All of Tri-County’s Recent Medical Laboratory
Technology Graduates Earn National Credentials
CONTACT: POLLY KAY, 646-1349
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7/23/2010
(By Lisa Garrett)
PENDLETON --- All 12 of Tri-County Technical College’s spring Medical Laboratory Technology graduates have earned their national credentials by scoring a 100 percent pass rate on the National Certification Exam administered by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
Since 2006 four out of five graduating classes have achieved 100 percent pass rates. The Class of 2007 achieved a 92 percent pass rate.
Tri-County ranks higher than the national figures when comparing registry scores. Tri-County’s mean score was 580 as opposed to the national score of 506. (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 79 percent national average score.
The exam is a computerized, competency-based exam. Students are tested on seven areas: chemistry, microbiology, hematology, immunohematology, urinalysis, laboratory operations and body fluids. There are 100 multiple-choice questions to cover these five major areas of clinical laboratory science.
“We are very proud of our graduates,” said Polly Kay, MLT program coordinator. “They were a very conscientious group who focused on the details. We had excellent comments from the facilities where they did their clinical training throughout the year.”
Medical laboratory technicians analyze blood and other bodily fluids for disease processes in hospitals and doctors’ offices. “They are a vital part of the health-care team. A large percentage of health care decisions are based on laboratory results. It’s so important for the lab result to be accurate and precise,” said Kay.
Tri-County’s six hospital affiliates are AnMed Health, Bon Secours Saint Francis, Baptist Easley Hospital, 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 the spring of 2010, the MLT program received a recommendation for reaccreditation, listing several strengths and no deficiencies following a national accrediting agency's two-day evaluation. |
Oconee