College of Liberal Arts
Prepare to become a detective in a high-growth area of healthcare, analyzing body fluids in the laboratory to assist physicians in patient diagnosis and treatment.
Students complete three years of coursework in the Allied Health Studies program on the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford then complete the final, clinical year at the North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC) in Tupelo. Access to the clinical year is by competitive admission as determined by the NMMC.
Key Benefits
Students satsify the prerequisites while enrolled in Allied Health Studies program in preparation for the competitive-entry final year at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. At NMMC, students are awarded 33 semester hours of 400-level course work and take a comprehensive examination that is similar to professional certification examinations, thus further preparing them for career certification. During the program, students are encouraged to participate in professional activities on the local, state and national level.
Graduate Outcomes
Students are prepared to work in a clinical laboratory setting where they will perform and/or supervise the performance of analytical testing of blood, body fluids, urine, and other types of biological specimens. They may work with bacteria and viruses, and may help prepare units of blood for transfusion. They may help diagnose bleeding disorders and perform toxicology screens. They will use critical thinking skills and a high degree of subjective judgment in performing, evaluating, and troubleshooting laboratory data.
Experiences Offered
During the first six months of the professional clinical year of the program, students learn each of the major subject areas: microbiology, hematology, clinical chemistry, serology, and urinalysis, which are taught by medical technologists, pathologists and others. During the last six months of the program, students rotate through each of the five major sections of the clinical laboratory.
College of Liberal Arts Faculty
Faculty across the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Mississippi teach the foundational courses for this Bachelor of Science degree as well as the prerequisite courses required for admission to the final, clinical year of this program. Medical technologists, pathologists, and other specialists in the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo teach the clinical year of the program, which is by competitive admission only.
Admissions Requirements
A grade of C or better must be obtained in the prerequisite courses with a minimum 2.6 GPA, and students must apply to be selected to the final, professional clinical year of training at the North Mississippi Medical Center. NMMC gives preference to qualified Mississippi residents in their selection of 12 students per year.