MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNOLOGY Technical Standards For Admission

Essential functions, also called technical standards, refer to the non-academic skills a student must possess, independently or with reasonable accommodations, to be successful in the program and the profession. Students should evaluate their abilities against the standards to make a sound career choice.

• Maneuver safely in patient care areas and in all parts of the laboratory, including around instruments.
• Reach overhead and below waist, lift, twist, bend, and stoop/squat.
• Perform physical work that may be continuous, be repetitive, and require prolonged sitting, standing, or walking for several hours.
• Handle flammable materials, hazardous chemicals, infective materials, and fragile equipment safely.
• Manipulate laboratory equipment that requires gross and fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and depth-perception, such as microscopes, pipettes, inoculating loops, test tubes, phlebotomy equipment, and instrument dials, keypads, and switches.
• Hear and respond appropriately to audible sounds, such as normal speaking voices, telephones, timers, and alarms.
• See sufficiently written and typed text, graphs, instrument controls, glassware gradations, etc.
• Discriminate visually, as appropriate, color (hue, shade, intensity), clarity (clear, hazy, cloudy, turbid), size, shape, and structure to identify reagents, interpret test reaction results, or differentiate stained and unstained blood and body fluid elements.
• Comprehend and follow instructions provided verbally in English.
• Read and comprehend professional materials written in English, such as textbooks, journal articles, technical manuals, procedure manuals, and handbooks.
• Communicate clearly, effectively, and respectfully in English, verbal and written formats, with instructors, fellow students/colleagues, other healthcare professionals, and patients.
• Transfer and apply knowledge to clinical practice to make decisions and solve problems.
• Concentrate in a distracting/noisy environment, with fellow students/colleagues working in close proximity, to complete complex tasks on time without compromising quality.
• Remain calm and use reasonable judgment to work through stressful situations without compromising professionalism and integrity.
• Evaluate one’s own performance, be forthright concerning errors, and respond positively to constructive criticism.
• Manage the use of time and heavy workloads, academically and professionally; prioritize completion of multiple tasks.
• Adhere carefully to all program and affiliate policies which involve, but are not limited to, patient rights and safety, laboratory safety, attendance, academic conduct, and nonacademic conduct.