Admissions Overview
The Admissions Committee at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children bases its acceptance on the strength of a student's academic record, recommendations and a personal interview that is conducted during the application process. The prerequisites for admission into the internship program include approximately 90 semester credits of both liberal arts and science courses, including the content areas listed previously under Pre-Clinical Course Requirements.
Admission will be limited to students with a minimum cumulative average of 2.5 and minimum average of 2.5 in all science courses. If accepted into the program, the student must maintain a 3.0 average in all science courses during the fourth year. The program’s application cycle is from June through October for the next academic year's class and acceptances are on a rolling admissions basis.
The MLS Program at St. Christopher's accepts only 8 - 10 students each year to provide the very best in personalized education in the medical laboratory sciences. Students assume responsibility for their own healthcare and hospitalization costs. In addition, all Medical Laboratory Science students are required to maintain health insurance during their professional training experience.
Admissions and pre-requisites are subject to Program Director discretion.
All applications should be received no later than October 31.
Pre-Clinical Course Requirements
In order to become enrolled in a NAACLS-approved Medical Laboratory Science Program, students must take the minimum college-level courses in the following areas to include:
| Semester Hours | Subject | Area of Study |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Biological Sciences | Microbiology, Immunology, Anatomy, and Physiology |
| 16 | Chemistry | Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry |
| 3 | College-level Mathematics | Preferably Statistics |
Recommended Courses
- Medical Terminology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Hematology/Coagulation
- Immunohematology (Blood Bank)
- Medical Microbiology
- Computer courses to include the use and function of Windows, spreadsheets, databases, and word processing
Remedial mathematics courses will not satisfy the mathematics requirements. Other science courses may be necessary to satisfy the degree requirements of the various college affiliates. Students will be required to update any biology and chemistry course work completed more than seven years prior to admission to their clinical year. Students completing course work in a foreign country must submit a transcript evaluation. Further information on this can be obtained from the program director.
Our Graduates
Graduates of our program are prepared for many varied and stimulating career opportunities. They may practice as generalists, rotating through all sections of the laboratory; or they may specialize in one section, such as hematology, blood bank, microbiology, chemistry or immunology.
Our graduates may accept a wide variety of positions and work in a city, suburban or rural hospital, in the armed services or Veterans Affairs, in a medical school or research institute, in private or commercial laboratories or in public health.
Graduates may also perform a wide variety of positions in other laboratory-related industries such as:
- Marketing, Research, and Development
- Technical Sales
- Instrument Service
- Management
- Instructors/Professors
- Medical Writing
- Pharmaceutical Sales/Research and Development
- Forensic Laboratories
- Fertility Centers
- Health Departments
- Elect to continue their education in areas such as a laboratory specialty, computer science, business/healthcare administration or healthcare education. This advanced education may permit them to pursue careers as educators, healthcare administrators, healthcare computer specialists or laboratory consultants/inspectors.
- Choose to attend a medical, dental or veterinary school.
Tuition
The Medical Laboratory Science Program extends for a period of 10 months (late August through late June). The tuition fees cover the entire duration of the program.
For individuals affiliated with a college, tuition varies depending on the institution. For persons with a degree, tuition is charged by St. Christopher's Hospital for Children. The current tuition rate for the Medical Lab Science Program is $15,000 per year including textbooks and certification review materials.
Students accepted to the course must pay in the following manner:
- The student must pay a $1,000 nonrefundable deposit fee within 30 days upon acceptance to the MLS Program.
- The remaining balance must be paid in two installments outlined in the acceptance letter in the amount of $7,000 on August 31st and January 31st.
If enrolled in our program through one of our affiliate colleges, the student will pay as per the contract at the college. This information is available from the Program Director and the college advisor or registrar. The Program Director or college advisor/registrar will also let you know how your tuition will be paid.
Tuition Refunds
- Tuition refunds are granted as follows: Students enrolled in our Program through one of our affiliate colleges must abide by the refund policy of the respective college to which they pay tuition if the college is reimbursing the hospital; otherwise, the refund policy for students who withdraw during the curriculum year will be pro-rated and will depend upon:
- Length of attendance
- Reason for leaving is voluntary drop-out, not dismissal
- Percent of refund is as follows: If a student spends less than 60 percent of the time, for the first time, in the program, the student is entitled to a pro-rated refund.
Once a student is accepted into the MLS Program, any withdraw from the program must follow the following withdrawal policy:
The student must initiate this procedure by scheduling a meeting with the program director. Counseling and alternatives may be presented at this time. The student must submit a letter of intent to withdraw from the program to the program director. The date this letter is received by the program director is the official date of withdrawal, unless otherwise noted in the body of the letter.