CSM"s Medical Lab Tech Grads Get Salute from American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) Program Class of 2020 was recognized by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) as part of their “Salute to Seniors” campaign. Graduates from medical laboratory programs in the United States and Canada are being celebrated in order to spread awareness of the profession’s critical role in the healthcare team.
CSM Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program received its first national continuing accreditation award from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) last year. The program’s high standards and solid results since its first accreditation in 2014 set the stage for NAACLS to extend the college’s MLT program accreditation through to April 2029.
CSM’s two-year MLT program prepares students to perform diagnostic lab work that is a critical part of patient care. MLTs perform tests that include complete blood counts, urinalysis, cross matching blood for transfusion, identifying pathogenic organisms and chemical analysis of blood and other body fluids. CSM MLT graduates can apply to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification exam to obtain national certification as a medical lab technician and for the last three years, CSM graduates have had a 100 percent pass rate for ASCP certification and a 100 percent placement rate.
CNBC recently reported MLTs are one of 21 of the most in-demand jobs in the United States. According to a 2018 study from the Mercer human resources consulting firm, the United States will face a shortfall of around 95,000 nursing assistants and 98,700 medical and laboratory technicians and technologists by 2025. Overall employment of MLTs is projected to grow 13 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. Gill added that an increase in the aging population is expected to lead to an even greater need to diagnose medical conditions, such as cancer or Type 2 diabetes, through laboratory procedures. And never has the work of MLT’s been more important than it is today as the nation battles the COVID-19 pandemic.
The MLT Program is one of many of the CSM Health Guided Pathways that students can take for a career in the medical professions. Encompassing credit degree programs like nursing, massage therapy, EMS, MLT and more, the Health Pathway also offers a variety of career starter and continuing education workforce training certificates in specialties like phlebotomy, CNA/GNA, and ECG/EKG Technicians; and medical assistants and phlebotomists can get certified in a matter of weeks or months.
Learn more about CSM’s Guided Pathways at https://www.csmd.edu/programs-courses/pathways/
Learn more about CSM’s Medical Laboratory Technology Program Pathway at https://www.csmd.edu/programs-courses/credit/academic-divisions/hea/medical-laboratory-technology/