Tri-County’s MLT Grads Achieve 100% Pass Rate on National Registry
CONTACT: DEBORAH BROCK, 646-1351
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7/28/2009
(By Lisa Garrett)
PENDLETON --- Tri-County Technical College’s 2009 Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) grads are all entering the job market armed with national credentials. All 15 of the May graduates passed the National Registry administered by the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
Since 2006 three out of four graduating classes have achieved 100 percent pass rates. The Class of 2007 achieved a 92 percent score.
The exam is a computerized, competency-based exam. Students are tested on five areas: chemistry, microbiology, hematology, immunohematology and body fluids. There are 100 multiple-choice questions to cover these five major areas of clinical laboratory science.
Tri-County ranks higher than the national figures when comparing registry scores. Tri-County’s mean score was 588 as opposed to the national score of 504. (A person must score 400 or above to pass the exam.) Tri-County ranks 100 percent in average scores for this cycle (the last four months) as compared to the 78.92 percent national average score.
“This 100 percent pass rate is a nice acknowledgement of a composite of student, faculty and clinical faculty efforts. It speaks well for the credibility of the MLT program at the College,” said Deborah Brock, MLT instructor.
Tri-County’s six hospital affiliates are AnMed Health, Bon Secours Saint Francis, Palmetto Health Baptist Easley, Cannon Memorial Hospital, Self Regional Health Care and Oconee Medical Center.
The MLT program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). In 2003 the MLT program received a maximum seven-year accreditation with no recommendations for improvement following a national accrediting agency's two-day evaluation.
Brock and Polly Kay, MLT program coordinator, are currently preparing for a program reaccreditation visit. The NAACLS accrediting board evaluates a program based on 21 required standards. “One of the standards that the accrediting body will be looking at is the pass rate for the national registry exam. It’s nice to be able to say that our program did well,” said Brock.
“Although not required by the State of South Carolina, we promote taking the certification exam because it maintains the standards of the program and the profession,” said Brock.
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Oconee