Pre-Clinical Laboratory
Pre-Professional Programs at UT Tyler
Overview
Clinical laboratory scientists, also known as medical technologists, analyze human blood, tissues and body fluids, and supervise the performance of thousands of medical laboratory tests. Medical technologists exercise independent judgment, correlate test results and interpret the findings. Physicians depend on these professionals to produce reliable and valid results that may be used in determining the presence, extent and possible cause of disease.
Bachelor’s degree programs in medical technology require four years of college education, including one year of clinical laboratory education and experience in an accredited health facility. Currently, Texas does not require a license to practice.
Students who graduate from medical laboratory science programs are eligible to take the national certification examinations that are administered by the:
- American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP)
- American Medical Technologists (AMT)
- National Certification Agency for Medical Laboratory Personnel (NCAMLP)
According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the annual average salary of a clinical laboratory scientist (2011 data) is $55,100.
Related career opportunities within the laboratory sciences include phlebotomist, blood bank technology specialist, medical laboratory technician, cytotechnologist and histotechnologist.
Prerequisites vary highly among all the programs so it is imperative that interested students make sure that they complete those courses that are required by each program they apply to.
Links to Texas Clinical Lab Science Programs
- Southwest Texas State University
- Tarleton State University
- Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi
- Texas Southern University
- Texas Tech University Health Science Center
- Texas Women's University
- University of Texas at El Paso
- University of Texas Pan American at Edinburg
- UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
- University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
- UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
- MD Anderson Cancer Center
For more information or questions concerning courses at UT Tyler that will fulfill clinical lab science program prerequisites, please contact:
Dr. Rachel Mason
Chief Health Professions Advisor & JAMP Faculty Director
Associate Professor of Chemistry & Assistant Chair
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The University of Texas at Tyler
3900 University Blvd
Tyler, Texas 75799
Office: RBS 3002
Phone: 903.565.5641
Jason DiStefano
Laboratory/Technical Services Supervisor I & Lecturer
Assistant to JAMP Faculty Director
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The University of Texas at Tyler
3900 University Blvd
Tyler, Texas 75799
Office: RBS 3033
Phone: 903.565.5525