Getting a Second Degree or Certificate in Clinical Lab Science

• By School of Health Professions
• April 2, 2020

Clinical lab science is an integral part of patient health care. Sometimes referred to as “disease detectives,” clinical lab scientists use complex instrumentation, sophisticated techniques, and specialized knowledge to help treat patients and monitor diseases. A degree in this field provides a solid medical foundation and opens many doors to future educational and employment opportunities.

Clinical laboratory scientists work collaboratively with physicians and other health professionals to diagnose patients based on blood, urine, tissue, and other patient sample results. They are experts in lab values and help ensure that patients receive the proper medical care based on these results. Laboratory testing incorporates many different scientific and medical disciplines, including clinical chemistry, immunology, immunohematology, hematology, microbiology, and molecular biology. Medical lab scientists use techniques from each field to generate the data necessary to diagnose cancer, heart disease, infections, as well as drug abuse.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) offers students many different options to pursue a health care career as a clinical laboratory scientist. In addition to the primary bachelor’s degree, TTUHSC also offers secondary degree and certificate programs for students who have already completed a four-year bachelor’s. The secondary degree is offered both as an on-campus option as well as an online program.

The online secondary degree and certificate programs in clinical lab science offer the same curriculum as the on-campus program. Students complete the online programs in one year instead of two. This fast-track option is ideal for students and professionals who already have a scientific background and are ready to pursue a clinical laboratory scientist job. The online format also enables students across the country to receive the same quality education as those attending on campus.

Students who choose the expedited online clinical lab science programs will complete more courses per semester than the traditional, on-campus program, enabling them to complete the same curriculum in a faster time frame.

To enroll in the second degree program, students must complete a core science curriculum offered at the Texas Tech University campus. TTUHSC’s certificate program is a great option for those who attended another university but may not have completed all of the required core classes.

Benefits of a Second Degree or Certification

Koy Kubala, Assistant Professor of Clinical Laboratory Science at TTUHSC explains that many of the students enrolled in TTUHSC’s online clinical lab science programs are biology majors, some of whom have Ph.D.s. By earning a clinical laboratory specialist certification or degree, they are able to increase their employment opportunities, especially if they want to work in a clinical lab.

The one-year program is very appealing to these students in particular as it quickly opens new career options. “It's very difficult to find a lab job with a biology degree. A lot of hospitals require the background that our program offers,” explains Kubala.

“We actually try to promote our program as a good foundation for those who want to seek higher education. Currently, we are working with a medical school here at the Health Sciences Center, trying to see how we can prepare our students if they want to go on to med school or physician assistant programs,” says Kubala. “It’s a benefit to our program that higher education institutions are interested in students with a clinical laboratory science background with medical experience.” 

Others who have not completed a higher degree still see the same benefits from these programs. Graduates of TTUHSC’s clinical lab science program are eligible for many of the same job opportunities, regardless of whether they have obtained a higher degree or not. The programs benefit anyone who loves science and wants to be involved in the health care team.

The educational foundation of these programs prepares students to better understand patients and diagnostics. “It helps you see what kind of provider you want to be if you ever pursue higher education. Medical students now have to learn so much information; having a clinical lab science degree as a foundation can help them diagnose a lot easier,” adds Kubala. There are many professional routes a person can take with this degree and certification, and having that first foundation opens many doors.

Clinical Lab Science Curriculum

The courses in TTUHSC’s programs cover many different aspects of medical care. “With a regular biology course, you are going to learn about bacteria. In our program, we are going to teach you the actual diagnosis of this bacteria,” states Kubala. Instead of just balancing chemical equations, students learn how those chemical imbalances affect patient health. “We go over blood types, the antibodies a patient can make if they are ever exposed to donor blood, and the critical aspect that comes with making sure units are safe for patients. So it is a lot more clinical-based work,” says Kubala. 

In addition to the skills learned in the curriculum, lab work also has some other requirements that arise from the nature of the work. Successful students of any clinical laboratory science program will need to have good hand-eye coordination, effective communication skills, visual acuity to distinguish color gradients and properly use a microscope, and they must have good organizational and problem-solving skills.

A Practical Approach Through Online Learning

Clinical laboratory science jobs require many hands-on skills. TTUHSC’s online programs are set up to prepare distance students with the skills and knowledge they need. Many of the faculty members have incorporated how-to videos into their teaching to train students on the basic lab skills they will be using. “In my course, I have already incorporated 11 videos to show students how to do a blood type, all the way to how to identify antibodies. This helps students get an idea of what I'm asking of them when they get here for the lab week portion of my course,” says Kubala.

The online program also ensures that students receive wet-lab time. The on-campus students have one to three labs a week, while the online students come to campus twice a year to spend a full week in the lab. “It is different than a traditional setting where they have lab courses every week. But it's almost the same because we are the ones determining the material that an online student needs to learn. If we can provide the same type of material but in a different manner, then our online students are going to be just as successful as our traditional students,” explains Kubala.

Career Opportunities for Clinical Laboratory Scientists

Graduates of a clinical lab science program have many different opportunities open to them. They can pursue a career in a hospital lab, helping physicians to diagnose and treat patients by completing clinical tests. The hospital may also provide opportunities for advancement into management roles as well. 

There are also research opportunities for medical laboratory scientists. Manufacturers of laboratory instruments hire scientists to test the new equipment before they are put into service at hospitals. Kubala also explains that some graduates have gone on to choose careers in veterinary medicine as well.

The medical technology used to test patient samples has evolved, and many tests are now completed using advanced analytical instruments. Because of this, clinical lab scientists find themselves increasingly responsible for making decisions about the validity of the data being used by physicians and other health care providers. Many medical technician jobs now require ASCP certification to ensure their employees have the skills needed to help accurately pinpoint the cause of a patient’s disease. And in order to take this exam, students have to complete a clinical lab science degree program. With the right degree and the right skills, employment soon follows.

“We pride ourselves on knowing that 100% of our students either go on to higher education or they are guaranteed a job the moment they graduate. We always tell our students to be ready because when you get done with your preceptorship, there's a good chance that hospitals are going to offer you a job immediately,” says Kubala.

Choosing the Right Program for You

Each of TTUHSC’s clinical lab science programs is challenging in its own way. Kubala explains that finding the best route for your learning style is key to success. Students who learn best in a classroom environment might benefit more from the on-campus option. Others who want to complete the program faster or who do not live near Lubbock might find the online programs to be a better fit.

“If you are a person who wants to pursue a health care career that's going to give you a job the moment you walk across the graduation stage, then clinical science is a route to take. Even if you do pursue higher education as a physician's assistant, doctor, or nurse — I think that if you have this degree, you would already understand what a lab value really means even before you pursue a higher education program,” states Kubala.

Why Choose TTUHSC

TTUHSC’s programs are taught by a diverse faculty who have a lot of expertise in their field. “We want to make sure you are getting the highest education possible,” explains Kubala. One great benefit from TTUHSC’s program is that every student is guaranteed a preceptorship, which is a three-month supervised experience where students apply their didactic knowledge to actual clinical practice.

During a preceptorship, students work full-time in a clinical lab setting, often in a hospital. They will work in every department of the lab to learn what it is like to work in a variety of lab environments and also to make sure every student has all of the technical skills they will need to pursue a career.

“We have a list on our website that shows where we have preceptorship sites. Currently, we have some that are in amazing areas like Hawaii and Alaska,” states Kubala. If students prefer to stay a little closer to home, TTUHSC can help with that.

TTUHSC has a high graduation rate, 93%, and a high first-time pass rate for students who take their Medical Laboratory Scientist board certification exam as well. “We also pride ourselves on how our students have 100% job opportunity waiting for them the moment that they are done with school,” explains Kubala. “We are here to teach you. We are here to give you any type of materials that are going to better your career. Even if you are not looking to stay in clinical lab science, we are here to help you open the next door to move forward.”

A career as a clinical lab scientist is a great choice for anyone who enjoys problem-solving and is interested in the science of health care.

“I hope that every student that walks the graduation stage of the Health Sciences Center can always look back and know that they were offered the best education possible, that they are better than what they probably expected themselves to be at the beginning. They are going to be taught crucial information needed for the diagnosis and treatment of patients,” states Kubala. “If you are hardworking and you want to put in the time, then you are a great applicant for a program like this.”

And, at the end of the day, choosing a career in clinical lab science comes with its own level of emotional satisfaction. “If you feel that you are a superhero behind the scenes and you're providing what a physician needs, you can go home knowing that the patient is doing well because of what you did,” says Kubala.

If you would like to learn more about what it takes to become a clinical laboratory scientist, or how to apply for TTUHSC’s second degree or certificate programs, please visit the program page. You can also email the SHP Office of Admissions and Student Affairs at health.professions@ttuhsc.edu or call 806-743-3220 to learn more.