Overview
Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) is a professional program designed for students to acquire general certification from the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS) and a professional degree at the BSc level.
The program consists of a preprofessional year followed by three years in the Division of Medical Laboratory Science of the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.
After the preprofessional year, the first and third years of the program are regular university years. The second year is a 38-week period of practical hospital training under the supervision of Alberta Health Services, Edmonton Zone. Rotations occur in the Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology (University of Alberta Hospitals site), as well as through DynaLIFE Dx. Students rotate through laboratories in clinical biochemistry, hematology, histotechnology, clinical microbiology, and transfusion science. These are the five disciplines that are required for CSMLS general certification.
Philosophy of Medical Laboratory Science
The Medical Laboratory Science program is to provide an enjoyable, stimulating learning environment in which staff work in unity towards instilling in students:
- theoretical and practical competence as technologists with knowledge of state-of-the-art scientific advances;
- higher level problem solving skills;
- enthusiasm for continued learning required in their future lives and careers;
- as well-rounded, broad an education as possible within a professional program.