Mission Statement

The mission of the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program is to provide an educational program consistent with the CLS standards outlined by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).  The program is committed to: providing a professional learning environment for students enrolled in CLS in a university and hospital setting, providing students with the opportunity for personal as well as professional growth, and to set examples that foster respect for others, themselves, and the medical community.

Philosophy

The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program, is committed to providing an educational program consistent with the Clinical Laboratory Scientist standards outlined by the National Accrediting Agency for CLS (NAACLS) which is located at 5600 N River Rd. Suite 720 Rosemont, IL 60018.

Our program is:

• Dedicated to graduating Medical Laboratory Scientists with a high degree of professional integrity and expertise in Medical Laboratory Science.
• Committed to advancing knowledge and therefore humanity through an active program of basic and applied research in the various areas of laboratory medicine.
• Committed to the ideal of professional education as a lifelong learning process and the belief that the University of North Dakota and Medical Laboratory Science has a responsibility to provide educational opportunities for the laboratory professional beyond graduation.
• Committed to providing a Master of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Science that is of high quality, flexible to the student's needs and reflective of present and future employment opportunities in Laboratory Medicine.

Program Goals

• To provide sufficient clinical laboratory science professionals to meet the needs of the state, city, and rural communities.
• To train graduates to work not only in large facilities but also in small clinical laboratories.
• To encourage the University of North Dakota clinical laboratory science graduate to remain in the region by providing sufficient clinical experiences within the region and to maintain affiliations outside the region to meet the needs of laboratory professionals in other areas of the United States
• To increase the depth of learning in various major fields of clinical laboratory science.
• To provide instruction and evaluation based on identified competencies and content of the clinical discipline that is responsive to individual student needs.
• To provide the student with adequate knowledge and background experience to qualify for national certification examinations appropriate to their level of training.
• To provide the student with the entry level competencies needed to work as a Bachelor of Science degreed clinical laboratory scientist.
• To further knowledge in many subspecialties of clinical laboratory science through active research efforts of clinical laboratory science graduate and undergraduate students.
• To provide a Master of Science degree in clinical laboratory science so that those laboratory professionals with the interest, skills, and dedication can gain advanced skills in a formal education program beyond the Bachelor of Science degree.
• To provide continuing education for area clinical laboratory scientists in the form of seminars, workshops, and college coursework; to provide these programs to the clinical laboratory scientist at their place of employment or personal residence without significant loss of work time and money, to provide learning programs that are asynchronous for clinical laboratorians; and to provide an opportunity for the advancement of laboratory personnel from one level of education to another without the repetition of previously learned skills.

Essential Function

Essential Functions represent the non-academic requirements of the program that all students must master to successfully participate in the program and become employable. All students, and therefore, all applicants are expected to:

1. Vision: be able to read and interpret charts, graphs, and labels; read and interpret instrument panels and printouts, discriminate colors, hue, shading or intensity and clarity, read microscopic material and record results
2. Speech and Hearing: be able to communicate effectively and sensitively in order to assess and comprehend verbal communication and adequately transmit information.
3. Motor Functions: Possess all skills necessary to carry our diagnostic procedures; manipulate tools, instruments and equipment; perform phlebotomy safely and accurately; travel to a clinical site for practical experience.
4. Behavioral Requirements: possess the emotional health required for full utilization of applicant’s intellectual abilities; be able to recognize emergency situations and take appropriate action.
5. Physical Requirements: be able to complete fine repetitive hand movement; twist and bend; handle flammable and infective materials; handle hazardous chemicals and electrical equipment, lift 10 lbs,; maintain prolonged sitting or standing positions; maintain concentration with distracting noises and close proximity to fellow workers; tolerate unpleasant odors, work in a building either above or below ground level; work in an environment without windows; and perform keyboarding.
6. Critical Thinking: be able to appropriately perform complex interpretative testing.
7. Professionalism: be able to maintain a professional attitude and appearance.

All students must read the essential functions and verify in a written document that they believe they can meet all of the requirements listed. The signed document will be kept in their CLS program file. The written document to sign is included at the end of this handbook.