Professional Program Curriculum

Curriculum

During the first three years of the degree program or pre-professional phase of study, MLS students’ complete coursework that includes general education, math, biology and chemistry prerequisite coursework. Pre-professional coursework is offered on either of the two Oregon Tech campuses: the Klamath Falls campus in southern Oregon or the Portland-Metro campus in Wilsonville, south of Portland.

The professional phase of the MLS program is only offered on the Portland-Metro campus.

Through an application process students are selected to enter the fourth year of study or the professional program. It is 15 months (5 consecutive terms) long, beginning in September and ending in December of the following year. Professional program students spend four quarters completing medical laboratory science-specific coursework on the Oregon Tech Wilsonville campus. Upon successful completion of the on-campus work, students are assigned to one or more program-affiliated medical laboratories to complete an extended fifth term (15 weeks) of clinical training.

During clinical training, students spend 40 hours per week applying knowledge and skills to perform a wide variety of testing in a contemporary, accredited medical laboratory and to further develop discipline-specific competency under supervision of clinical preceptor. Currently, the Department of MLS maintains affiliations with accredited laboratories in throughout the region.

Externship Placement

Students admitted to the MLS professional program are guaranteed placement for their clinical training subject to the following policies and procedures:

Placement of students for clinical training is determined by the program.
Students must comply with all training site and Oregon Standardized Administrative Requirements (OARs).
Students are not guaranteed placement in clinical externship if they have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Students are solely responsible for transportation and housing needs associated with their clinical training placement.

Information for Clinical Sites

The clinical externship affords the student the opportunity to perform a variety of procedures under the supervision of a certified medical laboratory scientist. The student must have mastered an acceptable level of competency within the academic portion of the curriculum before proceeding into the clinical setting. Health care educators have a duty not only to convey the knowledge and skills required for delivering the profession’s standard of care, but also to instill the values and attitudes required for preserving the health care profession’s social contract with its patients. During the clinical rotation, the students will progress from observing the clinical instructor to gaining competence performing laboratory procedures under supervision. The student is evaluated after each clinical rotation by the clinical instructor.
All Documents and Policies pertaining to the clinical externship may be found in the Externship Handbook updated each academic year.

Clinical instructors are medical laboratory scientists trained and competent in the laboratory department where students are assigned. In order to better serve individuals who are serving in this role OIT/OHSU MLS program faculty have developed a preceptor training video that may be accessed at any time.