If you love science and medicine and have an investigative mind, then Medical Laboratory Science is the major for you.
In today's era of rapidly evolving medical research and technology, one can hardly imagine a health care system without the contributions of medical laboratory scientists. Medical Laboratory Science is the health profession that analyzes blood, tissues, and other bodily specimens for the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of diseases.
Medical Laboratory Scientists are critical members of the health care team. They use their biomedical expertise and technical skills to provide essential information about the health and disease status of patients. For example, laboratory professionals identify pathogenic microbes, detect cancer cells, screen for diabetes, determine blood types and perform genetic testing.
Students in this major work closely with faculty members and engage in hands-on learning in the classroom, laboratory and clinical environment to develop critical thinking and technical skills. Students select a concentration in clinical laboratory science or public health laboratory science. All students complete a practicum at our premier regional clinical affiliates. Students also have the opportunity to apply to our accelerated master's degree program in their third year.
Program Mission
The mission of the University of Vermont’s Medical Laboratory Science program is to educate, train and graduate professionally competent and ethical individuals committed to lifelong learning, and who are prepared to meet current and future workplace challenges in medical laboratory science.
Educational Goals
- Graduates will be competent to function as entry-level medical laboratory scientists in any clinical or public health laboratory environment;
- Graduates will demonstrate problem-solving and critical thinking skills;
- Graduates will demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills;
- Graduates will demonstrate the highest professional and ethical standards.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Science, all MLS graduates will demonstrate:
- Competency to perform a full range of testing in a contemporary clinical or public health laboratory encompassing pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical components of laboratory services;
- Proficiency to interpret results, use critical thinking skills to problem solve, and apply statistical approaches when evaluating data;
- Ability to identify and trouble-shoot technical problems in laboratory procedures and instrumentation;
- Professional conduct as a member of the healthcare team and effective communication skills;
- An understanding of basic concepts related to quality assurance, quality improvement, laboratory education, administrative operation, information technology, and clinical decision making.
Upon completion of the bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Science Clinical Laboratory Science concentration, graduates will demonstrate:
- Ability to critically evaluate laboratory results and correlate them with human disease;
- Ability to determine the appropriate utilization of laboratory tests for screening, monitoring, therapy, and prognosis of human diseases;
- Adherence to standard operating procedures regarding safe work practices related to clinical specimens and infectious agents;
- Application of governmental regulations and standards as applied to medical laboratory practice in the clinical setting.
Upon completion of the bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Science Public Health Laboratory Science concentration, graduates will demonstrate:
- Ability to critically evaluate microbiology laboratory tests and results and correlate with infectious disease;
- Adherence to standard operating procedures regarding safe work practices related to microbial agents;
- Knowledge of laboratory testing as a vital component of broader public health surveillance systems.
The core curriculum includes courses in anatomy and physiology, chemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, immunology, and mathematics. Students choose either the clinical laboratory science concentration or the public health laboratory science concentration, which focuses on microbiology.
