Admission Requirements for the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at UPMC Williamsport

Acceptance into the Medical Science Program at UPMC Willliamsport is based on the strength of a student's academic record, reference letters and a personal interview. Applicants for admission into the program will receive equal consideration regardless of race, color, religious or sexual preference, ethnic or national origin, age or sex. All qualified applicants will be considered. Strong consideration will be given to qualified applicants who wish to accept offers of employment at a UPMC laboratory after graduation.

Application Deadlines and Interviews

Our program has two admission start dates: January and July. Two students start each January and two students start each July.

Applicants should apply to the medical laboratory science program at least one year prior to the anticipated program start. A personal interview is required, but not guaranteed, after all application materials have been submitted.

There is a $30 fee due when applying. See Apply Online page for details.

Academic (Non-Technical) Requirements

In addition to those courses required for a degree from the appropriate college/university, prerequisite coursework required for admission into the program includes:

• Chemistry, including organic or biochemistry: 16 semester hours
• Biology, including microbiology and immunology: 16 semester hours
• Mathematics (mathematical statistics course is strongly recommended): 3 semester hours

Electives should include courses related to clinical laboratory science, such as genetics, anatomy and physiology, cell biology, parasitology and computer science. All of the above science courses must fulfill the requirement for a degree; survey courses are not acceptable. Major science courses completed seven or more years prior to application must be updated.

Applicants must also have:

• Minimum grade-point average of 2.75 in the sciences
• Minimum of a "C" in all required prerequisite courses
• Reference from three college professors and/or employers

Non-Academic (Technical) Requirements

The applicant must, with or without reasonable accommodations, have sufficient:

• Visual acuity to identify microscopic structures, cells and microorganisms and to operate analytical instruments appropriately and safely without endangering instructors, students, other healthcare personnel and patients
• Fine-motor skills and manual dexterity to obtain and manipulate specimens, reagents, instruments and analytical equipment according to established guidelines with speed, accuracy, precision and in a manner that does not endanger others
• Communication skills to convey and/or explain results effectively to other healthcare personnel, both within and outside the laboratory
• Interactive skills to maintain cooperative and productive working relationships with patients, fellow students, instructors and other healthcare personnel
• Emotional stability to exercise appropriate judgement in responding to emergency situations that may present in the healthcare environment
• Ability to handle stressful situations effectively
• Ability, with or without reasonable accommodations, to perform safely all core tests required of a medical technologist

These standards were formulated to be in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans with Disabilities Act.

Transcripts Evaluation For Foreign University Students

In addition to fulfilling academic prerequisites, students who have obtained a degree in a foreign university must have their transcripts evaluated by one of the following evaluating agencies:

International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
10736 Jefferson Blvd., #532
Culver City, CA 90230

WES Global Documentation Center
P.O. Box 2008 STN Main
Newmarket, ON, L3Y 0G5
Canada