Medical Technology Program

Clinical laboratory scientists (also known as medical technologists) are healthcare professionals who provide essential patient information. These scientists must ensure the quality of patient results because physicians and other healthcare workers make requisite decisions based on the validity of that data. This information plays a critical role in disease diagnosis and treatment and in the maintenance of overall health.

Cedars-Sinai is the largest nonprofit hospital in the western United States and is internationally renowned as a teaching hospital. Residency programs in anatomical and clinical pathology and fellowship programs in hematology, transfusion medicine and surgical pathology are among those offered by the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Our faculty participates in the undergraduate medical school instruction at the University of California, Los Angeles and at other medical and scientific organizations throughout the world.

Clinical Rotation Courses

In conjunction with California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), Cedars-Sinai provides a one-year CLS clinical rotation to students chosen primarily on the basis of their academic performance in baccalaureate or postgraduate work. Foreign graduates need to have their transcripts evaluated by AACRAO. Interested students apply at CSUDH for this program, which includes 32 hours weekly of laboratory rotations at Cedars-Sinai, as well as six to eight hours weekly of classroom instruction provided by CSUDH. A total of 28 academic units are accrued during the clinical year rotation. These units are assigned as follows:

CLS 430 Clinical Microbiology Laboratory (4 units) - 14 weeks total
  • 1 week Specimen Processing
  • 7 weeks Bacteriology
  • 1 week Mycobacteriology
  • 1.5 weeks Mycology
  • 1.5 weeks Parasitology
  • 1 week Virology
  • 1 week Molecular Biology
CLS 431 Clinical Chemistry Laboratory (3 units) - 10 weeks total
  • 4 weeks Automation (Core) Chemistry I
  • 5 weeks Automation (Core) Chemistry II
  • 1 week Special Testing Chemistry
CLS 432 Clinical Hematology/Urinalysis/Coag Laboratory (4 units) - 13 weeks total
  • 6 weeks Core Hematology
  • 1 week Special Testing Hematology
  • 3 weeks Core Urinanalysis/Body Fluids
  • 3 weeks Core Coagulation
CLS 433 Clinical Immunohematology/Serology Laboratory (3 units) - 13 weeks total
  • 7 weeks Transfusion Medicine
  • 6 weeks Immunology
CLS 434 Clinical Special Procedures Laboratory (1 unit) - 2 weeks total
  • 1 week Laboratory Principles/Safety/Regulatory Issues/Quality Assurance/Phlebotomy
  • 1 week ER Laboratory
Program Completion

Upon successful program completion, students are then eligible to take the following credentialing examinations:

State Licensure
California State Department of Health Laboratory Field Services (LFS). Passing this exam allows the technologist to practice the profession of clinical laboratory science in the state of California. This license must be renewed annually by paying a renewal fee to LFS and completing 12 units of continuing education.

ASCP National Certification
American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) Board of Registry. Passing this exam allows the technologist to use MT (ASCP) after his/her name, signifying certification as a medical technologist by ASCP. The technologist is then registered with ASCP and is eligible for affiliate membership in this organization.

Cedars-Sinai Scholarship

A Cedars-Sinai scholarship is available to students enrolled in the clinical component at Cedars-Sinai. Students selected for placement here are automatically considered for an award, provided that they meet and maintain the minimum GPA requirements. Scholarships are in the amount of $500 each month of the 12-month clinical rotation period.

Please direct questions to:

Carol Moeller
Program Coordinator
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