Medical Laboratory Tech A.S.

The program is accredited through the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences at 5600 North River Road Suite 720, Rosemont, Illinois 60018. Telephone: 773-714-8880

View Program Outcome Measures for EFSC's Medical Laboratory Technology Degree

Examination and analysis of body fluids, tissues and cells is imperative to a physician's ability to diagnosis and treat a disease. The program will prepare students to work in certain areas of a clinical lab, which include hematology, mycology, urinalysis, immunohematology (blood bank), chemistry, microbiology, and serology. The college has an equipped medical laboratory to  introduce basic testing concepts for laboratory testing found in the typical hospital. The student will learn to perform actual diagnostic procedures at the college and then will do three clinical rotations at area hospitals.

Upon completion of the program, the student will receive an A.S. Degree from Eastern Florida State College. Graduates are eligible for state license as required by the Florida Clinical Laboratory Law and may apply for national certification. When students apply for national examination, they must submit a transcript showing that they have earned an A.S. degree. A student must also have 8 hours of biology and 8 hours of chemistry at a level that will transfer to an upper division university to be granted a state license at the technologist level.

Prior to the application deadline, students applying to the Medical Laboratory Technology program must have completed BOTH General Chemistry I and II (CHM 1045 and 1046), General Biology (BSCC 1010), as well as all required General Education courses (15 credits).

Students enrolled in the Medical Laboratory program may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens. All students must have a thorough knowledge and understanding of infectious diseases, the mechanism of disease transmission, the OSHA bloodborne pathogen standards and CDC guidelines for infection control.

The job market is often better for med techs than for biology or chemistry majors, as any locality has a hospital or a laboratory associated with a doctors' group. EFSC's program outcome measures indicate that the job placement rate for our graduates has been 100% for the 2019-20 class through the 2021-22 graduates.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report describes the occupational outlook for clinical laboratory professionals as follows: "Employment of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians is expected to grow by 7 percent between 2021 and 2031."