College of Science and the Environment
Medical laboratory scientists oversee all steps of lab testing processes
We regret to announce that the Medical Laboratory Science program is scheduled for closure by the end of 2023 and is no longer accepting new students.
LSSU’s Medical Laboratory Science program has two concentrations: Academic and Clinical
| Academic Concentration | Clinical Concentration | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration (total) | 4 years | 4 ½ years |
| Certification Exam eligibility (upon graduation) | No | Yes |
| Admission | All who are accepted to LSSU | Competitive |
| Curriculum | All classroom lectures and labs | 4 years of classroom lectures and labs + 6 months clinical experience |
Academic Concentration
Microbiology students practicing techniques for counting bacteria
The Academic Concentration is designed to be completed in four years. When you finish the Academic Concentration you will receive a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science, but you will not be eligible to take the Board of Certification exam. If you want to take the certification exam, you must first complete a six- to twelve-month clinical experience at an independent hospital-based MLS program that is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). There are three such programs in the state of Michigan, located at:
- DMC University Laboratories (Detroit)
- St. John Providence Health Laboratories (Detroit/Grosse Pointe)
- Beaumont Health System (Royal Oak)
LSSU cannot guarantee acceptance into any of the hospital-based programs. While completing this clinical experience, you are not an LSSU student (you have already graduated), and you do not pay LSSU tuition (some hospital programs charge their own tuition; some do not).
Clinical Concentration
Medical Laboratory Science students examining the eggs of parasitic worms
The Clinical Concentration is designed to be completed in four and a half years. When you finish the Clinical Concentration you will receive a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science and you will be eligible to take the Board of Certification exam. The last six months of the Clinical Concentration is spent one of our Clinical Affiliate partner labs: you will spend each day in a real-life laboratory performing tests on real-life patient specimens. Because our Clinical Affiliates can accommodate only a limited number of students each year, admission into the Clinical Concentration is by competitive application at the end of your junior year.
Entry into and completion of MLS – Clinical Concentration
All students wishing to major in Medical Laboratory Science must begin by declaring the MLS-Academic Concentration as their major.
The course requirements for the first three years of the Academic Concentration and the first three years of the Clinical Concentration are exactly the same.
Students may apply to enter the Clinical Concentration near the end of their junior year (details in the Student Handbook). Students who are accepted finish the last 1½ years according to the course requirements of the Clinical Concentration. Students who do not apply to or who are not accepted into the Clinical Concentration finish the last 1 year according to the course requirements of the Academic Concentration.
Accreditation Information and Outcomes Measures
Extensive information about LSSU’s MLS-Clinical Concentration, including accreditation information, program goals and outcomes measures, and policies and procedures, is provided in the Student Handbook: Student Handbook LSSU MLS-Clinical Concentration 2022-2023.
Key accreditation information is also provided below. The information provided here was updated in May 2023, while the 2022-2023 Handbook was updated in November 2022.
II. Program Mission Statement
The mission of the Lake Superior State University Medical Laboratory Science- Clinical Concentration Program is to train competent entry-level Medical Laboratory Scientists.
III. Program Accreditation Information
The Lake Superior State University (LSSU) Medical Laboratory Science (MLS)—Clinical Concentration Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). NAACLS may be contacted at:
5600 N. River Rd. Suite 720
Rosemont, IL 60018-5119
Phone: 773-714-8880
Fax: 773-714-8886
IV. Program Director
Martha A. Hutchens, Ph.D., MLS(ASCP)CM
Associate Professor
School of Science and Medicine
Lake Superior State University
650 W. Easterday Ave.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783
VI. Program Outcomes Measures
A. Certification Rates
One hundred percent (1 of 1) of students graduating between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 passed the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s Board of Certification exam within one year of graduation.
Fifty percent (1 of 2) of students graduating between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 passed the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s Board of Certification exam within one year of graduation.
No students graduated from this program between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.
As of the current date (May 12, 2023), sixty-seven percent (2 of 3) students graduating since July 1, 2022 have passed the American Society for Clinical Pathology’s Board of Certification exam.
B. Graduation Rates
One hundred percent (1 of 1) of students who were accepted into the Clinical Concentration in anticipation of finishing the program between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 completed the program.
One hundred percent (2 of 2) of students who were accepted into the Clinical Concentration in anticipation of finishing the program between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 completed the program.
No students were accepted into the Clinical Concentration in anticipation of finishing the program between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.
Fifty percent (2 of 4) students who were accepted into the Clinical Concentration in anticipation of finishing the program between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 completed the program; the other two students are expected to finish by June 30, 2023.
C. Attrition Rates
Zero percent (0 of 1) of students who were accepted into the Clinical Concentration in anticipation of finishing the program between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 failed to complete the program.
Zero percent (0 of 2) of students who were accepted into the Clinical Concentration in anticipation of finishing the program between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 failed to complete the program.
No students were accepted into the Clinical Concentration in anticipation of finishing the program between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.
Fifty percent (2 of 4) students who were accepted into the Clinical Concentration in anticipation of finishing the program between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023 have not yet completed the program but they are expected to complete it by June 30, 2023.
D. Placement Rate
One hundred percent (100%) (1 of 1) students who graduated between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 found employment in the field of medical laboratory science or were accepted to post-graduate education programs within one year of graduation.
One hundred percent (100%) (2 of 2) students who graduated between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 found employment in the field of medical laboratory science or were accepted to post-graduate education programs within one year of graduation.
No students graduated from the program between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.
As of the current date (May 12, 2023), one hundred percent (100%) (3 of 3) students graduating since July 1, 2022 have been offered employment in the field of medical laboratory science or were accepted to post-graduate education programs.
VII. Program Goals and Graduate Competencies
The goals of the Lake Superior State University Medical Laboratory Science- Clinical Concentration Program are to provide the information, personal interactions, and experiences that will prepare students to:
- Understand and analyze medical laboratory tests and situations
- Quickly, accurately, and precisely perform medical laboratory test procedures
- Conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner.
Graduate competences (aka Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes)
1) Graduates of the MLS Program will recall fundamental principles of each discipline used in the medical laboratory, including:
- Basic Laboratory Operations
- Clinical Chemistry
- Hematology/Hemostasis
- Immunology/Serology
- Immunohematology
- Microbiology (including Mycology and Parasitology)
- Urine and Body Fluids Analysis
- Regulations pertaining to the medical laboratory
- Communication
- Education
- Professionalism
- Finances
- Management
- Clinical Research
2) Graduates of the MLS Program will, given the necessary data, draw accurate conclusions about the quality of a clinical laboratory test and suggest appropriate action
3) Given a set of clinical laboratory data, graduates of the MLS Program will draw accurate conclusions about the health of the patient and suggest a correct course of action
4) Graduates of the MLS Program will use the scientific method to formulate and test hypotheses
5) Graduates of the MLS Program will communicate clearly in writing
6) Graduates of the MLS Program will safely and accurately perform basic medical laboratory test procedures
7) Graduates of the MLS Program will demonstrate entry-level competency in medical laboratory test procedures
8) Graduates of the MLS Program will exhibit professional behavior and attitudes
VIII. List of Clinical Affiliates
War Memorial Hospital, Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Jennifer Kabat, MT(ASCP) and Claire LaPlaunt, MT(ASCP)
Laboratory Co-Directors
War Memorial Hospital
Sault Sainte Marie, MI, 49783
906-635-4430
Helen Newberry Joy Hospital, Newberry, MI
Mitchell Grigg MBA, MT(ASCP)
Laboratory Director
Helen Newberry Joy Hospital
Newberry MI, 49868
906-293-9189
Mackinac Straits Health System, St. Ignace, MI
Laboratory Director:
Karen Schwiderson, MT(ASCP)
Mackinac Straits Health System
1140 N. State St.
St. Ignace, MI 49781
906-643-1193
Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, Manistique, MI
Laboratory Manager:
Henry Richey, MT (ASCP)
7870W U.S. Hwy. 2
Manistique, MI 49854
906-341-3216
Mid-Michigan Medical Center- Alpena
Mariflor Ramirez, MT(ASCP)
Clinical Laboratory Manager
1501 W Chisholm ST
Alpena, MI 49707-1498
989-356-7556
UP Health System-Portage
Jennifer L. Heltunen, MT (ASCP)
Laboratory Director
UPHS-Portage
500 Campus Drive
Hancock, MI 49930
(906) 483-1435
