The CoxHealth School of Medical Technology program is a 12-month, hospital-based program.
If you are accepted, it will serve as your fourth (senior) year for a bachelor of science degree in Medical Technology or Certificate of Completion for MLS clinical training for post baccalaureate students. During the clinical year, students are at the hospital eight hours a day, four days a week, and under the supervision of the program director.
Following the first week of orientation, students are assigned to a laboratory section and begin a rotation that ultimately covers all sections of the laboratory. Lectures also begin the second week and continue throughout most of the year. There are generally one to two hours of lecture daily. Lectures are done by pathologists and supervisors of the various sections of the laboratory.
Clinical Training Program Courses
Clinical Biochemistry (8-10 credit hrs.)
Identification and quantification of specific chemical substances in blood and body fluids by analytical techniques; clinical correlation and disease states; principles of instrumentation; data processing; toxicology; quality control; and quality improvement.
Urinalysis and Body Fluids (1-2 credit hrs.)
Theory of renal function in health and disease; renal function tests including chemical and microscopic examination of urine, analysis of fecal specimens, spinal fluids and other body fluids; quality control; and quality improvement.
Clinical Hematology and Coagulation (6-8 credit hrs.)
Theory of blood cell formation; disease states; hemostasis; microscopic examination of blood/bone marrow films; practical experience with instruments and techniques that determine major hematologic and coagulation parameters; quality control; and quality improvement.
Diagnostic Immunology (2-4 credit hrs.)
Antigen/antibody structure, function and interaction; basic principles and procedures of humoral and cellular immunology; performance and clinical correlation of serologic testing; basic flow cytometry; quality control; and quality improvement.
Clinical Microbiology (7-9 credit hrs.)
Theory and techniques of cultivation, isolation and identification of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses; determination of sensitivity to antimicrobial agents; molecular diagnostics testing; clinical correlation to disease states; asepsis; environmental monitoring; quality control; and quality improvement.
Immunohematology (3-4 credit hrs.)
Major blood group systems; principles and procedures for antigen/antibody detection, identification, donor blood collection, preservation and processing; component therapy; transfusion reaction evaluation; Rh immune globulin evaluation; quality control; and quality improvement.
Special Topics (1-2 credit hrs.)
Techniques of blood collection; computer applications; application of education and management theories and methodology in the field of laboratory medicine; ethical and legal aspects of the profession, and method evaluation.
Following satisfactory completion of the training program, the student's transcript is sent to the college/university attended and becomes part of the student's permanent record. The grades earned are included in the computation of the cumulative grade point average. The college/university will grant 30-35 hours of upper division credit in medical technology and the student is awarded a baccalaureate degree. At the hospital graduation ceremony held the last week of the clinical year, students receive certificates and pins awarded by CoxHealth.