Medical Laboratory Science

For admission to the Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science degree programs or the Master of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), students are expected to be able to successfully meet the Technical Standards outlined below. Students are required to sign the Technical Standards Commitment form indicating their understanding and ability to meet these standards either with or without accommodations (for persons with documented disabilities). Any questions about these technical standards should be directed to the program director of the MLS programs.

UTHSC receives applications from a varied body of potential students including those with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to help students meet these technical standards when appropriate, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Any student wishing accommodations should contact the Disability Services for further information. Information regarding accommodations can be found on the Disability Services web page or email Keri Snyder.

 In the event a student cannot fulfill these Technical Standards with or without reasonable accommodations at any time in their program, the student will be ineligible for admission or continued enrollment in the program. In addition to ensuring that students can meet the intellectual, emotion and physical criteria for medical laboratory science, it should also be noted that of utmost importance is the student's ability to provide for the welfare and safety of their patients and others. This is the foundation of all Technical Standards and if this cannot be done, the student is unable to meet the criteria outlined by the Technical Standards.

Once enrolled in the BS MLS or MS CLS Program, students must meet the requirements of the curriculum, including the demonstration of the skills described herein for the Program in order to progress through the curriculum and to graduate.

Medical Laboratory Science Handbook 

General Standards

The students must have the ability to:

• Assess and make appropriate judgments regarding lab services and patient outcomes.
• Prioritize and perform laboratory testing.
• Adapt to a variety of patient care situations, including crisis.
• Communicate effectively in English, orally and in writing.
• Participate in discussion in the classroom, the clinical arena and with colleagues and patients.
• Acquire information developed through didactic instruction and clinical experiences.
• Comprehend reading assignments and to search and evaluate literature.
• Prepare written assignments and maintain written records.
• Perform duties and assignments in a timely fashion while under stress and in a variety of settings.
• Meet deadlines and manage time.
• Utilize the computer for instructional assignments and patient care activities.

Physical and Motor Skills

The student must possess:

• Dexterity with both wrists, hands and arms, and dexterity with al fingers.
• Motor skills to grasp, pinch, push, pull, finger, hold, extend, rotate, and cut.
• Ability to obtain and/or verify patient samples.
• Sufficient stamina to tolerate physically taxing workloads.
• Ability to operate/manipulate and effectively evaluate the status of laboratory instruments and equipment.

Sensory Skills

The student must possess:

• Visual acuity (corrected to 20/40); visual perception with respect to depth and color.

Cognitive, Integrative, Quantitative Skills

The student must possess the:

• Ability to measure, calculate, analyze, interpret, synthesize and evaluate as applicable to clinical practice.
• Ability to solve one or more problems within specific time frames, which are often short.
• Ability to comprehend spatial relationships.

Affective, Behavioral and Social Skills

The student must be able to:

• Function as part of a team (communicate effectively in English, consult, negotiate, share, delegate).
• Delegate to and supervise others.
• Adhere to safety guidelines for self and others.
• Comply with standards and regulations required by external agencies.
• Follow instructions/procedures with accuracy and precision.
• Maintain intellectual and emotional stability and maturity under stress, while also maintaining appropriate performance standards.
• Learn and exhibit professional attributes.

Professionalism Policy

Students are expected to demonstrate professional behavior as a required element of all courses, including but not limited to, classes, clinical experiences, small group and team-based learning sessions, labs, other didactics, and simulation sessions. This policy details the procedures for reporting professional behaviors not satisfactorily addressed after intervention at the programmatic level.

Potential lapses in professionalism may be reported by faculty, staff, preceptors, or other students. The “Professionalism Policy Reporting Form” should be completed by the reporter and submitted via email to the Dean of Student Affairs in the College of Health Professions (CoHP). The Dean of Student Affairs, in consultation with the Director of Student Affairs for the CoHP, and the Office of Student Conduct, will review the report and determine if it is a professionalism concern (rather than Code of Conduct or Honor Code Violation). If the Dean of Student Affairs and/or the Director of Student Affairs is a reporter of a concern, the Dean of CoHP will designate someone else to review the report. For concerns involving student speech, the Office of General Counsel also will be consulted before any action is taken by anyone in the College. If the concern is determined to be an actionable professionalism concern by the Dean of Student Affairs and the Director of Student Affairs or designee(s) (rather than a Code of Conduct or Honor Code Violation), the steps outlined below will be followed.

All verifiable reports of professionalism concerns will result in a meeting with the student, relevant program director (PD) or chair, and Dean of Student Affairs or Director of Student Affairs or designee. The student will have the opportunity to respond to and provide information regarding the reported concern during this meeting. A completed notification document will be signed by all parties immediately following the meeting. If the concern is determined to not be actionable upon this review and discussion, then the Dean of Student Affairs and/or Director of Student Affairs or designee will not move the process forward beyond this meeting.

Following the meeting, the Dean of Student Affairs or Director of Student Affairs and PD or chair (or a designee for any of these positions if the individual in the position is the one who reported the concern) will decide if the concern is major and if it should be elevated to the program’s Progress and Promotions (P and P) committee. If so, the program’s P and P committee will review the complaint and make recommendations (following the CoHP policy 112), under the guidance of the Dean of Student Affairs or designee. The first major lapse in professionalism typically will result in the program’s P and P committee placing the student on probation. Failing to meet the terms of the probationary plan and/or a second major lapse may result in dismissal of the student from the program. The student will have the opportunity to appeal the dismissal to the Dean of CoHP before it is final.

Generally, a student in CoHP is expected to demonstrate satisfactory personal, professional, and ethical behavior deemed by faculty and the relevant professions as being necessary for academic success and competency in clinical practice. Such areas may include but are not limited to the ability to establish rapport with clients, appropriate communication, ability to demonstrate respect and empathy, ability to work effectively with members of the health care team, dependability, judgment, integrity, initiative, and interest.

Examples of minor concerns may include, but are not limited to:

• not responding to emails from faculty/staff in a timely fashion
• tardiness
• turning assignments in late
• unexcused absence
• lack of receptive attitude towards constructive feedback
• not complying with dress code policy (see below)

Examples of major lapses may include, but are not limited to:

• more than 1 minor concern
• absence from a required session without appropriate notifications
• disrespectful communication
• not acknowledging authority or chain of command
• lying
• HIPAA violation
• endangering patients
• inability to work effectively with members of a health care team
• biased behavior (e.g., making negative judgments or assumptions about others based on weight, appearance, socioeconomic status, language, religion, education level)

COHP Dress Code Policy:

All individuals are expected to:

• wear ID badges
• maintain appropriate personal hygiene (e.g., minimize body odor, keep hair and facial hair clean, minimize smoke/perfume/cologne odor)
• keep clothing clean, neat, and appropriate for the program activity
• wear shoes that are safe, clean, and in good repair
• not let hair, facial hair, jewelry, or other accessories interfere with safety or activities
• remove headgear, except that required by religious belief

For off-campus clinical experiences, please follow the dress code specified by each facility, which is the final authority on dress code policy at that site.

UTHSC Medical Laboratory Science Student Handbook

UTHSC Medical Laboratory Science Clinical Rotation Handbook

American Esoteric Laboratory, Memphis
1701 Century Center Cove
Memphis, TN 38134

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville
1500 West Poplar Avenue
Collierville, TN 38017

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto
7601 Southcrest Parkway
Southaven, MS 38671

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis
6019 Walnut Grove
Memphis, TN 38120

Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton Co
1995 Highway 51 South
Covington, TN 38019

Baptist Memorial Hospital – Union City
1201 Bishop Street
Union City, TN  38261

Baptist Women's Hospital
6225 Humphreys Boulevard
Memphis, TN 38120

Erlanger Health System
975 E. Third Street
Chattanooga, TN 37403

Jackson-Madison County General Hospital
620 Skyline Drive
Jackson, TN 38301

Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center
848 Adams Avenue
Memphis, TN 38103

Maury Regional Medical Center
1224 Trotwood Avenue
Columbia, TN 38401

Medical University of South Carolina
165 Ashley Avenue
Charleston, SC 29425

Memphis VA Medical Center
1030 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104

Methodist Hospital-Germantown
7691 Poplar Avenue
Germantown, TN 38138

Methodist Hospital-North
3960 New Covington Pike
Memphis, TN 38125

Methodist Hospital, Olive Branch
4250 Bethel Road
Olive Branch, MS 38564

Methodist Hospital, South
1300 Wesley Drive
Memphis, TN 38116

Methodist University Hospital
1265 Union Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104

Path AI (Formerly Popular Healthcare, LLC)
3495 Hacks Cross Road
Memphis, TN 38125

Regional One Health
877 Jefferson Avenue
Memphis, TN 38105

St. Francis Hospital
5959 Park Avenue
Memphis, TN 38119

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place MS 250
Memphis, TN 38105

Medical Laboratory Scientists...

• are fascinated by science
• are problem solvers
• like challenge and responsibility
• are accurate and reliable
• enjoy a fast-paced environment
• communicate well
• set high standards for themselves
• want to help others

Career opportunities are numerous in...

• Hospital and private laboratories
• Biotechnology industry
• Research and forensic laboratories
• Public Health
• Sales and lab product development
• Management
• Higher education
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Armed forces
• Histocompatibility
• Molecular Diagnostics

Graduates of programs in Medical Laboratory Science approved by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS) are eligible to take certification examinations given by certifying agencies including the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and the American Medical Technologists Association (AMT). Individuals certified by the Board of Certification of the ASCP and AMT are recognized as professional Medical Laboratory Scientists by the designation MLS after their names.

A Tennessee state license may be required by some employers to practice medical laboratory science in Tennessee. To obtain a Tennessee state license, one must provide evidence of earning a degree in medical laboratory science and/or passing a national certification examination.

To obtain more information on obtaining a Tennessee state license for medical laboratory science, visit the Tennessee Medical Laboratory Board webpage or call (615) 532-5128. You may also contact them at:

Tennessee State Department of Health
Medical Laboratory Board
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists