Medical Laboratory Scientists are members of the health care team who run diagnostic tests on blood and body fluids in a variety of departments including hematology, clinical chemistry, blood bank, microbiology, urinalysis, and immunology. The information provided by medical laboratory scientists is used by physicians and other providers to help diagnose disease as well as to monitor and plan treatment. Medical Laboratory Scientists were formerly known as Clinical Laboratory Scientists or Medical Technologists.
Augusta Health has operated a school of medical laboratory science since 1955 when it began as the King’s Daughters’ School of Medical Technology. Today, the program is one year in length and enrolls up to eight students annually. The program is rigorous and consists of over 1500 clock hours of instruction, which is equivalent to 40 semester-credit hours. It is intended to provide didactic and practical instruction in the field of medical laboratory science and prepare program graduates to sit for the national certification exam. Students are trained as generalists in Medical Laboratory Science through a combination of classroom, student lab, and clinical practicum experiences. The classroom and student lab instruction takes place at Augusta Health in Fishersville, VA for all enrolled students; the clinical practicum experiences take place at Augusta Health and the University of Virginia Medical Laboratories in Charlottesville, VA according to a published schedule with students spending a variable amount of time at each location.
The School of Medical Laboratory Science is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) and is certified to operate as an institution of postsecondary education by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
Please review the links on the right for more information about the School including admission requirements and application materials.
Click here to donate to the Medical Laboratory Science Education Endowment & Scholarship