Doctorate of Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Careers as a Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences
Graduates of the DCLS will participate in advanced laboratory practice to increase efficiency, facilitate patient management outcomes, and improve timely access to accurate and appropriate laboratory information by participating directly in patient care decisions, monitoring laboratory utilization, and conducting research on the diagnostic process.
The DCLS professional would improve patient outcomes and increase cost effectiveness by working with pathologists to assist the primary care providers. They will participate on teams, such as Diagnostic Management Teams (DMT), allowing "physicians to order tests by requesting an evaluation of the abnormal screening test or a clinical sign or symptom." The DCLS also will serve a role in helping primary care providers make efficient and cost effective use of laboratory testing. They will develop and implement critical paths and laboratory test algorithms, participate in interdisciplinary rounds, serve as faculty in CLS programs, perform research and apply outcomes to practice.
Professionalism Ceremony
To symbolize the student's commitment to the DCLS profession, the Department hosts White Coat ceremony.
The practice as a DCLS requires compassion and sensitivity combined with intellectual maturity, honesty, and curiosity. The Clinical Laboratory Sciences faculty recognizes their responsibility to teach students to be fully aware of the implications of their actions as professional, essential members of the health care team.
To achieve this mission, the program enforces policies and regulations stated in the SHP Bulletin and the UTMB Catalog. Additional policies and regulations established by the program are based on educational and clinical structures and the practical limitations of the program. It is essential that each student understand the regulations, their enforcement, and their rationale prior to beginning their program.
DCLS Job Market
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies the DCLS in the same category as medical/clinical laboratory technologists for job growth projections, and the projection for that category is 12% over the next 10 years. Employment of medical laboratory technologists is projected to grow 12 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all occupations. An increase in the aging population is expected to lead to a greater need to diagnose medical conditions, such as cancer or type 2 diabetes, through laboratory procedures. Prenatal testing for various types of genetic conditions also is increasingly common.
Job Prospects
Job prospects will be best for DCLS graduates who complete an accredited education program and earn professional certification. The Texas Workforce Commission estimates that the demand within Texas medical/clinical laboratory technologists will grow by 20% by the year 2026. As you can see, the demand for medical laboratory scientists is growing. You can help meet the challenge!
Job Prospects
- Hospitals and private clinical laboratories
- State and public health laboratories/crime labs
- Industrial labs
- Veterinary Clinics
- Research
- Higher Education
- Sales, Pharmaceutical/Industrial
- Marketing
- Armed Forces
- Peace Corps
As a DCLS Professional, you
- Gain competency through formal training and education (such as this degree program)
- Follow a code of ethics such as the ASCLS Code of Ethics
For more information about the Laboratory profession, please see this Texas Workforce Commission article or the United States Department of Labor site (earnings).