Medical Laboratory Technician Frequently Asked Questions

Please see Apply to the MLT Program.

Unlike MLT, the department does not have a formal application process for pre-CLS students. Instead, the appropriate courses are simply opened to the general public, and students can enroll following the typical college course enrollment process. Once full, a waitlist will be implemented. We typically have some spots beyond the class cap, so being on the waitlist is important.

The MLT/pre-CLS trainee didactic courses also have general chemistry and biology prerequisites and it is strongly advised to do those first. These course prerequisites are also required to apply for the CLS trainee license from the State of California. So taking the general chemistry/biology courses first will ensure students are equipped with the tools they need to do well in the MLT/pre-CLS trainee didactic courses.

The following courses are offered for pre-CLS students

* Not required for a CLS trainee license from California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

View current enrollment dates

No. Most pre-CLS trainee students have already taken some similar courses while earning their Bachelor’s degree, and only need a couple of the classes we offer. However, the state will ultimately decide whether or not to accept courses taken at another university. If you have questions regarding the eligibility of courses taken at another university, head to the State pre-CLS trainee license page, and scroll to the bottom to find a contact email address.

Pre-CLS trainee students can earn the pre-CLS trainee certificate from the college by using an equivalent course. This process is handled though Counseling Services.

The exception to this is that MLT students must take all of the MLT program courses regardless of past coursework. This is due to licensing and accreditation requirements. MLT programs are approved as a whole, and thus courses from outside the program, which have not undergone the scrutiny of state/national accreditation, will not be considered to be equivalent.

No. As long as the student has taken the MLT courses at Folsom Lake College, the course does not have to be repeated. We do however reserve the right assess the readiness of students to enter a clinical rotation if considerable time has passed since the didactic course was taken.

No. However, it is strongly recommended that students are aware of their Hepatitis B immunity since blood and body fluids are processed. We also encourage students to know their Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella immunity, as well as be current on their TDAP. All of the above are also required for any education that occurs in a hospital setting. However, the department will not be checking pre-CLS trainee students’ immune status.

In contrast, since MLT students are ultimately entering a clinical practicum at a hospital site, the department will take steps to ensure students meet all background, drug, and immune checks prior to entering a clinical site. More information on this is given at the MLT orientation.

Both MLT and pre-CLS trainee students will receive Blood Borne Pathogen training, and practice universal precautions.

No, FLC does not have a standalone phlebotomy program. MLTs must be trained in the practice of phlebotomy per state and national licensing requirements; hence the presence of phlebotomy courses in the FLC catalog. However these courses cannot be used toward state phlebotomy CPT-1 certification per the State of California. 

At the present time, our phlebotomy courses are only for students admitted into the Medical Laboratory Technician program.

CLS's or Clinical Laboratory Scientists are laboratory workers capable of completing high-complexity testing in the laboratory. CLS's require a Bachelor’s of Science degree and a one year internship at a participating CLS program. MLTs on the other hand, cannot do high-complexity testing and are directly supervised by a CLS in the laboratory. MLTs require an Associates of Science degree but not a Bachelor’s of Science degree. For more information on the differences between CLSs and MLTs, please visit California Association for Medical Laboratory Technology and California Department of Public Health.

While at the present time there is no explicit career or training path to move from an MLT to a CLS in California, a recent bill (SB334) was passed into law and requires a bridge be built by 2022. Unfortunately, there is no further information available at this time, and no hints as to what a bridge might look like. To be clear, only the State of California can control how a bridge is implemented, and the flow of information to the general public; the college has no say in this matter. The program will continue to monitor the legislation.

Yes, currently MLTs must complete 12 CE units annually to maintain their license.

Yes. Typically we receive more applications than our program can accommodate. As such, there is a random selection process among all qualified applicants.

Typically, we admit 10-15 students. However, the number varies cohort to cohort, and is entirely limited by clinical site availability for student rotations.

Please see Apply to the MLT Program.

All transcript-related questions are answered by Counseling Services.

International students have the same application process as non-international students. However, foreign transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES approved independent agency. As with all applicants outside of the Los Rios Community College District, individuals seeking prerequisite equivalency must provide course descriptions for the semester in which the course was taken. For more information please call Counseling Services to schedule an appointment:

Main Folsom campus: (916) 608-6510
El Dorado Center: (530) 642-5645
Rancho Cordova Center: (916) 361-6321

Yes, financial aid is available to students in the MLT Program. Please visit the Financial Aid Department for more information.

Yes, scholarships may be available for students in the MLT Program. Please visit our Scholarships Page often as the website updates frequently.

No, unfortunately not all background checks are the same. To ensure uniformity we require a new background check through our current background check vendor.

To be officially admitted into the program you MUST pass a background check from our vendor. Our clinical sites will not train anyone with a criminal history, nor will they consider anyone with a failed background check for employment.

Students accepted into the MLT program will be required to successfully pass background, drug, and immune screens through an approved vendor. A valid social security number is required per background check requirements and in order to obtain MLT licensure in the State of California (pursuant to the authority found in section 1224 of the Business and Professions Code and in section 100275 of the Health and Safety Code, and as required by section 17520 of the Family Code), providing the social security number of the applicant is mandatory for MLT licensure.

Students are required to demonstrate immunity (serological testing or proof of adequate vaccination, or current immunization) to the following:

• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Varicella Zoster
• Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap)
• Hepatitis B (Can be declined with a signed waiver)
• Influenza

Students must also demonstrate the absence of Tuberculosis with a Two-Step process PPD, or chest x-ray (if individual has a document PPD response). 

FLC Health and Wellness Services can provide information about obtaining these services at a low cost. All documentation of immunizations MUST go through the MLT program's current vendor. Information and instructions will be made available to students upon acceptance into the MLT program.

Yes, please visit our Application Requirements page.

No, however the prerequisites courses must be met before you are able to apply to the MLT Program.

Please see the current MLT Program Handbook.

If you are already a certified Phlebotomist by the State of California you will not need to retake the Phlebotomy portion of the program provided you maintain your certificate. Exemption from the Medical Language course must be pre-approved by the MLT Program Director on a case-by-case basis, but typically requires graduation/licensure from another program in the Allied Health field.

The MLT Program consists of two semesters of didactic course work followed by one semester of clinical rotations at one of our affiliate sites. We make every effort to ensure students are able to enter their clinical rotations within a few weeks of completing their didactic coursework. However, applicants should be aware that unforeseen circumstances can result in a delay of the clinical rotation portion of the program. Should this occur, we will make every effort to ensure this delay does not exceed six months.

Yes and no. While in the didactic portion of the program, you may work or take other courses to fulfill any degree requirements provided there are no scheduling conflicts. However, be advised the MLT courses are very demanding of your time and should be your top priority. It is highly unlikely you will be able to take courses or work during the clinical rotation periods as you must be on-site at a clinical affiliate for 40 hours per week for the entire semester.

The didactic courses are offered in a hybrid format, where lectures are conducted online, and lab is one day per week. The department also sought to alleviate students’ commute time by stacking didactic labs on Fridays, so typically students only have to come to lab one day per week, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. MLT students however, in addition to the Friday, will also have to come in for an additional didactic class during the week (currently Thursdays from 2:00 to 5:00 pm, subject to change). Please see the current class schedule for more information. In addition, for each class students should expect to devote at least 10 to 15 hours outside of class each week towards studying, homework, and projects.

For MLT students only: Following the completion of the didactic courses, MLT students will enter into the practicum portion of the program. The practicum requires each student to devote 40 hours per week, off-site, at a clinical affiliate. This clinical internship typically occurs Monday through Friday for 8.5 hours between 6:00 am and 5:00 pm; however, there may be some exceptions.

Unfortunately we cannot accommodate all applicants. As such, we typically are required to hold a lottery among qualified applicants at the end of the application period to place students into the MLT Program. The lottery is conducted by a third party. 

Re-applicants are given extra entries into the random lottery corresponding to the number of years they had previously applied. In other words, an applicant who has applied two times will receive two additional entries, an applicant who applied three times will receive three additional entries, and so forth. This system does not guarantee entry, but gives previous applicants a slightly better chance of acceptance during the next lottery.

Qualified applicants have: 

• Completed a Pre-Application meeting with Counseling Services.
• Completed prerequisite coursework.
• A prerequisite GPA of 2.5 or above.
• A cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above.

Folsom Lake College does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race, or sex.

No. Unfortunately, we have a limited number of clinical sites and cannot guarantee student preference or close proximity. Students should be prepared to travel for their clinical rotation if required. Criteria for how the program assigns clinical site placement can be found in section 4.7 of the MLT Program Handbook.

Upon completion of the MLT program, graduates will need to take and pass an American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) national licensing examination. Once passed, graduates will then proceed to apply to the State of California for their MLT license. Each state has its own set of licensing requirements, so should a graduate wish to relocate to another state, they would need to comply with that particular state's requirements.

While the MLT program, its prerequisite courses, and general education requirements associated with the A.S. Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology often result in meeting state requirements, it is ultimately up to the student to ensure they individually meet all State requirements.

Per the most recent California Admin Code Title 17 1032.5:

(a) In order to qualify for licensure as a medical laboratory technician, a person shall apply for a license pursuant to Section 1031.4 (b) and meet the following requirements:

(1) Have successfully completed at least 60 semester (90 quarter) units from an accredited college or university. The coursework shall consist of at least 36 semester units of physical and biological sciences with an emphasis on applied clinical science. Coursework shall include 6 semester units of chemistry and 6 semester units of biology appropriate for transfer to a baccalaureate program in science, taken prior to, or concurrently with, training or experience; and

(2) Have met the following training or experience requirements by documenting one of the following:

(A) Graduating from a medical laboratory technician training program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS); or

(B) Graduating from a medical laboratory technician training program approved by the department pursuant to Section 1035.3; or

(C) Meeting admission requirements for a clinical laboratory scientist licensing examination, as determined by the department pursuant to Section 1032; or

(D) Completing a minimum of three years on-the-job practical experience within the previous five years, in a clinical laboratory outside California as a medical laboratory technician, with evidence of satisfactory performance on an examination given by a certifying organization for medical laboratory technicians, performing tests in the specialties of chemistry, hematology, microbiology, and immunology. This work experience shall include at least 480 hours in each of these specialties and shall be documented by the laboratory director(s) of the laboratory(ies) employing the applicant pursuant to Section 1031.4(b)(8); or

(E) Completing a minimum of three years on-the-job practical experience within the previous five years, in a clinical laboratory outside California as a clinical laboratory scientist, with evidence of satisfactory performance on an examination given by a certifying organization for clinical laboratory scientists, performing tests in the specialties of chemistry, hematology, microbiology, and immunology. This clinical laboratory scientist, also called medical technologist in some states, need not be California licensed pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 1204, but shall have work experience outside California of at least 480 hours in each of these specialties as documented by the laboratory director(s) of the laboratory(ies) employing the applicant pursuant to Section 1031.4(b)(8); or

(F) Completing a minimum of three years on-the-job practical experience within the previous five years, as a medical laboratory technician or clinical laboratory scientist in a California physician office laboratory or in a laboratory owned and operated by the United States of America. This person shall have evidence of satisfactory performance on an examination given by a certifying organization for medical laboratory technicians or clinical laboratory scientists, respectively, and have performed tests in the specialties of chemistry, hematology, microbiology and immunology. This work experience shall include at least 480 hours in each of these specialties, and shall be documented by the physician(s) directing the laboratory(ies) employing the applicant pursuant to Section 1031.4(b)(8); and

(3) Have passed a written examination for medical laboratory technicians administered by a certifying organization for medical laboratory technicians approved by the department pursuant to Section 1031.8. The department shall, for licensure purposes, accept evidence of satisfactory performance on examinations taken within the four years previous to department approval of a certifying organization's medical laboratory technician examination. The applicant shall have also passed a separate written, self-administered examination on California clinical laboratory law provided by the department. This self-administered test shall accompany the application. A minimum passage rate of 70 percent shall be required.

Note: Typically our students qualify for California MLT licensure by completing (1), (2A), and (3). For more information, please visit the state's website.