Medical Laboratory Technology

Medical Laboratory Technology - AAS

The mission of the Medical Laboratory Technology program is to provide qualified entry-level medical laboratory technicians for clinical laboratories. Graduates will participate as an essential member of the healthcare team and possess the entry-level competencies necessary to perform routine clinical laboratory tests in areas such as clinical chemistry, hematology, coagulation, immunology, immunohematology and transfusion medicine, microbiology, and urine and body fluid analysis in a variety of settings, such as hospital laboratories, private clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, physicians' offices, health clinics, and physician treatment centers.
 
The MLT Program sets forth to meet the following goals: 

• Instruct students academically and professionally to prepare them for a national certification exam, entry-level employment, and continuing education.
• Graduate individuals that are prepared to join the healthcare team as communicative, competent, and ethical professionals.
• Create an environment that promotes and fosters the student’s interest in the profession.
• Provide a quality program by continually assessing the Program’s outcomes and implementing changes as needed for quality improvement.
• Maintain the Program’s accreditation by meeting the standards of the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences.
• Support Central Virginia Community College in maintaining the College’s accreditation by meeting the standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. 

Graduates of the MLT program will be able to perform the following entry-level competencies: 

• Collect and process biological specimens for analysis; use predetermined criteria to make specimen-oriented decisions.
• Apply basic scientific principles and methodologies in learning new techniques and procedures.
• Perform analytical tests on blood, body fluids, tissues, and/or products, with the level of analysis ranging from waived testing to complex testing.
• Correlate the significance of test results to the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
• Recognize critical values and recognize pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical factors that influence procedures and test results; take appropriate actions within predetermined limits, when indicated.
• Perform and monitor quality control samples. Apply troubleshooting techniques when results fall outside of predetermined limits to solve the problem(s).
• Perform preventative and corrective maintenance on equipment and instruments and/or refer to appropriate sources for repairs.
• Comply with safety guidelines and institutional and governmental regulations that apply to laboratory personnel and operations. 
• Demonstrate ethical and professional conduct and communication skills to extend to frequent interactions with laboratory colleagues, other members of the healthcare team, patients, and the public.
• Recognize the need for professional competence and act upon it through continuing education.

Essential functions, also called technical standards, refer to the non-academic skills a student must possess, independently or with reasonable accommodations, to be successful in the program and the profession. Students should evaluate their abilities against the standards to make a sound career choice.

• Maneuver safely in patient care areas and in all parts of the laboratory, including around instruments.
• Reach overhead and below waist, lift, twist, bend, and stoop/squat.
• Perform physical work that may be continuous, be repetitive, and require prolonged sitting, standing, or walking for several hours.
• Handle flammable materials, hazardous chemicals, infective materials, and fragile equipment safely.
• Manipulate laboratory equipment that requires gross and fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and depth-perception, such as microscopes, pipettes, inoculating loops, test tubes, phlebotomy equipment, and instrument dials, keypads, and switches.
• Hear and respond appropriately to audible sounds, such as normal speaking voices, telephones, timers, and alarms.
• See sufficiently written and typed text, graphs, instrument controls, glassware gradations, etc.
• Discriminate visually, as appropriate, color (hue, shade, intensity), clarity (clear, hazy, cloudy, turbid), size, shape, and structure to identify reagents, interpret test reaction results, or differentiate stained and unstained blood and body fluid elements.
• Comprehend and follow instructions provided verbally in English.
• Read and comprehend professional materials written in English, such as textbooks, journal articles, technical manuals, procedure manuals, and handbooks.
• Communicate clearly, effectively, and respectfully in English, verbal and written formats, with instructors, fellow students/colleagues, other healthcare professionals, and patients.
• Transfer and apply knowledge to clinical practice to make decisions and solve problems.
• Concentrate in a distracting/noisy environment, with fellow students/colleagues working in close proximity, to complete complex tasks on time without compromising quality.
• Remain calm and use reasonable judgment to work through stressful situations without compromising professionalism and integrity.
• Evaluate one’s own performance, be forthright concerning errors, and respond positively to constructive criticism.
• Manage the use of time and heavy workloads, academically and professionally; prioritize completion of multiple tasks.
• Adhere carefully to all program and affiliate policies which involve, but are not limited to, patient rights and safety, laboratory safety, attendance, academic conduct, and nonacademic conduct.

To help you make a good decision about whether to pursue a degree in the Medical Laboratory Technology program, CVCC/Centra School of Medical Laboratory Technology want you to know:

The average graduation rate for the last three years is 83%.

• 100% of students scheduled to graduate in 2023 went on to graduate.  
• 100% of students scheduled to graduate in 2022 went on to graduate.
• 50% of students scheduled to graduate in 2021 went on to graduate.

The average pass rate on the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) Board of Certification national exam (within one year of graduation) for the last three years is 100%.

• 100% of the 2023 graduates passed the exam.
• 100% of the 2022 graduates passed the exam.
• 100% of the 2021 graduates passed the exam.                      

The average graduate placement rate (within one year of graduation) for the last three years is 100%.

• 100% of the 2023 graduates found jobs in the field.
• 100% of the 2022 graduates found jobs in the field.
• 100% of the 2021 graduates found jobs in the field.

Graduates are working in hospitals and physicians' offices throughout Virginia. Generally, new graduates employed by a hospital have either evening shift hours (from 3:00 - 11:00 p.m.) or night shift hours (from 11:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.). They also rotate weekend and holiday hours which generally have a pay incentive.

For more information about this program contact: 434.832.7800 or advisingservices@centralvirginia.edu