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Pathology Medical Technology Program
	Frequently Asked Questions Can I apply for the program while still taking courses? Yes. You can submit your application as long as you complete all required courses by June of the year in which you intend to begin training. I have a bachelor's degree, but not in biology or biochemistry. Am I still eligible to apply? Yes. We recommend a degree in those sciences because many of their academic requirements overlap with our admissions criteria. However, as long as you satisfy our admission requirements, you are eligible with any bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university. I took General Microbiology in college. Will this course meet the requirement? No You must have taken a course in Medical Microbiology (a.k.a. Medical Bacteriology, Bacterial Pathogenesis). I have a bachelor's degree from another country. Am I eligible to apply? You must make sure you meet the additional requirements for admission. Applicants with foreign (non-U.S.) degrees must have their original transcripts evaluated by an acceptable agency and have the evaluation sent directly to the training program at UC Irvine Medical Center. The evaluation must include a complete identification of courses, credits and grades. The degree must be at least equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. Foreign-degree candidates must also complete at least 30 semester units (45 quarter units) in upper division sciences courses at an U.S. college or university. If the applicant does not have U.S. citizenship, he/she must have permanent residency in the U.S., or a legal work permit. I have an M.D. (or Ph.D.) degree. Am I a qualified applicant for CLS training? All candidates, regardless of credentials, must meet the same admissions criteria. Some institutions offer Limited Licensure programs, which provide training in specific laboratory disciplines. If you have an extensive background in a specialized category, you may be eligible for this type of training without further prerequisite courses. Will I get a degree in Clinical Laboratory Science after completing the training program? No. The training program at UC Irvine Medical center is a post-baccalaureate certificate program. Graduates receive a certificate of completion, but the program does not award a degree. Is it necessary to have experience working in a clinical laboratory? Clinical laboratory work experience is NOT a requirement for admission. However, it is much to your benefit to obtain exposure to the CLS profession from the "bench" perspective. The clinical lab environment is quite different from that of a research lab or college laboratory course. These different laboratories may share certain methods and techniques, but working conditions are unique in each situation. Because CLS training does require a full-time, one-year commitment, it is best to see beforehand whether it really is to your liking. Opportunities to obtain such experience may come from volunteering in a clinical lab, or working as a phlebotomist, lab assistant or lab technician. Must I have my CLS Trainee License before I apply for the program? No. You may submit your program application while in the process of applying for the Trainee License. How competitive is the application process? The number of applications we receive varies significantly from year to year. Since our program only offers 6 training positions, we generally do have more qualified applicants than available slots.
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