Clinical Laboratory Scientist Program
The UCLA Center for the Health Sciences was established in 1954 as an adjunct to the then newly formed UCLA School of Medicine. The Hospital has grown to become a large complex of facilities that includes the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and its outpatient clinics, Jules Stein Eye Institute, Mattel Children's Hospital, Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital, the Gonda Center among others, a 24-hour, 7-day a week Emergency Room Level I Trauma Service, and a 250-bed community based facility at the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital.
The Westwood Hospital complex is located on the south border of the campus of the University of California Los Angeles and is adjacent to the community of Westwood. The Santa Monica Hospital complex is located off Wilshire Boulevard, in Santa Monica.
The Clinical Laboratories serve the entire health system complex. The Clinical Laboratories are abundantly equipped for both automated and manual methodologies.
Clinical laboratory testing plays a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS) perform and supervise laboratory testing in the clinical laboratory specialty areas of biochemistry, hematology, medical microbiology, immunohematology, immunology, molecular diagnostics, serology and clinical microscopy. Licensed CLS perform diagnostic testing in hospital clinical laboratories, commercial reference laboratories, or in research and development for biotechnology companies.
Graduates of the program are eligible for the Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) certification examination of the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) and for CLS licensure by the California State Department of Health.
Clinical Training Program
The post-baccalaureate clinical training program in affiliation with California State University, Dominguez Hills currently accepts eight students per year. The full year CLS clinical training program begins in early July and finishes in July of the following year. The laboratory experience is supplemented by didactic lectures at the affiliated university and self-study materials.
Clinical training includes rotations in the following clinical departments:
| Biochemistry | 12 Weeks |
| Hematology | 8 Weeks |
| Pre-transfusion Procedures | 4 Weeks |
| Urinalysis | 4 Weeks |
| Bacteriology | 9 Weeks |
| Serology | 4 Weeks |
| Parasitology | 3 Weeks |
| Miscellaneous and review | 8 Weeks |
| TOTAL | 52 Weeks |
Application
The UCLA Clinical Laboratory Scientist Program is affiliated with California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). The UCLA CLS Program ONLY accepts students through the California State University, Dominguez Hills, College of Professional Studies, School of Health and Human Services, Clinical Sciences Major, Medical Technology Program Option. For information and application deadlines visit the CSUDH website.
Admission to the CSUDH Clinical Sciences Major, Medical Technology Program Option is contingent upon admission to CSUDH. However, admission to the CSUDH Medical Technology Program Option does not constitute admission to a CSUDH affiliated laboratories clinical training program.
Bachelor Degree students can enroll at CSUDH as post-baccalaureate candidates and will be awarded a Certificate upon completion of the program.
Contacts
Kevin Tong
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
UCLA Health
Phone: 310-825-5361
Fax: 310-794-6300 | Email
California State University, Dominguez Hills
Additional Resources/References