Medical Lab Science

• Mission Statement

  The mission of the MLS Department is to provide the highest standards of education to produce properly trained individuals who are ethical, customer service oriented, and prepared to take and pass appropriate certification exams in order to enter the medical laboratory workforce.

• Student Learning Outcomes
  • Certificate

    Students completing the Medical Laboratory Sciences Clinical Laboratory (MLA) Assistant Certificate will:

    • Knowledge Goal: Demonstrate knowledge of theory underlying laboratory testing using analytical, interpretive, and problem solving skills.
    • Knowledge Goal: Apply mathematical calculations to laboratory situations.
    • Laboratory Skill: Perform laboratory procedures from simple to complex, including specimen collection and processing, analysis, interpretation, and use of quality assurance procedures.
    • Laboratory Skill: Correlate laboratory theory and terminology to practical laboratory work.
    • Laboratory Skill: Gather additional laboratory data and apply problem solving skills to solve problems/discrepancies.
    • Diagnostic Skill: Relate laboratory findings to common disease processes. Professionalism and Ethics:
    • Demonstrate professional conduct and ethical behavior.
    • Communication Skill: Demonstrate effective communication skills and behaviors with colleagues in the program and in a laboratory setting for the best new technologies to integrate organization's business processes.
  • Associate Degree

    The MLS department has developed eight program goals and applied each of the goals to a curriculum map and evidence of learning rubric for each of the program courses.  Program goals are as follows: Upon successful completion of the Weber State University Associate of Applied Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences , a student in this program will be able to:  

    • Knowledge Goal:  Demonstrate knowledge of theory underlying laboratory testing using analytical, interpretive, and problem solving skills.
    • Knowledge Goal: Apply mathematical calculations to laboratory situations.
    • Laboratory Skill: Perform laboratory procedures from simple to complex, including specimen collection and processing, analysis, interpretation, and use of quality assurance procedures.
    • Laboratory Skill: Correlate laboratory theory and terminology to practical laboratory work.
    • Laboratory Skill: Gather additional laboratory data and apply problem solving skills to solve problems/discrepancies.
    • Diagnostic Skill: Relate laboratory findings to common disease processes.
    • Professionalism and Ethics: Demonstrate professional conduct and ethical behavior.
    • Communication Skill: Demonstrate effective communication skills and behaviors with colleagues in the program and in a laboratory setting for the best new technologies to integrate organization's business processes.

     

    Chemistry learning outcomes associated with the AAS:

    • Knowledge and comprehension of the core concepts of Chemistry    
    • Problem-solving skills. Chemistry majors should be competent problem-solvers. They should be able to identify the essential parts of a problem and formulate a strategy for solving the problem.  They should be able to estimate the solution to a problem, apply appropriate techniques to arrive at a solution, test the correctness of their solution, interpret their result and connect it to related areas of chemistry. 
    • Laboratory skills. Chemistry majors should be competent experimentalists. They should be able to design and set up an experiment, collect and analyze data, identify sources of error, interpret their result and connect it to related areas of chemistry.   
    • Presentation skills. Chemistry majors should be able to express (orally and in writing) their understanding of core chemical principles, the results of experiments, the analysis of problems and their conclusions.
    • Computer skills. Chemistry majors should be competent users of basic software, such as word processing, spreadsheet, and graphing programs.  Strong presentation and organizing skills are complimented with computer knowledge in graphing and spreadsheets.  

     

    Health Sciences learning outcomes associated with the AAS:

    • Scientific knowledge and skills in scientific reasoning    
    • Understanding of medical terminology and fluency in medical English    
    • Content knowledge of human body systems    
    • Understanding of the relationship between normal human physiology and disease    

     

    Microbiology learning outcomes associated with the AAS:

    • Model Systems for Basic Biology    
    • Role in Disease and Human Health    
    • Ubiquitous in Nature    
    • Integration of Science and Society    
    • Role in Environment and Ecology    
    • Nature of Science    
    • Laboratory Skills    
    • Critical Thinking    
    • Data Analysis    
    • Problem Solving    
    • Communication    
    • Cooperation    
    • Values

  • Bachelor Degree

    The MLS department has developed eight program goals and applied each of the goals to a curriculum map and evidence of learning rubric for each of the program courses.  Program goals are as follows: Upon successful completion of the Weber State University Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences Program, a student in this program will be able to:

    • Knowledge Goal:  Demonstrate knowledge of theory underlying laboratory testing using analytical, interpretive, and problem solving skills.
    • Knowledge Goal: Apply mathematical calculations to laboratory situations.
    • Laboratory Skill: Perform laboratory procedures from simple to complex, including specimen collection and processing, analysis, interpretation, and use of quality assurance procedures.
    • Laboratory Skill: Correlate laboratory theory and terminology to practical laboratory work.
    • Laboratory Skill: Gather additional laboratory data and apply problem solving skills to solve problems/discrepancies.
    • Diagnostic Skill: Relate laboratory findings to common disease processes.
    • Demonstrate professional conduct and ethical behavior.
    • Communication Skill: Demonstrate effective communication skills and behaviors with colleagues in the program and in a laboratory setting.    
    • Supervisory Skill: Demonstrate ability to oversee day-to-day operations to include hiring and technical supervision.
    • Research Skill: Demonstrate proficiency in basic research skills and statistical analysis.
    • Interprofessional Relations: Understand the role of other health care disciplines in patient diagnosis and successfully participate as part of a health care team.

     

    Chemistry learning outcomes associated with the BS:

    • Knowledge and comprehension of the core concepts of Chemistry    
    • Problem-solving skills. Chemistry majors should be competent problem-solvers. They should be able to identify the essential parts of a problem and formulate a strategy for solving the problem.  They should be able to estimate the solution to a problem, apply appropriate techniques to arrive at a solution, test the correctness of their solution, interpret their result and connect it to related areas of chemistry.
    • Laboratory skills. Chemistry majors should be competent experimentalists. They should be able to design and set up an experiment, collect and analyze data, identify sources of error, interpret their result and connect it to related areas of chemistry.   
    • Presentation skills. Chemistry majors should be able to express (orally and in writing) their understanding of core chemical principles, the results of experiments, the analysis of problems and their conclusions.
    • Computer skills. Chemistry majors should be competent users of basic software, such as word processing, spreadsheet, and graphing programs.  Strong presentation and organizing skills are complimented with computer knowledge in graphing and spreadsheets.  

    
    Health Sciences learning outcomes associated with the BS:

    • Scientific knowledge and skills in scientific reasoning    
    • Understanding of medical terminology and fluency in medical English    
    • Content knowledge of human body systems    
    • Understanding of the relationship between normal human physiology and disease    

    
    Microbiology learning outcomes associated with the BS:

    • Model Systems for Basic Biology    
    • Role in Disease and Human Health    
    • Ubiquitous in Nature    
    • Integration of Science and Society    
    • Role in Environment and Ecology    
    • Nature of Science    
    • Laboratory Skills    
    • Critical Thinking    
    • Data Analysis    
    • Problem Solving    
    • Communication    
    • Cooperation    
    • Values
• Curriculum Grid

   

• Program and Contact Information

  Medical laboratory scientists, sometimes referred to as medical technologists or medical laboratory technicians, are vital members of the health care team who play a central role in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease. To accomplish this, medical laboratory scientists must have a thorough understanding of a wide range of subjects including hematology, clinical chemistry, immunohematology (transfusion medicine), clinical microbiology, and immunology. Laboratory scientists appreciate investigative work and problem solving and are counted on to provide physicians with information critical to the successful diagnosis and treatment of patients. Medical laboratory scientists and technicians are employed by hospitals, clinics, research facilities, universities, and in lab-related commercial industry.

   

  Contact Information:
  Dr. Matthew Nicholaou , DrPH, MT(ASCP)
  Department Chair
  Weber State University
  3875 Stadium Way, Dept 3905
  Ogden, UT 84408-3905
  Marriott Health Bldg, Rm 208A
  (801) 626-6101

  Janice Thomas, DHSc, M.Ed., MLS(ASCP)^CM

  Program Director - MLA and AAS

  3875 Stadium Way, Dept 3905

  Ogden, UT 84408-3905

  Marriott Health Bldg, Rm 209

  (801) 626-8138

   

  Kendal Beazer, MHA, MLS(ASCP)^CM

  Program Director - BS and Post-BS Certificate

  Weber State University

  3875 Stadium Way, Dept 3905

  Ogden, UT 84408-3905

  Marriott Health Bldg, Rm 208B

  (801) 626-6716

   

  Medical Laboratory Sciences Department Website

• Assessment Plan

  

  1. Knowledge Goal: Demonstrate knowledge of theory underlying laboratory testing using analytical, interpretive, and problem-solving skills.	All courses except MLS 1001, 3301	A, B, C
  2. Knowledge Goal: Apply mathematical calculations to laboratory situations.	All courses except MLS 1001, 3301, 4409, and 4415	A, B, C
  3. Laboratory Skill: Perform laboratory procedures from simple to complex, including specimen collection and processing, analysis, interpretation, and use of quality assurance procedures.	All courses except MLS 1001, 3301, 4409, and 4415	A, B, C
  4. Laboratory Skill: Correlate laboratory theory and terminology to practical laboratory work.	All courses except MLS 1001, 3301	A, B, C
  5. Laboratory Skill: Gather additional laboratory data and apply problem solving skills to solve problems/discrepancies.	All courses except MLS 1001, 3301, and 4415	A, B, C
  6. Diagnostic Skill: Relate laboratory findings to common disease processes.	All courses except MLS 1001, 3301, 3302, 4415, and 4803	A, C
  7. Professionalism and Ethics: Demonstrate professional conduct and ethical behavior.	All MLS courses	A, B
  8. Communication Skill: Demonstrate effective communication skills and behaviors with colleagues in the program and in a laboratory setting.	All MLS courses except 4409	B, D
  9. (BS Level Courses Only) Supervisory Skill: Demonstrate ability to oversee day-to-day operations including hiring and technical supervision.	MLS 3302, 4411, 4412, 4415	A, B
  10. (BS Level Courses Only) Research Skill: Demonstrate proficiency in basic research skills and statistical analysis.	MLS 3302, 3310, 3312, 3313, 4412, 4803, and 4804	A, D
  11. (BS Level Courses Only) Interprofessional Relations: Understand the role of other healthcare disciplines in patient diagnosis and successfully participate as part of the healthcare team.	MLS 3310, 3312, 4410	A, B, D

        A: ChiTester/Canvas assessment data
        B: Laboratory exercises and practical evaluations
        C: National Certification Exam (ASCP, MLT, and MLS)
        D: Presentation and publications

• Assessment Report Submissions
  • 2021-2022

     

  • 2019-2020

    1) First year student success is critical to WSU’s retention and graduation efforts. We are interested in finding out how departments support their first-year students. Do you have mechanisms and processes in place to identify, meet with, and support first-year students? Please provide a brief narrative focusing on your program’s support of new students:

    • Any first-year students taking courses in your program(s).
      • No, we only accept students usually in their Junior years at the earliest. We do provide college level advising for students interested in health professions.

     

    • Students declared in your program(s), whether or not they are taking courses in your program(s)
      • We do provide college level advising for students interested in health professions.

    
    
    2) A key component of sound assessment practice is the process of ‘closing the loop’ – that is, following up on changes implemented as a response to your assessment findings, to determine the impact of those changes/innovations. It is also an aspect of assessment on which we need to improve, as suggested in our NWCCU mid-cycle report. Please describe the processes your program has in place to ‘close the loop’.

    • See attached five-year interim NAACLS accreditation report. We consistently perform continuous quality improvement with our courses and programs.

     

    The full report is available for viewing.

  • 2017

    1) Based on your program’s assessment findings, what subsequent action will your program take?

    • The MLS department’s main goal is to hire a full time faculty member to teach immunohematology.

     

    2) We are interested in better understanding how departments/programs assess their graduating seniors or graduate students. Please provide a short narrative describing the practices/curriculum in place for your department/program. Please include both direct and indirect measures employed. Finally, what were your findings from this past year’s graduates?

    • The MLS program builds upon competency statements as outlined in the ASCP Board of Certification. The competencies are provided in didactic courses and expanded upon in the laboratory setting. Students are assessed by quizzes, examinations, case studies, and laboratory competencies. Upon graduation from the MLS program, students are eligible to sit for the American Society for Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) national certification exam. The results of the certification exam are sent to the MLS program director, who utilizes the statistics to ensure the program is meeting the requirements set forth by the accrediting agency. The MLS department is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), which requires measurement of certification pass rates as well as graduation rates, placement rates and attrition rates. The WSU MLS department exceeds NAACLS benchmarks for these measurements. The MLS department completed the rigorous NAACLS accreditation process spring 2015 and was awarded the maximum length of accreditation of ten years. The MLS faculty and online advising staff are continuously reviewing the curriculum and student evaluations to address the needs of the students along with the outcomes from courses and national certification assessments.

     

    The full report is available

  • 2016

    1) Based on your program’s assessment findings, what subsequent action will your program take?

    • The MLS department’s main goal is to hire a full time faculty member to teach clinical chemistry.  Also, an Advisory Board committee meeting is scheduled for December 2016.

     

    2) We are interested in better understanding how departments/programs assess their graduating seniors. Please provide a short narrative describing the practices/curriculum in place for your department/program. Please include both direct and indirect measures employed.

    • The MLS program builds upon competency statements as outlined in the ASCP Board of Certification.  The competencies are provided in didactic courses and expanded upon in the laboratory setting.  Students are assessed by quizzes, examinations, case studies, and laboratory competencies.  Upon graduation from the MLS program, students are eligible to sit for the American Society for Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) national certification exam. The results of the certification exam are sent to the MLS program director, who utilizes the statistics to ensure the program is meeting the requirements set forth by the accrediting agency. The MLS department is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), which requires measurement of certification pass rates as well as graduation rates, placement rates and attrition rates.  The WSU MLS department exceeds NAACLS benchmarks for these measurements. The MLS department completed the rigorous NAACLS accreditation process spring 2015 and was awarded the maximum length of accreditation of ten years. The MLS faculty and online advising staff are continuously reviewing the curriculum and student evaluations to address the needs of the students along with the outcomes from courses and national certification assessments. 

     

    The full report is available for viewing.

  • 2015

    1) Based on your program’s assessment findings, what subsequent action will your program take?

    • The main assessment for our program is the national certification exam through ASCP (American Society for Clinical Pathologists) which students take after completing their AAS MLT degree and again after their BS MT degree.  In Section F of this report, are the results of the past academic years.  
    • The MLT results are extremely encouraging.Our students had a 100% first time pass rate, compared to the national average of 81%.This confirms a number of curriculum changes over the past three years are resulting in higher certification exam scores.We will continue to monitor this in hopes of it not being a one year cohort anomaly.
    • The MT/MLS results are a different story.The results show a slight decline over the past three years. The first year pass rate this past academic year was 78%, which is below the national average of 80%.This would be the first year that the MLS results have been below the national average.Further analysis indicates that the drop is largely accounted for in the students who graduated from the online program.The MLS faculty feel that this is a possible cohort effect and hopefully next year, we will see an increase that is comparable to previous years.
    • On the MT/MLS level, the MLS faculty periodically evaluate the ASCP scores for each of the major MLS disciplines.Clinical Immunology and Virology is a new course specifically designed to improve the students’ scores on the immunology section of the exam.The course has been offered on campus for the past two years and was offered for the first time online fall 2015.Also, Advanced Clinical Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics has been significantly changed fall semester of 2015 to address low certification exam scores in bacteriology and mycology.As the individuals taking these courses graduate, the MLS faculty are confident that the ASCP scores will increase.

     

    2) Are there assessment strategies within your department or program that you feel are particularly effective and/or innovative? If so, what are those strategies and what do you learn about your students by using them?

    • On specific strategy within the MLS department has to do with a course we call Simulated Laboratory.  Students take this course in the third year of the program.  Students are placed in a simulated small clinic laboratory which incorporates all MLS disciplines and aspects of working in a real lab.  The students are assessed on their ability to perform under the pressure of simulated laboratory work flow.  Student feedback during the course is extremely positive.  

     

    The full report is available for viewing.

  • 2014
    1) Reflecting on this year’s assessment(s), how does the evidence of student learning impact your faculty’s confidence in the program being reviewed; how does that analysis change when compared with previous assessment evidence? 

     

    • Over the past three years, there have been a number of changes in the MLS curriculum, both in new course offerings and course content modifications.  We are now seeing initial results of those changes, although it may take several more academic years to make definitive conclusions.  One major tool that we use to evaluate the curriculum is the ASCP national certification exam.  The results are reported as 1st time pass rates of the exam and 1st year pass rates (this would include graduates who took the exam more than once within one year after graduation).  For our MLT graduates, the 1st time pass rates have been about 10-12 points above national average (see F. Report of assessment results for the most previous academic year). For our MT graduates, the 1st time pass rates are about 5-8 points below national average.  It is this latter number that we have been focusing on over the past three years.
    • In the 2013/2014 academic year, we made an attempt to increase the number of our students taking the national certification exam.We began to focus on building a culture with all of our students that the exam is just another part of completing their AAS degree and also their BS degree and that each of them should plan on taking the exam upon graduation.The period for spring and summer 2014 graduates has not ended yet, so we are unable to determine if the percent taking the exam has increased.We will continue to monitor this after each academic year

     
    2) With whom did you share the results of the year’s assessment efforts? 

    • These results were shared with the MLS faculty and staff and are reviewed and discussed at length on a regular basis.The information is also shared during the annual MLS Advisory Board meetings.

    
    
    3. Based on your program’s assessment findings, what subsequent action will your program take? 

    • As mentioned, we are monitoring the results of the curriculum changes.We feel another year or two will confirm that we have moved the department in the right direction.

    
    The full report is available for viewing

  • 2013

    1)  Reflecting on this year’s assessment(s), how does the evidence of student learning impact your faculty’s confidence in the program being reviewed; how does that analysis change when compared with previous assessment evidence?

    • The MLS faculty are continuously reviewing the AAS and BS graduate scores on the ASCP national certification and exploring way to increase the pass rate and overall scores.One area in which we would like to see improvement is the scores of the BS graduates. We have made a number of changes to the curriculum over the past four to five years which we feel will better prepare our graduates for the exam.The changes to the curriculum are listed below in 3).
    • We are also making an attempt to increase the number of graduates taking the national certification exam.Students are strongly recommended to take this exam after completing their AAS degree and again after their BS degree. There is a group of individuals, who for the most part, do not take the BS exam because they are planning to apply to graduate school, PA, medical school, etc..They have indicated that they do not take the exam for two reasons: 1) the cost of the exam($250), and 2) they feel they do not need the certification based on the direction of their career.This coming spring 2014, we are planning to conduct a research project to explore the effect of providing partial payment or full payment to those individual in this category as an incentive for them to take the exam. We expect that adding this group of individuals to the exam score pool will make a significant improvement in the pass rate of our graduates compared to the national average.

     

    2)  With whom did you share the results of the year’s assessment efforts? 

    • The results of this assessment will be shared with the MLS faculty and staff.

    
    3)  Based on your program’s assessment findings, what subsequent action will your program take?

    • As mentioned above, the MLS faculty and online advising staff are continuously reviewing the curriculum to address the needs of the students along with the outcomes from courses and national certification assessments.  The following are new course offerings that will address several areas that have been identified either through assessments or advisory board recommendations: 
    • MLS 3810 - Clinical Laboratory Immunology (4 credits, Sp 2014 campus, Sp 2015 campus and online) This course will provide MLS students with clinical immunology theory and simulated laboratory experiences necessary to prepare the students for the clinical immunology portion national certification exam and hands-on laboratory techniques employed in a working clinical lab.  The course will be offered on an experimental basis for two semesters.  This period will allow provide ample data for a decision to be made about adding the course to the curriculum on a permanent basis.
    • MLS 4410 - Interdisciplinary Health Care Teams (3 credits, Sp 2014 campus, Sp 2015 campus and online) This course provides an interdisciplinary experience with the team concept as a priority. The students learn the role of the health care team members, each with their different skills and objectives. The course teaches students to practice an interdisciplinary approach as they research, interact, and learn in the interdisciplinary environment of a health care setting.
    •  HAS 4400 – Legal and Ethical Aspects of Health Administration (3) This course is in response to suggestions from the MLS Advisory Board to provide curriculum content in the areas of Ethics, and will be offered as an elective.

    
    To see the full report select this link: Medical Lab Science 2012/13 Annual Assessment of Evidence of Learning Report

     

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    The Medical Laboratory Sciences  Department conducted a 5 year program review with full self-study during the spring of 2012. Those results are presented along with the Annual Assessment. Please reference those documents for information that includes data for the 2012/13 academic year, as well.

   

   

• Program Review

  2023-24

  2019-20 (NAACLS Year-5 Interim Review)
   

This information is part of the cyclical program review process. Details such as mission statements, learning outcomes, etc., are updated as part of the biennial assessment reporting process, an integral component of program review.