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Pathology Medical Technology Program
	The UC Irvine Medical Center At the University of California Irvine, Medical Center, a dynamic interaction between medical technology, research, education and dedication to patient care results in a health care system that is unmatched in the services it provides to communities throughout Orange County and the Southern California area. As the principal clinical facility for the UCI School of Medicine, the Medical Center is a full-service, fully accredited, general-acute care hospital licensed for 462 beds. Its commitment to pediatric care has also earned UCI Medical Center the designation of University Children's Hospital. The nationally recognized expertise of its staff has made UCI Medical Center a diagnostic and referral center for treatment of a wide range of medical programs. UCI Medical Center is the only university hospital serving Orange County and its surrounding areas. The Clinical Laboratory From high-risk pregnancy management and neonatal intensive care to trauma medicine and cancer therapy, the clinical laboratory is an integral part of the hospital's many unique and comprehensive programs. The fully automated facility includes the latest innovations in toxicology, special chemistry, virology, flow cytometry, pheresis, molecular microbiology and immunology. More than 1,900,000 patient specimens are tested annually in the Medical Center’s clinical laboratory. The lab is accredited and inspected by the State of California, College of American Pathologists, American Association of Blood Banks, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The laboratory is a national referral center for general and specialized procedures and services a wide range of clientele. It also provides students with an excellent training environment and learning opportunities that are unequaled in the area. The Medical Technology Program Program Background The Medical Technology Program is operated by the UCI Medical Center Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. Program faculty includes pathologists, a medical microbiologist and experienced medical technologists, many of who are specialists in their field. The Medical Technology Program is approved by the California Department of Public Health, accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS - 8410 West Bryn Mawr Ave, Suite 670, Chicago, IL 60631) and approved by the UC Irvine Allied Health Committee. Affiliated Institution The UCI Medical Center Medical Technology Program is affiliated with St. Joseph Hospital, also in Orange, CA, which provides clinical instruction to trainees. Program Overview At present, the school accepts up to 8 students each year. The 12-month training program begins in September, with 40 hours of instruction per week. The curriculum includes intensive bench training, formal and informal lectures and case studies. During the course of the program, students receive over 200 hours of formal lecture covering the various areas of clinical laboratory science. For the clinical segment, students rotate through each major section of the laboratory with an instructor-student ratio of 1:1 or 1:2. Students have full access to the reference textbooks in each laboratory division; individual copies of numerous books are loaned to the students for the entire year. The students have privileges at the UCI Medical Center Library and access to the University of California library network. After fulfilling all program requirements, students receive a certificate of completion and are eligible to take the external exams leading to licensure as a California Clinical Laboratory Scientist and certification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and the National Credentialing Agency (NCA). Blood Bank/Donor Center Students in the Blood Bank study transfusion medicine, immunohematology concepts and histocompatibility testing. During the 8-week rotation, students practice Blood Banking tests, work with blood donors and process blood components.  Problem solving skills are challenged by practical exams. Time is also spent in Apheresis, observing plasma exchanges and cytapheresis, and Hemotherapy services -- observing therapeutic phlebotomy and directed donations. Chemistry The Chemistry section includes a 16-week rotation spent in Automated and Special Chemistry, Immunochemistry, Toxicology, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Urinalysis.  The student performs a wide range of analytical procedures and learns to correlate laboratory data with clinical findings. Some of the most up-to-date instrumentation and methodologies are used in the clinical laboratory, and students have the opportunity to work with highly sophisticated automated technologies. Hematology/Coagulation During the 9-week rotation, the student is trained to identify cells in blood, bone marrow and body fluids and learns manual/automated cell counting methods. Students are also introduced to flow cytometry and hemoglobin electrophoresis. Case histories are used to correlate clinical and lab data.  Problem-solving skills are further developed in the Coagulation lab as students systematically investigate disorders of hemostasis, using both routine and special procedures. Microbiology The clinical segment consists of a 16- week rotation through Bacteriology, Mycology, Parasitology, Serology, Mycobacteriology, Virology and Molecular Microbiology. The student learns to identify a wide variety of human pathogens using identification techniques such as culture and isolation, direct exam, immunofluorescence and DNA probes. In Serology, students perform an extensive array of testing procedures. Molecular genetics testing procedures are also introduced. Students participate in Infectious Disease Grand Rounds and in-service programs. Phlebotomy Approximately 100 hours of training are spent in learning the techniques of blood specimen collection.  The lecture series includes presentations on laboratory safety, phlebotomy techniques, specimen collection and working with laboratory and hospital computer systems. Evaluation Students must successfully fulfill the minimum requirements in each section of the lecture and laboratory training areas. Performance will be evaluated throughout the training year based on: didactic lecture exams, lab exams, lab skills, work habits, professional attitudes and ability to work with others. Students will also have the opportunity evaluate the overall program, lecture presentations and clinical rotations. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS Admission requirements are based on current standards set by the California State Department of Health Services and NAACLS. Academic Requirements Baccalaureate degree in biological sciences or chemistry. Must include: 18 semester units (27 quarter units) in biological sciences that must include Immunology, Hematology, and Medical Microbiology. Bacteriology, Mycology, Virology and Parasitology may be recommended as additional courses. 16 semester units (24 quarter units) in chemistry including Analytical Chemistry (Quantitative Analysis) and Biochemistry 3 semester units (4.5 quarter units) in physics, which must include principles of light and electricity 1 college mathematics course Courses in statistics, anatomy/physiology, and genetics/molecular biology are strongly recommended. All courses must be completed by June of the year in which training begins. Students with foreign baccalaureate degrees must have a course-by-course transcript evaluation from an acceptable agency and have 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) in upper division science courses from a United States college/university. Students awarded degrees in excess of 7 years prior to the date of application for clinical training should have recent course work in Medical Microbiology and Biochemistry. Minimum GPA in sciences of 2.7. Consideration of lower GPA will be an option of the Admissions Committee. No record of academic probation within the last 3 years. Additional Requirements Three letters of recommendation from college/university instructors or employers. A written statement of interest in Medical Technology. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency in the U.S. Clinical Laboratory Scientist Trainee license, or evidence that one will be issued, from the California Department of Public Health. Ability to communicate effectively in English. Ability to perform Essential Functions - various physical and behavioral capabilities that are necessary for achievement of competency. A pre-training health assessment is required of all trainees by UCI Medical Center Occupational Health. Background checks will be performed on final candidates. In compliance with all licensing requirements, the Program does not grant advanced standing and cannot waive any of the above prerequisites. SELECTION CRITERIA To be considered for admission to the program, candidates must have submitted complete applications by the specified deadline and have met the stated admissions criteria. Qualified applicants will be selected for an interview with the Program Director and members of the Medical Technology Program Admissions Committee.  In addition to evaluating academic performance, interest in Medical Technology, letters of recommendation and the interview, the Admissions Committee also considers clinical laboratory work experience, honors, extracurricular activities and communication skills. The University of California does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, age, medical condition (cancer-related), ancestry, marital status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran. PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION Application materials consist of a completed application form, official university transcripts, a statement of interest in Clinical Laboratory Science, signed Essential Functions form, and three letters of recommendation. The application form should be typed (or clearly printed in black ink) and submitted with a statement of interest directly to the UCI Medical Center Medical Technology Program.  Keep copies of application materials and a dated record of the application process. The applicant is required to provide official copies of transcripts for all college and/or university work completed.  An official transcript is one that is signed by the Registrar where the student is/was in attendance, imprinted with the institutional seal, and is mailed directly from the Registrar to its respective destination(s) without being accessible to the student.  Official transcripts are also required by the California State Department of Public Health when applying for the Trainee License (see V, below). For foreign degree transcript evaluation contact: AACRAO, Office of International Education Services, 1 DuPont Circle, NW Suite 370, Washington, D.C., 20036-11110 (202-296-3359), www.aacrao.org, and request a course-by-course foreign education credential evaluation. All applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation from college or university science instructors. Please ask instructors to use the standardized forms after you have supplied the identifying information at the top. These letters are to be mailed directly by the instructors to the program. A third letter of recommendation from a former or current employer is also required (if no employer is available, a third science instructor should be asked to submit a letter). Employers may use a letter rather than the standardized form. The statement of interest should be submitted in essay form (at least 500 words in length). Read the Essential Functions form. Sign, date, and return the signature page with your application form. APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR SEPTEMBER CLASS IS FEBRUARY 1. All required application materials must be submitted by the deadline for the application to be considered complete. Applicants are encouraged to start the application process EARLY - September or October is recommended. Applications will be accepted from September 1 of each year until the deadline of February 1. Mail applications to: Medical Technology Program UC Irvine Medical Center 101 The City Drive, Route 38 Orange, CA 92868 All candidates accepted into training are required to have a Clinical Laboratory Scientist Trainee License from the California Department of Public Health. The candidate will apply directly to the Laboratory Field Services Division for this license. Initiate the application for the Trainee License EARLY in the process of applying for the Training Program. The trainee license will not be issued until after the Bachelor’s degree is obtained, but the application process should start well before graduating. To obtain an application form, contact: California State Department of Public Health Laboratory Field Services 850 Marina Bay Parkway Richmond, CA 94804 (510) 620-3800 (510) 620-3692 fax http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/ls/lfsb/default.htm You may also download an application form from the website: select “Forms” on the menu; use form “LAB 156” Qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview appointment (see "Selection Criteria"). Individuals selected for internship will be notified in writing with a written response of acceptance requested. FINANCIAL INFORMATION Benefits No tuition. A monthly stipend may be offered, depending on annual budget. UC Library services Textbooks and lab coats provided Fees/Expenses Licensing/certification exam fees (approx. $450) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS Medical Director Luis M. de la Maza, M.D., Ph.D. Program Director Laura Ogata, M.A., MT(ASCP) For more information regarding the Program, please contact: Laura Ogata, Program Director Medical Technology Program UC Irvine Medical Center 101 The City Drive, Rt. 38 Orange, CA 92868 Phone: (714) 456-6305 Fax: (714) 456-6090 Email: logata@uci.edu
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