PowerPoint Presentation

Pathway to Become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist

What does a CLS do?

Clinical Laboratory Scientists work in laboratories of hospitals and other health

organizations. They are responsible for performing tests related to the examination

and treatment of patients, helping physicians to diagnosis and treat disease.

Using sophisticated instrumentation, technology, and highly skilled manual

techniques, Clinical Laboratory Scientists:

Examine and analyze body fluids, tissues and cells

Identify infective microorganisms

Identify blood-clotting abnormalities

Cross-match donor blood for transfusions

Test blood for drug levels to measure the efficacy of particular treatments

Evaluate test results for accuracy and help interpret them for the physician

Careers in the field of Clinical Laboratory Science are open to those who have an

interest in medical science. It is great for those who have an interest in the medical

field, but may not desire to be hands-on with patients. Students who enter this

profession should have an affinity for math and for chemical and biological sciences.

Where do I start?

The first step is to acquire a Bachelor Degree, including courses specific to

academic requirements of the State of California Public Health Department:

16 semester or equivalent quarter units of chemistry, which must include

clinica

l chemistry OR analytical and biochemistry.

18 semester or equivalent quarter units of biology, which must include

hematol

ogy, immunology, and medical microbiology.

3 semester or equivalent quarter units of physics (light and electricity).

Local, unaffiliated schools with course programs that prepare students for a career

in Clinic

al Laboratory Science:

California State University Fresno

https://www.fresnostate.edu/csm/arc/documents/CLSPROGRAMcourses_000.p

National University

https:/

/www.nu.edu/OurPrograms/SchoolOfHealthAndHumanServices/HealthS

ciences/

Programs/BSCLS.html

After you have acquired a Bachelor degree with the above requirements, the next

step is to apply for a CLS Generalist training license through the California

Department of Public Health Laboratory Field Services. Visit the LFS website to

create an account and submit an application. You will need to send your official

transcripts sent to LFS (instructions are included on the website).

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OSPHLD/LFS/Pages/CLS-Trainee.aspx

Once you receive your training license, you are ready to apply for a training

program/i

nternship. Internships last 52 weeks, as required by the State of California.

There are more than 800 approved schools of medical technology, which are located

primarily in hospitals. Some schools provide the option of earning education with

your internship included (see: Loma Linda University), and some schools offer

internship as part of your four-year degree. Alternatively, there are independent

training programs which are not affiliated with any university, giving you the freedom

to complete your degree requirements at a school of your choice.

List of approved CLS training school programs & affiliates:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OSPHLD/LFS/CDPH%20Document%20Library/P -

Approved

-CLS-Training-Programs.pdf

Independent Training Programs

Independent training programs are great for anyone who obtained their degree at a

school that is not affiliated with a training hospital. These programs typically include

a stipend, and take a limited number of students per year. Luckily, the central valley

has several CLS training programs to choose from:

Valley Children’s Hospital, Madera, CA

https://www.valleychildrens.org/medical-education/nursing-and-allied-

health/c

linical-laboratory-scientist-training-program

Sierra View Medical Center, Porterville, CA

https://www.sierra-view.com/Hospital-Services/Laboratory/CLS-Training-

rogram.

aspx

Community Regional Medical Center, Fresno, CA

Kaweah Delta Medical Center, Visalia, CA

Affiliated Internships

Affiliated internships are programs that allow you to complete your internship

through your school and/or hospitals that are exclusively affiliated with that school,

which can make getting an internship easier. Some examples:

University of California – Irvine:

52 week NAACLS accredited training program

Students are eligible to take the external exam leading to licensure as a

California CLS and certification as a Medical Laboratory Scientist by the

American Society for Clinical Pathology. There are no tuition fees. A

scholarship is provided to admitted students, paid on a monthly basis; amount

is dependent on annual budget. Program takes 6 students per year.

https://ce.uci.edu/areas/life_sciences/clsmt/

University of California – Davis:

52 week training program

The applicant must have a B.A. or B.S. degree and must be qualified to be

issued a CLS training license by CDPH prior to the start of training. There are

no tuition fees. There is a stipend that is variable and not guaranteed. Program

takes 8-12 students per year.

https://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/pathology/education/cls_training_program /

San Francisco State University: 56 week NAACLS accredited training program

The CLS p

rogram consists of a 16-week semester of didactic and laboratory

work and a 40-week off-campus internship at affiliated clinical laboratory sites.

Program takes 29-59 students per year.

http://cls.sfsu.edu/

San Jose State University: 52 week training program

The Clin

ical Laboratory Scientist Training Program at San Jose State

University is a 12 month post-baccalaureate training program that prepares

students to take the ASCP national exam for Clinical Laboratory Scientists.

Students spend 32 hours training at a clinical site and 8 hours a week in lecture

with no breaks in the training year. Program takes approximately 25 students

per year.

https://sites.google.com/a/sjsu.edu/cls/

Loma Linda University: 2 year NAACLS accredited program

LLU offers a professional bachelors program. The freshman and sophomore

years are taken at any accredited college or university. Entry to the program is

at the junior-year level. After completion of the program, the student is

awarded a Bachelor of Science degree and is eligible for state licensure and to

take the national board examination. Program takes 18-21 students per year.

https://alliedhealth.llu.edu/academics/clinical-laboratory-science-cls

Getting Your License

After you complete your internship you are ready to take the exam to become a

licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist. Your training institution will submit the

appropriate forms to the California Department of Public Health. You will need to

done up to 2 weeks prior to completion of your internship.

After passing the exam, you can apply for a CLS license with CDPH. You will need to

upload a

certificate of training completion and letter of training verification (from

your training facility), and verification of completion of exam.

Last but not least, applicants are required to take a tutorial and pass a quiz on

Califor

nia State laboratory law:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OSPHLD/LFS/Pages/OnlineQuiz.aspx

Lab Field Services will review your documents and issue a California CLS license.

Career Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the projected job growth for the

CLS career is higher than average, at 13% between 2016 and 2026 (BLS.gov). The

American Society for Clinical Pathology’s 2017 wage survey of medical laboratories

places California CLS at the highest paid, with an average hourly wage of $48.70;

Connecticut follows in second place at $34.69. ASCP lists the average annual salary

for CLS as $61,112.31. The percent change in salary between 2013, 2015, and 2017

was an increase of 2.15% for CLS in states surveyed

(https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcp/aqy139/5112880).

The following table contains data from 2015 from BLS.gov, comparing wages from

nationa

l, state, and local levels:

Hourly pay

range

Median hourly

pay

Annual pay range

Average annual

wage

National $20.77 - $48.44 $29.74

$43,324 -

$101,264

$61,860

California Not provided $39.91 Not provided $83,000

Fresno $32.00 - $45.00 $44.18

$61,547 -

$102,097

$91,890

Helpful Resources

Approved CLS Training School Programs & Affiliates:

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OSPHLD/LFS/CDPH%20Document%20Library/P -

Approved-CLS-Training-Programs.pdf

ASCLS: American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science

http:/

/www.ascls.org/

ASCP: American Society for Clinical Pathology

https://www.ascp.org/content

CAMLT: California Association for Medical Laboratory Technology

http:/

/camlt.org/

CDPH: California Department of Public Health

https:

//www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OSPHLD/LFS/Pages/CLS.aspx