Program Clinical Rotation Information
MHPC Medical Laboratory Technician Program
Most of the Medical Laboratory Technician coursework includes lecture and student laboratory or clinical components. For MLT 210 Immunology, MLT 220 Clinical Chemistry, MLT 230 Urinalysis and Body Fluids, MLT 250 Hematology, MLT 260 Phlebotomy, MLT 270 Immunohematology, and MLT 280 Clinical Microbiology, students will attend lectures each week and are scheduled for student laboratory or clinical experience in hospital or private laboratories. Students will spend the last semester of the program in clinical blocks.
The following facilities have contracted with the MHPC Medical Laboratory Technician program to provide training.
- Cameron Regional Medical Center
- Capital Region Medical Center
- Carroll County Memorial Hospital
- Fitzgibbon Hospital
- Hannibal Regional Hospital
- John J Pershing VA Hospital
- Lake Regional Health System
- Mercy Hospital System
- Moberly Regional Medical Center
- Northeast Regional Medical Center
- Parkland Health Center
- Pershing Memorial Hospital
- Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center
- Saint Francis Medical Center
- SSM St. Mary’s Hospital- Audrain
- University of Missouri Healthcare System
- Washington County Memorial Hospital
- Western Missouri Medical Center
The program is grateful for the support of these area medical facilities that have elected to affiliate with the Program as partners in this venture. Each laboratory uses up-to-date equipment and offers a wide range of tests. Their experienced staff donates employee time, supplies, and patient specimens to help educate new laboratory professionals. No site is identical, but each offers comparable experiences. Both the program and its affiliates expect students to reach entry-level competency of analytical testing and maintain proficiency by periodic repetition. Students will be supervised at all times and will not replace qualified staff.
MLT program officials monitor student activities and progress at the clinical sites. They will talk to students on site and consult with supervisors and preceptors throughout the students’ experience. The clinical training period should be a positive and enriching experience for both students and instructors.
Placement:
The MHPC MLT program anticipates having enough clinical sites in which to place students for training. That said, program officials admit that unforeseen situations such as a shortage of clinical sites could occur. In this circumstance, students will be ranked according to GPA in their MLT courses and assigned to clinical sites. Students who were not placed will be assigned to a clinical site as soon as one becomes available. The program will make every attempt to avoid this kind of situation as it may delay graduation and eligibility to take the ASCP registry examination.
Student assignment to clinical sites will be determined by a variety of factors such as student and affiliate needs; previous laboratory experience; and student knowledge (GPA) and skills. Program officials will make every attempt to place students where they will be successful and at the proper times in their academic semesters.
The clinical faculty of the program’s affiliates have the right to review student academic records and professional attitudes evaluations. They have the right to refuse a student’s placement in their clinical facility based on these records.
Clinical Policies and Procedures:
Students must comply with all the policies and procedures of the facilities where they are training, and it is their responsibility to become familiar with them. The MLT program and the affiliate will coordinate efforts to provide this information. Failure to comply with the policies and procedures of the affiliates or failure to respect the authority of the staff will result in removal of the student.
Transportation:
Students provide their own transportation to the clinical sites. The MLT Program Coordinator or instructors may arrange for transportation to scheduled continuing education programs, special lectures, field trips, workshops, or seminars.
Attendance:
For all MLT clinical rotations, daily starting and ending times will vary according to the arrangements made by the program officials and the affiliates. The student is allowed two 15-minute breaks and a ½ hour lunch break. No weekend shifts or night shifts are required for any clinical rotations. Hours for the clinical component of the MLT coursework will be arranged, and students will be given adequate notice.
Both program officials and affiliates stress that acquiring technical skills and knowledge depend on student attendance. Every hour at the clinical site is important. Students have a great deal to learn in the relatively small amount of time spent at the clinical site. Staff on-site will have activities planned and must fit in teaching with their patient work. Having to schedule make-up hours for students who missed clinical time applies undue pressure on clinical instructors. Additionally, an absent student will miss seeing rarely performed laboratory tests. For these reasons, clinical rotation attendance is mandatory and absences will not be acceptable, unless extenuating circumstances exist.
Under no circumstances is a student granted time off during the clinical rotations. Students should schedule personal business, holidays, job interviews, and medical or dental appointments during time when they are not in lecture or expected at clinical sites. That said, program officials recognize that unavoidable situations arise; therefore, students should make arrangements with the instructors involved and notify the MLT Program Coordinator. If a student is ill or will be late, he or she should notify the clinical instructor. The student is responsible for making up missed work. It is up to the clinical instructor to schedule any make up work.