Medical Laboratory Technology

North Idaho College’s MLT Program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).
Address: 5600 N River Road Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018
Phone: 773.714.8800
Fax: 773.714.8886
Email: naaclsinfo@naacls.org
Website: www.naacls.org

North Idaho College’s MLT Program is in the process of joining the Idaho Consortium of MLT Education (ICMLTE).  The ICMLTE is comprised of three member colleges, namely North Idaho College, College of Southern Idaho and College of Eastern Idaho. The ICMLTE is currently seeking accreditation by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).
Address: 5600 N River Road Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018
Phone: 773.714.8800
Fax: 773.714.8886
Email: naaclsinfo@naacls.org

The regional NIC MLT program has the following outcomes data:

• Pass Rate:
  The pass rates for the ASCP MLT national certification exam were 100% in 2022, 83% in 2023 and 100% in 2024.
  The pass rates for the AMT MLS national certification exam were NA in 2022, 100% in 2023 and 100% in 2024.
• Completion Rate:
  The student completion rates for the final half of the MLT program were 100% in 2022, 100% in 2023 and 60% in 2024.
• Employment Rate:
  100% of graduates for the year 2022, 87.5% of graduates for the year 2023 and 100% of the graduates for the year 2024 are employed in the field or in a closely related field and/or continued their education within one year of graduation.

The ICMLTE will not have program outcomes available until after the first class of students has graduated in 2026.

Program Outcomes:
Upon completion of the program, the student will:

Be deemed clinically competent by:

• Demonstrating the skills necessary to perform entry-level competencies as a medical lab technician with routine medical laboratory tests in areas such as Chemistry, Hematology and Hemostasis, Immunology, Blood Banking, Microbiology, Urine and Body Fluid Analysis, and Laboratory Operations.
• Demonstrating appropriate critical decision skills.
• Demonstrating knowledge in all types of laboratory testing (simple to complex).
• Recognizing routine and non-routine issues in pre-analytical, analytical, post-analytical lab processes.

Exhibit professionalism by:

• Demonstrating professional and ethical behavior by membership and active participation in laboratory or related professional organizations.
• Modeling professional conduct by: respecting the feelings and needs of others, protecting the confidence of patient information, and not allowing personal concerns and biases to interfere with the welfare of patients.

Utilize appropriate communication and interpersonal skills to:

• Effectively demonstrate communication skills to ensure accurate and appropriate information transfer.
• Professionally and accurately, report laboratory results, adapt communication to their audience and work with all members of the healthcare team.

The description and outcomes were also approved by the Idaho State Board of Education (SBOE) and Northwest Commission for Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

The following is a current list of North Idaho College clinical affiliates for the MLT program:

• Kootenai Health, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
• Newport Hospital, Newport, Washington
• Incyte, Spokane Valley, Washington  
• Bonner General Hospital, Sandpoint, Idaho  
• St. Alphonsus (Member of Trinity Health), Boise, Idaho  
• Providence Medical Group, Spokane Valley, Washington
• MultiCare: Rockwood Clinic, Deaconess Hospital, Valley Hospital, Spokane, Washington
• Labcorp Corporation of America, Spokane Valley, Washington  

Satisfactory completion of the clinical internship is a program requirement and is offered to those students who have satisfactorily completed all prior MLT course work. While every attempt is made to place a student at a local or desired clinical location, all students must be prepared to travel to regional sites that may be outside of Northern Idaho. Note: Transportation costs, cost of living accommodations, and any clinical site-specific requirements or costs are the responsibility of the students.

The clinical internship is 360 hours in length. Site staffing and lab routine/workload may vary by site. The program director, student, and clinical site will work out mutually acceptable times.

Competitive Entry

1. Official high school transcripts or their equivalent; college transcripts as applicable.
2. Application to the Medical Laboratory Technology Program.
3. Minimum grades of C/2.0 must be received in each of the prerequisite courses listed below. The following information will appear in the 2024-2025 NIC catalog.
4. All but one of the science and math prerequisite courses listed below must be completed prior to program entrance.
   Prerequisites:
   First Semester
   • BIOL-175 (Human Biology) or BIOL-115 (Introduction to Life Sciences) or BIOL-227 (Human Anatomy & Physiology I)
   • CHEM-101 (Intro to Essentials of General Chemistry I) or CHEM-111 (Principles of General College Chemistry I)
   • ENGL-101 or higher GEM 1 English (English Composition)
   • MATH-143 or higher GEM 3 Math  (Precalculus I: Algebra)
   Second Semester
   • BACT-250 (General Microbiology)
   • PSYC-101 or any GEM 6 Social and Behavioral Ways of Knowing (Introduction to Psychology)
   • COMM-101 or any GEM 2 Oral Communication (Intro to Speech Communication)
   • CHEM-112 (Principles of General College Chemistry II) or CHEM-275 (Carbon Compounds) or CHEM-102 (Essentials of Organic & Biochemistry)
5. A criminal background check will be required upon acceptance. Violations may result in denied access to clinical sites and therefore inability to complete the program. For questions regarding specific violations, please contact the program director