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What is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS)? A Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) is a licensed healthcare professional who performs laboratory analyses in all departments of a clinical laboratory, using samples from the human body. The analysis is performed on body fluids such as blood, urine, sputum, stool, and body fluids such as cerebrospinal, peritoneal, pericardial and synovial fluids, as well as other specimens. The CLS provides invaluable information for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of disease, using sophisticated biomedical instruments to generate accurate and reliable test results. A CLS must interpret quality assurance parameters, troubleshoot analytical instruments and develop and modify testing methods. A CLS should be detail-oriented, with good communication skills and the ability to multitask efficiently. Clinical Laboratory Scientists work in hospitals, private clinical labs and doctors offices, as well as research labs. Other career opportunities include working in specialty laboratories (forensics, fertility or veterinary labs), biotechnology labs, sales and marketing with biomedical supply and pharmaceutical companies, infection control (Public Health) labs. Some individuals with CLS training work with laboratory computer systems or as laboratory inspectors. What training and licensing is required? Licensure as a CLS in California requires a license from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Laboratory Field Services. Required coursework: The CLS license requires a Bachelor's degree with required course work to qualify for a CLS Trainee license and entry into a training internship program. Required course work for CLS licensure includes:
CLS internship program: The internship is one year and includes practical laboratory training as well as didactic training in all specialty areas of a State approved medical laboratory. There are 13 training programs for the CLS Generalist License located throughout the State of California. The number of trainee positions varies at each site. Some California training sites pay a stipend. Some charge tuition. There is one program in San Diego County at UCSD Medical Center (contact Barbara Sevilla). Currently UCSD has 5 trainee positions with expansion for more trainee positions in the near future. UCSD does not pay a stipend, but also has no tuition fee requirement. SDSU is currently working on developing a consortium of more training sites in San Diego County California CLS License: After training, the candidate must pass a comprehensive national certifying examination to obtain a California CLS License. Once licensed, renewal will require 12 Continuing Education units per year. The SDSU Microbiology major with CLS emphasis All the required course work for a CLS license is currently available at SDSU. With the exception of Chemistry 251, all the necessary courses can also be used towards the requirements for our Microbiology major with CLS emphasis. At SDSU, the advisor for the CLS emphasis is Marlene De Mers, CLS, MT(ASCP)SH, who is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist. Any student considering this program of study should contact her at mdemers@sciences.sdsu.edu and make an appointment for advising. Note that completion of the SDSU B.S. degree in Microbiology (with emphasis in CLS):
Additional information For more information about our program at SDSU, see the following pages:
For more information about state licensing and internships, see the following pages:
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