmative response to any such questions, you should consult with the licensing board regarding your licensure qualifications. The phone number of the TN Medical Laboratory Board office in Nashville is 1-800-778-4123.

Completion of the Program does not mean that the applicant will automatically receive a State License nor does the passing of a board exam guarantee an applicant will be awarded a license.

VII.CLINICAL ROTATION REQUIREMENTS

Students will be required to submit to drug testing and background checks before admission to clinical rotations. Positive results/findings on such will interfere with student placement in clinical rotations.

VIII. SUMMARY

At the time of application, the student should indicate the clinical affiliate in which he/she wishes to gain his laboratory experience. The student will then be interviewed by persons in the clinical affiliate of his choice. If the student wishes, they may also be interviewed by an alternate affiliate hospital as long as positions are still available. Each clinical affiliate may give special consideration to the residents within their own service area.

After maximum program enrollment at each affiliate hospital has been reached, students may be accepted as program alternates, with an opportunity to move into a position of full acceptance if student attrition occurs. Alternates may begin the MLT program curriculum but are not guaranteed a clinical practicum position the next year. They are, however, guaranteed a clinical practicum position with the following class accepted. Alternates are required to sign a statement of agreement of such at the time of program admission. When student attrition occurs, alternates progress to positions of full acceptance based upon program course performance not based upon evaluation at the time of admission. Decisions concerning the progression of alternates into positions of full acceptance will be made at the end of each semester and will be based upon the overall final average of the alternates in the MLT courses in which they are enrolled at that time.

Since Jackson State Community College is a state-supported institution and enrollment in the MLT program is limited, state residents will be given preference in the student admission process.

More specific information may be obtained from Pete O'Brien, MLT Program Director, at (731) 425-2612 or 1-800-355-5722, ext. 50226 and Carla Simpson, csimpson@jscc.edu, @1-800-355-5722, ext. 50254.