Raleigh County Campus only
New River CTC will offer the Medical Laboratory Technician program in the fall of 2023. Students can apply now to begin completing prerequisite courses.
Program description:
The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) is an intensive program designed to provide the student with the technical education required to sit for the MLT national board certification examination and to become a licensed MLT in the state of West Virginia.
As members of a health care team, Medical Laboratory Technician’s provide clinical information for disease prevention, medical diagnosis, and treatment of the patient by processing specimens, performing complex laboratory tests and reporting out the patient results to the patient’s physician or provider. They may work in all areas of the clinical laboratory to include hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, chemistry, blood bank, immunology, microbiology and molecular. Using sophisticated laboratory equipment and microscopes, MLTs test for microorganisms, analyze the chemical content of body fluids, crossmatch blood for transfusion, test for drug levels in blood and urine, and quantitate and identify blood cells. This analysis is imperative for proper diagnosis and treatment of patients. Students will also learn about instrument and test parameters, preventive maintenance and problem solving for instrument malfunction, quality control and calibration, and preparing and analyzing blood and other specimens for analysis. MLTs are self-reliant, dedicated to quality patient care, possess excellent critical thinking skills and are detail oriented. They possess a solid background in biology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, math and computer skills. Students who become MLTs can work in hospital laboratories, physician office laboratories, commercial or reference laboratories, biotechnology, research laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, fertility clinics, technical service and sales, veterinary laboratories and blood banks such as the American Red Cross.
Total Program Hours: 69
What does a Medical Laboratory Technician do?
The Medical Laboratory Technician program prepares graduates for immediate entry into a technician-level position in a clinical laboratory environment. The curriculum includes prerequisite courses in general biology and chemistry along with advanced classes preparing students to provide clinical information for disease prevention, medical diagnosis, and treatment of patients. The Medical laboratory Technician program integrates traditional classroom instruction and laboratory experience with clinical rotations. After successfully completing all academic and clinical requirements of the program, students are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for Medical Laboratory Technicians. After achieving national certification, students can apply for state licensure. For program questions, contact Amanda Combs at acombs@newriver.edu.
Learning by Doing
Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLT) or Clinical Laboratory Technicians (CLT) work under the supervision of a Medical Laboratory Scientist. They perform phlebotomy and tests on tissues, blood, and body fluids to help physicians diagnose and treat diseases or monitor a patient’s health status. MLTs are trained to identify parasites and other micro-organisms; analyze the chemical content of fluids; quantitate and identify blood cells; test blood for compatibility before transfusion; and test for drug levels in the blood to show how a patient is responding to treatment. Graduates can build a career as a Medical Laboratory Technician or continue their education at a four-year institution to become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS).
Persons with a felony conviction may not be eligible for licensure based on terms and conditions of the state in which they intend to apply.
Community/Employee Partners
Beckley Appalachian Regional Hospital
Summers County Appalachian Regional Hospital
Veterans Administration Medical Center
Raleigh General Hospital
Summersville Regional Medical Center
Greenbrier Valley Medical Center
Princeton Community Hospital
Bluefield Regional Medical Center
Welch Community Hospital
Montgomery General Hospital
Plateau Medical Center
Webster County Memorial Hospital
Pocahontas Memorial Hospital
Lewis Gale Hospital Allegheny
Dabney S. Lancaster Community College
Raleigh Regional Cancer Center
Charleston Area Medical Center
Accreditation
New River Community and Technical College’s Medical Laboratory Technician program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Rd., Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018, (773-714-8880).
Standards of NAACLS – Program Goals
In previous running 3 years, the program should maintain:
- External certification pass rates of at least 75% for those who take the exam within one year of graduation.
- Graduation rates of at least 70% for those students who have begun the final half of the program.
- Graduate placement rates of at least 70% of respondents who seek jobs within the first year.
ASCP BOC Certification pass rates for graduates from the following years*
| For students who graduated between 7/1/18 – 6/30/19 | For students who graduated between 7/1/19 – 6/30/20 | For students who graduated between 7/1/20 – 6/30/21 | |
| A) Number who sat for the ASCP BOC exam within first year of graduation | 6 | 8 | 4 |
| B) Number who passed the ASCP BOC exam within the first year of graduation | 6 | 8 | 1 |
| C) Yearly certification pass rate percentage: (B/A) x 100 | 100% | 100% | 25% |
*Effective October 1, 2021, the MLT program was considered “inactive” by our accrediting body. New River CTC will resume accepting students in the MLT program for the fall of 2023.
Graduates of the program for the previous three years*
| For students who graduated between 7/1/18 – 6/30/19 | For students who graduated between 7/1/19 – 6/30/20 | For students who graduated between 7/1/20 – 6/30/21 | |
| Total number of students who graduated | 9 | 5 | 10 |
*Effective October 1, 2021, the MLT program was considered “inactive” by our accrediting body. New River CTC will resume accepting students in the MLT program for the fall of 2023.
Placement rates for graduates from the following years*
| For students who graduated between 7/1/18 – 6/30/19 | For students who graduated between 7/1/19 – 6/30/20 | For students who graduated between 7/1/20 – 6/30/21 | |
| A) Number who found employment (in the field or in a closely related field) and/or continued their education within one year of graduation | 9 | 4 | 7 |
| B) Number who did neither of the above | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| C) Number for which you do NOT have any information | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Yearly average placement rate percentage: [A/(A+B)] x 100 | 100% | 80% | 70% |
*Effective October 1, 2021, the MLT program was considered “inactive” by our accrediting body. New River CTC will resume accepting students in the MLT program for the fall of 2023.
Program Faculty
Amanda Combs, Adjunct Instructor, Medical Laboratory Technician Program
E-mail: acombs@newriver.edu
Program Information
Curriculum
MLT Information Packet
Program Application and Admission Information
Policies Procedures Manual
Clinical Education Guide
Program Mission Statement
