Overview
careers
Medical Lab Technician
The Medical Laboratory Technology program will prepare students for employment as medical laboratory technicians responsible for performing laboratory analysis. The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).
A student spends the first three semesters of the program in the classroom and lab at Mitchell Technical College. The remainder of the program assigns students to an affiliated hospital/clinic lab for a clinical practicum externship. During this time the student will work under the supervision of the lab personnel performing tests and other lab work as well as completing class assignments.
Graduates may test to become certified as Medical Laboratory Technicians by the Board of Certification.
The MLT Student Handbook is available HERE.
Curriculum
Award: AAS Degree
First Semester
Second Semester
Third Semester
Fourth Semester
Fifth Semester
Requirements
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- It is required that applicants to the program have successfully completed high school algebra, chemistry and biology with a C (2.0) or better to demonstrate proficiency in math and science. In addition, an applicant must have a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 or higher. Some special requirements may have to be met before entrance to the program or to certain clinical sites. See the Program Director or the MLT Student Handbook for details.
- All students accepted to the Medical Laboratory Technology program must submit to a criminal background check at the student’s expense. Mitchell Technical College has partnered with CastleBranch to complete your background check. You will need to create a username and password. Details are available from the Admissions office. Please click here to begin the process.
IMMUNIZATIONS
Some immunization requirements may have to be met before entrance to certain clinical sites. See the Instructor for details.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Students must have earned a grade of C or better in all previous technical courses before enrolling in clinical courses.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Students must earn a grade of C (2.0) or higher in all technical courses including the clinical practicum in order to graduate.
COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS
This program allows you to bring your own laptop as long as it meets these minimum specifications:
Processor – Intel Core i Series (i3, i5, i7) or AMD Ryzen
Operating System – Windows 10
Webcam Recommended
Memory – 4 GB or more
Internal Storage – 64 GB or more
Microsoft Office is available at no charge as long as enrolled at Mitchell Tech
NO APPLE/MAC COMPUTERS
LICENSURE DISCLOSURES
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be eligible to sit for the Medical Laboratory Technician, MLT(ASCP) certification exam with the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification. South Dakota and many other states do not require additional licensure to practice as a Medical Laboratory Technician. Licensure is currently required in 11 states. The requirements of the law vary from state to state. If you plan to locate in a state with licensure requirements, that state should be contacted for specific information on how to obtain licensure. Generally, you will need to demonstrate that you have graduated from an accredited MLT program (MTC’s program meets this requirement) and have obtained MLT(ASCP) certification. California has its own certification exam.
Licensure is not required in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Mitchell Technical College has determined that our program’s curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure in the following states: Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia.
Mitchell Technical College has made no determination that our program’s curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure in the following states: California, District of Columbia, Florida, New York, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands.
For further information regarding practicing as a Medical Laboratory Technician in other states, please visit the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science website: https://www.ascls.org/advocacy-issues/licensure
Outcomes
At the completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
Demonstrate competency in the clinical setting.
- Demonstrate competency in clinical chemistry
- Demonstrate competency in clinical hematology / phlebotomy
- Demonstrate competency in clinical urinalysis
- Demonstrate competency in clinical microbiology
- Demonstrate competency in clinical immunology / immunohematology
Think critically.
- Demonstrate good judgment and decision-making in the clinical setting
- Correlate test results with clinical significance and patient history
- Recognize emergency patient conditions and initiate appropriate procedures
Communicate effectively.
- Demonstrate effective written communication skills
- Demonstrate effective oral communication skills
Demonstrate professional attitudes, behaviors, growth and ethics.
- Conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner
- Work effectively with supervisory personnel
- Join a professional organization
- Know and follow safety rules
Graduate as entry-level technologists who demonstrate professional ethics through their attitudes and behaviors.
- Pass the BOC exam
- Perform as entry-level medical laboratory technicians
- Find employment within 12 months of graduation
- Graduate after beginning the final half of the program
Annual Program Review
Check out the 2021-22 Annual Program Review for information on how this program assures that its students are attaining learning outcomes.
Accreditation
The Mitchell Tech Medical Laboratory Technology program, offered for the AAS degree, is accredited through October 2026 by:
The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences
5600 N. River Rd. Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018-5119
773.714.8880
Current length of accreditation: 10 years
| 3-year average licensure exam rate for Medical Laboratory Technology graduates American Society for Clinical Pathology | |||
| Year Graduated | Candidates | Passing* | Percentage Passing |
| 2022 | 5 | 4 | 80% |
| 2021 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
| 2020 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
| 3-Year Total | 21 | 20 | 95% |
| 3-year average program completion rate for Medical Laboratory Technology | |||
| Year Graduated | Number Beginning Final Half of Program | Number Graduating | Completion Rate |
| 2022 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| 2021 | 11 | 10 | 91% |
| 2020 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
| 3-Year Total | 24 | 23 | 96% |
| 3-year average placement rate for Medical Laboratory Technology program graduates | |||
| Year Graduated | Number Responding Graduates | Number Employed in MLT or Continuing Ed | Placement Rate |
| 2022 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| 2021 | 10 | 10 | 100% |
| 2020 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
| 3-Year Total | 23 | 23 | 100% |
*NAACLS has defined the certification examination pass rate as the number of graduates who pass the American Society for Clinical Pathology BOC examination compared with the number of graduates who take the examination within the first year of graduation.
Faculty
Shirlyce Weisser
Instructor
Lynne Smith
Program Director / Instructor
Cost
Other Required Costs
| Books / Tools (estimated) | $1,357 |
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