gary_stocker (00:02.198)
Welcome to another episode of MLS2030.com. My name is Gary Stocker. Today's subject is the courses that you'll take with a medical laboratory science or MLS degree in college. And it's an important topic because the classes you take set up a foundation for you to use as a professional in a medical laboratory. So let's just kind of get right to the list. And before I do that, let me add the main...

disciplines, the main clinical disciplines you have in a laboratory are chemistry, hematology, blood bank, also known as immunohematology, and microbiology, and virology. I say that because many of the college courses offer foundation in basic science for each of these. For example, as you would expect, getting that Bachelor of Science or even an associate's degree for those who are considering that requires some general biology.

and some general chemistry. It can be Chem 1, Bio 1, whatever they're called for the classes, but really two levels of biology, and in most cases, both of those have a lab attached. Some kind of statistics or college algebra, even as a bare minimum requirement, because there is some work associated with working in a medical laboratory, understanding 95% confidence, which is how normal ranges are determined, and other things along those lines. So some statistics courses are usually required.

And then I think one of the foundation courses for any kind of medical major, in this case we're talking about the medical laboratory, is organic chemistry. And what happens with carbon atoms, with carbon molecules? It explains all of life. And so organic chemistry, while challenging, is fascinating in many regards. You'll also look at some biochemistry, which is a higher level of chemistry focused on biology, biology type subjects.

anatomy and physiology, you really need to know the bone and muscle structure and the organ structure and their functions as well. You're also looking at some general electives and every college is different but some English, some basic math, maybe some philosophy, sociology, whatever the class is, whatever the college requires. And then typically toward the end, the last year or two,

gary_stocker (02:21.462)
you start studying the actual disciplines.

gary_stocker (02:29.238)
You get work in clinical chemistry and a practicum. You get work in clinical hematology or studies in clinical hematology. Hemostasis, which is also known as blood clotting. Blood bank, again, immunohematology. Immunology and serology, which are sub-disciplines. Microbiology and increasingly virology, of course, associated with coronavirus and the COVID pandemic that we have. And then urinology or urinalysis is also one of the topics.

So these are the basic topics, the basic courses that you'll take. The program typically covers the usual 120 college credit hours, typically three years at a four-year college of your choice that has an MLS program. And you can contact me for some MLS programs in your area and I'll provide that guidance in the description. That's how you form the basic understanding and move on to getting that internship and the internships.

can be from a period of a few months to as much as 12 months to then be able to make application for a medical laboratory science job, sit for the professional registry board with an organization like the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, ASCP, to get that ASCP registration.

This is Gary Stocker and this has been MLS 2030 Today. We'll talk to you next time.