Medical Laboratory Technology | Allegany College of Maryland

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What will you learn?

Examine and analyze blood and body fluids providing results physicians need for patient wellness checks or to diagnose/ monitor disease.
Differentiate normal from abnormal findings in tests results in the hematology and clinical chemistry departments.
Identify organisms causing infectious disease in the microbiology section of the laboratory.
Match blood for life-saving transfusions in the blood banking department of the laboratory.
Verify the validity of the results of tests through the evaluation of quality control.

What will you do?

Perform laboratory tests on patients in a hospital or acute care setting.
Perform laboratory tests on patients in an outpatient or ambulatory care setting.
Perform laboratory tests in a reference laboratory setting or a research laboratory.
Work in a blood center laboratory such as the American Red Cross.
Work in a microbiology laboratory
Use the science skills and training from the program to work in a variety of laboratory settings such as industrial laboratories, public health laboratories, environmental laboratories, veterinary laboratories, etc.

Why ACM?

Discover what others are saying about ACM Medical Laboratory Technology – click an image below.

Program Details

Medical laboratory technicians usually need an associate’s degree. Medical laboratory scientists/technologists typically need a bachelor’s degree. Some states require scientists/technologists and technicians to be licensed. There is a tremendous shortage of clinical laboratory professionals.

The MLT program is an accredited career program that will enable you to seek clinical employment at the program’s completion. You will receive an Associate in Applied Science degree and will be eligible to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) certification examination for Medical Laboratory Technicians.

Our program is a 2-year laboratory technician program. The 2-year MLT degree at ACM transfers to 4-year MLS programs including online university MLS programs and traditional, on-campus university MLS programs. Beginning a laboratory career at the associate degree level can be a very economical way to start because many employers have tuition reimbursement benefits to assist in the cost of continuing your education.

While in the MLT curriculum, you will complete general education courses, coursework with knowledge and hands-on training in the laboratory departments of hematology, clinical chemistry, microbiology and blood banking. Once all coursework has been completed, you will be placed in a semester-long practicum experience in our regional healthcare laboratories.

The program has strong outcomes, preparing graduates for successful careers in laboratory medicine. Program faculty are dedicated to student success.

If you like science and enjoy any of the crime investigation shows on television, then Allegany College of Maryland's Medical Laboratory Technology program is a career path you want to explore.

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Curriculum Sequence

Fast Track

On-site Clinical Experience

Accreditation

Allegany College of Maryland's Medical Laboratory Technology program is accredited by:
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS)5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018-5119.

Admissions Criteria

Admission into the A.A.S. Medical Laboratory Technology curriculum’s clinical phase is selective, and entrance to the program is competitive.

Once students are admitted based on academic merit, the student will read and sign the essential function statement to assess the cognitive, physical and behavioral abilities necessary to participate and graduate from the program.

The clinical phase of the program consists of lecture/laboratory coursework concentrating on the knowledge and skill development to become a valued member of the clinical laboratory and healthcare team. This phase concludes with a semester-long internship, known as a practicum experience, at regional clinical laboratories.

The clinical phase of the curriculum is designed to be completed in a calendar year as you start the sequence in one spring semester and graduate at the conclusion of the next spring semester.

MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY ADMISSION PROCESS STEPS
Step 1		Schedule an appointment with MLT faculty to learn more about the MLT profession.

Step 2		Apply to ACM and select MLT as your program of interest on the general admissions application

Step 3		Send the ACM Admissions Office all official college transcripts from other colleges attended.

Step 4		For new ACM students, visit the ACM Advising Center to determine if an ACM placement test is necessary. Schedule and take any required placement tests.

Step 5		Meet with the MLT Program Director or an MLT Advisor to develop a plan of study and register for courses.

Step 6		Apply to the MLT program when all admission criteria are met. To do this, simply fill out the MLT program specific application by November 1st annually.

Admission Criteria to the Clinical Phase of MLT Program:
The selective admission process is completed each fall for admission into the clinical phase of the program each spring. Students can be admitted as:

Traditional high school graduates (diploma or GED) will be admitted to the college as a pre-MLT student and will work to complete or be enrolled in the general education courses required for admission by the November 1st application deadline for spring admission into the clinical phase of the MLT program.

Fast-track students are students those who can be admitted directly into the spring clinical phase semester. These students are directly admitted because the general education requirements have been met with previous completion of a Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree or through college coursework. Any student transferring to ACM must apply to the college, provide College transcripts and also complete an application to the MLT program as is outlined in the admission process steps.

Students are ranked from the highest to lowest GPA scores and accepted on their rank. These criteria are used when the number of applicants exceed the available slots for admission. The program accepts 16 students into the clinical phase each spring.

MLT Clinical Phase Admission Requirements:
A student must be enrolled in or have completed the following general education courses:

English 101 Freshman English (3 Credits)

Biology 101 General Biology I (4 credits)

Math 102 College Algebra or Math 109 Probability and Statistics (3 credits)

Social Science Elective or Humanities Elective (3 credits)

AND a minimum of one of the following science courses:

Biology 116 Human Biology (3 credits) or a higher level Anatomy/Physiology Course

Biology 204 General Microbiology (4 credits)

Chemistry 100 Elements of Chemistry or Chemistry 101 General Chemistry I (4 credits)

Ideally, students would have completed Biology 101, Chemistry 100 or 101 and also either Biology 116 or Biology 204 prior to beginning the spring clinical MLT phase.

*Note: all of the above courses must be completed prior to graduation with an A.A.S degree in Medical Laboratory Technology

Program Goals & Learning Outcomes

Program Goals

Students will competently perform routine clinical laboratory tests.
Students will possess the professional attitudes and behaviors critical to being a valued member of the healthcare/workplace team.
The ACM MLT program student will meet the needs of the laboratory community by completing program academic and internship requirements to graduate from the MLT program, achieve industry certification and obtain relevant field employment.

Learning Outcomes

MLT students will perform laboratory test procedures accurately and efficiently.
MLT students will analyze diverse types of information to choose an appropriate course of action in order to perform laboratory tests and solve problems accurately and efficiently.
MLT students will communicate effectively using professional interpersonal skills resulting in successful interactions with colleagues and patients.
MLT students will behave in a manner consistent with the standards of the laboratory profession.
MLT students will describe the importance of continuing education in lifelong learning and in obtaining and maintaining professional credentialing.
Students will successfully complete the program.
Graduating clinical MLT students will pass the ASCP national certification examination.
Graduating MLT students will gain relevant professional employment within one year of graduation from the program.
MLT graduates and their employers will be satisfied with the training the student received in the ACM MLT program.

Student Achievement

Graduating Year	ACM-MLT Pass Rage ASCP-BOC Exam (within 1st year)	National Pass Rate ASCP-BOC Exam	% of Graduates Retained After Entering First Year of the Program	Graduate Job Placement in 1 year or Continuing Education
2022 (7/1/21-6/30/22)	TBD	TBD	71%	TBD
2021 (7/1/20-6/30/21)	100%	77%	100%	100%
2020 (7/1/19-6/30/20)	100%	78%	100%	100%
2019 (7/1/18-6/30/19)	88%	84%	100%	100%
3 Year Program Average	96%	N/A	93%	100%

* Program Certification Pass Rate, Student Retention and Job Placement Rate

Meet the Faculty

Our experienced, knowledgeable faculty are excited to share their expertise with you and prepare you to succeed in the diverse, dynamic field of Medical Laboratory Technology.

Stacey Rohrbaugh
Program Director and Professor

301-784-5547
Allied Health 249

B.S., West Virginia University
M.Ed., Frostburg State University
MLS (ASCP)^CM

Tracie Koontz
Associate Professor

301-784-5548
Allied Health 245

A.A.S., Allegany College of Maryland; B.S.-CLS, University of Cincinnati; M.H.A., University of Cincinnati

Elaine Helmstetter
Administrative Associate

301-784-5557
Allied Health 246

A.A., Allegany College of Maryland