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Medical Laboratory Technology Degree

Health and Sciences Division

General Description | Semester Layout | Course Requirements | Printable Checklist

Mission

To provide a comprehensive technical education program that prepares quality graduates to work in the medical, clinical, and research laboratory industry.

Description

Medical Laboratory Technicians perform laboratory tests to obtain data that will be used by physicians and other medical staff 70% of the time to prevent, diagnose and treat illness. They are expected to microscopically examine specimens, operate automated testing equipment and inoculate culture media to identify bacteria. Medical laboratory technicians prepare specimens and operate automatic analyzers, or they may perform manual tests following detailed instructions.

MLT personnel work in hospital laboratories in the specialized areas of hematology, blood banking, microbiology, clinical chemistry, or as a generalist in all the areas. They are also employed in physicians' offices, medical schools, pharmaceutical companies, public health agencies such as DHEC and veterinarians' offices. Earnings vary depending on education, experience, level of responsibility, and degree of specialization. MLT's in South Carolina have a yearly average earnings of $33,280 to $38,280.

Program Entrance Requirements

Course Level	Required Courses
High School	Algebra I, Biology, Chemistry
College	None
NOTE: A grade of "C" or better is required for each prerequisite course.

Other	Required
Diploma or GED	Yes
Approval/Permission Needed -- Application Process Departmental Approval	Yes
Prior Experience/Observation	No
Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.0	Yes
Current CPR Certification by American Heart Association or American Red Cross	Yes
First Aid Certification	No
Hepatitis B Immunization or Signed Informed Refusal or Titer	Yes
MMR Immunization or Titer	Yes
Chicken Pox Vaccination or Titer	Yes
One-step PPD / Chest X-Ray	Yes
Medical Examination Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete.	Yes
Dental Examination Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete. Dental health must meet departmental standards.	No
Technical Standards Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete.	Yes
Negative Drug Screen	Yes
Satisfactory Background Check	Yes
Other Diplomas, Licensures, etc.	No
Recent Photograph Photograph will not be returned.	No

Transportation and Materials

Students are totally responsible for transportation and/or room and board during clinical practicum courses.

Academic Standards

Standard Criteria	Required
Courses requiring a grade of "C" or better Any course with one of the following prefixes: ALL	Yes
Courses that may not be attempted more than twice Any course with one of the following prefixes: MLT	Yes
Complete or Maintain CPR Certification by American Heart Association or American Red Cross	Yes
Curriculum Completion Requirement 36 months	Yes
Drug Calculation Competency Students must demonstrate drug calculation competency each semester in order to progress in curriculum courses.	No
Dismissal Policy A student who receives a grade below "C" for any two or more required curriculum courses will be dismissed from the program and will not be eligible to re-enter the program.	Yes
Re-entry Policy	No

Agency Requirements

Students in health majors must meet the published clinical agency requirements when participating in assigned labs. Requirements include immunizations, background checks, and drug testing. To be in compliance with Article, 23, Section 44-7-2920 of the S.C. Code of Law, all students enrolled in AHS 141, DAT 154, DHG 154, HIM 102, MED 102, MLT 110, NUR 160, NUR 201, PNR 110, RAD 101, RES 101, and SUR 101 must complete the requirements listed above prior to being assigned to any direct care entity. Results of the background check/drug screening could affect the student's ability to complete required clinical rotations and/or become credentialed. For example, a felony conviction could make a student ineligible to take the licensing exam(s) required by the profession or prevent the student from participating in the clinical training component.

Graduation Requirements

Complete all required courses specified in the curriculum.
Fulfill all financial obligations to the College.
Achieve a cumulative final GPA of 2.0.
Earn at least 25 percent of the total credit hours of his/her curriculum at FDTC. Exceptions can be made only by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Program Specific Notes

Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 to register in the next semester MLT prefix courses. To progress in the MLT-prefix courses, all of the required courses in each of the previous semesters of the curriculum must be completed with a grade of C or better.