The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) recently reaccredited Montgomery County Community College’s Medical Laboratory Technician Program for 10 years – the maximum reaccreditation award that may be granted.

“The 10-year reaccreditation affirms the quality and rigor of our program and the excellence of our faculty,” said Dr. Gloria Oikelome, Vice President of Academic Affairs. “Our Medical Laboratory Technician Program fully prepares our students to take the national certification examinations and obtain employment in this growing health care field.”

For the past three years, MCCC MLT graduates had a 100% pass rate for the American Society for Clinical Pathology National Certification Exam. The national average is 81.4%.

“The success of this program is truly a reflection of the commitment of the faculty and coordinator, who consistently contribute to a well-rounded and regionally well-known program for those who seek to be a medical lab technician,” said Cheryl DiLanzo, temporary Dean of Health Sciences at MCCC.

“Because of the reputation of our program and the national certification, our graduates easily find employment in their field,” said Debra Eckman-Drabick, MLT Assistant Professor who has served as the coordinator/director of the program for 18 of the 24 years she has worked at MCCC. “The graduates work in a variety of settings, including hospital, commercial and reference laboratories.  Many of them are employed by the program's clinical affiliates.”

The accreditation process involves the completion of an extensive self-study document and a two-day site visit with interviews of the faculty, administrators, students and program graduates.

The self-study report takes approximately a year to complete, said Eckman-Drabick. The comprehensive report addresses eight standards of sponsorship, assessment and quality improvement, resources, students, operational policies, administrative policies related to maintaining accreditation, program administration and curriculum. MCCC faculty and administrators review the self-study report before submitting it to NAACLS.

The next step in the accreditation process involved a site visit on March 5 and 6 before the pandemic and closure of MCCC’s physical campuses. During the visit, the NAACLS Site Visit Team verified the contents of the Self-Study Report and met with Eckman-Drabick, MLT and ancillary science faculty, College administration, the current students, program graduates and the MLT Advisory Committee. They also toured the MLT student laboratory, the Health Sciences Center and other College facilities.

Thereafter, Eckman-Drabick received the NAACLS Site Visit Report, and in July, the Review Committee for Accredited Programs made the recommendation for a 10-year award. NAACLS Board of Directors confirmed this award during their September 24-25, 2020 meeting.

The NAACLS Site Visit Report Summary mentioned several areas of strengths of MCCC’s MLT program:

• A strong team of dedicated and technically competent faculty that work in the profession, thereby providing exceptional role models for the students.
• Commendable support from all levels of college administration.  Their recognition of the rigor of the MLT program was refreshing and contributed to the validity of the program by the community. 
• Students and graduates were highly complimentary of the program director and faculty team. They recognized amazing accessibility to the program director and faculty and appreciated their rapid response to all academic and non-academic needs. All students and graduates believed that the preparation by the program for clinical rotations and permanent employment was exemplary. 
• The advisory committee members recognized a strong connection to the program as evidenced by robust and ongoing communication with the program director. The flexibility demonstrated by both the clinical partners and program faculty contributed to strong partnerships. 
• The Health Sciences Center fosters both independent and team-centered learning. The MLT lab and classrooms are commendable. The program director's ability to leverage all resource avenues for the benefit of the students sets a high standard. 

MCCC’s MLT program was last reaccredited in 2013 when it received the maximum seven-year reaccreditation award. The program’s faculty members include Eckman-Drabick, Assistant Professor Kathleen Perlmutter and MLT Senior Lecturer Joyce Hill. The program also is supported by MCCC’s faculty in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math department.

Registration for the spring semester is now open.