Program Duration
Program Duration 25 months (1200 hours)
Classes meet Monday-Friday
Program Goal
The goal of Institute of Medical Education is to serve the community by
producing high quality Medical Lab Technicians. There is both a current and a
projected shortage of Laboratory Personnel. Because of the skill sets MLT’s
possess, their presence will help alleviate this stress, allowing laboratories
to run more efficiently. Upon completion of the program, students will be issued
a certificate of completion. Students are then eligible for the ASCP Board of
Registry examination for Medical Laboratory Technician.
Job Description
Medical Lab Technician’s work side-by-side with medical technologists and
pathologists, spending comparatively little time with patients. They perform the
hundreds of laboratory procedures that help ferret out the cause and cure of
disease. They are the physician’s fact finders, tracing the elusive clues to
illness through samples of body tissues and fluids.
Objectives of the Program
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
-Perform all duties of a medical laboratory technician with professionalism and
confidence
-Collect and prepare clinical specimens for analysis
-Properly perform a variety of diagnostic analyses
-Monitor and analyze the quality of information generated
-Obtain, analyze and incorporate relevant patient information in order to better
understand the analyses
-Successfully operate laboratory instruments
-Maintain a safe lab by observing universal precaution protocols
Admissions Requirements/ Prerequisites
Be at least 18 years of age or older
A copy of your Associates Degree or 60 completed college units
CA Phlebotomy Technician I or II certification (Diplomas from foreign countries
must be evaluated before enrolling)
CA Phlebotomy Technician I or II certification
Pass IME’s entrance exam and pay enrollment fee $95.00 (non-refundable)
Current Immunization record
Complete the following prerequisite courses: (These can be taken at IME and are
included in tuition)
Anatomy & Physiology
Chemistry with Lab
(Prerequisite courses must have been taken in the last 5 years with passing
grade)
Course Description
The MLT program is a combination of didactic and clinical training. It is
designed to prepare you to be a safe and effective medical lab technician and to
assist in the overall care of patients. Many medical decisions are based on the
test results from a laboratory. As an MLT you will be instrumental in making
sure that the results are accurate. Upon completion of the program, a
certificate of completion will be awarded and graduates will be eligible to sit
for the licensing exam.
Job Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: “Employment of clinical
laboratory workers is expected to grow by 14 percent between 2008 and 2018,
faster than the average for all occupations.” The annual mean wage is $42,290 in
the state of California. The bay area annual mean wages are higher at $49,660
for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area and $53,330 in the San
Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan division.
(See:
www.bls.gov/oco/ocos096.htm and
bls.gov/oes/current/oes292012.htm)