SALT LAKE CITY — A new chapter in medical laboratory education has begun with the opening of the Advanced Practice Clinical Laboratory Training Center (APL) at the University of Utah.
In collaboration with ARUP Laboratories, this innovative facility aims to enhance the educational opportunities for students in the Division of Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS) while addressing the growing demand for skilled laboratory professionals across the nation.
The creation of the APL was made possible through $3 million in federal funding secured by ARUP and the University of Utah in 2023.
As a first-of-its-kind collaboration, this state-of-the-art training center will provide students with hands-on experience in specialized testing areas, including clinical chemistry, hematology, hemostasis, immunohematology, microbiology, immunology, and body fluids analysis.
Designed to emulate a mini hospital laboratory, the APL is equipped with essential instruments and elements that any medical professional would encounter in a hospital setting.
Students enrolled in the MLS program will rotate through the center as part of their required curriculum, allowing them to perform laboratory tests and receive thorough instruction in an adjacent classroom.
Additionally, the facility includes a dedicated phlebotomy room and faculty office, enhancing the learning environment.
As experts in the healthcare sector, medical laboratory scientists and technicians are often referred to as the “hidden heroes of healthcare.”
They operate behind the scenes, leveraging sophisticated technology and methodologies to generate critical data that impacts up to 70% of all patient diagnoses and treatment options.
However, the United States is currently experiencing a shortage of these vital professionals, attributed to an aging workforce, a decrease in available training programs, and an increasing demand for laboratory services.
Diana Wilkins, PhD, MS, MLS(ASCP), the division chief of Medical Laboratory Sciences and an endowed professor at the University of Utah, emphasized the need for sufficient laboratory space for training.
“One of the limitations to growing the [MLS] program at the U was availability of sufficient Biosafety Level 2 laboratory space for students,” Wilkins noted.
Collaborating with ARUP addresses this constraint and provides students with the necessary resources to prepare for their roles in the healthcare workforce, she explained.
The APL, located within ARUP’s Building 4 at the University of Utah Research Park, aims to significantly increase the annual graduate count for the MLS program, with a target of reaching 80 graduates per year.
Wilkins shared the positive employment statistics for recent graduates, stating, “For the past several years we’ve had a 100% employment rate with students having offers of employment before they graduate.”
Many graduates find positions in clinical laboratories throughout the Salt Lake Valley, highlighting the immediate impact of such training programs.
Tracy George, ARUP’s chief scientific officer, expressed excitement about the potential of this program, stating, “This is a novel way to increase the number of medical laboratory scientists, and eventually, we want to replicate the program in other parts of the country.”
The opening of the Advanced Practice Clinical Laboratory Training Center represents a significant achievement in addressing the critical need for trained laboratory professionals while fostering future leaders in the medical laboratory field.
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