Clinical Laboratory Science Curriculum and Program Requirements

Curriculum

Professional Curriculum Standard Option

Note: Curriculum starting Fall 2016 (graduating Class of 2018)

During professional studies, students are required to adhere to all departmental policies and academic and behavioral guidelines as outlined in the Student Handbook and Clinical Preceptorship Manual.

A student must have the permission of the program director to be concurrently enrolled in another university while a student at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Technical Standards for this program include:

1. Mobility:
   
   
• The student must have adequate gross mobility in order to maneuver in a timely and safe fashion throughout the department.
• The student must be able to lift his or her arms above shoulder height in order to place or remove items of ten pound or less from shelves.
• The student must be able to bend over at the waist or squat (waist and knees) in order to place and remove items of ten pounds or less from drawers and cabinets.
2. Manual Dexterity:
   
   The student must have adequate fine motor skills to be able to manipulate small objects in a safe and precise manner. Examples would include (but are not limited to) being able to operate a computer keyboard; dial a telephone; handle cuvettes, sample cups, pipette tips, and reagent vials; pick up glass slides from table top, manipulate tools and instruments used in the clinical laboratory (including a microscope); collect specimens, and use a pen or pencil in order to communicate effectively in writing for coursework and clinical/fieldwork/preceptorship to ensure patient/client safety.
   
   
3. Auditory Acuity:
   
   The student must be able to hear well enough to respond to significant sounds in a clinical lab. Examples would include (but are not limited to) being able to hear signals generated from instrumentation that may indicate normal operating status, critical sample value, or equipment malfunction, and being able to hear and follow verbal instruction from a coworker or supervisor in order to ensure patient safety. (National Patient Safety Goals NPSG)
   
   
4. Verbal Communication Skills:
   
   The student must be able to orally communicate professionally to persons on the telephone or other health care workers listening specifically to the student in person to ensure patient safety. (National Patient Safety Goals NPSG)
   
   
5. Visual Acuity to read, write, discern colors, and use a microscope:
   
   The student must have adequate eyesight such that he/she can recognize and distinguish gradients of color (such as on a urine reagent strip and special stains), read numbers and words either on a video display screen, computer printout, or legible handwriting, and interpret lines and points on graphs and charts to ensure patient safety.
   
   
6. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, and Quality Skills:
   
   The student must possess the ability to develop and exhibit organizational problem solving skills. Specifically, the student must have the ability to measure, calculate, analyze, interpret, synthesize and evaluate data in a short period of time; have the ability to learn to perform duties and assignments in a timely manner while under stress in a variety of settings; exhibit the maturity to accept feedback and demonstrate professional conduct in the classroom, laboratory, and at the preceptorship site.
   
   
7. Social Behavior Skills:
   
   Demonstrate respect for individual, social, and cultural differences in fellow students, faculty, staff, patients, clients, and patients'/clients' families during clinical/fieldwork/ preceptorship/ and academic interactions. Demonstrate flexibility and the ability to adjust to changing situations and uncertainty in academic and clinical/fieldwork/preceptorship situations. Conduct oneself in an ethical and legal manner, demonstrating honesty, integrity, and professionalism in all interactions and situations.

Students are required to own or have access to a laptop computer for use in the classroom.

The Clinical Laboratory Science Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5700 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018  (773) 714-8880

The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, masters, doctoral, and professional degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097,or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. The commission should be contacted only if there is evident that appears to support the institution's significant non- compliance with a requirement standard. A member of the Texas Tech University System, TTUHSC has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges as a separate institution from Texas Tech University since 2004. TTUHSC received its reaffirmation of accreditation from SACSCOC in 2009. The next reaffirmation is scheduled for 2019.