Medical Laboratory Microbiology Track

How do I apply for the Medical Laboratory Microbiologist track?

Students in the M.S. in Microbiology and Immunology program who are interested in the Medical Laboratory Microbiologist (MLM) track should contact the MLM Program Director, Dr. Louise Lawson, to ensure they are registered for the appropriate fall semester electives. Because the number of openings for clinical training are limited, there is an established application process for faculty to select students who will be able to take part in the MLM track. 

1. Interested students will submit a 1–2-page essay detailing their career aspirations and explaining how the technologist in microbiology certification will support their professional development. 
2. Applicants for the MLM track will be interviewed by the MLM Program Director, Education Coordinator, and Clinical Coordinator. 
    

Program faculty will use a standardized rubric to evaluate each applicant’s essay, interview, and academic performance. Based on these evaluations and the number of available clinical sites, 2–4 MLM candidates will be selected at the end of the fall semester.

Students complete the clinical practicum under the direct supervision of qualified laboratory personnel at our clinical affiliate sites, Manning Family Children’s Hospital and University Medical Center New Orleans.
 

Course Requirements for MLM Track

Fall semester (15 credits)

MIIM-7500 Graduate Medical Microbiology (4 credits)
MIIM-7600 Medical Immunology (3 credits)
MIIM-7550 Microbiology Lab (3 credits)
MIIM-7010 Seminar in Microbiology (1 credit)
MIIM-7020 Graduate Journal Club (1 credit)
MIIM-7720 Medical Mycology (3 credits)    

Spring semester (10 credits)

MIIM-7750 Medical Parasitology (3 credits)
MIIM-7400 Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research (2 credits)
MIIM-7810 Seminar in Microbiology (1 credit)
MIIM-7030 Scientific Communication (2 credits)
MIIM-7100 Clinical Cases and Their Underlying Mechanisms (2 credits)

Summer semester (9 credits)

MIIM-7770 Clinical Microbiology Practicum (9 credits)

Granting of the M.S. degree is not contingent on passing an external certification or licensure exam.
 

MLM Program Mission Statement

The Medical Laboratory Microbiologist Program aims to graduate responsible professionals with high ethical standards who will provide accurate, timely diagnostic testing and ensure high-quality patient care.

In addition to fulfilling the established Program Outcomes of the M.S. curriculum, the MLM track is designed for students to accomplish the following learning outcomes:

• Perform routine and specialized microbiological testing procedures in accordance with established protocols and quality standards.
• Accurately interpret and report microbiological laboratory results to support clinical decision-making.
• Apply principles of quality assurance, quality control, and regulatory compliance in laboratory practice.
• Demonstrate competency in pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical laboratory processes.
• Apply systematic problem-solving approaches to troubleshoot laboratory errors and technical issues.
• Communicate effectively with healthcare professionals regarding laboratory procedures, results, and test utilization.
• Evaluate scientific literature and incorporate evidence-based practices into laboratory decision-making.
• Adhere to biosafety, biosecurity, and data confidentiality standards in laboratory environments.

MLM Program Goals

1. Professional Conduct & Ethics - The program will prepare students to demonstrate professional, ethical, and responsible conduct in all academic, clinical, and professional settings.
2. Effective Communication & Collaboration -  The program will develop students’ ability to communicate clearly and professionally with healthcare providers, peers, patients, and stakeholders across diverse and interprofessional environments.
3. Promotion of Inclusivity & Equity - The program will foster respect for diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion within laboratory teams and clinical learning environments.
4. Regulatory Compliance & Laboratory Safety - The program will ensure that students understand and apply government regulations, accreditation standards, biosafety principles, and institutional safety protocols throughout all phases of laboratory work.
5. Quality Assurance & Data Accuracy - The program will cultivate students’ competence in applying quality assurance and quality control principles to ensure the accuracy, validity, and reliability of laboratory results.
6. Lifelong Learning & Professional Development - The program will promote an understanding of the need for continuous professional development and encourage students to engage in ongoing learning to maintain competency in the field.
7. Instructional and Consultative Skills – The program will prepare students to provide education and guidance to users of laboratory services regarding proper procedures, test utilization, and interpretation of laboratory data.
8. Research Literacy & Evidence Based Practice - The program will develop students’ ability to evaluate scientific literature, interpret research findings, and integrate evidence based practices into laboratory decision making.
9. Laboratory Operations & Problem Solving - The program will equip students to apply systematic and logical problem solving approaches to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve technical and procedural issues in clinical microbiology laboratories.
10. Information and Data Security - The program will ensure that students understand and apply principles of data security, confidentiality, and integrity within laboratory information systems.
11. Competence in Pre Analytical, Analytical, and Post Analytical Practices - The program will prepare students to perform and evaluate pre analytical specimen handling, analytical testing processes, and post analytical reporting procedures in alignment with standard operating procedures, regulatory expectations, and clinical best practices.

MLM Track Essential Functions

In order to successfully complete the requirements for the Medical Laboratory Microbiology track, students must fulfill the academic and clinical practice requirements. Students must also meet the essential requirements detailed below in addition to the academic requirements. “Essential requirements are those physical abilities, mental abilities, skills, attitudes, and behaviors the students must evidence or perform at each stage of their education.” The absence of an essential requirement would fundamentally alter the program goals. The essential requirements include categories of observation, movement, communication, intellect, and behavior.

Observation

The student must be able to:

1. Observe laboratory demonstrations in which biological (i.e., body fluids, culture samples, tissue sections, and cellular samples) specimens are tested for their biochemical, hematological, immunological, microbiological, and histochemical components.
2. Characterize the color, odor, clarity, and viscosity of biologicals, reagents, or chemical reaction products.
3. Employ a clinical grade binocular microscope to discriminate among fine structural and color (hue, shading, and intensity) differences of microscopic specimens.
4. Read and comprehend text, numbers, illustrations, and graphs displayed in print, on a projection screen, and on a video monitor.
5. Recognize alarms.

Movement

The student must be able to:

1. Move freely and safely about a laboratory.
2. Reach laboratory bench tops and shelves, patients lying in hospital beds or patients seated in specimen collection furniture.
3. Travel to numerous clinical laboratory sites for practical experience.
4. Perform moderately taxing continuous physical work, often requiring prolonged sitting, in confined spaces, over several hours.
5. Maneuver phlebotomy and culture acquisition equipment to safely collect valid laboratory specimens from patients.
6. Control laboratory equipment (i.e. pipettes, inoculating loops, test tubes) and adjust instruments to perform laboratory procedures.
7. Use an electronic keyboard (i.e. 101-key IBM computer keyboard) to operate laboratory instruments and to calculate, record, evaluate, and transmit laboratory information.

Communication

The student must be able to:

1. Read and comprehend technical and professional materials (i.e. textbooks, magazine and journal articles, handbooks, and instruction manuals).
2. Follow verbal and written instructions in order to correctly perform laboratory test procedures.
3. Clearly instruct patients prior to specimen collection (if applicable).
4. Effectively, confidentially, and sensitively converse with patients regarding laboratory tests (if applicable).
5. Communicate with faculty members, fellow students, staff, and other health care professionals verbally and in a recorded format (writing, typing, graphics, or telecommunication).
6. Prepare papers, prepare laboratory reports, and take examinations within specified times.

Intellect

The student must:

1. Possess these intellectual skills: comprehension, measurement, mathematical calculation, reasoning, integration, analysis, comparison, self-expression, and criticism.
2. Be able to exercise sufficient judgment to recognize and correct performance deviations.

Behavior

The student must:

1. Be able to manage the use of time and be able to systematize actions in order to complete professional and technical tasks within faculty-defined time limits.
2. Possess the emotional health necessary to effectively employ intellect and exercise appropriate judgment.
3. Be able to provide professional and technical services while experiencing the stresses of task-related uncertainty (i.e. ambiguous test ordering, ambivalent test interpretation), emergent demands (i.e. “stat” test orders), and a distracting environment (i.e. high noise levels, crowding, complex visual stimuli).
4. Be flexible and creative and adapt to professional and technical change.
5. Recognize potentially hazardous materials, equipment, and situations and proceed safely in order to minimize risk of injury to patients, self, and nearby individuals.
6. Adapt to working with unpleasant biologicals.
7. Support and promote the activities of fellow students and of health care professionals. Promotion of peers helps furnish a team approach to learning, task completion, problem solving, and patient care.
8. Be honest, compassionate, ethical, and responsible. The student must be forthright about errors or uncertainty. The student must be able to critically evaluate her or his own performance, accept constructive criticism, and look for ways to improve (i.e. participate in enriched educational activities). The student must be able to evaluate the performance of fellow students and tactfully offer constructive comments.
    

Accreditation

The Tulane University School of Medicine Medical Laboratory Microbiology program has completed all requirements for recognition as a Serious Applicant for Initial Accreditation by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), 5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018; phone 773-714-8880.

More information can be found at the NAACLS website.