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Clinical Laboratory Sciences

Clinical laboratory scientists and medical technologists, now known as medical laboratory scientists, perform the laboratory tests that provide physicians with information vital for accurate diagnosis and proper treatment of disease. They are in demand in hospital, private, and government laboratories; clinics; physicians' offices; and industrial, pharmaceutical, biological, and environmental research laboratories. Clinical laboratory scientists and medical technologists are highly skilled health team members who use a battery of sophisticated procedures and instruments in their work and who possess specialized knowledge and skills acquired through completion of a formal program of academic and clinical study.

Undergraduate Program

• Major in clinical laboratory sciences (Bachelor of Science)

The Carver College of Medicine partners with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to offer the major in clinical laboratory sciences. The UNMC program is fully accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. All graduates are eligible for national certification examinations in clinical laboratory sciences and medical technology.

Undergraduate study in clinical laboratory sciences is guided by the academic rules and procedures outlined under "Undergraduate Programs" in the Carver College of Medicine section of the Catalog.

Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Science with a major in clinical laboratory sciences requires a minimum of 131 s.h., including 86 s.h. of preparatory study and the 45 s.h. professional (clinical) program, which consists of 12 months of didactic and practical instruction and clinical rotations.

Bachelor of Science students who have completed all preparatory study (years one through three) begin the fourth-year professional program in May with an 11-week summer session of lecture and student laboratory courses. In mid-August they begin clinical rotations in the laboratories of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the State Hygienic Laboratory at The University of Iowa, and the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. They complete additional University of Nebraska Medical Center course work online during fall and spring. Students complete the program the first week in May.

University of Iowa students who successfully complete the 12-month professional program graduate with a Bachelor of Science from The University of Iowa and a letter of completion from the UNMC clinical laboratory sciences program.

Non-University of Iowa students may enroll in a clinical laboratory sciences certificate-only program if they hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or are enrolled at an affiliated institution that will grant them a baccalaureate at the completion of the certificate program. Contact the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program for more information.

Fourth Year (Professional Program)

The professional program requires the following course work. Students must have completed 86 s.h., including all prerequisites (see "Admission" below), in order to enter the professional program. These courses are open only to Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program students in the fourth year (professional program).

For course descriptions and prerequisites, see Pathology in the Catalog.

Admission

Admission to the clinical laboratory sciences professional program is competitive; enrollment may be limited. Applications are reviewed yearly beginning October 1 for students planning to begin the program the following May. Applications are accepted until the class is filled.

Applicants must have completed all of the following prerequisites and must have earned at least 86 s.h. of college credit by the beginning of the professional program (fourth year).

Applicants must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.70 both overall and in science course work. Those who intend to receive a Bachelor of Science from The University of Iowa must fulfill all College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Program requirements before beginning the professional program. University of Iowa students satisfy the English and public speaking prerequisite requirements by fulfilling the General Education Program's Rhetoric requirement. Students must satisfy any English as a Second Language requirements specified by the University before beginning the professional program.

Students should consult with a Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program advisor as early as possible to plan preclinical studies that meet all requirements.

Expenses

Students are responsible for buying textbooks and paying University of Iowa tuition and student fees. Students who intend to receive a Bachelor of Science in clinical laboratory science from The University of Iowa at the end of the professional program must pay full-time study University tuition and fees. Students in the clinical laboratory sciences certificate-only program pay a program fee, a certificate fee, and student fees. Contact the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program for more information.

Students must arrange and pay for their own meals and housing, including meals and lodging during the summer session.

The Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program provides laboratory coats for professional program students.