Programs handbooks

Medical Laboratory Technology: Academic overview

Learning outcomes

Medical Laboratory Technology AAS Degree outcomes

Curriculum

A total of 90 credit hours of Medical Laboratory Technology program coursework is required. The course sequence can be found on the PCC Catalog Medical Laboratory Technology AAS Degree page. Course descriptions can be found in the catalog and the Course Content and Outcome Guides (CCOGs) provide details of the particular course outcomes and content for each course. Each course has a syllabus which describes the assessment components of the course.

Refer to the Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS) Requirements page for more information.

Instructional approach

The program of instruction is a team approach and will be presented by means of a formal lecture, informal discussions, handouts, audio-visual presentations, demonstrations, and practical laboratory exercises. In addition, the student spends time in clinical affiliates both in a special SIM Lab and in a service laboratory on a regularly scheduled basis.

MLT programmatic change and flexibility statement

MLT program course content, structure, and requirements may be adjusted in response to changes occurring at institutions and clinical affiliates, or due to weather or other unforeseen events.

Technical standards

To be successful in the MLT program and become employable, the student must be able to perform essential functions expected of the medical laboratory technician. Review the Essential functions page on the MLT website.

Grading

The MLT program strives to provide a well-rounded education to students to include knowledge and knowledge application (cognitive domain), technical performance (psychomotor domain), and professionalism (affective domain). Students will be evaluated in all three learning domains using an evaluation rubric.

Grade determinations will be clearly explained in each course syllabus and include lab scores, lecture scores, and professional behavior points.

The final letter grade will be assigned on the following criteria:

  • A: ≥ 89.5%
  • B: 79.5% – 89.4%
  • C: 69.5% – 79.4%
  • D: 59.5% – 69.4%
  • F: ≤ 59.4%
Requirements for progression in the MLT program

See the College policies: conduct, professional standards, and ethics section for the Portland Community College academic standards and refer to PCC’s Grading Guidelines. In the MLT program, students are required to:

  1. Participate in all phases of the program.
  2. Pass all core courses.
  3. Achieve a letter grade of “C” or higher for all program courses with an MLT prefix.
  4. Complete any remaining PCC associate degree requirements.

When a student achieves a score of less than 70% on any MLT exam (or any unsatisfactory mark on individual laboratory evaluations), the student must make an appointment with their faculty advisor and the course instructor of record to review study skills and discuss strategies for success prior to the next exam. The student and instructor will develop a learning plan for success.

Students who have received a final letter grade of “D” or “F” in an MLT course will undergo a program dismissal review process. See Due process for violations.

Lecture and laboratory exercises

Each student is responsible for obtaining the lecture notes and handouts. In the event of an absence, each student should make arrangements to obtain the lecture notes that have been missed from a fellow student. Handouts will be supplied upon request, but are generally posted to the course site on D2L. The instructor will arrange a time to discuss the notes and/or handouts if requested by the student.

  1. All required assignments must be turned in when they are due, or arrangements should be made with the instructor. Late assignments may result in the lowering of the course grade.
    • The completion of all lab activities is required for a passing grade. The student should endeavor to be present at the time of the scheduled laboratory exercise. Repeated absences and/or tardiness from the scheduled laboratory period may result in a lowering of the student’s grade.
    • If an exercise is missed or incomplete for any reason, it is the responsibility of the student to arrange with the instructors for making up and/or completing the exercise, as soon as the student returns to school.
    • At the conclusion of each term, if any exercises are incomplete for a particular course, the course grade will be recorded as “Incomplete” on the college transcript. The “Incomplete” will be removed when the exercises have been completed to the satisfaction of the department.
  2. Students are required to complete a follow-up for “unsatisfactory” answers to lab questions. Follow-ups will be due one week after the labs are handed back, unless otherwise specified. Unsatisfactory answers with no follow-up will be treated as “Incomplete” and may result in an “Incomplete” for the course.
  3. Completed laboratory exercises will be stored in an assigned laboratory notebook and stored on campus; students will not be permitted to remove the notebook from this location nor take pictures/photocopy the graded reports.
  4. Late and/or unsatisfactory laboratory exercises may impact the student’s lab grade.
Registration

Students should pre-register for the next term when announced. All MLT courses must be taken for a letter grade (Pass, No-Pass, or Audit will not be accepted). Students must register for the sections assigned by the program director in order to maintain a balanced number of students in each section. Students must enroll in all MLT courses offered each term prior to attending any campus laboratory activities or clinical rotations.

Exams

Students may use a scientific calculator when necessary, and calculators will be provided during exams as necessary. However, programmable calculators and the use of cell phones as calculators is strictly prohibited during examinations. The use of digital or manual translators and dictionaries is also prohibited. Scratch paper, when permitted, will be provided by the instructor and collected at the end of the exam period.

Students are not allowed the use of earplugs, radios, headphones, CDs, cell phones, baseball caps (or hats), sunglasses, etc. during exams. All personal electronic devices must remain in the “off” position. All bags and personal items must be kept under the desks/tables during exams or stored in the personal cubbies during exams held in the student laboratory.

It is strictly prohibited to copy, reproduce, modify, store in a retrieval system or device, or to retransmit, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise any part of any quiz or exam, either text or image. Violation of this policy qualifies as academic misconduct as defined by the college. If a student is found in violation, they will undergo a program dismissal review process. See Due process for violations.

All quizzes and final examinations are reviewed in class on the same day on which the test is taken. This exercise is considered an integral part of the program of instruction and all students are expected to attend these sessions the same as for lecture sessions. If these sessions are missed without prior permission of the department, the time will be considered as an unexcused absence and treated as such. In such cases the student relinquishes the right to review questions from the exam.

Competencies for graduation

The program curriculum addresses address pre‐analytical, analytical, and post‐analytical components of laboratory services. This includes collecting, processing, and analyzing biological specimens and other substances, principles and methodologies, performance of assays, problem‐solving, troubleshooting techniques, significance of clinical procedures and results, principles and practices of quality assessment, for all major areas practiced in the contemporary clinical laboratory. The program curriculum includes the following scientific content:

  1. Clinical chemistry
  2. Hematology/hemostasis
  3. Immunology
  4. Immunohematology/transfusion medicine
  5. Microbiology
  6. Urine and body fluid analysis
  7. Laboratory operations
In addition, students will learn
  • The application of safety and governmental regulations compliance
  • The principles and practices of professional conduct and the significance of continuing professional development
  • Communications sufficient to serve the needs of patients, the public, and members of the health care team

Advising and counseling

MLT student conferences

Course Instructors are available for conferences concerning assignments, tests, course content, or other program related issues. Instructors are available during hours posted on their office doors or an appointment can be made for a specific time period.

Advising

All students are encouraged to arrange an appointment with their designated program advisor at least once per term during fall, winter, and spring terms. Advisors will establish other advising sessions as deemed necessary and appropriate. Students may seek additional sessions as desired. Refer to the program Contacts section to connect with the program advisor. Refer to the PCC Advising webpage for more information.

Learning support

Remediation

If at any point a student’s functional and/or technical abilities are deemed inadequate for a second year MLT student, the student will be assessed by the SIM lab trainer, clinical lab coordinator, and/or affiliated lab supervisor. Requirements and recommendations resulting from the assessment will be made on an individual basis. Opportunity for remediation in the SIM lab and/or affiliated lab may be available to students provided the remediation schedule and activities:

  1. Do not interfere with other student rotation schedules, and
  2. Can be reasonably accommodated by the SIM lab trainer or clinical affiliate

The maximum time a student may receive remediation is as follows:

Rotation Days of remediation
HCU 4 days
Microbiology 2 days
Blood bank 2 days
Chemistry 2 days
Phlebotomy 3 days

No opportunity exists for remediation in the SIM lab for Phlebotomy. Should the student require remediation in Phlebotomy, arrangements will be made to include the area in question during the capstone rotation unless otherwise arranged for by the clinical lab coordinator. All arrangements for remediation will require a learning contract between the student and the clinical lab coordinator that states:

  • The skills that will be remediated
  • The skill level that must be achieved
  • The method of assessment

Withdrawal and re-entry

Department-initiated program withdrawals

Students who have not complied with college policies, and the requirements of the program and clinical settings can be subject to a program dismissal review process. See Due process for violations.

Student-initiated program withdrawals

Students should confer with their assigned MLT faculty advisor and the MLT program director before contacting Enrollment Services to withdraw from the program (see Enrollment Services’ process). If students are having difficulties and considering dropping from the program, faculty or the program director may have solutions to help students remain in the program. It is also important to know why a student decides to withdraw, for program planning purposes. If a student wishes to re-enter the program at a later date, see the Re-entry and re-admission procedures section.

Class changes (add/drop)

Discussion with the assigned MLT faculty advisor and assigned college advisor should take place prior to the time the student initiates add/drop procedures. This applies to general education courses as well as MLT courses. Failure to do so may result in inadequate hours or types of courses necessary for degree requirements. Consult PCC’s Registration Policies for registering for classes, dropping a class, and other information.

Re-entry and readmission procedures

Students in the program who do not progress due to receiving a course grade of D or lower, voluntary withdrawal, or life circumstances may have the opportunity to be readmitted into the program. Students should contact the program director to discuss their options.

Please note, students who are readmitted into the MLT program may be required to repeat some or all MLT courses starting with the fall term of the year in which they are readmitted. This requirement will be determined on a case-by-case basis. In addition, students who are readmitted to the program will be held to the conditions and requirements of the current MLT student handbook for that year.

Academic resources

The following are commonly used links that are helpful for the academic journey.

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Standards and procedures