Applicants Without a Baccalaureate Degree
Students without a baccalaureate degree at the time of application must have completed all college requirements BEFORE the start of the clinical program. In addition to completing college-specified courses to receive a baccalaureate degree, the applicant must have completed the following program prerequisites:
Minimum 16 semester hours of courses acceptable to the major that encompass areas such as Microbiology, Immunology, Anatomy/Physiology and Genetics. Highly recommended courses are Applied/Pathogenic Microbiology and Molecular Biology. Cellular Biology and Biology Seminar are suggested electives. Courses SHOULD include labs.
Minimum 16 semester hours of courses acceptable to the major that encompass areas such as General Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Organic and/or Biochemistry. Courses MUST include labs.
A minimum of one course in college-level Mathematics is required. Statistics is recommended. An introductory course in computer literacy is also recommended.
Applicants With a Baccalaureate Degree
Applicants with a baccalaureate degree must have completed the required coursework within seven years of their application. If not, the applicant must update his/her academic preparation to the approval of the program (grade B or better). Courses in Microbiology, Genetics, Immunology, and Biochemistry are most often used to ensure academic preparedness.
An applicant with a degree from a foreign university must have his/her transcript evaluated for U.S. equivalency. This evaluation will determine the applicant's eligibility for application by assessing the academic preparation or deficiency. The ability to communicate readily in English orally and in writing is an essential requirement for the program.
Preference for placement is given to students applying from one of the colleges/universities affiliated with the clinical program: Bloomsburg University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kings College, Lebanon Valley College, Lycoming College, Millersville University, The Pennsylvania State University, Shippensburg University, Slippery Rock University, and York College of Pennsylvania. These affiliations ensure that students have completed necessary and relevant courses and that the students will receive college credit for the program at WellSpan Health, if appropriate.
Applicants will be considered from other colleges that provide the necessary prerequisite courses and that agree to establish a temporary affiliation agreement which assures students will receive appropriate credit for the clinical year.
Students may apply after completion of the sophomore year of college for the clinical program starting in July of the following year. Application may be made before the college course work is completed; however, the student may not begin the clinical program until all required courses are completed to the satisfaction of the program. Applications are accepted beginning in July through October (the year prior to the next class). All application materials must be received by Oct. 25.
Students must possess certain physical and mental attributes to be able to complete the curriculum. The functional expectations for students in the program include:
- Functional use of the senses of smell, vision, and somatic sensation
- Effective and efficient oral and written communication in English, allowing the student to communicate with all members of the healthcare team
- Sufficient motor function to perform all tasks that are normally expected within the scope of practice for the practitioner in the workplace
- Ability to comprehend, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, integrate and apply information
- Emotional health allowing for the use of the student's intellectual abilities
- Professional demeanor and behavior
- Ability to meet the academic expectations of the program
Prior to the start of the program, each student will receive a detailed list of these essential functions. A student must meet these expectations without or with reasonable accommodation.
In addition to the essential functions, students are required to undergo pre-placement health screening. This screening includes PPD testing, Ishihara's color-blindness test, a health history, immunization compliance, and a urine drug screen. Criminal background checks will be performed prior to admitting any student to the program. A student who fails the drug screen or criminal background check will not be allowed to enter the program. Students will be tested for nicotine as part of their drug screen. WellSpan is a smoke-free environment.
The ability of an individual to participate in and complete the instructional activities of the program will be determined through discussion among the applicant, the program officials, the student's personal physician, and the EHS physician, as appropriate.
Selection Procedure for the Program
The WellSpan MLS Program utilizes an Admissions Committee. This committee uses an objective point system to select students for the class from the qualified applicant pool. This system is based on the cumulative grade point average, the science GPA, college affiliation, reference letters and an interview rating by the committee. To learn more, click here.
APPLICANTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM WILL RECEIVE EQUAL CONSIDERATION REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGIOUS OR SEXUAL PREFERENCE, ETHNIC OR NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE OR SEX.
