Curriculum recommendations for medical laboratory scientists published

The challenge, as stated in the report, is to balance the requirements of accreditation, certification, and the needs of the job market. To address that challenge, the recommendations are based on input from three key elements: 1) the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) guidelines for accreditation of molecular diagnostics programs; 2) guidelines of several key certifying bodies for clinical laboratory scientists; and, 3) feedback from current employers of molecular diagnostics scientists via a survey of AMP members.

In addition, the curriculum recommendations are directed towards three major academic levels of laboratory scientists who perform molecular diagnostic testing -- the generalist MLS/CLS, and both the bachelors and masters-level lab scientists with specialized molecular training.

AMP concludes that up-and-coming molecular diagnostic laboratory scientists should complete an NAACLS accredited training program, then become certified or licensed in their state of employment. The specific curriculum recommendations, if adopted, will prepare tomorrow's medical laboratory scientists for the reality that molecular diagnostics are an integral and growing part of the clinical diagnostic laboratory.

"As the organization that is home to all molecular diagnostic professionals, AMP has a responsibility to help guide the training for future molecular technologists," said Elaine Lyon, PhD, AMP President. "The demand for specially-trained scientists who are capable of performing high complexity testing is growing. The recommendations set forth by the MLS Task Force will help to support the rapid advances in genomic technology and techniques."