Medical Laboratory Technician Program Receives Accreditation for 7 Years
The Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) program has been a Health Science program since 1993. Many graduates are current employees of the Area V laboratories.
The Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) program at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa has been awarded Continuing Accreditation for seven (7) years, October 2008, by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). NAACLS is a nonprofit organization that independently accredits clinical laboratory scientist/medical technologist (CLS/MT), clinical laboratory technician/medical laboratory technician (CLT/MLT) programs.
NAACLS is an autonomous, nonprofit organization established in 1973 as the successor to the American Society for Clinical Pathologists’ (ASCP) Board of Schools. ASCP and the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) are sponsoring organizations of NAACLS.
Accreditation is a process of external peer review in which an agency grants public recognition to a program of study that meets established qualifications and educational standards. Participation in the accreditation process is voluntary since there is no legal requirement for specialized programs and institutions to participate. However, there are factors that make accreditation valuable. The benefits include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Identifies for the public specialized programs and institutions that meet nationally established standards of educational quality.
- Stimulates improvement of educational programs by involving faculty and staff in ongoing self-evaluation, research and planning.
- Promotes a better understanding of the goals of professional education.
- Provides reasonable assurance that practitioners meet minimum educational standards upon entry into the profession.
- Assists programs in achieving their objectives.
The Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) program prepares the student
to perform a full range of laboratory tests – from a
simple blood glucose test to complex tests to uncover diseases
such as AIDS and cancer. Medical Laboratory Technicians must
work quickly and accurately. The information they give to the
doctors influences the medical treatment a patient receives.
In their search for data on a patient’s health, MLTs
obtain blood samples from patients of all ages. They analyze
blood, urine and other body fluids using a microscope or other
complex precision instruments.
Note: limited enrollment program
Admissions
Criteria
Successful completion of high school Biology and Algebra or equivalent is required. Required courses must be taken prior to entering the program. (High school chemistry is highly recommended). Chemistry may be taken the first semester in the MLT program. The following criteria is recommended for applicants: minimum of a high school diploma (GPA of 2.5) or equivalent (GED of 550), ACT scores of 18 in reading, English, and math; COMPASS scores (writing 65, reading 80, pre-algebra 39, algebra 46); or ASSET scores of 40 in each category (writing, reading, numeric).