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Curriculum

A Mayo Clinic medical lab scientist examining a specimen
60%

time spent in classroom

40%

time spent in clinical setting

35

academic credit hours earned

Student experiences

The Medical Laboratory Science program at Mayo Clinic offers a 10.5 month training program, consisting of classroom lectures and hands-on clinical rotations. The entire program earns the student 35 academic credit hours.

Classroom learning

The program curriculum is developed in an e-learning platform, and the curricular model applies the reverse lecture-homework paradigm.

Didactic curriculum is completed as homework via online presentation of lectures and reading material. This includes:

  • Student interaction with written content and streaming lectures
  • Threaded discussions
  • Online chats
  • Email

Daily laboratory lessons are taught in the traditional face-to-face classroom format over the course of the first six-and-a-half months. Students apply the online didactic material during hands-on instructor-facilitated laboratory sessions, which are a combination of case studies, laboratory lessons, and discussion groups. 

Students are accountable through regular quizzes, examinations, and lecture assignments designed to prepare them for the respective laboratory sessions.

Coursework

You will complete courses in hematology, hemostasis, urinalysis, clinical chemistry, immunology, clinical microbiology, molecular diagnostics, transfusion medicine, laboratory management, quality control, and method validation.

Clinical experiences

After the classroom portion, you advance to your clinical experiences for the final four months. The clinical experiences include four months of laboratory rotations and are a second application of the medical laboratory science curriculum in the context of the real-world work setting.

Coursework

These are "hands-on" practicum experiences in the clinical laboratories that prepare you for entry-level positions in a clinical testing laboratory. Required core training includes rotations through bacteriology, clinical chemistry, hematology, blood banking, immunology, phlebotomy, and renal analysis.

Also available are opportunities for experiences in more-specialized areas, including toxicology, endocrinology, metals analysis, human cell therapy, fertility testing, parasitology, mycology, molecular genetics, biochemical genetics, personalized genomics, clinical immunoassay, mass spectrometry, infectious diseases serology, and HIV and hepatitis testing laboratories.

Hours

Didactic and student laboratory 

July through December:

  • Monday through Friday, mornings and afternoons (some exceptions may occur) — 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Four to six hours of homework a day on average

Clinical experience — Rochester program

January through May:

  • The clinical schedule includes eight-hour days, Monday through Friday

Clinical experience — Florida program

January through February:

  • Mayo Clinic in Rochester, with eight-hour days, Monday through Friday

March through July:

  • Mayo Clinic in Florida, with eight-hour days, Monday through Friday (hours vary)

Faculty

Two faculty directors in the Medical Laboratory Science Program at Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology is one of the largest clinical laboratories in the world with over 90 specialty laboratories. The department receives patient specimens for testing from Mayo Clinic and from other hospitals worldwide.

The wide repertoire of test services, high volume of specimens received for testing, and our diverse and highly educated faculty make the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic an ideal educational setting for students in medical laboratory science training programs.

You will be trained in the program’s dedicated classroom and lab spaces, complete with all the equipment to teach all the skills required of an entry-level medical laboratory scientist.

Outside employment

Some students have worked while attending the program. We recommend that you don’t work more than 10 to 12 hours a week, as the curriculum can be demanding and requires consistent review and daily study. There is a recommended minimum of four to six hours of homework a day.

Grading and evaluation 

You will be evaluated by the program director, program faculty, and the clinical instructors. Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences uses these evaluative tools: written assignments and examination, demonstration of skills, self-assessment exercises, and faculty reviews.

Our system provides students and faculty with a complete look at individual performance. Because programs are small, faculty members are partners in learning with students and closely monitor their progress. Assistance is provided whenever necessary to keep all students on track with the program's learning goals and outcomes.

Student policy manual

The Medical Laboratory Science Program's Student Policy Manual provides information about the program's curriculum-related requirements, general policies, academic policies, and clinical experience policies. You will receive a copy of the Student Policy Manual during program orientation.

The manual serves as a reference for policies and procedures for the duration of your time in the program. Applicants may request a copy of the program's policy manual through the Medical Laboratory Science Program office.

Graduation and certification

Upon successful completion of this program, you receive a certificate of completion from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. Students enrolled in the 3+1 program receive a certificate in medical laboratory science from the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences and a baccalaureate degree from their home institution. Students enrolling in the 4+1 post-baccalaureate program receive a certificate in medical laboratory science from the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.

All graduates from our program are eligible for certification through the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) and are credentialed as medical laboratory scientists, or MLS(ASCP)CM.

Note: Completion of the MLS program and issuing of either a degree or certificate is not contingent upon the students passing the certification or examination.

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