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Doctorate of Clinical Laboratory Sciences

The Doctorate of Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) is an advanced professional doctorate designed for practicing clinical laboratory scientists who wish to further their level of clinical expertise and to develop leadership and management skills. The purpose of the program is the development of clinical laboratory sciences graduates who function as practitioners, community leaders, educators, and scholars in the profession of clinical laboratory science and the discipline of clinical laboratory science. Graduates of the program will generate, disseminate, and apply knowledge to enhance the understanding of laboratory assessment of health and disease.

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• The Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) program at the University of Texas Medical Branch was the first to be granted Initial Accreditation.
• DCLS is the second program to be established in the United States.
• There are 35 students currently enrolled in the DCLS program.
• The first UTMB DCLS class graduated in August 2019.

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2024-25 Academic Catalog

Doctor of clinical laboratory sciences.

The Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) is the terminal practice degree for the Clinical Laboratory Science profession. This degree provides an opportunity for advanced practice in multiple venues including clinical institutions, reference laboratories, physician practices, industry, public health agencies, government facilities, and academic institutions. Clinical Laboratory Science professionals holding the DCLS will provide a critical interface between practice, research, and health care policy. They will assure the effective and appropriate utilization of laboratory tests and information by eliminating unnecessary tests and ordering tests that should have been ordered but were not. This will result in decreased costs, earlier diagnosis, and improved patient outcomes.

The three-year, full-time program consists of a minimum of 76 credit hours divided between advanced theory courses (core curriculum), research, and a one-year clinical residency. Course delivery may include face-to-face, online, and hybrid formats.  The core curriculum may be completed as a distance learning program and on a full-time or part-time basis.   However, the residency component requires full-time attendance at a clinical affiliate. 

The core curriculum is designed to advance the foundational knowledge of the bachelor's-level medical laboratory scientist in the areas of hematology, clinical chemistry, clinical microbiology, immunohematology, clinical immunology, and molecular diagnostics. The core curriculum also includes clinical correlations, evidence-based medicine, and interprofessional practice.  Information gained from this course work is integrated with knowledge from other disciplines in health care such as health policy and management, pharmacology, health care education, public health and epidemiology, and advanced pathophysiology.

Research is a component of this program and students will be expected to complete research projects over the course of the program culminating in a capstone project suitable for publication.  Research projects will advance practice in clinical laboratory medicine, such as the development and implementation of diagnostic and interpretive algorithms, clinical practice guidelines, and collaborative interprofessional patient care.  

The one-year clinical residency will provide immersion in the workings of the health care system by integrating the resident into patient care alongside physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals in clinical practice environments at program affiliates. During the residency, the students will work with management, laboratory staff, physicians, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team to provide guidance in laboratory utilization and interpretation thereby optimizing patient outcomes. The residency focuses on laboratory test selection and result interpretation. In addition to the direct learning by the resident, he or she can educate the patient and the other members of the health care team on the proper utilization of lab tests, correct specimen requirements, and interfering factors affecting results. 

Graduates of this program will be prepared to act as consultants to health care providers, serve as laboratory directors, educate patients and health care providers, perform and disseminate research on evidence-based practice and test utilization, and enter academic positions.

The DCLS curriculum addresses the competencies established for the profession by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science Oversight Committee and NAACLS accreditation guidelines for the DCLS. 

Admission to the doctorate in clinical laboratory science program is a competitive application process. Applications are submitted online.  Applications and supporting materials are reviewed, and qualified applicants are invited for a personal interview. Detailed instructions on how to apply are posted on the doctorate in clinical laboratory science program website. Students are admitted for the fall semester only. Applications for the fall semester must be received by March 1 for first consideration.

In order to be considered for admission into this program, the following are required:

Completed prerequisite course work

• Bachelor's degree in a life science (e.g., biochemistry, biology, cell biology, clinical laboratory science, microbiology, molecular biosciences etc.) must be completed prior to enrollment in the program. 
• A NAACLS-accredited MLS/MT program must be completed (or equivalent).  Applicants holding MLS(ASCP) certification through Route 2 are eligible to apply if having completed a NAACLS-accredited or military MLT program.

Grade point average

• Cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale is required. 
• For applicants who transferred credits into their Bachelor’s degree, the Office of Graduate Studies will take those credits into consideration for the cumulative Bachelor’s GPA.
• Applicants with a GPA below 3.00 may be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.

Required credentials

• Professional certification as a generalist from the American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Certification is required: MLS(ASCP)CM or MLS(ASCPi)CM.  MLS(ASCP) is accepted with proof of continuing education.

Professional work experience

• A minimum two years of post-certification, full-time experience in a U.S. clinical laboratory as a medical laboratory scientist (or comparable role) is required at the time of application. Preference will be given to those with experience as a generalist or who have worked in multiple areas of the clinical laboratory. Applicants with less than two-years of full-time experience may be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
• The department will evaluate work experience and determine if the work experience criteria are met for each applicant.

Health and physical requirements

• Good physical and mental health are essential. Physical or other disabilities are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the program and by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Academic Compliance. Please review  the program's technical standards  for details.
• Physical examinations are required prior to the time of registration for classes at KU Medical Center.
• All students are required to carry health insurance. KU Medical Center offers a health insurance policy for eligible students. Selected for the Kansas Board of Regents institutions by the State of Kansas, this plan is offered through Student Health Services at KU Medical Center and is underwritten by UnitedHealthCare Student Resources. For information about the policy, please visit  www.uhcsr.com/kumc . Students exclusively taking courses online are not eligible to enroll in the Basic Student Plan through UnitedHealthCare.

Background check/drug screening

• The Joint Commission requires all incoming students to pay for a background check and provide the report to the university. This one-time fee must be paid directly to the company performing the background investigation. This requirement only applies to students officially admitted into the program. A drug screen may also be required by each clinical residency site the student utilizes during the program. More:  School of Health Professions background check and drug screening.

English language proficiency All applicants, regardless of citizenship or residency status, are required to have command of the English language. Proof of English language proficiency may be required through the TOEFL or IELTS testing systems, a personal interview, the personal goals statement or other methods.

• Internet-based TOEFL minimum requirements: at least 23 or higher on the reading and listening sections; a score of 5.0 or 23 or higher on the writing section; a score of 26 or higher on the speaking section.
• IELTS minimum requirements: overall band score of 7.5 and no part score lower than 7.0.

International Students An applicant is considered an international student if he or she requires a visa, or currently resides in the U.S. with non-immigrant status, or currently resides in the U.S. while applying for permanent residency. Additional requirements and documentation are required for international students to become eligible for KU programs. Please review the  information for international students  before applying.

Applicants will be assessed based on these requirements.   After an applicant has been admitted, a program may defer an applicant's admission for one year after which time the applicant must submit a new application.  Admission requirements are subject to change. In most cases, use the catalog of the year student entered the program. Other years’ catalogs ».

DCLS Core Course Descriptions

Seminar course that addresses topics and issues relevant to DCLS clinical practice, including ethical and social issues in healthcare practice, health informatics, and communication techniques needed for interaction with healthcare colleagues and patients. Repeatable. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

This course will address various aspects of teaching in healthcare settings. This includes educating patients and their families, educating other healthcare professionals, and the more formal area of undergraduate and graduate education. Education theory, pedagogical methods, educational resources, learning objectives, and evaluation techniques applicable to each type of educational situation will be addressed. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

This course focuses on the enhancement of scientific and technical knowledge in nucleic acid-based testing for the diagnosis of acquired and hereditary genetic disorders, and infectious diseases. Topics include an in-depth review of the theory of molecular techniques and the application of these techniques in inherited disorders, oncology, infectious disease, pharmacogenetics, histocompatibility, identity determination, and genomics. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

A discussion of research methods used in clinical laboratory sciences, with an emphasis on selecting and applying appropriate research designs. Includes an overview of the research methods and various approaches in current use in clinical laboratory science; focused on research question formulation; internal and external validity of research; variable measurement and reliability, and generalizability of findings. Specific approaches covered include non-experimental, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, epidemiologic methods (e.g., cohort and case-control studies), survey research, and qualitative research. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) encompasses Evidence-Based Medicine and Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine. EBP is a problem-based approach to decision making using research evidence combined with clinical expertise, the patient's values, circumstances, and the clinical context. This course addresses the historical development of EBP, why using EBP in clinical decision making improves patient care, when and how to implement and use EBP in clinical decision making, and how to discuss the EBP finding with patients, family members, and other healthcare practitioners. Evaluating research studies for their applicability to EBP and designing research studies based on clinical evidence focused on laboratory testing will make up most of the course content, activities, and assignments. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

This course focuses on in depth physiology and pathophysiology together with the principles of current and emerging chemistry tests. Emphasis on the correlation between chemistry tests and disease states, interpretation and limitations of chemistry test results. Current clinical chemistry literature, clinical scenarios, case studies, and advanced laboratory practice issues will be used to enhance knowledge and skills. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

This course focuses on enhancement of scientific and technical knowledge in hematology and hemostasis to consult with other healthcare practitioners on the selection of screening and diagnostic tests for hematological disorders, interpretation of results, and recommendations for follow-up testing. Topics to be investigated include physiology and regulation of the hematopoietic system and hemostasis, and the genetic, molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of selected hematological disorders such as anemias, leukemias, lymphomas, and disorders of hemostasis with additional focus on utilization of appropriate hematology, hemostasis, and molecular diagnostic tests, and reducing turn-around time. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

This course focuses on enhancement of scientific and technical knowledge in clinical immunology and transplantation in order to consult with other healthcare practitioners on clinical applications and diagnostic and therapeutic testing of immune-mediated diseases. Topics include autoimmunity, hypersensitivity, immunotherapy and immunotoxicology, transplantation and HLA testing/compatibility, cancer immunology and immunodeficiency. This course also includes test methodologies in cellular, humoral, and molecular immunology, selection and interpretation of test results, and recommendations for follow-up testing for patient monitoring. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

Course Description: This course focuses on enhancement of scientific and technical knowledge in clinical microbiology necessary for consultation with other healthcare practitioners for (i) the selection of screening and diagnostic tests for suspected infectious diseases, (ii) interpretation of results, and (iii) recommendations for follow-up testing. Topics to be investigated include utilizing molecular diagnostic tests, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and resistance mechanisms, bioterrorism, biofilms, opportunistic and emerging infections, utilization of appropriate microbiology tests, evidence based practice in clinical microbiology, and reducing turn-around time. Current scientific literature, clinical scenarios, case studies, and advanced laboratory practice issues will be used to enhance knowledge and skills. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

This course will explore advanced blood banking theory and transfusion medicine concepts pertaining to basic-to-advanced serological testing techniques, blood product utilization, molecular immunohematology testing methods, quality assurance, and other relevant topics. Learners will be re-introduced to specialized blood banking procedures including (but not limited to) the following: ABO/Rh, antibody screens, antibody identification, fetal screen, elutions, phenotyping, and crossmatching. Using case studies and discussion, learners will correlate laboratory data to clinical disease processes encountered in transfusion medicine. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

Course Description: This course will correlate clinical presentation and laboratory testing as it relates to physiological changes associated with select diseases of major organ systems (e.g., endocrine, muscle, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, immune, nervous, and reproductive). Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program or instructor permission.

This course will complement DCLS 851 Clinical Correlations I and will correlate clinical laboratory testing as it relates to physiological changes associated with patient symptomology (e.g., chest pain, shortness of breath, unresponsiveness, fever of unknown origin, jaundice) and treatment in a consultation model. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program or instructor permission.

An introductory course to core competencies in interprofessional education and practice for healthcare teams including roles and responsibilities, values and ethics, teamwork, communication, and collaborative practice as it relates to the improvement of patient safety outcomes and the provision of quality patient care. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

This course will explore laboratory quality, utilization, accreditation, regulation, and management topics. Core course content explores the selection, implementation, strengths, and weaknesses of appropriate quality assurance programs to maintain desired quality goals. All aspects of laboratory services will be explored to enhance consultative skills that will be applied in the clinical residency. The use of practice guidelines, critical or clinical pathways, algorithms and reflex testing, direct access testing, evidenced-based practice, and outcomes measurements, as well as initiatives to change the practice of laboratory services in all phases (pre-analytical, analytical, and post analytical) are covered. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program, or consent of instructor.

Faculty-guided, student-directed individualized study for students enrolled in the DCLS program who need additional enrollment associated with their plan of study. The specific course requirements are to be described in the Independent Study proposal form to be completed by the student and approved by the faculty mentor and DCLS Program Director prior to enrollment. Can be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Admission into the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science program.

The Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) program at the University of Kansas is designed to prepare certified medical laboratory scientists for advanced practice in multiple venues including clinical institutions, reference laboratories, physician practices, industry, public health agencies, government facilities, and academic institutions. Course work is divided between advanced theory courses ("Core Curriculum"), research, and clinical residency. The DCLS curriculum addresses the competencies established for the profession by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science Oversight Committee and NAACLS accreditation guidelines for the DCLS.

Degree Requirements:

• On a full-time basis, degree requirements are normally completed within 3 years of admission to the program, although a maximum of 8 years is allowed. The core curriculum can be complete on a part-time basis, but the DCLS Research and Clinical Residency components require one year of full-time enrollment.
• Cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least a 3.0 for all KU graduate coursework.
• Successful completion of a minimum of 76 credit hours.
• Successful completion of DCLS 815 (Research Methods in Clinical Laboratory Sciences) and DCLS 820 (Evidence Based Practice) meets the Research Skills requirement.
• Successful completion of PRVM 853 (Responsible Conduct of Research) or PTRS 807 (Ethics in Health Care) meets the Responsible Scholarship requirement.
• Successful completion of the DCLS comprehensive examination. Prior to starting the clinical residency, a comprehensive examination is required of all degree candidates. Students will demonstrate their (i) command of the clinical laboratory science body of knowledge, (ii) ability to analyze data, and (iii) expertise in the broad scope of clinical practice. Students must be in good academic standing (i.e. hold a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA) to be eligible for the comprehensive examination. The examination must be completed prior to enrollment in residency courses with a minimum score of 80% to be considered successful. 
• Successful completion of the DCLS Research Project requirement. A prospectively planned and approved translational research project which is advisor-guided, student-directed, and designed to support and enhance students’ ability to apply their graduate knowledge and achieve tangible outcomes. The DCLS Research Project is a three-course series (DCLS 901, DCLS 902, DCLS 903) that includes all aspects of a translational research project, including the planning, data collection, analysis/interpretation of results, preparation, and presentation of the research project, both oral and written. Research projects will advance practice in clinical laboratory medicine, such as the development and implementation of diagnostic and interpretive algorithms, clinical practice guidelines, and collaborative interprofessional patient care.
• Successful completion of the DCLS Clinical Residency requirement. A three-course series (DCLS 911, DCLS 912, DCLS 913), this year-long clinical residency is designed to develop the DCLS professional to meet national professional responsibilities. Residency places the student in clinical practice environments at program affiliates. During the residency, the students will work with management, laboratory staff, physicians, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team to provide guidance in laboratory utilization and interpretation thereby optimizing patient outcomes. Residency is provided in structured clinical rotations occurring at clinical affiliates. Skills and knowledge will be evaluated through competency-based assessments and portfolio development. The portfolio will contain documentation of experiences and work products developed during the residency rotations. This may include de-identified summaries of consultations, papers and abstracts published or submitted, PowerPoint presentations, method evaluation data and/or written procedures from utilization projects. 
• Successful completion of the DCLS Capstone requirement. The capstone is completed during the final semester of the program and consists of a written and an oral examination. The written component consists of a manuscript suitable for publication based on the research requirement described above. The oral examination is a defense of the manuscript and can include questions regarding general knowledge of clinical laboratory science concepts and applications.    
• Enrollment in a minimum of one (1) credit hour the semester the student will graduate.
• Successful completion of the following courses:

Core Curriculum

* DCLS 800 will be taken during each residency semester. 

Degree requirements and course descriptions are subject to change. Any courses taken as an equivalent must be approved by the Graduate Director and the Office of Graduate Studies. In most cases, use the catalog of the year student entered the program.  Other years’ catalogs» .

The DCLS is a minimum 76 credit hour program designed to be completed in a three year time frame if enrolled full time (see program progression below, part-time options are available).  Course work is divided between the "Core Curriculum" (advanced theory courses) completed in the first two years of full-time study, and one full year of full-time clinical residency (during which research and residency courses are completed).  

A recommended plan of study for full-time students in the DCLS program is shown below.

Students enroll in DCLS 800 during each clinical residency semester.

Graduates of the clinical laboratory science doctoral program must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical laboratory and patient care environments, including hospitals, reference, public health, and physician office settings. Therefore, the following abilities and expectations must be met by all students in the program.

Essential Observational Requirements

• Read and comprehend text, numbers, and graphs displayed in print and other visual displays.
• Perform comparative observations of text, movement, shapes, graphs, colors, etc.
• Observe and respond to subtle cues of individual’s moods, temperament, and social behavior.
• Observe, learn from, and analyze medical record content, including discernment and use of clinical and administrative data displayed within the medical record.
• Observe, learn from, and analyze statistical, financial, and reimbursement data, including utilizing spreadsheets, software, databases, and performing mathematical calculations.
• Observe, learn from, and analyze class demonstrations and experiences in disciplines relevant to Clinical Laboratory Sciences that include but are not limited to information management, biochemistry, physiology, statistics, clinical correlations, and research methodology.

Essential Movement Requirements

• Perform actions requiring coordination of both gross and fine muscular movement, equilibrium and use of senses.
• Move freely and safely about healthcare settings (hospitals, patient rooms, clinics, laboratory, etc.).
• Travel to sites both on and off campus involved in coursework and residency.
• Perform moderately taxing continuous physical work over several hours.
• Use an electronic keyboard to generate, calculate, record, evaluate, and transmit information.
• Prepare assignments, both written and on-line.
• Deliver public presentations to large and small audiences.

Essential Communication Requirements

• Read, interpret, and comprehend technical and professional materials (e.g., textbooks, journal articles, handbooks, instruction manuals, and patient healthcare records).
• Be able to share and to elicit information from patients, healthcare providers, peers, and research collaborators verbally and in a recorded format.
• Assimilate information to prepare papers, produce reports, and complete documentation for patient care and research purposes.
• Effectively, confidently, sensitively, and confidentially communicate with patients, laboratory staff, and healthcare providers regarding laboratory test selection, interpretation, and follow-up.
• Communicate effectively (speaking, writing, typing, graphics, or telecommunication) with faculty, students, laboratory staff, patients, and other healthcare professionals.
• Take paper and computer examinations.

Essential Intellectual Requirements.

• Understand and perform measurements, calculations, synthesis, analysis, reasoning and problem solving.
• Participate in research activities involving the laboratory or patient oriented research activities.
• Possess sufficient judgment to recognize and correct performance deviations.

Essential Behavioral and Social Requirements

• Manage the use of time and be able to systematize actions in order to complete academic, professional and technical tasks within realistic constraints.
• Possess the emotional health necessary to effectively employ intellect, act ethically, and exercise appropriate judgment.
• Demonstrate appropriate affective behaviors and mental attitudes as to not jeopardize the emotional, physical, mental and behavioral safety of other individuals with whom there is interaction in academic clinical, and residency settings.
• Possess the mental and emotional rigor to maintain relationships and demonstrate respect to all people, including students, faculty, patients, and other healthcare professionals at residency settings, without showing bias or preference on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, gender expression, gender identity, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation or genetic testing & screening.
• Adapt to professional and technical change, being flexible and creative.
• Use appropriate language.
• Demonstrate empathy when appropriate.
• Work effectively in inter-professional teams.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the rationale and justification for one’s performance.
• Demonstrate attention to detail and flexibility to function in a clinical and/or research setting.
• Recognize potentially hazardous materials, equipment, and situations and proceed safely in order to minimize risk of injury to self and nearby individuals.
• Practice honesty, compassion, and responsibility.
• Be forthright about errors or uncertainty.
• Critically evaluate one’s own performance, accept constructive criticism, and look for ways to improve.
• Critically evaluate the performance of students, patients, and healthcare providers, tactfully offering constructive comments.
• Provide professional and technical services while experiencing the stresses of heavy workloads (i.e., large number of tasks to complete in a limited amount of time), task- related uncertainty (i.e., ambiguous test-ordering, ambivalent test interpretation), emergent demands (i.e., "stat" test orders, interaction with other members of the healthcare team), and a distracting environment (i.e., high noise levels, crowding, complex visual stimuli).

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• PhD in Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

For contact information, please visit the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine website .

Pathology, the study of disease, integrates all aspects of biomedical science to further the understanding of disease processes and develop methods for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease. The PhD in Pathology & Laboratory Medicine is for students who want to participate in breakthrough scientific research and contribute to the advancement of biomedical knowledge, learning how diseases work at a mechanistic level. Graduates will be prepared for postdoctoral fellowships, science writing, running a lab as a principal investigator, and shaping science policy at the government level.

Our department focuses particularly on cancer, immunologic, inflammatory, and neurologic disorders. We have a strong and diverse faculty composed of core and joint members who offer multiple research and training opportunities in experimental pathology.

Current foci of research by departmental faculty and students include:

• The development of the brain
• Disorders of brain development and normal aging
• Effects of nutrition on the developing brain
• Disorders of cell cycle and cell signaling in the pathogenesis and progression of cancer
• Normal and abnormal immunological responses to infectious agents and environmental toxins and to other stimuli
• The neuroscience of Alzheimer’s disease
• Traumatic brain injury
• The pathogenesis of asthma
• Development of immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases

Prospective applicants to the PhD program in Pathology must enter via the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS). This program emphasizes interdisciplinary training for the first year, after which time students will be free to transition into one of the doctoral programs offered by the Department of Pathology.

Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS)

The Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine participates in the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS), which offers training toward the PhD degree by integrating the foundations of interdisciplinary biomedical research with focused investigation and preparation for career advancement.

In the first year, PhD students will participate in the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences (FBS) core curriculum as well as have the opportunity to select elective courses focused on area-specific interests. Additionally, trainees will engage in laboratory rotations, journal clubs, and research seminars. Trainees will work closely with a faculty advisor in the development of an individual plan that will be tailored to serve specific research and professional goals. After selection of a laboratory, students will join the program/department with which the mentor is affiliated and continue advanced studies towards candidacy.

For more on how to apply, please visit our website .

Program Overview

The doctoral program is broadly based, offers research training in both basic and clinical investigations of disease, and encourages students to integrate the two areas where appropriate in their doctoral research. The core curriculum provides course, seminar, and laboratory opportunities for students to learn the pathogenesis, morphology, and cell and molecular biology of human diseases and laboratory techniques used to study them.

Laboratories of faculty in the department and other faculty in Graduate Medical Sciences provide opportunities for doctoral dissertation research in many aspects of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.

Students are expected to fulfill all course requirements, choose a dissertation laboratory, and begin preparatory dissertation research within four terms. They then take the qualifying examination and, if successful, present a dissertation research proposal to their faculty committee and proceed with their research. Students in the alternative tracks follow a modified curriculum in which certain departmental requirements are substituted by requirements of the respective interdepartmental program.

Our faculty members are committed to facilitating all pathology graduate students’ efficient progress through our graduate programs, in a goal-oriented manner. The student group is enthusiastic and interactive. And our graduates pursue careers in academia, biotechnology settings, government laboratories and, if also medically trained, in clinical specialties.

Specializations

In addition to the pathology curriculum, students may choose from three additional specialized tracks:

• Pathology—Cell and Molecular Biology
• Pathology—Immunology
• Pathology—Neuroscience

Specialized coursework offered through the department includes:

• Basic and Experimental Pathology
• Protein Modification and Molecular Basis of Human Diseases
• The Business of Science

Involvement with the MD/PhD Program

• Pathology regularly participates in evening sessions with the MD/PhD students where research opportunities within pathology are discussed.
• Several faculty members in pathology serve as interviewers for the MD/PhD applicants, providing a critical component since the group struggles to find sufficient MD interviewers.
• Recent MD/PhD graduates who have defended and gone back to graduate medical school are Bryan Belikoff (Remick Lab/Defended Spring 2010), Besam Khidhir (Haber/Harvard Lab/Defended Spring 2010), Chad Mayer (Kurosawa Lab/Defended Spring 2014), David Stepien (Remick Lab/Defended Spring 2013), Louis Vaickus (Remick Lab/Defended Spring 2010), Terry Hsieh (Remick Lab/Defended Spring 2016), Melody Lun (Off-Site-Childrens Hospital/Lehtinen Lab/Defended Spring 2016), Nisma Mujahid (Off-Site-Massachusetts General Hospital/Fisher Lab/Defended Spring 2017), and Daniel Kirsch (McKee Lab/Defended Spring 2024).

Program Structure

Md/phd and phd general requirements.

A course of study and laboratory experience extending over one to two years is followed by a qualifying examination, which is taken within one term after completion of required coursework. The proposal for dissertation research is then developed and presented to the dissertation committee; the proposed research extends over another two to three years and is performed under the guidance of the major advisor with the help and advice of the committee.

The Director of Graduate Studies serves as a curriculum advisor to all students in the first two years of the program and approves the course registration forms. After the required courses are completed, the student’s research advisor provides direction in the choice of additional courses.

Laboratory rotations are performed in the first year of study to:

• Acquaint students with research opportunities in the program
• Teach a variety of approaches to research and teach specific research methods
• Permit choice of a laboratory for dissertation research. The dissertation research advisor should be chosen and preliminary work in the area of research begun early in the second year of study

Sample Curriculum for PhD and MD/PhD

For first-year PiBS students interested in pathology, the following courses are recommended.

First-year fall (10–12 units)

• GMS FC 708 Professional Skills Development (2 units)
• GMS FC 711 Foundations/Protein Structure (3 units)
• GMS FC 712 Foundations/Genome Structure & Function (3 units)
• GMS MS 700 or 750 Elementary Biostatistics (2 units) (or equivalent)
• GMS PA 810/811 Business of Science (recommended) or elective (2 units)

First-year spring (10–12 units)

• GMS FC 713 Foundations/Cell Architecture & Dynamics (3 units)
• GMS FC 714 Foundations/Biomedical Sciences (3 units)
• GMS PA 510 Medical Immunology (2 units)
• GMS PA 900 Pathology Lab Rotations (2 units)

Second-year fall (10–12 units)

• GMS PA 800 Pathology Seminar (2 units)
• GMS PA 901 Pathology Research (2 units/var units)
• GMS PA 932 Histopathology (4 units)
• GMS electives (2 or 4 units)

Second-year spring (12 units)

• GMS PA 700 Basic and Experimental Pathology (4 units)
• GMS PA 801 Special Topics–Spring (2 units)
• GMS PA 901 Pathology Research (4 units/var units)
• GMS PA 910 Human Biospecimens (recommended) (2 units) or GMS elective (2 units)
• Directed Studies (units as needed)

Required to sit for the qualifying exam

• GMS FIBS I–IV

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is presented by Boston University, requires participation in four sessions of two hours each (usually one session per term), and results in an NIH certificate. Summer sessions are also offered.

For second-year PiBS students interested in pathology, the following courses are required/recommended.

• GMS PA 800 Pathology Seminar (required for qualifying exam) (2 units)
• GMS electives (2 units)
• GMS PA 700 Basic and Experimental Pathology (required for qualifying exam) (4 units)
• GMS PA 901 Pathology Research (2 units)
• GMS PA 910 Human Biospecimens for Research (2 units)

For MD/PhD students interested in pathology, the following courses are required/recommended.

• GMS MS 700 or 750 Elementary Biostatistics (or equivalent) (2 units)
• GMS PA 810/811 Business of Science (recommended) (2 units) or GMS elective (2 units)
• GMS PA 801 Special Topics (2 units)

Additional Requirements

Participation and attendance in the Departmental Friday Seminar are required through all terms of study and research. Two course units are given for one term (beginning in second year for Cell Biology Track).

For all students pursuing the combined MD/PhD degree, PA 510 Immunology and PA 700 Pathology requirements are fulfilled by the medical curriculum.

Each student is required to present a seminar in the departmental seminar series in addition to their dissertation defense. This is usually done in the fourth year.

Qualifying Exams

Chobanian & Avedisian SOM Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

Pathology PhD graduate students are eligible to take this compulsory examination after successfully completing the required coursework. This will typically take place at the end of second year for PhD students and at the end of third year for the MD/PhD students.

There is one exam period each year: June–July.

Written (computer-typed) examination—6–8 hours

Morning and afternoon sessions consist of essay questions based on individual coursework, directed readings, critiques of selected publications (with an emphasis on experimental design), and evaluation of pathology seminars. These study instructions are provided by the individual members of the examination committee no more than two months prior to the examination. The students are responsible for contacting the committee members. None of the suggested study material/publications can be brought to the exam. The answers will be submitted anonymously to the examiners for grading. Copies of past exams are available. All candidates will provide a list of their coursework and grades to the examination committee. Upon passing the written exam, students will proceed to the oral examination, which takes place 7–10 days after the written exam.

Oral examination—1 ½–2 hours

Exam evaluation : Pass/Fail/Conditional Pass. In the event of a conditional pass, the examining committee will define the appropriate corrective steps and a time frame for completing these steps.

After passing the qualifying examination, the graduate student will proceed with selection of their thesis committee.

Current members of the committee are: Dr. J. K. Blusztajn, Dr. B. Slack (committee chair), Dr. I. Delalle, Dr. D. Jones, and Dr. T. Mellott. Alternate member: Dr. J. Crott.

PhD Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation Committees

The committee must consist of at least five members, which includes the student’s thesis advisor. At least three members must have primary or secondary appointments in the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the time they are asked to join the committee.

For a complete description of requirements for assembly of the committee, please visit the BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine website .

Admission & Financial Assistance

Criteria for admission.

Students must have received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university. Additional criteria considered by the admissions committee include:

• A good academic record/GPA
• GRE test results and TOEFL for international students
• Personal statement
• Letters of references
• Interview evaluation (if invited)
• Interest level in pathology research
• All aspects of the applicant, including research experience and publications, are considered in the decision process

Financial Support

All PhD and MD/PhD students who are admitted to the program automatically receive a stipend, tuition, activity fees, and health insurance. For the 2023–2024 academic year, the stipend is $41,200.

Students are also eligible to compete for support from outside agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. While in graduate school, students are also eligible to compete with other GMS students for research and travel awards from the department and the Chobanian & Avedisian SOM .

Additional Opportunities

Research opportunities that provide students with the techniques and knowledge necessary to confront scientific problems

Teaching opportunities through the  Chobanian & Avedisian SOM , BU CityLab Academy, BU Metropolitan College, and Chobanian & Avedisian SOM Student Affairs office tutoring program

Departmental seminars provide students with the opportunity to hear and interact with pathologists and basic scientists from a variety of disciplines

Journal Club allows students to lead discussions about current literature, fundamental papers, or new ideas in their fields of study

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The Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences: A New Curriculum to Enhance the Connection of the Laboratory to Health Care Providers

Jose h. salazar.

1 Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA

2 Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA

Christopher J. Zahner

Vicki s. freeman, michael laposata.

This report discusses the need for a Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences program and describes a curriculum to train Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences students. The Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences program was developed to help reduce diagnostic errors in patient care by enhancing connections between the clinical laboratory and health care providers. Data are presented from program implementation in 2016 to 2017 academic year to 2019 to 2020 regarding the faculty and student demographics, program statistics (eg, admissions and attrition rates), and effectiveness. Perceptions of program effectiveness were obtained via surveys from 28 faculty physicians who supervised Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences students during clinical service rotations. Another survey assessed the preferred type of practice after graduation of 33 students. Over the 4-year period, the program had a 50% rate of admission and a 21.8% attrition rate. As of December 2020, 15 students graduated from the program. The majority (69%-82%) of physician faculty who completed the survey agreed that Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences students contributed positively at clinical rounds. Approximately two-thirds of students reported a preference to lead a Diagnostic Management Team or serve as an advanced practice provider in a Diagnostic Management Team with leadership provided by an MD/DO or PhD. This report provides useful information for other institutions that may want to establish similar Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences programs. Early data suggest that our program effectively trains doctoral-level advanced practice medical laboratory scientists, who may play an important role in improving patient safety by reducing diagnostic errors and providing value-based, optimal patient care.

Introduction

Over the past several decades, advanced practice providers have played increasingly important roles in many areas of medicine. At this time, it would be difficult for most physicians to imagine working without the partnership of a physician assistant or nurse practitioner, especially those in academic medical centers, where multidisciplinary health care teams are the norm. Advanced practice providers also help fill the critical need for health care providers in rural and underserved areas.

With the substantial increase in number, complexity, and costs of laboratory tests in recent years, there is a growing need for input from experts to provide recommendations for appropriate selection and evaluation of these tests and to aid in interpreting their results. The rapid growth in laboratory testing has produced complex issues in test selection and interpretation, time and effort challenges, financial concerns, and increased potential for error, all of which have created a demand for more advanced training of medical laboratory scientists in the field of clinical pathology.

Pathologist assistants have become important components of the team in many pathology practices. Although pathologist assistants are well trained to assist in specimen preparation and processing, they are not trained to analyze and review medical records to provide recommendations for test selection or to provide interpretation of laboratory results. To create expert-driven, patient-specific interpretations of complex clinical laboratory evaluations, it is necessary to review medical records for all information related to a patient’s medical conditions. In academic medical centers, pathology residents and fellows often serve in an advanced practice role to perform initial reviews of medical records and prepare preliminary interpretations and recommendations for providers who ordered the tests. However, residents and fellows are not available in all medical practice settings, and pathology assistants have a restricted scope of practice. Therefore, the need to create a program to produce doctoral-level advanced practice medical laboratory scientists (APMLS) was recognized.

The need for APMLS to participate in generating narrative reports of complex clinical laboratory evaluations is especially compelling at this time. For the past 3 to 4 decades, the vast majority of pathologists have not had adequate professional support to help guide fellow physicians in test selection and interpretation of complex clinical laboratory evaluations because payments are substantially higher for anatomic pathology activities than for professional activities in laboratory medicine. 1 - 3 Further, current payment systems provide no reimbursement to expert laboratory directors with a doctoral degree other than an MD or DO degree for advising colleagues on test selection and result interpretation.

Along with the rising complexity of test options, diagnostic errors are increasing at an alarming rate. The concept of diagnostic error emerged prominently with a 2015 report by the National Academy of Medicine 1 indicating that at least 1 error in diagnosis is experienced by every adult American. The consequences of these errors can be life-threatening. A major contributor to diagnostic error is the rapid expansion of available laboratory tests, many of which are extremely costly. 4 - 6

To circumvent diagnostic errors, Diagnostic Management Teams (DMTs) have been implemented by many institutions in a number of areas, including coagulation, transfusion medicine, toxicology, autoimmunity, liver disease, and anemia. They have even been used to review cases of suspected child abuse. 5 A DMT is a group of experts who conduct focused meetings to ensure correct selection of laboratory tests and proper interpretation of complex test results within specific fields or disease groups. 7 Diagnostic Management Team experts include pathologists, physicians in other specialties, and non-MD/DO laboratory experts. In this report, we show that a doctoral-prepared APMLS can be an effective intermediate care provider.

This report describes the results of a survey-based Quality Improvement/Quality Assurance project exploring the characteristics and outcomes of the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) program at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas. Because of the nature of this study, the UTMB Human Research Protections Program deemed it exempt from formal review by our institutional review board. Student confidentiality was fully protected.

Data were collected for the UTMB DCLS program from its inception in the 2016 to 2017 academic year to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. The study included all 55 DCLS students admitted to the program during the 4 years. Student demographic, employment, admission, and attrition data were collected through normal operations of the university. Student project information, program curricula, and faculty contributions were obtained from the program leadership.

A total of 28 faculty physicians who were supervisors during the students’ clinical service rotations completed an anonymous survey to assess DCLS student contributions as part of the clinical rounding team (which also included medical students and residents). The survey was completed once per faculty physician between May 2020 and August 2020. Respondents used a 5-part Likert scale (from strongly agree to strongly disagree) to rate their agreement with 4 statements covering these domains: (1) service as a clinical laboratory resource, (2) consultation regarding laboratory test selection, (3) consultation regarding interpretation of laboratory tests, and (4) overall benefit to clinical performance.

In total, 33 DCLS students completed an anonymous cross-sectional survey after they completed over half of their clinical rotations to assess the preferred area of employment upon graduation with a DCLS degree. The options were as follows: (1) laboratory consultant and DMT lead, (2) laboratory director but not act as a DMT lead, (3) academic practice but not act as a DMT lead, (4) regulatory setting (CMS, CLIA, etc), or (5) other.

A postgraduation survey was completed by 12 of the 15 DCLS graduates. This anonymous survey was distributed approximately 1 year after graduation. The survey focused on employment outcomes and self-perceived competence.

Program Description

University of Texas Medical Branch is one of 3 institutions in the United States that has organized a DCLS program to help address diagnostic error and incorrect test selection. The DCLS degree extends the expertise of the individual beyond that of an entry-level clinical laboratory scientist 8 and provides a career development opportunity for clinical laboratory scientists seeking a doctoral degree.

Our DCLS curriculum was developed by Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS), MD, and PhD faculty and structured to meet doctoral standards set by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. Degree requirements and criteria for awarding the degree include didactic coursework, clinical requirements, and research courses. The program curriculum is taught in 9 semesters over 3 years ( Figure 1 ). The curriculum is summarized in Table 1 and consists of 1728 contact hours organized into 4 sections: (1) courses designed to develop diagnostic expertise (864 hours), (2) DMT rotations (432 hours), (3) clinical service experiences (288 hours), and (4) research courses (144 hours). The courses to develop diagnostic expertise are organized by discipline and consist of online lectures and written assessments. Each student rotates through 8 DMT rotations, ranging from an Anemia DMT to a Toxicology DMT (as shown in Table 1 ). The clinical service experiences involve participating in direct patient contact (rounds) under the supervision of clinical faculty. Each student rotates through 6 diverse clinical service rotations, including obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, geriatrics, and nephrology services, as well as a general internal medicine ward service and the surgical intensive care unit.

Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) curriculum sequence.

DCLS Curriculum Content.

Abbreviation: DCLS, Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

The clinical practice experience (sections 2 and 3) allows DCLS students to develop collaborative skills required to properly advise health care providers on test selection and result interpretation in the clinical setting. This experience encompasses a total of 16 weeks on campus, with 8 hours of daily clinical assignments. Before and after attending on-campus clinical sessions, the students receive supplemental classroom instruction on the use of diagnostic tests outside the clinical laboratory.

A doctoral project containing publishable data is also required for graduation. Project work is completed during the last 2 years of the curriculum and is based on original research data derived from clinical projects. The topic of the project is selected by the student, with the aid and approval of the student’s doctoral project committee. The committee also supports and supervises the student while conducting the project. Successful oral defense is required for completion of the DCLS degree. Figure 2 depicts the milestones for completing the doctoral project and the overall DCLS curriculum.

Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) curriculum milestones.

Student Admissions and Attrition

Figure 3 is a year-by-year presentation of student admission and attrition rates. The overall acceptance rate for 2016 to 2017 through 2019 to 2020 was 50% (55/110). With an overall 21.8% (12/55) attrition rate, the remaining number of students in the program or who had graduated by the end of 2019 to 2020 was 43. In 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018, approximately two-thirds of the applicants were admitted. In 2017 to 2018, 10 of the 20 admitted students withdrew from the program, representing an attrition rate of 50% for that cohort. Accordingly, we reduced the proportion of applicants who were admitted to less than one-half (46%) the following year. In 2019 to 2020, the admission rate was 33%, and as of December 2020, the attrition rate for students admitted in 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020 is 0%.

Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) student admissions and attrition from 2016 to 2017 to 2019 to 2020.

Almost twice as many women than men have been admitted to our program since its inception. The most common age range at admission was 35 to 44 years, with 43% of students in this age group. A total of 80% of accepted applicants worked in a clinical laboratory bench setting for more than 6 years. Overall, 68% of admitted candidates identified Texas as their home state, presumably because our institution is in Texas. The remaining 32% of students were from diverse areas of the United States.

Doctoral Project Topics

A total of 15 students graduated from our DCLS program as of December 2020 (8 from the 2016 to 2017 admission cohort and 7 from the 2017 to 2018 cohort). Table 2 lists all doctoral project titles and outcomes for these graduates. Most projects focused on DMT initiation or laboratory test utilization. Six projects examined the use of DMTs for various hematologic and endocrine disorders. The non-DMT projects focused on diagnostic errors attributed to laboratory test utilization (8 projects) and the shortcomings of opioid prescription changes and documentation reconciliation (1 project).

Doctoral Projects of Doctorate of Clinical Laboratory Sciences Graduates.*

† Project outcomes for all 15 students graduating from the program as of December 2020. For all projects, data collection has been finalized, and doctoral project papers have been written and successfully defended.

Faculty Characteristics and Clinical Evaluations

Table 3 provides information regarding the faculty of our DCLS program. Although the program is administered by the School of Health Professions, most faculty are not members of the CLS Department. Most teaching is performed in a clinical setting by faculty who hold appointments in the pathology or internal medicine departments and have an MD/DO degree. These faculty include the instructors for the online courses, the DMT leaders (MD pathologists or PhD clinical laboratory directors), and the clinical service MD faculty.

Faculty Supervision.

The results of evaluations by MD faculty on the clinical service units are shown in Figure 4 . Of the 28 responders, 69% to 82% responded positively to the 4 statements about the presence of DCLS students at clinical rounds (“agree” or “strongly agree” with statements reflecting positive contributions from the students).

Physician faculty assessments of Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) students during rounds (n = 28).

Student Employment Preferences

Figure 5 shows responses to the student survey regarding work preferences upon obtaining a DCLS degree. Approximately two-thirds of students reported a preference to lead a DMT or serve as an advanced practice provider in a DMT with leadership provided by an MD/DO or PhD. Most of the other students wanted to be a laboratory director or work in an academic setting but not be a DMT leader.

Survey of Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) student employment preference upon graduation from the program (n = 33). CLIA indicates clinical laboratory improvement amendments; CMS, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Other includes conducting clinical research.

Postgraduation Outcomes

Fifty percent of graduates were offered a new job upon graduation, and 57% of graduates accepted a new job position within 6 months of graduation ( Figure 6 ). Thirty-three percent of graduates were offered a job promotion at their current place of employment. Figure 7 shows employment job titles of graduates at the time of admission into the program and 1 year after graduation. Figure 8 shows the results of perceived competence 1 year after completion of the DCLS program. The graduates rated their competence as good or excellent for all 6 items evaluated.

Job opportunities after graduation (n = 12).

Employment job titles of students at program admission and 1 year after graduation (n = 12).

Self-perceived competence 1 year after completion of the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) program (n = 12).

In this report, we have described the characteristics and outcomes of the DCLS program at our institution. It provides useful information for other institutions that may want to establish similar programs to educate clinical laboratory scientists at the doctoral level.

The DCLS curriculum is a clinical doctorate program that builds on prior technical knowledge of medical laboratory scientists. The program leads to a clinical doctorate that differs from a PhD degree. The main difference is a broader focus on clinical training in the DCLS program and an emphasis on DMT leadership. Our students are exposed to a wide variety of clinical settings and receive multispecialty mentorship and instruction from faculty clinicians and educators during the program. The ability to participate as a student APMLS expert in laboratory testing on multiple DMTs and as part of a clinical health care team during direct patient provides our DCLS students with extensive experience in developing and utilizing algorithms both inside and outside the laboratory.

Currently, 3 DCLS programs exist in the United States: our program and programs at Rutgers University, New Jersey, and Kansas University Medical Center. Although admission requirements for these programs vary from institution to institution, the following criteria are the minimum recommended standards for admission into our DCLS program: (1) completion of a National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science–accredited Medical Laboratory Science program (or equivalent international program), (2) a baccalaureate degree, and (3) generalist Medical Laboratory Scientist certification. Some institutions have additional admission criteria, such as a minimum number of years of experience as a practicing clinical laboratory scientist. In our program, the criteria for awarding the DCLS degree are substantial, requiring a total of 1728 contact hours consisting of didactic coursework (derived from asynchronous distance education), clinical experiences, and a doctoral project.

When the DCLS program was initially proposed at UTMB, there were questions about the role of successful graduates in medical practice. One of the major barriers to widespread implementation of DMTs is the lack of individuals with sufficient content knowledge to serve as DMT leaders. 9 In our experience, our recent DCLS graduates have been able to create interpretive comments and recommendations in DMT team leadership roles that mimic the roles of a resident physician on the DMT. Figure 9 shows an example of a narrative interpretation generated by a Coagulation DMT. The DMT process involves identifying cases, reviewing medical records, preparing brief summaries of the medical history, providing tentative interpretations of the laboratory data in the clinical context of the specific patient, and making recommendations for additional or reduced testing, as appropriate. Our DCLS graduates are well positioned to become leaders of DMT teams. When they assume this role, they should be salaried (similar to PhD DMT leaders), as there is currently no accepted way to bill insurance companies for this interpretive and consultative work.

Example of an interpretation generated by a coagulation Diagnostic Management Teams (DMT).

Importantly, DCLS graduates pay tuition to earn their degree, unlike PhD fellows who receive funding from institutions to complete fellowship training. This is an economic advantage for institutions and could lead to the widespread development of DCLS DMT leaders in multiple areas of diagnostic medicine. Widespread implementation of DMTs may have major impacts on improving patient care by reducing diagnostic errors. The graduation of 5 to 10 individuals each year from multiple institutions over the next 10 years should provide a workforce of hundreds of DCLS graduates.

In our program, the attrition rate decreased over the 4 years since its initiation. This was likely due to changes in our admission rates and the quality of the applicants. In the last 2 admission cycles (2018-2019 and 2019-2020), the admission rates were lower, and the preadmission accomplishments of the applicant pool were greater. Over 50% of graduates accepted new job positions as a result of completing the program. Our graduates have primarily attained positions as laboratory directors or faculty in academic health science centers.

The role of doctoral-level pharmacists as members of multidisciplinary health care teams in patient-facing rounds has become well accepted. The ability to obtain input from a pharmacist during rounds to discuss the appropriateness, dose, frequency, or cost of a drug has proven valuable. 10 An advanced-level practitioner with a DCLS degree can provide similar input. Nevertheless, not all graduates or students in our program aspire to participate as an advanced practitioner in a DMT or consult on test selection and result interpretation. As more graduates enter the field of laboratory medicine, it is likely that additional roles for DCLS graduates will emerge.

Conclusions

Over the past few decades, a clinical doctoral degree has been created for individuals who obtained nondoctoral degrees in pharmacy with the goal of improving patient outcomes. 10 The concept of a clinical doctoral degree for clinical laboratory scientists arose with similar goals, to improve patient safety by reducing diagnostic errors and to provide value-based, optimal patient care. In its earliest stages, the APMLS service is proving highly useful inside and outside of the clinical laboratory. As DCLS programs continue to evolve, it will be critical to collect and analyze data to obtain evidence of the full impact of DCLS graduates on patient care.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the UTMB internal medicine and pathology faculty, staff, and residents.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding: The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Quick links, doctoral training, drph public health and clinical laboratory science and practice.

The DrPH track in Public Health and Clinical Laboratory Science and Practice is designed to provide professionals with an advanced public health education and training to prepare individuals for leadership roles in public health and clinical laboratory settings. The program was designed in response to reports demonstrating a critical shortage of laboratory professionals and a need to rebuild the workforce pipeline in public health laboratories. Coursework was developed and implemented by professionals in public health laboratory leadership positions across the country with an emphasis on enhancing laboratory leadership, management, and scientific expertise.

This DrPH degree is a 46-credit hour post-master’s degree encompassing course work and doctoral project requirements designed to provide aspiring public health laboratory directors eligible requirements to sit for the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB) Director’s and American Board of Microbiology (ABMM) examinations. Applicants must currently work in public health or clinical laboratories which will allow them to perform bench research to meet these requirements. The core curriculum includes courses in laboratory management, safety and security, microbiology, molecular biology and diagnostics, and bioinformatics. The DrPH degree is completed through distance learning with only three mandatory on-campus institutes which allow public health laboratory professionals to connect with other professionals and broaden their public health practice. The online format allows students to continue to work fulltime and advance their education without interrupting their careers. 

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• Experiential Learning Students in the DrPH program are using their own workplaces for their APE/Doctoral Project.
• Careers This DrPH degree was designed to provide aspiring public health laboratory directors eligible requirements to sit for the American Board of Bioanalysis (ABB) Director’s and American Board of Microbiology (ABMM) examinations. Graduates of the program are currently working as laboratory directors in both public health and clinical laboratories.

To learn more, please contact a Pre-Admissions Advisor at (813) 974-6505 or via email at  [email protected] . 

You may also reach out to the Program Director, Dr. Jill Roberts, at  [email protected] .

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Discover the Ph.D. Program at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

Ph.d. program, ph.d. program overview.

At Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, you’ll discover a unique research training environment of academic inquiry and scientific discovery, combined with exceptional intellectual and technological resources designed to help you achieve your highest scientific career goals.

Through the Ph.D. program, you’ll acquire a broad expertise in biomedical science with the opportunity to go deeper into your primary area of research interest.

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a top school for biological sciences as ranked by U.S. News & World Report

Guaranteed 5-year internal fellowship

includes full tuition, stipend, and benefits

Whether you’re preparing for graduate school or applying now, the Mayo Clinic experience for biomedical science Ph.D. students is different.

Program highlights:

• Research training by leading investigators in fields ranging from molecules to populations, all in the context of exceptional health care.
• Embedded within a top academic medical center, you’ll have access to clinical data from more than 6 million patient histories.
• A Career Development Internship program where senior students experience networking opportunities in career settings different from those of their research mentors.
• A national destination for research training of students from backgrounds underrepresented in science. Mayo’s NIH-funded IMSD is more than two decades old, and Mayo invented the NIH PREP concept.
• Join about 250 students who have access to 300+ faculty members in small class sizes.
• 87% of graduates since 1989 are employed in academia or industry.
• Three campuses in Minnesota, Florida, and Arizona with diverse research opportunities.
• Every student is awarded a fellowship for five years that fully covers tuition.
• Ph.D. students receive a stipend and health benefits.

See yourself here

Hear from students and faculty to get an idea of what it's like to learn here, live here, and be a Ph.D. student at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

"I can be the scientist I want to be"

Choosing your area of specialization.

You'll choose from one of eight  biomedical science specialty tracks within our Ph.D. Program. Track choice is indicated during the application process and confirmed after admission. But you'll be able to do research and learn in any Mayo laboratory that interests you, even if it's not within your track.

Perspectives on our Ph.D. Program

"Collaboration is massive here"

Collaborative research and learning environment

The hallmark of research at Mayo Clinic is the highly collaborative interaction that occurs between investigators in basic science and clinical areas. While each investigator has a competitively funded independent lab, collaboration with graduate students and staff across the institution is common. As a Ph.D. student, you’re free to select any Mayo mentor, regardless of which track you choose.

"Allowed me to build my own team"

Teaching opportunities

Tutoring and teaching opportunities are available and optional for our Ph.D. students. If you’re interested in developing these skills, serving as a tutor or a teaching assistant can help cement the knowledge you gain from your coursework.

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Apply between Sept. 1 and Dec. 4 for the following academic year.

To get in touch with the Ph.D. Program, fill out the form on the Contact Us page .

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Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences

Earn a clinical doctorate in clinical laboratory science from KU Medical Center.

The clinical doctorate in clinical laboratory science requires 77 credits at the graduate level. Core curriculum may be completed as a distance learning program and on a full or part-time basis. During the final year of the program, you'll enroll in 7 to 10 credits a semester for an immersive, full-time clinical residency with research credits to complete a capstone project.

Sample full-time schedule (3 years).pdf

Residency Qualifying Examination

You must successfully complete a comprehensive qualifying exam upon completion of the core curriculum before enrolling in the residency courses.

For additional details about the qualifying exam, including policies and procedures, please review the program's student handbook (PDF).

Capstone Project

DCLS students will develop a translational research project with guidance from their Graduate Advising Committee (GAC). Research will be conducted during the residency year and must be evaluated in writing and orally to the GAC prior to graduation.

For additional details about the capstone project and defense, including policies and procedures, please review the program's student handbook (PDF).

Clinical Residency

One year (3 semesters), full-time, of clinical residency is completed at institutions affiliated with the program. During this time, you will also create a portfolio documenting experiences and work products.

Academic Requirements

• Students must be in good academic standing with the KU Medical Center Office of Graduate Studies by maintaining a 3.00 GPA while in the program.
• Minimum grade requirements apply to all graduate courses. See handbook.
• Students need to be continuously enrolled in courses each semester during the full length of this program. See handbook.

DCLS Courses

For a full description of the following DCLS courses, view the Academic Catalog . Sequence of courses will depend on each student's individual study plan.

DCLS 800 Advanced Topics (1 credit hour)

DCLS 802 Principles of Healthcare Education (3 credit hours)

DCLS 805 Advanced Molecular Diagnostics (2 credit hours)

DCLS 815 Research Methods in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (2 credit hours)

DCLS 820 Evidence Based Practice (3 credit hours)

DCLS 830 Advanced Clinical Chemistry (3 credit hours)

DCLS 836 Advanced Hematology (3 credit hours)

DCLS 838 Advanced Immunology/Transplant (3 credit hours)

DCLS 842 Advanced Clinical Microbiology (3 credit hours)

DCLS 844 Advanced Immunohematology (3 credit hours)

DCLS 851 Clinical Correlations I (3 credit hours)

DCLS 852 Clinical Correlations II (3 credit hours)

DCLS 880 Principles of IPE Theory (1 credit hour)

DCLS 881 DCLS Interprofessional Practice (1 credit hour)

DCLS 890 Advanced Laboratory Operations (3 credit hours)

DCLS 901 DCLS Research I (2 credit hours)

DCLS 902 DCLS Research II (3 credit hours)

DCLS 903 DCLS Research III (3 credit hours)

DCLS 911 DCLS Residency I (4 credit hours)

DCLS 912 DCLS Residency II (5 credit hours)

DCLS 913 DCLS Residency III (5 credit hours)

DCLS 999 DCLS capstone (1 credit hour)

Other required courses

These courses are offered by other departments within the University of Kansas. Some of these may be offered in person only, hybrid, or online only. Alternatives and substitutions may be available for students depending on their enrollment status. Contact the program director for additional information.

• BIOS 704 Principles of Statistics in Public Health (3 credit hours)
• HP&M 810 Health Care System (3 credit hours)
• PHCL 898 Principles of Pharmacology (1 credit hour)
• PHSL 843 Physiology of Disease (3 credit hours)
• PRVM 800 Epidemiology (3 credit hours)
• PRVM 853 Responsible Conduct of Research (1 credit hour)

Curriculum is subject to change. A DCLS study plan is tailored to each individual at the time of acceptance.

Advising and Questions

Renee Hodgkins, Ph.D., MT(ASCP) DCLS Program Director [email protected]

Vaccines and Clinical Site Requirements

The University of Kansas Medical Center requires various immunizations for its students. For a detailed list please visit the student health forms webpage or speak with Student Health Services. These immunization requirements help promote health and safety and facilitate clinical placement.

Many, if not all, clinical sites who partner with the University of Kansas Medical Center require proof of these vaccines for students engaged in training or other programmatic experiences at clinical sites. Not being vaccinated may preclude students from participating in activities, potentially impeding their ability to complete all program requirements for degree completion. Applicants with questions should speak with a representative from the academic program to which they intend to apply.

University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Clinical Laboratory Science 3901 Rainbow Boulevard Mailstop 4048 Kansas City, KS 66160 913-588-5220 • 711 TTY

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Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBMS)

About gsbms, gsbms academics degrees & programs master of science accelerated interdisciplinary biomedical sciences interdisciplinary biomedical sciences clinical laboratory sciences program cls program curriculum cls faculty dental linker program biomedical science & management program doctor of philosophy m.d./ph.d. program gsbms catalog gsbms student outcome data gsbms affiliated sites elearning, admissions & financial aid, guaranteed interview agreements, academic calendar, registration, student life, career planning, gsbms alumni profiles, academic regulations, clinical laboratory sciences program.

Clinical laboratory scientists (CLS) are trained and qualified to work in medical or industrial/pharmaceutical laboratories. A clinical laboratory scientist is at the heart of clinical care, performing diagnostic tests that monitor treatments and uncover new disease states. They continuously communicate with physicians to provide improved patient care and treatment outcomes. Training for CLS encompasses all areas of clinical laboratory testing: chemistry, toxicology, hematology, urinalysis, immunohematology, hemostasis, diagnostic immunology, clinical microbiology, histocompatibility, and molecular diagnostics. Students are instructed on state-of-the-art instrumentation and digital technology.

Program Director: Carol A. Carbonaro, Ph.D., SM, MLS CM  (ASCP) Basic Sciences Building - Room 430 [email protected] (914) 594-4778

Program Coordinator / NYMC Clinical Coordinator: Debbie Isabella, MT SC (ASCP) Basic Sciences Building - Room 430 [email protected] (914) 594-4789

Application Deadline Date - May 1

Download the CLS Student Handbook   for more information.

CLS Mission Statement

The CLS mission at New York Medical College is to impart knowledge and technical skills in an atmosphere of excellence, scholarship and professionalism necessary to become a proficient clinical laboratory scientist. The CLS program offers a learning environment in which the student acquires practical laboratory knowledge and critical thinking skills while having access to theoretical training by highly qualified instructors. New York Medical College believes that the rich diversity of its student body and faculty are important to its mission of educating outstanding healthcare professionals for the multicultural world of today.

New York State Licensure

The New York State Education Department mandates that all Clinical Laboratory Scientists be licensed by the State to work in a hospital laboratory. Ours is a  Master of Science program  in  clinical laboratory sciences.  The knowledge obtained by the successful completion of the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program will qualify the student to take the New York State Exam for Clinical Laboratory Science licensure, upon graduation. Clinical Laboratory Scientist Licensure/eligibility to work vary by state. Information regarding educational requirements for licensure and or certification in other states may be found here:  https://ascls.org/licensure/ .

Accreditation

The NYMC GSBMS Clinical Laboratory Sciences Master's Program is accredited by The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).  NAACLS accreditation is a rigorous evaluation process of external peer review granting public recognition to education programs that meet established high standards in quality, value, innovation, and safety, and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences 5600 North River Road, Suite 720 Rosemont, IL 60018-5119 1-773-314-8880  www.naacls.org

Upon successful completion of our program, graduates will be eligible to take the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) exam for national certification. Graduation with a Master’s degree is not contingent upon taking or passing a state licensure or the national certification examination.  

The goal of the program is to prepare each student to qualify for the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) exam for national certification and/or individual state CLS licensure exam and successfully secure an entry-level position in a Medical Institution.  Upon completion of the program, the student will have completed graduate credits toward the Master of Clinical Laboratory Sciences degree at NYMC.

The goals of the CLS program at NYMC is to provide the students with:

• the necessary training and education in the theories and practices of laboratory medicine;
• instruction in the clinical significance of laboratory procedures in the diagnosis and treatment of patients;
• the skills necessary for problem solving, maintenance and troubleshooting while performing manual testing as well as using state of the art instrumentation;
• the exposure to journals, staff conferences, meetings and seminars to instill in the student the realization that the continual acquisition of knowledge is essential for professional development;
• the understanding of the principles and practices of quality assurance, research and educational methods, as well as personnel and business management in a clinical laboratory setting;
• a curriculum and clinical experience in which the students can develop and mature in their professional judgments and communications with the health care team and others;
• examples of professionalism, leadership and integrity while instructing the students on issues regarding patient rights, patient privacy and compliance with all regulatory agencies;
• the preparation required to graduate, qualify and pass the examination for certification and licensure, along with developing the characteristics necessary to produce certified and licensed healthcare professionals who possesses an understanding and respect for all individuals in society;
• continuous systematic evaluation and necessary modifications, of all program processes, to ensure the effectiveness of the program.

CLS Graduate Competencies

The Graduate Clinical Laboratory Scientist, at entry-level, will have basic knowledge and skills for:

• adherence to standard operating procedures, preparation of instruments for testing and accurate performance of quality control;
• performing diverse and multilevel functions in the principles, methodologies and performance of laboratory assays exercising skills in problem solving, troubleshooting and evaluation of clinical procedures and laboratory results;
• development and evaluation of procedures and implementation of new test systems, correlation of test results and ensuring accuracy and validity of laboratory information;
• statistical application for data evaluation as well as the principles and practices of quality assurance and continuous quality improvement;
• directing and supervising of clinical laboratory operations along with managing budgets and personnel in the clinical laboratory;
• demonstrating ethical and moral principles and practices of professional conduct and the communication skills necessary to educate and serve the needs of the patients, the public and the healthcare team;
• adherence to all safety, government and regulatory agency regulations and standards for clinical laboratories;
• understanding that continuous acquisition of clinical knowledge is essential for professional development and competence.

NAACLS-derived Program Outcomes (%)

CLS Admission Criteria

Applicants must have obtained a baccalaureate or higher degree in the sciences, prior to the start of the program, from an accredited U.S. college or university or from a recognized foreign institution. Critical courses which the applicant should have taken, and done well, include the following, with all labs completed in-person (online labs do not satisfy the requirement):

• two (2) semesters of General Biology with laboratory component
• two (2) semesters of General Chemistry with laboratory component
• one (1) semester of Anatomy and Physiology with laboratory component
• one (1) semester of General Microbiology with laboratory component
• one (1) semester of Organic Chemistry with laboratory component
• one (1) semester of Biochemistry with laboratory component
• one (1) semester of Statistics or Calculus 

The entire application, including two letters of recommendation as well as a CV/resume, will be considered in order to identify the strongest applicants. An interview is a required part of the admission process.

The position requires considerable walking, standing, and sitting. Good visual acuity and manual dexterity are essential to performing and interpreting laboratory tests; good listening and communication skills are necessary in the clinical setting to interact with various hospital staff. In the classroom setting, students will participate in classroom discussions and presentations. 

Applications for admission and all supporting documents must be received by the Graduate School by the May application deadline. Offers of admission are made on a rolling basis. Early application submission is highly recommended.

Please  contact the GSBMS Office of Admissions  with any questions.

In the Master of Science in Clinical Laboratory Sciences program, students will receive their didactic study at New York Medical College and clinical laboratory training at area hospitals.  Federal financial aid is available to U.S. students during the first year when they are taking 41.5 academic credits. Federal financial aid is not available during the second year, when the student is writing their literature review (0 credits).

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NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS The New York Medical College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the college. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. See full non-discrimination statement with contact info .

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VCU College of Health Professions

Medical laboratory sciences.

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Ph.D. in Health Related Sciences

The Doctoral (Ph.D.) Program in Health Related Sciences will provide experienced health professionals with advanced knowledge and skills so that they may assume positions in teaching, research and administration upon graduation. It offers a curriculum with an interdisciplinary core of courses with specialty tracks in Medical Laboratory Sciences, Gerontology, Health Administration, Nurse Anesthesia, Occupational Therapy, Patient Counseling, Physical Therapy, Radiation Sciences and Rehabilitation Leadership. The program emphasizes use of distance learning technologies combined with traditional didactic methods. The curriculum is relevant, timely and meaningful to a multidisciplinary cohort of students.

The Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences encourages highly qualified certified medical laboratory scientists or candidates with equivalent certification to apply to the Ph.D. Program in Health Related Sciences. Candidates must have a master's degree. The Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences is committed to providing opportunities for research and academic endeavors in the various disciplines of MLS. Please explore our website for further information about our faculty and department.

Medical Sciences

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The Division​ of Medical Sciences is one of the programs in the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences that facilitates collaboration and cross-disciplinary research. Visit HILS for additional  application instructions .

Established at Harvard University in 1908, the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS) provides students wishing to pursue careers in research and teaching with a broad education in basic biomedical science fields and specialization in one of them. Classroom and laboratory instruction are conducted primarily by faculty in the basic sciences departments and affiliated hospital laboratories of Harvard Medical School, leading to a PhD awarded by the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (Harvard Griffin GSAS). For over 100 years, this fruitful collaboration has spawned research achievements across the spectrum, from basic science to experimental medicine. Since 1909, more than 2,800 division graduates, including six Nobel Laureates, have gone on to distinguished careers in biomedical research, university teaching, and a number of increasingly diverse careers.

DMS offers six interdisciplinary areas of study leading to a PhD in the biomedical sciences, which share a common purpose of fostering a stimulating and supportive environment for research training in the biomedical sciences:  Biomedical Informatics , ​ Biological and Biomedical Sciences ,  Immunology ,  Neuroscience ,  Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology , and Virology .

DMS students are enrolled in and receive a PhD from Harvard Griffin GSAS even though they may work primarily with Harvard Medical School faculty. 

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Division of Medical Sciences , and requirements for the degree are detailed in  policies .

Admissions Requirements

Please review the admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Division of Medical Sciences .

In the application for admission, select Division of Medical Sciences as your degree program choice and your area of interest from the area of study drop down.

If you have published articles, please list these in the Academic History section of the application for admission, citing the PubMedID.

All DMS programs conduct personal interviews as part of the application process. Invitations for interviews are usually sent out between late December and early January depending on the program.

Personal Statement

Standardized tests.

GRE General: Not Accepted for Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, and Virology. Optional for Biomedical Informatics and Immunology. GRE Subject: Optional for Biomedical Informatics and Immunology. iBT TOEFL minimum score: 100 IELTS minimum score: 7

Biomedical Informatics

BIG track: Applicants to the BIG program typically have majored in a quantitative field (e.g., computer science, mathematics, statistics, physics, bioengineering) with a demonstrated interest in biological sciences OR have majored in a biological science but with considerable aptitude in computer programming and quantitative methods.

AIM track: The AIM program aims to train students who have majored in a quantitative field to solve problems in biomedicine and clinical care. There isn't a fixed set of requirements for preparation. However, as the program is computationally and quantitatively rigorous, successful applicants will show mastery of fields such as statistics, linear algebra, computer science, and machine learning. Though not necessary, foundational biological or medical knowledge will be a benefit.

Neuroscience (PIN)

While there are no specific degree subject, course, or research requirements, applicants are expected to have rigorous undergraduate coursework in the sciences, including biology, chemistry, and physics, and prior lab research experience. Applicants who have trained outside of neuroscience and biology are expected to have a demonstrated interest in neuroscience.

The statement of purpose should help the admissions committee get to know each applicant as a person and as a scientist. How did your background and lived experience help shape you as a scientist? What are your interests and goals in graduate school? How do your research experiences and goals fit within this context? You should briefly establish a contextual framework, provide a summary of your research experience, including the question(s)/topic(s) of your research, their importance, your hypotheses, how you tested your hypotheses, your findings, possible outcomes, and how you interpreted those outcomes.

Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology (SHBT)

Applicants who are invited for on-campus interviews are notified in late December. Interviews generally occur in late January as part of a series of activities beginning on a Thursday evening and ending the following Sunday. Travel and hotel expenses for this visit are covered by the SHBT program. Invited applicants should make every effort to attend the interview weekend, but those who are unable to do so should inquire about other arrangements.

Theses and Dissertations

Theses & dissertations for Division of Medical Sciences

See list of Division of Medical Sciences faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

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9 Universities offering Doctoral Degrees Medical Laboratory Science / Practice courses abroad

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Are you looking for Doctoral Degrees courses in Medical Laboratory Science / Practice? Here you can find course providers offering full-time, part-time, online or distance learning options for courses abroad.

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University of Alberta

THE World Ranking: 109

University of Manitoba

THE World Ranking: 351

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THE World Ranking: 85

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THE World Ranking: 41

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The Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS)

A new frontier in laboratory medicine, dcls professionals will elevate the role of lab medicine in patent care.

Kathryn Golab, MLS(ASCP) CM , is the hematology technical specialist at Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories (WDL) at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is also a fourth year student in the doctor of clinical laboratory science program at Rutgers University. At WDL, she leads the High School Tour and Outreach committees and works with community schools to expose students to the clinical laboratory. She is also a board member at large of the Menomonee Falls High School Career Academy Advisory Board, secretary for the ASCLS Wi Board of Directors, and chair of the ASCP Social Media Committee.

The field of clinical laboratory science took a big step forward in 2018 when Brandy Gunsolus, DCLS, MLS(ASCP)CM, graduated from Rutgers School of Health Professions with her doctorate in clinical laboratory science (DCLS). As clinical lab testing becomes more complex, this new degree has been instrumental in bringing lab medicine out of hospital basements to patients’ bedsides. 

The development of the DCLS program started in 2005 when American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) President Susan Morris convened the first workgroup to begin setting the groundwork for the development of the degree program. The group worked to prove the need for the degree, develop the curriculum for the proposed degree plan, and ensure certification and licensure standards were met. 

"DCLS can help reduce diagnostic error by clearing up confusion related to lab procedure ordering, analysis, and interpretation."

Over the next six years, the workgroup would undergo a number of name and initiative changes until Rutgers University enrolled its first student in the program in 2012. Rutgers became the first university to produce a DCLS graduate in the spring of 2018, and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston wasn’t far behind when their first cohort graduated in the summer of 2019.

The need for the DCLS

The DCLS was developed after research showed that the majority of medical laboratory scientists spend time answering questions from physicians about laboratory results and explaining what the results mean for a specific patient, without necessarily having the background or education to feel comfortable doing so. With the increasing number of pathology openings across the country, there is also a gap in the clinical knowledge available to laboratory professionals. Not every laboratory has access to a credentialed clinical pathologist, let alone a specialized clinical chemist or clinical microbiologist with the experience needed to answer questions from physicians about laboratory results. Pathologists have also stated that with increasing case workloads, they don’t have the time to answer questions from physicians about laboratory results. 

What does DCLS training include?

This is where the DCLS comes into play. A student in a DCLS program goes through a rigorous course load, including clinical lab-based courses, such as advanced clinical chemistry, advanced immunology, and advanced molecular techniques, while also completing additional coursework in pathophysiology of disease, pharmacology, and research to allow them to help support pathologists.

"A student in a DCLS program goes through a rigorous course load, including clinical lab-based courses."

With this knowledge set, the DCLS students are also provided hands-on experience at a clinical location, which varies in length and time depending on the program. Clinical education at these sites includes rounding on the floor with patient care teams on a variety of medical services (internal medicine, infectious disease, hematology oncology, etc.), starting and running diagnostic management teams, educating physicians and patients about laboratory ordering and results, and performing translational research to help improve patient outcomes.

In total, a DCLS student will spend a minimum of three years completing the degree. The three-year time frame is for students who enroll full time in one of the three programs currently available (Rutgers, UTMB-Galveston, and University of Kansas-Kansas City). However, since many laboratory professionals continue to work at the bench while gaining advanced degrees, the programs can be completed either full- or part-time. Most students complete their degree within four to five years of acceptance into the program.

Can DCLS grads be high complexity lab directors?

This past summer, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) put out a request for comment to amend the Clinical Laboratory Improvements Act of 1988 (CLIA’88) requirements for a high complexity laboratory director (HCLD) to include the DCLS degree. Many professional organizations, including the American Society for Clinical Chemists (AACC) and the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), have stated that they do not support adding the DCLS to the HCLD qualifications, because they feel that the educational requirements for DCLS students are not as stringent as current MD and PhD candidates eligible for HCLD. 

Unfortunately, many of the comments made have been based on inaccurate notions that the DCLS is more like continuing education requirements for bachelors and masters prepared professionals, and not graduate level education as demonstrated by the course work.

“Laboratory utilization is one of the largest areas of practice for the DCLS.”

DCLS and HCLD as complementary roles

According to practicing DCLS graduates, a DCLS professional is capable of filling in as a HCLD in places where a board-certified clinical pathologist, clinical chemist, or clinical microbiologist is not available—these are not the main responsibilities for the DCLS. The DCLS will be able to enhance the practice of these clinical professionals by working on laboratory test utilization and physician and patient education of laboratory  tests and results, while the HCLD can focus on their role as clinical laboratory leader. 

Laboratory utilization is one of the largest areas of practice for the DCLS, as there has been a significant increase in laboratory testing menus over the last 50 years, without an increase in educational requirements in medical school for laboratory medicine. This leads to physicians and other health care providers ordering tests that they may not be familiar with, furthering confusion when results are abnormal. 

Having a DCLS on staff who is able to review laboratory orders, determine clinical need through chart review for the patient, and consult with physicians about laboratory testing results can reduce unnecessary health care costs for both the health care network and the patient, as well as reduce diagnostic error. 

In a 2015 report by the Institutes of Medicine, diagnostic error was shown to account for potentially 6–17 percent of adverse events in hospitals. DCLS professionals can help reduce diagnostic error by clearing up confusion related to lab procedure ordering, analysis, and interpretation.

A bright future

The DCLS is a relatively new profession that will continue to face uphill challenges in gaining recognition and respect in the health care field as a whole. However, over time, the increased presence of DCLS professionals will help reduce laboratory errors to improve the rate of diagnostic error and help elevate the role of the clinical lab in patient care.

Networking for Clinical Lab Professionals Part 2: Conversational Strategies

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Advanced Practice: Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science

• Advanced Practice: Doctorate in Clinical…

Classification: Position Paper

Status: Adopted by the ASCLS House of Delegates August 2016. Revision Adopted July 2024

Introduction

The concept of interprofessional patient care teams to provide more effective medical care for patients has been promoted for decades. 1-5 These teams usually consist of the admitting physician, hospitalist physicians, nurses, doctoral pharmacists, health profession therapists, and social workers. Professionals from the clinical laboratory are conspicuously absent from these teams, yet many medical decisions (diagnosis, therapy, discharge, etc.) rely on laboratory test results. 6 With a plethora of clinical laboratory tests and new molecular methodologies being added to the clinical laboratory test menu, clinicians are challenged with keeping abreast of the latest developments in clinical laboratory sciences. 7,8 Technological advancements in laboratory informatics, patients’ ready access to laboratory test results, and personalized/precision medicine place the clinical laboratory in the center of patient-centered care. 9-13 Thus, an advanced practice medical laboratory professional, the Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS), should be a key member of the interprofessional health care team.

The DCLS practitioner brings a unique skillset and perspective that enhances the delivery and utilization of laboratory services. The DCLS practitioner increases efficiency, facilitates patient management outcomes, and improves timely access to accurate and appropriate laboratory information by participating directly in patient care decisions, monitoring laboratory utilization, and conducting research on the diagnostic process. 3,16,28

In the 2022 Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) Personnel Standards update, the Center for Medicare Services states that “the DCLS contributes to increasing laboratory efficiency and improves timely access to accurate and appropriate laboratory information. A graduate of a DCLS program will be able to: provide appropriate test selection and interpretation of test results; monitor laboratory data and testing processes; improve the quality, efficiency, and safety of the overall diagnostic testing process; and direct laboratory operations to comply with all state and Federal laws and regulations” . 18

Institute of Medicine (IOM) studies identified 210,000 to over 400,000 preventable patient deaths in U.S. hospitals each year in addition to billions of health care dollars wasted annually on medical errors. 14,15 In 2001, the IOM specified six aims to improve the delivery of health care so that it is safe, timely, efficient, equitable, patient-centered, and effective based on scientific knowledge. 2 In 2003, the IOM specified five core competencies for health care professionals, namely, the ability to provide patient-centered care, work in interdisciplinary teams, employ evidence-based practice, apply quality improvement, and utilize informatics. 3 The IOM further expanded recommendations in 2015 to reduce diagnostic errors that included promoting teamwork with health care professionals, patients, and families; improving the use of information technologies; developing processes to detect and reduce diagnostic errors; and providing more funding for research on the diagnostic process. 16

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Division of Laboratory Systems, convened a professionally facilitated meeting “The 2007 Institute: Managing for Better Health.” This Institute addressed the wide-ranging goal of improving the integration of laboratory medicine within the health care system. Four main goals were identified at this meeting. 27 One of the goals identified was: “to institutionalize new models of clinical consultation provided by laboratory medicine professionals to clinicians to guide their decisions about utilization of laboratory tests or services.” 27 This goal addresses the CDC’s vision of a collaborative, consultative relationship between medical laboratory professionals and clinicians, thus integrating laboratory medicine into patient care.

The American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) strongly supports the IOM’s recommendations to improve patient safety.17 Although initiatives in clinical laboratory quality improvement, informatics, and evidence-based practice continue to be addressed to improve health care quality and safety, these efforts need to be expanded, coordinated, standardized, and linked to patient outcomes. 11,19-25 To accomplish this, ASCLS supports having a DCLS professional as a member on interprofessional healthcare teams and collaborating in patient-centered care. 17,25,26 The Inclusion of the DCLS practitioner in the interprofessional health care team positively impacts quality patient care, outcomes, and safety. In addition, the DCLS practitioner contributes to healthcare cost-savings by providing valuable evidence-based clinical knowledge regarding laboratory testing that fosters accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment, thus supporting the IOM’s recommendations. 2

For the last 20 years, ASCLS has advocated for the role of advanced practice non-physician laboratory scientists in promoting improved patient outcomes. 25

• 2004: The ASCLS House of Delegates accepted a model career ladder for the profession. The highest practice level in the career ladder includes the DCLS role, which requires a doctorate degree with skills in consulting, evaluating laboratory testing outcomes, and evaluating research designs. This paper was most recently revised/approved in 2022 as the “Levels of Practice and Model Career Ladder”. 25
• 2005: ASCLS established the DCLS Oversight Taskforce, which ultimately became an official committee and was charged with the direction and oversight for the development, implementation, recognition, integration, and evaluation of the new advanced practice Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science.
• 2006: The ASCLS DCLS Oversight Committee collaborated with the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) Graduate Task Force. The committees produced a “Joint Educational Statement”, which included guiding competency statements, and Standards framework. A curriculum was drafted, externally reviewed, and amended. 30 The basic curriculum model included scientific/medical knowledge and professional practice. Course work included advanced theory, clinical correlations, healthcare knowledge, laboratory stewardship, research methods, statistics, epidemiology, pathophysiology, advanced clinical laboratory science content areas, education, leadership, management, and interprofessional communication. Clinical training included patient care rounding and participation on interprofessional healthcare teams. An applied or translational research project was required.
• 2009: The ASCLS House of Delegates approved a position paper, which expanded the practice levels and educational requirements for medical laboratory professionals and specified requirements for a doctoral-prepared clinical laboratory practitioner (Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Science or PhD). Practice skills included clinical assessment, evidence-based practice/research, laboratory services clinical consultation, patient counseling, grant-funded research as principal investigator, and test utilization/assessment/protocol development. This paper was most recently revised/approved in 2022 as the “Levels of Practice and Model Career Ladder”. 25
• 2014: The first student was accepted into the newly established DCLS program at Rutgers University in New Jersey. This was followed in 2016 with DCLS programs at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas and in 2019 at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2018, the first DCLS practitioner graduated from Rutgers University.
• 2022: The Body of Knowledge for the Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Science was approved by the ASCLS House of Delegates. 31
• 2023: ASCP Board of Certification formed an exam committee for the development of the DCLS certification exam.
• 2024: Effective 1/28/2024, CMS confirms that the DCLS degree is accepted as qualifying for High Complexity Laboratory Director (HCLD). 18

The DCLS Practitioner Role

While medical laboratory professionals at all levels of practice have valuable knowledge regarding laboratory tests and data and can contribute to interprofessional health care teams, the DCLS is the advanced practitioner for the medical laboratory. The advanced doctoral education and experience prepares the DCLS practitioner to:

• Provide patient-centered, customized consultation services on appropriate test selection and interpretation for the purpose of clinical decision-making among the interprofessional healthcare team and the patient.
• Monitor laboratory data, test utilization, and diagnostic testing processes in individual patients and populations using informatics and analytics to reduce diagnostic errors, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.
• Conduct research and apply evidence to demonstrate the clinical utility of laboratory tests and algorithms and to improve the quality, efficiency, and safety of the overall diagnostic testing process.
• Educate health care providers, patients, their families, and the general public about the indications, best evidence, patient preparation, and interpretation of clinical laboratory testing, including home self-testing.
• Direct laboratory operations at all levels of complexity to comply with all state and federal laws and regulations, as well as guidelines determined by professional boards of licensure, and certification/accreditation agencies.
• Participate in public and private health policy decision-making at all organization and government levels using best evidence.

The DCLS practitioner is being utilized in various practice settings, serving as laboratory directors, consultants, quality assurance specialists, research scientists, educators, and the voice of the laboratory. Examples include (but are not limited to):

• Private and public hospital laboratories
• Academic medical centers
• Veteran’s Health Administration
• Defense Health Agency
• Reference laboratories
• Biotechnology companies
• Public health / Government agencies

Pathologists and other health care providers recognize the need for greater clinician access to laboratory consultants for clinical decision support and appropriate utilization of laboratory services. 7,29 The advanced clinical laboratory practitioner is in a unique position to improve patient outcomes while developing and strengthening collaborative relationships among laboratory professionals and other health care providers. Improper test selection and patient preparation and misinterpretation of laboratory tests cost patients in time, treatment, and money, and jeopardize their safety. 20 The advanced clinical laboratory practitioner is also instrumental in coordinating the utilization of laboratory test data to actionable outcomes that can improve patient care and reduce medical errors.

The DCLS practitioner contributes to financial improvement in a variety of ways, serving as a member of interprofessional healthcare teams and more specifically as a member of daily patient care rounding teams and diagnostic management teams. The DCLS practitioner provides critical input on appropriate tests/testing algorithms leading to a faster, focused diagnosis, decreased patient length of stay, and ultimately improved patient care. Due to the relatively recent entry of the DCLS practitioner into the healthcare system, most data at this time have been presented in oral format and are awaiting formal publication. As more DCLS practitioners enter the field, comprehensive surveys of employers and colleagues on healthcare teams will provide data to support the added value DCLS practitioners provide to patient care and utilization of laboratory services.

ASCLS Position Statements

The following represents the most recent position of ASCLS on the Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science.

• Continued development and implementation of a professional Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science degree in institutions of higher learning is encouraged.
• Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science programs should seek accreditation by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).
• Baccalaureate level education leading to certification as a generalist Medical Laboratory Scientist provides an essential foundation for success in the graduate curriculum and for building the advanced DCLS practitioner competencies.
• Interprofessional health care teams should include DCLS practitioners.
• The DCLS practitioner is an expert in laboratory testing and should be leading laboratory stewardship efforts.
• The DCLS practitioner is an expert who can recommend and interpret diagnostic tests and therefore a process should be established to allow for DCLS practitioner reimbursement.
• DCLS practitioners must earn doctoral-level board certification specific to the unique scope of practice of the DCLS (e.g., via the ASCP Board of Certification DCLS exam under development).
• Board Certified DCLS practitioners are qualified to serve as laboratory directors at all levels of complexity.
• With the continued growth in the number of DCLS practitioners, published, evidence-based research into the impact and value of the role is encouraged.
• Professional licensure laws, ideally with nationwide reciprocity, should be created in all states to regulate the practice of DCLS practitioners.
• World Health Organization. Learning Together to Work Together for Health. Report of a WHO Study Group on Multiprofessional Education for Health Personnel: The Team Approach. Technical Report Series 769:1-72. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1988.
• Institute of Medicine. Crossing the quality chasm: A new health system for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2001.
• Institute of Medicine. Health professions education: A bridge to quality. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2003.
• Wiecha J, Pollard T. The interdisciplinary eHealth team: Chronic care for the future. J Med Internet Res 2004;6:e22. doi:10.2196/jmir.6.3.e22.
• Nandiwada DR, Dang-Vu C. Transdisciplinary health care education: Training team players. Journal of Health Care for Poor and Underserved 2010;21:26-34.
• Forsman RW. Why is the laboratory an afterthought for managed care organizations? Clin Chem 1996;42:813-816.
• Hickner J, Thompson PJ, Wilkinson T, Epner P, Sheehan M, Pollock AM, Lee J, Duke CC, Jackson BR, Taylor JR. Primary care physicians’ challenges in ordering clinical laboratory tests and interpreting results. J Am Board Fam Med 2014;27:268-274.
• Kotzer KE, Riley JD, Conta JH, Anderson CM, Schahl KA, Goodenberger ML. Genetic testing utilization and the role of the laboratory genetic counselor. Clin Chim Acta 2014;427:193-195.
• Snyder CF, Wu AW, Miller RS, Jensen RE, Bantug ET, Wolff AC. The role informatics in promoting patient-centered care. Cancer J 2011;17:211-218.
• Campbell B, Linzer G, Dufour DR. Lab Tests Online and consumer understanding of laboratory testing. Clin Chim Acta 2014;432:162-165.
• Shirts BH, Jackson BR, Baird GS, Baron JM, Clements B, Grisson R, Hauser RG, Taylor JR, Terrazas E, Brimhall B. Clinical laboratory analytics: Challenges and promise for an emerging discipline. J Pathol Inform 2015:6:9.
• Giardina TD, Callen J, Georgiou A, Westbrook JI, Greisinger A, Esquivel A, Forjuoh SN, Parrish DE, Singh H. Releasing test results directly to patients: A multisite survey of physician perspectives. Patient Educ Couns 2015;98:788-796.
• Schmidt KT, Chau CH, Price DK, Figg WD. Precision oncology medicine: The clinical relevance of patient specific biomarkers used to optimize cancer treatment. J Clin Pharmacol 2016; 17 JUN 2016, DOI: 10.1002/jcph.765.
• Institute of Medicine. To Err is Human: Building a safer health system. National Academies Press, 2000.
• James JT. A new, evidence-based estimate of patient harms associated with hospital care. J Patient Saf 2013;9:122-128.
• Institute of Medicine. Improving diagnosis in health care. Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2015.
• American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Position Paper. Patient Safety and Clinical Laboratory Science 2023. https://ascls.org/patient-safety-and-clinical-laboratory-science-position-paper, Accessed 9/14/23.
• Provisions of the Proposed regulations for CLIA Requirements for Histocompatibility, Personnel, and Alternative Sanctions for CoW Laboratories B. Proposed Changes to Personnel Requirements 1. Definitions c. Doctoral Degree, 87 Fed. Reg. 44910-44911 (July 26, 2022) (to be codified at 45 C.F.R. pts 493.2 definitions, 493.1443 Laboratory director qualifications)
• Grzybicki DM, Shahangian S, Pollock AM, Raab SS. A summary of deliberations on strategic planning for continuous quality improvement in laboratory medicine. Am J Clin Pathol 2009;131:315-320.
• Smith ML, Raab SS, Fernald DH, James KA, Lebin JA, Grzybicki DM, Zelie C, West DR. Evaluating the connections between primary care practice and clinical laboratory testing. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2013;137:120-125.
• Price CP, St John A. Innovation in healthcare. The challenge for laboratory medicine. Clin Chim Acta 2014;427:71-78.
• Scotten M, Manos EL, Malicoat A, Paolo AM. Minding the gap: Interprofessional communication during inpatient and post discharge chasm care. Patient Educ Couns 2015;98:895-900.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Laboratory Systems, Clinical Laboratory Integration into Healthcare Collaborative (CLIHCTM). https://www.cdc.gov/cliac/docs/addenda/cliac0812/12_TAYLOR_clihc_CLIAC_Aug2012-2.pdf, Accessed 9/14/23
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Laboratory Systems, Laboratory Medicine Best Practices (LMBP™) Initiative: Systematic Evidence Review and Evaluation Methods for Quality Improvement. https://www.cdc.gov/labbestpractices/index.html. Accessed 9/14/23
• American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Position Paper. Levels of Practice and Model Career Ladder, 2022. https://ascls.org/levels-of-practice-and-model-career-ladder, Accessed 9/14/23
• American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Position Paper: Scope of Practice and Personnel Standards, 2024. Position Papers – ASCLS.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Division of Laboratory Systems. The 2007 Institute: Managing for Better Health. Executive Summary of Action Plan Priorities, 2007.
• Walz SE, Darcy TP. Patient safety & post-analytical error. Clin Lab Med 2013;33:183-194.
• Laposata ME, Laposata M, Van Cott EM, Buchner DS, Kashalo MS, Dighe AS. Physician survey of a laboratory medicine interpretive service and evaluation of the influence of interpretations on laboratory test ordering. Arch Path Lab Med 2004;128:1424-1427.
• American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science: History of the DCLS Task Force. https://ascls.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/02_History_of_the_DCLS_Task_

We have 22 medical laboratory science PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for UK Students

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medical laboratory science PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships for UK Students

Department of health technology and informatics, funded phd programme (students worldwide).

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. Applications for this programme are welcome from suitably qualified candidates worldwide. Funding may only be available to a limited set of nationalities and you should read the full programme details for further information.

Hong Kong PhD Programme

A Hong Kong PhD usually takes 3-4 years; the exact length may depend on whether or not a student holds a Masters degree. Longer programmes begin with a probation period involving taught classes and assessments. Eventually all students produce an original thesis and submit it for examination in an oral ‘viva voce’ format. Most programmes are delivered in English, but some universities also teach in Mandarin Chinese.

Electronic and Electrical Engineering: Fully Funded EPSRC and Swansea University PhD Scholarship: Wireless power transfer system for medical implant devices

Phd research project.

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

This research project has funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

Fully funded (and no tuition) PhD program in psychiatric, translational research and basic Neuroscience with the option for a residency track for medical doctors.

Germany phd programme.

A German PhD usually takes 3-4 years. Traditional programmes focus on independent research, but more structured PhDs involve additional training units (worth 180-240 ECTS credits) as well as placement opportunities. Both options require you to produce a thesis and present it for examination. Many programmes are delivered in English.

PhD in Neuroscience - Delineating the organisation of the human vagus nerve for selective neuromodulation

Sustainable processes – reducing single use plastics in healthcare, competition funded phd project (european/uk students only).

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities.

PhD candidate - Origin of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders in Childhood (f/m/x)

Funded phd project (students worldwide).

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

PHD MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

China phd programme.

A Chinese PhD usually takes 3-4 years and often involves following a formal teaching plan (set by your supervisor) as well as carrying out your own original research. Your PhD thesis will be publicly examined in front of a panel of expert. Some international programmes are offered in English, but others will be taught in Mandarin Chinese.

Domestic PhD scholarship – Geomorphology of floodplains and wetlands for Natural Flood Management

Prismas – phd research and innovation in synchrotron methods and applications in sweden, sweden phd programme.

A Swedish PhD usually takes 4 years and focusses on independent research, with some programmes also including short training courses and classes. All students produce an original thesis and submit it for a public examination at the end of their degree. Many programmes are delivered in English.

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Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ph.D.

• Learning Outcomes
• Requirements

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is part of the graduate program in biomedical sciences at Saint Louis University's School of Medicine. Each year, this multidisciplinary Ph.D. program accepts 10-15 highly qualified candidates with bachelor's degrees. To assist students in deciding which area of biomedical research is right for them, the program provides opportunities to explore research in as many as five diverse disciplines during the first year of graduate training at SLU.

Curriculum Overview

During the first year of study, courses focus on the basic biochemical, molecular, cellular and organismal aspects of the biomedical sciences. This prepares students for more intensive, individualized instruction in biochemistry and molecular biology.

The program prepares students to be technically skilled and thoughtful scientists who can seek diverse careers in industry, government or as university professors.

Admission Requirements

Students should possess an above-average GPA, sufficient GRE scores and TOEFL scores (for international students) and the equivalent of an undergraduate major in chemistry, biology or a related subject.

Application Requirements

• Application form and fee
• Transcript(s)
• Three letters of recommendation
• GRE G scores (GRE S optional)
• Professional goal statement

Requirements for International Students 

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students. International students must also meet the following additional requirements:

• Demonstrate  English Language Proficiency
• Courses taken and/or lectures attended
• Practical laboratory work
• The maximum and minimum grades attainable
• The grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations
• Any honors or degrees received.
• WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.
• A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the student's time at Saint Louis University
• A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of the student's study at the University

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Net Price Calculator

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships and Financial Aid

For priority consideration for graduate assistantship, apply by Feb. 1.

For more information, visit the Office of Student Financial Services .

• Graduates will possess an appropriate level of knowledge of current biomedical science as related to biochemistry and molecular biology.
• Graduates will be able to evaluate and critique publications.
• Graduates will be able to identify and select meaningful problems to be addressed in bioscience research, to frame testable/falsifiable hypotheses concerning an important research question.
• Graduates will be able to create and implement experimental protocols with suitable controls to test a scientific hypothesis, and to interpret the results of experiments in light of the hypothesis driving them.
• Graduates will be able to demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate biomedical research with respect to the content, organization, logical flow, presentation and appropriate use of language incorporating the use of visual aids.
• Graduates will be able to summarize the expectations for responsible conduct of research.

Additional coursework in chemistry or biology may be required at the discretion of the department chairperson or graduate program director. The program may include courses in one of the fields of preclinical medicine as electives.

Non-Course Requirements

All students are expected to participate in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Journal Club throughout the program.

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

• University of Kentucky

UK College of Health Sciences

Medical laboratory science.

Laboratories and the work of their personnel are essential in health care. A degree in medical laboratory science prepares you to provide essential clinical information to health care providers and ensure reliable results that contribute to the prevention, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of physiological and pathological conditions. Laboratory tests are extremely valuable and are responsible for up to 70 percent of medical decisions made by practitioners. Graduates of our MLS programs often go on to pursue advanced degrees in medicine, physician assistant studies, pharmacy, and dentistry. Many may also specialize in areas like hematology, clinical chemistry, toxicology, virology, microbiology, immunohematology (blood banking) or molecular biology.

• ARH Scholarship
• Baptist Health Scholarship
• Norton Healthcare Scholars Program
• Veterans Affairs HPSP Scholarship

Program Outcome Data

The United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education have indicated the importance of the public availability of program/student outcomes measured. To meet this expectation, the University of Kentucky Medical Laboratory Science program is providing the following:

Board Scores

Three Year Average MLS Certification Rate Percentage: 83

Placement Rates

Three Year Average Placement Rate Percentage: 99

Graduation/Attrition Rates

The Traditional Track in-person MLS Program is 16 month long beginning in the fall semester of August in year 1 and ending in December of year 2 (end of fall semester). Therefore, the half-way point is during the spring semester of year 1. The MLS faculty have agreed that the start of summer session 1 (begins the first week in May) is the start of the final half of the program. The half-way point for the MLT to MLS cohort occurs after accruing 20 credit hours.

Meeting the Challenge with ‘Attitude and Character’

Aug 6, 2024

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Chemistry, Ph.D.

• Learning Outcomes
• Requirements
• Contact Info

Saint Louis University’s Chemistry Ph.D. program offers specializations, including traditional areas of analytical, physical, organic and inorganic chemistry, as well as cross-disciplinary areas of materials and biological chemistry. Students must complete intensive research culminating in a dissertation.

Program Highlights

The SLU chemistry program offers students:

• Close mentoring relationships
• Small research group size
• Opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary research

Graduate students in SLU's  Department of Chemistry  have access to a number of research tools, including:

• Bruker 400 and 700 MHz NMR spectrometers
• Bruker-EMX EPR, UV-Vis and FTIR spectrometers
• Research-grade spectrofluorometers
• GC-MS and LC-MS
• Electrochemical analyzers
• Gas chromatographs
• A scanning electron micrograph
• Computational facilities with modern molecular software
• A Bruker CCD X-ray diffractometer facility

Curriculum Overview

SLU's Ph.D. in chemistry requires a minimum of 39 post-baccalaureate credits, with at least 27 credits of coursework and 12 credits of dissertation research.

Graduate Handbook

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

Our graduate students are active in the research areas of analytical, organic, physical, synthetic, materials, environmental and biological chemistry. Our research groups regularly publish in top-ranked journals and present at national and international conferences.

Research is externally supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Petroleum Research Fund and American Heart Association, among others.

Doctoral graduates pursue different paths, including teaching, postdoctoral studies or careers in industry or with government agencies, such as the FDA.

Past students from SLU's chemistry Ph.D. program have gone on to careers as research scientists, teachers, university faculty and in various capacities in pharmaceutical companies and government agencies.

Admission Requirements

Applicants should possess sufficient GPA and TOEFL (if applicable) scores and a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Bachelor's degrees usually are in chemistry or biochemistry, although other science majors will be considered.

Admission typically requires a minimum of 18 semester credits (minimum 2.8 GPA) of upper-division undergraduate chemistry courses, including organic chemistry (two semesters), quantitative analysis (one semester) and physical chemistry (two semesters). Students who do not meet these criteria may complete these prerequisites as part of their graduate program, though not for graduate credit.

Students who have not completed equivalent coursework in upper-level undergraduate inorganic chemistry and instrumental analysis will also be required to complete these courses, but they can be taken for departmental graduate credit.

Application Requirements

• Application form 
• Three letters of recommendation
• Goal statement
• Interview (desired)

Requirements for International Students

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students, along with the following:

• Demonstrate  English Language Proficiency
• A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
• A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Application Deadlines

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with priority review given to applications received by Dec. 15 for the fall semester and by Sept. 1 for the spring semester.

Review Process

The Chemistry Graduate Committee votes on whether to admit, deny or waitlist applicants. Applicants on the waitlist may be offered admission in a future semester.

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

Net Price Calculator

Information on Tuition and Fees

Miscellaneous Fees

Information on Summer Tuition

Scholarships, Assistantships and Financial Aid

For priority consideration for a graduate assistantship, apply by the program admission deadlines listed. Fellowships and assistantships provide a stipend and may include health insurance and a tuition scholarship for the duration of the award. 

Explore Scholarships and Financial Aid Options

• synthesis and materials chemistry and
• analytical and physical chemistry methods, with a higher level of knowledge expected in the student’s area of research.
• Graduates will be able to use standard search tools and retrieval methods to obtain information about a topic, substance, technique or issue relating to chemistry and assess relevant studies from the chemical literature.
• Graduates will be able to communicate scientific findings from literature and original findings from the student's own independent research in written publications and oral presentations.
• Graduates will be able to acquire the basic tools, including chemical practices and theories, needed to conduct advanced chemical research. Students will become proficient in their specialized area of chemistry and complete an advanced, independent research project resulting in peer-reviewed publications.
• Graduates will be able to adhere to accepted ethical and professional standards in chemistry.

Non-Course Requirements

• Completion of research progress exam
• Completion of written comprehensive exam
• Completion of oral defense of research proposal
• A public oral presentation and a private oral examination

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Students are required to complete a minimum of 12 credits of dissertation research. The number of credits can vary each semester, but a student cannot register for zero credits of research until the 12 credits have been completed.

For additional information about our program, please contact:

Marvin Meyers, Ph.D. Chemistry graduate program coordinator [email protected]

Meet our lab alumni!

Undergraduate students (excluding summer students).

Kimberlee S. Mix Undergraduate, Worcester Polytechnic Institute 1997-1998 

Winner:   WPI Provost’s Award - Most Outstanding Senior Research Project, 1998 Subsequent Education :  Graduate Student, Dartmouth College (Ph.D. awarded 9/03) Current Position :  Associate Professor (tenured). Loyola University New Orleans

Ph.D. Students

Cynthia J. Guidi Graduate Student, UMass Chan Medical School 1998-2003

Ph.D. recipient :  UMass Chan Medical School, 2003 Subsequent Position : Postdoctoral Scholar, U. Virginia Health Science Center. Mentor: Mitchell Smith, Ph.D. Recipient: American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship Current Position : Director, Biology, Revitope Oncology,  Cambridge, MA

Nunciada Salma Graduate Student 2000-2006

Recipient : Zelda Haidak Memorial Scholar Fellowship, 2003 Ph.D. recipient: 2006 Subsequent Position : Postdoctoral Scholar, Massachusetts General Hospital.  Mentor: David E. Fisher, M.D., Ph.D. Recipient : American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship Current Position : Research Associate, Massachusetts General Hospital, lab of Dieter Manstein, M.D.

Concetta G. A. Marfella Graduate Student 2002-2007

Recipient : Zelda Haidak Memorial Scholar Fellowship 2005, 2006 Ph.D. recipient: 2007 Subsequent Position : Postdoctoral Scholar, Boston Children’s Hospital. Mentor: Laurie Jackson-Grusby, Ph.D. Current Position : Vice-President and Head of Global Medical Writing Science, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Boston, MA

Caroline S. Dacwag Vallaster Graduate Student 2002-2008

Recipient : Zelda Haidak Memorial Scholar Fellowship, 2004 Ph.D. recipient: 2008 Subsequent Position:  Postdoctoral Scholar, Massachusetts General Hospital. Mentor: Kenneth Chien, M.D., Ph.D. Current Position: Associate Director, Analytical Development, Obsidian Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA

Yu-Jie Hu Graduate Student 2009-2015

Ph.D. recipient: 2015 Current Position : Science Teacher, Ming-Dao High School, Taichung City, Taiwan

Rasim Barutcu Graduate Student (joint with GS Stein) 2012-2016

Ph.D. recipient : 2016 Subsequent Position:   Postdoctoral Scholar, Harvard University.  Mentor: John Rinn, Ph.D. Subsequent Position : Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Toronto. Mentor: Ben Blencowe, Ph.D. Recipient : Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) Recipient : Canadian Institutes of Health Research Fellowship Current Position : Senior Bioinformatician, Scitovation, Durham, NC

Postdoctoral Scholars and PhD-level staff

David A Hill, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar 1998-2004 Instructor 2005-2006

Recipient :  ACS Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2000 Recipient :  American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant, 2006 (declined) Current Position :  Scientific Director, Quest Diagnostics, Marlborough, MA                           

Ivana L. de la Serna, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar 1998–2003, Research Assistant Professor 2004–2005

Recipient :  NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2000 Recipient :  Medical Foundation Fellowship, 2002 Recipient :  American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant, 2004 Recipient :  Transition to Independence Position (TIP) of the NIEHS (K22 Award), 2004 Current Position :  Associate Professor (tenured), Dept. Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, University of Toledo Health Science Campus

Kanaklata Roy, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, 2000-2003

Subsequent Position :  Postdoctoral Scholar, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Institute. Mentor: Haley Melikian, Ph.D. Current Position : Registered Pharmacist, Walgreens, Grand Blanc, MI

Hengyi Xiao, Ph.D. Instructor, UMass Chan Medical School, 2002-2006

Subsequent Position :  Research Assistant Professor, University of Florida, Dept. Chemical Engineering Current Position :  Associate Professor, Laboratory of Aging Research, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, PR China

Yasuyuki Ohkawa, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, 2003-2007

Subsequent Positions :  Assistant Professor (tenure-track), Associate Professor (tenured), Kyushu University Medical School Current Position :  Professor (tenured) and Director, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University Medical School

Rajini Mudhasani, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar (joint with SN Jones), 2004-2009

Recipient :  American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2006 Subsequent Position :  Research Faculty, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and US Army Institute Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (AMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD Current Position : Principal Investigator, US Army Institute Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (AMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD

Nathalie Cohet, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar (joint with JA Nickerson), 2006-2008

Subsequent Position : Inward Investment Manager in Life Sciences at ADERLY (the Lyon, France economic development agency) Current Position : Director, Novéka !, St-Étienne, France

Chandrashekara Mallappa, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, 2007-2010

Subsequent Position : Postdoctoral Scholar, Dartmouth Medical School. Mentor: Jay Dunlap, Ph.D. Current Position : Lead, Business Analysis, UST HealthProof, Aliso Viejo, CA

Scott E. LeBlanc, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, 2007-2014 Research Specialist, 2014-2016       

Recipient :  NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2010-2013 Subsequent Position: Adjunct Instructor, Clark University Current Position : Car Wash Program Analyst, EG America, Westborough, MA

Brian T. Nasipak, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, 2007-2014

Subsequent Position :  Business Insight Analyst, Decision Resources, Burlington, MA Subsequent and Current Position : Director, New Product Planning, Dianthus Therapeutics, Inc., New York, NY

Ok Hyun Cho, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, 2009-2011

Subsequent Position : Postdoctoral Scholar, UMass Chan Medical School. Mentor: Joon-Soo Kang, Ph.D. Current Position : unknown

Manuel Hernández Hernández, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, 2009-2012

Subsequent Position : Postdoctoral Scholar, Ottawa Health Research Institute. Mentor: Michael Rudnicki, Ph.D. Current Position : Principal Investigator, Centro de Investigación sobre el Envejecimiento CINVESTAV-IPN, Mexico City, MX

Qiong (Joae) Wu, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar (joint with JA Nickerson), 2010-2015 Instructor, 2015-2016

Current Position :  Assistant Professor, Dept. Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, UMass Chan Medical School

Tara L. Conforto, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, 2013-2014

Subsequent Position : Account Project Manager, yet2.com (technology marketing), Needham, MA Current Position : Associate Director, Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA

Teresita Padilla-Benavides, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar, 2014-2016 Instructor, 2016  

Subsequent Position : Instructor, Dept. Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, UMass Chan Medical School Recipient : UMass Chan Faculty Diversity Scholar Award Current Position : Assistant Professor (tenure track), Dept. Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middleton, CT 

Hanna Witwicka, Ph.D. Research Specialist 2016-2019

Subsequent Position: Study Coordinator, Charles River Labs, Shrewsbury, MA

Current Position : Research Scientist II, Charles River Labs, Shrewsbury, MA

Dominic Haokip, PhD Postdoctoral Scholar, 2016-2018

Subsequent and Current Position : Assistant Professor, Department of Botany, United College, Lambung, Chandel, Manipur University, Manipur, India

Pablo Reyes-Gutierrez, Ph.D. Research Specialist 2018-2020

Subsequent position : Scientist, Merck, Boston, MA Current position : Research Associate, Dept. Immunology, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Sabriya A. Syed, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar 2016-2021

Recipient : NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2019-2021 Subsequent and Current Position : Associate Research Scientist, Jackson Labs, Farmington, CT

Tapan Sharma, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Scholar 2016-2022

Subsequent position : Postdoctoral Associate, Gene Therapy Center, UMass Chan Medical School Current position : Instructor, Gene Therapy Center, UMass Chan Medical School

Spring 2025 Information Session: Bachelor’s in Medical Laboratory Science

Interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science.

If you’re a CLT or MLT currently working in a lab and want to advance your career, our online MLT-to-MLS degree is designed for you! Join us on Wednesday, September 25 at 7:00 p.m. EST for a live virtual evening information session with our program director, program faculty members, as well as our enrollment staff to learn more about our BS in Medical Laboratory Science program .

This live session will cover:

• Program Highlights
• Curriculum Structure
• Clinicals Overview
• Admission Requirements
• Return on Investment for Students
• Application Steps
• Orientation Overview

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