Clinical Lab science major

[AsianPersuasion]

Hello yes I did my research on this already.

but I have one thing im curious and it hasn't been answered yet.

The reason I want to major in CLS due to the fact that the information a CLS gives to the doctor influences the medical treatment a patient will receive. Plus you get to interpret and communicate the result with pathologist etc so thats all very attractive to me.

but also part of my decision is that, If life gets in the way and for whatever reason I don't make it into medical school, I can use my degree and work in the mean time while improving my applicantion.


I know I'll have to take all the required pre reqs since the CLS courses doesn't cross with pre req booo haha

I know its alittle bit too early to think about this but how would ADCOM view the statement I made about "if I don't get in, it would be a great career to work in while improving my application." I'm not gonna say it in this tone, but thats the point im trying to get across.

I don't wanna lie to them....but these 2 reasons are how I feel.

I'm not planning to fail, but I just wanna consider all aspect and possible scenerio that could happen.

I mean, everybody has some sort of back up plan right?

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[bucks2010]

In general I think this would be a bad reason to declare a certain major. IMO it's just not a very fascinating story to read. If you were looking at applications, would you rather see someone who majored in something they were really passionate about & interested in, or someone who majored in something just in case they couldn't get into medical school.

I think you need to pick a major based on your academic interests and other passions (or at least present it in your application that way). You want your application to present things that make you more qualified for admission to medical school. Having a backup plan doesn't make you more qualified.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

In general I think this would be a bad reason to declare a certain major. IMO it's just not a very fascinating story to read. If you were looking at applications, would you rather see someone who majored in something they were really passionate about & interested in, or someone who majored in something just in case they couldn't get into medical school.

I think you need to pick a major based on your academic interests and other passions (or at least present it in your application that way). You want your application to present things that make you more qualified for admission to medical school. Having a backup plan doesn't make you more qualified.

See the thing is I am interested in that. Never did I thought that it would qualify me more at all.

I not really interested in other majors to be honest with you. I love Bio and chem etc but I don't wanna major in it. I dislike engineering and not motivated to learn about that. other liberal arts like Psyc, Anth, socio etc just doesn't energize me that much.

I did it by process of elimination and it came down to CLS which not only am I interested in it, but happenes to be a degree that I can work in if I decided to change my mind and realize that medicine is not for me or my stats sucks and I don't get in anywhere and have to figure something out.

 

[bucks2010]

That's great then - I would stick with CLS if you really are interested in it.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Thats the thing I'm afraid of, I don't wanna come off as if I'm only doing it because I need a back up....

 

[Astarael]

There have been many discussions on the topic of using some sort of allied health degree to gain admission to medical school. I'm assuming that when you said "I've done my research," that you've found some of those other threads on SDN. If not, I suggest you search for them, as they will contain a lot more information than this post will.

With that being said, majoring in a clinical sciences field is not generally considered a good idea for a pre-med student. There is a lot of uncertainty as to how these majors stack up against their academic counterparts, and there is even more uncertainty on how they are viewed by admissions committees. If your goal is to become a doctor, the best thing to do is pick an academic major.

If involvement in medical care at an early stage is something that interests you, I recommend getting a CNA/EMT/Phlebotomy certification. These allow you to get into a position where you actually work with patients, but don't carry the four year commitment a degree does. I know that this is unlikely to change your mind, but there is a reason this discussion keeps coming up over and over. The medical school admissions process is a very competitive one-don't handicap yourself by picking a questionable major.

 

[ridethecliche]

A girl working in the lab at my department did this. She now practically manages the lab and works very closely with nurses, nurse practitioners, and with a couple of physicians and analyzes results from patients and communicates results to the nursing staff.

 

[BlameItOnTheOH]

a CLS degree is an "academic major" (whatever that means, ha.) You take all the same biology and chemistry courses as other pre-meds do who major in those areas. Your upper level courses will be more focused on things like immuno, micro, hematology, etc...If anything, a CLS major will better prepare you for med school.

I was a CLS major in college...I didn't do it as a reason/background to get into medical school (though I think that is a legitimate reason to major in it)...it wasn't until I was working in the field for a few years that I decided to pursue medicine.

My job has given me a lot to talk about on my application and interviews...multiple interviewers straight up told me that the background I gained from my my major/work will be extremely beneficial to me.

I say go for it!

 

[Torr]

I know its alittle bit too early to think about this but how would ADCOM view the statement I made about "if I don't get in, it would be a great career to work in while improving my application." I'm not gonna say it in this tone, but thats the point im trying to get across.

If this is something you are obviously interested in then what's the problem? Sounds like your main reason for pursuing the major is that you feel like it's something you'd be interested in...why do you have to tell adcoms that it's a good backup in case you don't get in right away? You dont need to say that.

I'd say do it as well. I have several CLS friends and even during bad times, where I am, the CLS job market was decent.

 

[patel2]

I would say no...allied health majors like this often sound enticing and like they will greatly prepare you for medical school, but really they are generally a bad idea and students fare terribly in med school admissions with them (just look at the stats and charts out there at AAMC). Like the above person...if you do well on the MCAT and get a good GPA, that is what the most important thing is, but the stats do speak for themselves on these kinds of majors

 

[BlameItOnTheOH]

Patel2, I don't understand what stats you are referring to and how you conclude that someone who takes ALL the same classes as you (or the regular bio major) plus additional ones that are CLINICAL... fares terribly in med school. I have heard and witnessed the absolute opposite. Don't get me wrong here, I certainly don't love the work I do as a CLS or think everyone should major in it, but it is absolute BOGUS that it would put you at a disadvantage!

 

[Astarael]

a CLS degree is an "academic major" (whatever that means, ha.) You take all the same biology and chemistry courses as other pre-meds do who major in those areas. Your upper level courses will be more focused on things like immuno, micro, hematology, etc...If anything, a CLS major will better prepare you for med school.

I was a CLS major in college...I didn't do it as a reason/background to get into medical school (though I think that is a legitimate reason to major in it)...it wasn't until I was working in the field for a few years that I decided to pursue medicine.

My job has given me a lot to talk about on my application and interviews...multiple interviewers straight up told me that the background I gained from my my major/work will be extremely beneficial to me.

I say go for it!

By academic major I mean one which does not teach you how to do a specific job. There are vocational majors that actually teach you how to do a particular job (such as nursing). My understanding has always been that allied health majors, even if they carry a baccalaureate level degree with them, are vocational in nature. This means that while a CLS major is doing some kind of on-the-job training, an English major would still be in class. I understand that it is likely different at different schools and I have little experience with it, so I apologize if my opinions are incorrect. However, I know for a fact that certain schools do have different classes in biology, chemistry, physiology, and several other areas that are specifically designed for their allied health majors and are typically easier than the classes that a biology, chemistry, or physiology major would take. That's not to say that the allied health major can't take equivalent classes as someone with a sciences major. It's just that the fact that easier classes exist at some schools brings into question the rigor of allied health majors in general.

I'm not saying your particular major has any reason to doubt it (and in fact, if you were taking all of the same science classes it would probably be beneficial). Just that at some schools it isn't the challenge that people make it out to be, and admissions committees like it when students pursue challenging coursework.

Edit: https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/

Table 18 is the one you want. You'll have to do the math yourself, but specialized health sciences majors have the lowest rate of acceptance out of those tabulated. I know correlation does not equal causation, but it is not a glowing endorsement for picking CLS as a major specifically for pre-med.

 

[bucks2010]

Patel - actually, AAMC stats show little difference between acceptance percentages of "health science" majors vs humanities vs any other grouping of majors. You can look them up if you wish. They do not, as a rule, fare "terribly" in the admissions process.

Whether or not the major is considered "vocational" will probably be readily identifiable to adcoms by the transcript. If OP majors in CLS and the program is similar to the one BIOTOH (did you just misread that? haha) described, they will see that he took upper-level science classes and it will likely not be very distinguishable from a biology or other science major... so he probably has nothing to worry about.

Besides, OP already said he's not interested in anything but this. If he really is interested in CLS it will help him perform better in his classes vs. being disinterested in something else.

 

[bucks2010]

I'm not saying your particular major has any reason to doubt it (and in fact, if you were taking all of the same science classes it would probably be beneficial). Just that at some schools it isn't the challenge that people make it out to be, and admissions committees like it when students pursue challenging coursework.

Edit: https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/

Table 18 is the one you want. You'll have to do the math yourself, but specialized health sciences majors have the lowest rate of acceptance out of those tabulated. I know correlation does not equal causation, but it is not a glowing endorsement for picking CLS as a major specifically for pre-med.

So the matriculation rate for health sciences was 9% less than biological sciences. Given the numerous unaccounted-for variables present in the numbers, I doubt that's enough of a decision to base a choice of major on.

A lot of it comes down to coursework, I think. OP - compare the classes you have to take to the classes biology majors have to take. If, for example, you have to take microbiology but it's 200-level vs. 300-level, or you don't have to take classes like cell-molec and genetics... then there may be something to be concerned about. Point is, the curriculum in whatever major you choose should challenge you. If the CLS/biology curriculum is significantly intertwined at your school and you take a lot of the same classes, I don't think you have anything to worry about. If there's a big difference, then maybe that's something to consider.

 

[patel2]

So the matriculation rate for health sciences was 9% less than biological sciences. Given the numerous unaccounted-for variables present in the numbers, I doubt that's enough of a decision to base a choice of major on.

A lot of it comes down to coursework, I think. OP - compare the classes you have to take to the classes biology majors have to take. If, for example, you have to take microbiology but it's 200-level vs. 300-level, or you don't have to take classes like cell-molec and genetics... then there may be something to be concerned about. Point is, the curriculum in whatever major you choose should challenge you. If the CLS/biology curriculum is significantly intertwined at your school and you take a lot of the same classes, I don't think you have anything to worry about. If there's a big difference, then maybe that's something to consider.

also, while all the other majors seem to hover around a 30 MCAT, health sciences is closer to 25...perhaps a reflection of the vocational nature of the major

 

[BlameItOnTheOH]

Ahhh ok...I didn't realize that at some schools CLS majors take the "nursing" (aka ridiculously easy) versions of bio, chem, physics...So moral of the story, just make sure you are in all the pre-med classes and you are set! phwew!

 

[Voevoda]

I'm a senior in a CLS program right now but have future prospects to get into medical school. I hope it is not a detriment to me.

At my university first 3 years of undergrad/prerequisites are virtually the same as in other biology/chemistry/micro/genetics/neuroscience majors(its the reason why as a CLS student I was not allowed to minor in biology), what differs is the last year. I was a chemistry major until I switched my junior year and most, if not all, previous credits went into the program.

Most classes I'm taking right now have both a lecture, where theory is introduced, and a lab component, which develops practical skills.

 

[SoDakMLS]

The reason I want to major in CLS due to the fact that the information a CLS gives to the doctor influences the medical treatment a patient will receive. Plus you get to interpret and communicate the result with pathologist etc so thats all very attractive to me.

but also part of my decision is that, If life gets in the way and for whatever reason I don't make it into medical school, I can use my degree and work in the mean time while improving my applicantion.


I know I'll have to take all the required pre reqs since the CLS courses doesn't cross with pre req booo haha

I am currently an MLS of 3 years who is jumping ship to medical school, so if you have any questions about the field (particularly mid-size hospital setting) just ask!

I find it interesting you mention you get to "interpret" results. This might be the case for a national reference laboratory that does esoteric testing--but in the typical hospital setting where you're running CBC's and metabolic panels, there's really little worth interpreting. What often frustrates me is that I feel ancillary to the healthcare process. I provide valuable information to others on the team, but I would rather do what physicians do--combine the clinical picture with the lab data to determine what's going on in my patient and determine what to do about it.

I am GRATEFUL I have a laboratory background entering medical school this year. I will have a hand up in knowing what results are normal and what's not, when lab results might be invalid, what tests I may want to order for a given clinical picture, and have hands-on training in communicating with nurses (believe me, it can be tough!). Also my hospital is a little wierd and we draw arterial blood gases, so there's some hands-on patient contact!

So if being a physician is your TRUE calling, I'd go for it wholeheartedly as a Pre-Med bio major. If you think you would be fine as an MLS (you might have to tone down your ambitions a bit), it's a job that's always in demand and has decent pay straight out of college. And you can always do a biology/chem/micro degree and then enroll in a 1-year clinical program (I got degrees in both Bio and CLS, with a minor in Chem), to keep the door open for med school.

Lab rocks, but it wasn't for me for the long haul! Best of luck in your decision-making and feel free to shoot me a message

 

[AsianPersuasion]

Thanks alot everyone. Now your making me thinking of reconsidering it lol

regarding the courses, I'm not sure if they are the same as the courses taking by science major. but here is a list of what I have to take each semester. Plus ALOT of pre req that I would have to take for med school which are not intergrated with this major at all beside Orgo I

First Semester: 15 credits

• • General Education/Distribution Requirements - 6 credits
  • MLS 115 - Fundamentals of Medical Laboratory Science
  • MLS 116 - Fundamentals of Medical Laboratory Science Techniques
  • CHM 151 - Principles of Modern Chemistry I
  • CHM 161 - Introduction to Applied Chemistry I
  • ENL 101 - Critical Writing and Reading I
• Second Semester: 17 credits
  • General Education/Distribution Requirements - 3 credits
  • MLS 121 - Human Genetics
  • MLS 122 - Human Genetics Laboratory
  • CHM 152 - Principles of Modern Chemistry II
  • CHM 162 - Introduction to Applied Chemistry II
  • MTH 104 - Fundamentals of Statistics
  • ENL 102 - Critical Writing and Reading II

Second Year

• First Semester: 14 credits
  • General Education/Distribution Requirements - 6 credits
  • MLS 111 - Introduction to Human Physiology
  • CHM 251 - Organic Chemistry I
  • CHM 263 - Bio-organic Chemistry Laboratory I
• Second Semester: 17 credits
  • General Education/Distribution Requirements - 9 credits
  • MLS 221 - Pathophysiology
  • MLS 222 - Pathophysiology Laboratory
  • MLS 241 - Clinical Chemistry Applied in Diagnostic Techniques
  • MLS 242 - Clinical Chemistry Applied in Diagnostic Techniques Laboratory

Third Year Integrated Program

• First Semester: 12 credits
  • Free Electives - 3 credits
  • MLS 301 - Principles of Microbiology
  • MLS 303 - Principles of Microbiology Laboratory
  • MLS 325 - Clinical Immunobiology
  • MLS 326 - Clinical Immunobiology Laboratory
• Second Semester: 13 credits
  • MLS 313 - Medical Microbiology
  • MLS 314 - Medical Microbiology Laboratory
  • MLS 331 - Fundamentals of Clinical Hematology
  • MLS 332 - Fundamentals of Clinical Hematology Laboratory
  • MLS 341 - Clinical Instrumental Analysis
  • MLS 342 - Clinical Instrumental Analysis Laboratory
  • PHL 317 - Ethics and Health Care Professionals

Fourth Year

• First Semester: 17 credits
  • MLS 401 - Clinical Microbiology I
  • MLS 421 - Immunohematology I
  • MLS 443 - Clinical Biochemistry I
  • MLS 431 - Hematology I
  • MLS 428 - Clinical Microscopy and Serology
• Second Semester: 15 credits
  • MLS 402 - Clinical Microbiology II
  • MLS 422 - Immunohematology II
  • MLS 444 - Clinical Biochemistry II
  • MLS 432 - Hematology II
  • MLS 450 - Senior Seminar

 

[patel2]

Thanks alot everyone. Now your making me thinking of reconsidering it lol

regarding the courses, I'm not sure if they are the same as the courses taking by science major. but here is a list of what I have to take each semester. Plus ALOT of pre req that I would have to take for med school which are not intergrated with this major at all beside Orgo I

First Semester: 15 credits

• • General Education/Distribution Requirements - 6 credits
  • MLS 115 - Fundamentals of Medical Laboratory Science
  • MLS 116 - Fundamentals of Medical Laboratory Science Techniques
  • CHM 151 - Principles of Modern Chemistry I
  • CHM 161 - Introduction to Applied Chemistry I
  • ENL 101 - Critical Writing and Reading I
• Second Semester: 17 credits
  • General Education/Distribution Requirements - 3 credits
  • MLS 121 - Human Genetics
  • MLS 122 - Human Genetics Laboratory
  • CHM 152 - Principles of Modern Chemistry II
  • CHM 162 - Introduction to Applied Chemistry II
  • MTH 104 - Fundamentals of Statistics
  • ENL 102 - Critical Writing and Reading II

Second Year

• First Semester: 14 credits
  • General Education/Distribution Requirements - 6 credits
  • MLS 111 - Introduction to Human Physiology
  • CHM 251 - Organic Chemistry I
  • CHM 263 - Bio-organic Chemistry Laboratory I
• Second Semester: 17 credits
  • General Education/Distribution Requirements - 9 credits
  • MLS 221 - Pathophysiology
  • MLS 222 - Pathophysiology Laboratory
  • MLS 241 - Clinical Chemistry Applied in Diagnostic Techniques
  • MLS 242 - Clinical Chemistry Applied in Diagnostic Techniques Laboratory

Third Year Integrated Program

• First Semester: 12 credits
  • Free Electives - 3 credits
  • MLS 301 - Principles of Microbiology
  • MLS 303 - Principles of Microbiology Laboratory
  • MLS 325 - Clinical Immunobiology
  • MLS 326 - Clinical Immunobiology Laboratory
• Second Semester: 13 credits
  • MLS 313 - Medical Microbiology
  • MLS 314 - Medical Microbiology Laboratory
  • MLS 331 - Fundamentals of Clinical Hematology
  • MLS 332 - Fundamentals of Clinical Hematology Laboratory
  • MLS 341 - Clinical Instrumental Analysis
  • MLS 342 - Clinical Instrumental Analysis Laboratory
  • PHL 317 - Ethics and Health Care Professionals

Fourth Year

• First Semester: 17 credits
  • MLS 401 - Clinical Microbiology I
  • MLS 421 - Immunohematology I
  • MLS 443 - Clinical Biochemistry I
  • MLS 431 - Hematology I
  • MLS 428 - Clinical Microscopy and Serology
• Second Semester: 15 credits
  • MLS 402 - Clinical Microbiology II
  • MLS 422 - Immunohematology II
  • MLS 444 - Clinical Biochemistry II
  • MLS 432 - Hematology II
  • MLS 450 - Senior Seminar

Are these science classes like "principles of chemistry" the normal sequence that pre-meds take at your school? Or is it the dumb downed version for nursing/allied-halth majors?

 

[SoDakMLS]

I suppose at schools with more established CLS programs like the one you posted Asian, you might face some scrutiny over not taking "real" genetics, microbiology, or immunology. Additionally, you'd have to cram in human anatomy, physics, some calculus, and statistics. But as I mentioned before, it's quite possible to complete a degree in Biology, Chemistry, or Microbiology and then apply to the clinical internship programs if you think med school isn't for you.

I spent my undergrad on more of a research track and stumbled into the CLS program after sophomore seminar (a bio-major class where speakers talk about career possibilities). So CLS became my second major, and the program director was pretty willing to work around my Bio major classes, because the program was kinda starving for good students who weren't waiting to hear from the Nursing/Pharmacy schools about acceptance. And working a couple years as an MLS has certainly given me the clinical chops I needed to get accepted into medical school.

I was sold on this idea of using my scientific knowledge and lab skills to help people, but I think sometimes the CLS field overstates how involved you are with doctors and patients on a regular basis. I can count on my fingers the number of times in 3 years I've actually spoken to doctors at our 500-bed medical center (part of that is likely that I'm on dedicated night shifts). You could work for an independent clinic and get more doctor/patient interaction (as some of my former coworkers do now), but then you're more of an over-paid phlebotomist. There are also the reference labs, like Quest Diagnostics or ARUP that do lower-volume, high-complexity testing for rare genetic mutations or autoimmune disorders. These have better work hours for sure, and the work sounds more interesting at least.

I guess what you should ask yourself is how involved do you want to be in caring for patients? Do you want to report results to nurses and doctors, or consult with them? Are you fine just producing the lab results, or do you want to take the next step and determine the appropriate treatment based on that result? It may be that what you really want is to be a pathologist, and not have the limitations of an MLS.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

SoDakMLS, I see what your trying to say thanks. my ultimate goal is to become a doctor, MLS would be a great job if med school doesn't happen. I find the MLS study very interesting thats why Im willing to commit to get a bachelor's degree in it. but is it my ultimate goal? no.


Patel2, Im not sure if this is a watered down class or not. I was going to speak with my pre med advisor about possible subsituting those courses for the course science major takes, but I'm not quite sure hows that gonna turn out and if its possible or not.

The worst scenerio would be me taking ALL of my pre reqs and so far it looks like I'm going to have to and it might prolong my graduation date.

I'm just curious how this would be viewed you know :/ they say major in whatever you want but it seems allied health is frown upon.

and plus this program has a good reputation of getting their graduate into med school. I know there might be variation etc and the stats but it sounds very appealing.

 

[gravitywave]

posting your curriculum isn't going to help us figure out the content of the courses you're taking. what you need to do is find your school's recommended pre-med curriculum and compare the course listings. here the CLS majors take the same gen chem courses and that's the only overlap. although you would get the same A&P and micro classes, they take a biochem class that's not the same one as for pre-meds. so you'd need to squeeze in 26 credits of pre-reqs...

which brings me to what i consider the major drawback to these programs: virtually no flexibility on your course selection. between major requirements and med school pre-reqs you have almost no free space in your course schedule to take true electives and do what med school are constantly telling us now in their admissions literature, which is to take a broad base of courses in undergrad, including humanities and the arts.

OTOH, as some have posted above, some adcoms will love you for having done CLS. I just think it's risky.

one more point: the only thing i got out of Table 18 was that accepted allied health folks as a group have the lowest MCAT scores out of the whole table. I'm not sure what that means - is majoring in allied health protective against a lowish MCAT?

 

[Astarael]

one more point: the only thing i got out of Table 18 was that accepted allied health folks as a group have the lowest MCAT scores out of the whole table. I'm not sure what that means - is majoring in allied health protective against a lowish MCAT?

Table 18 was the only data I could find that broke anything down by major. The first table shows applicants and the second shows matriculants (total numbers per major are in the far right column of the table). If you divide the matriculants for a major in the second table by the applicants for that major in the first, you can get the percentage that matriculated. Allied health has the lowest percentage out of all of the groups listed.

It isn't good data for saying those majors are inferior; I'm well aware of that. Just something to think about.

 

[Sesom]

Is this the same as Medical Laboratory Science? I was just seeing if my school has something similar and that's what I found. I am sadly still undecided myself

 

[gravitywave]

Table 18 was the only data I could find that broke anything down by major. The first table shows applicants and the second shows matriculants (total numbers per major are in the far right column of the table). If you divide the matriculants for a major in the second table by the applicants for that major in the first, you can get the percentage that matriculated. Allied health has the lowest percentage out of all of the groups listed.

It isn't good data for saying those majors are inferior; I'm well aware of that. Just something to think about.

right, OK. i was honestly asking the question: "Is it protective?" because the numbers seem to imply a lower standard for the MCAT when it comes to allied health applicants. If it is protective as an independent variable, then that would tend to fly in the face of what I've been saying, which is that majoring in allied health is for the most part a bad idea. I'm inclined to think not, however - that the CLS apps getting admitted with lower MCATs are the ones who've worked in their field for a while and then came to medicine through that. In other words, it wasn't the major that compensated for the lower MCAT, it was the work experience.

the fact that the absolute acceptance rate is low can certainly be explained by the low MCAT scores of allied health applicants. what's a more interesting discussion for our purposes is whether or not a hypothetical applicant with a CLS major and 36 MCAT is going to be hurt by his/her major.

 

[AsianPersuasion]

gravitywave, these are the recommended pre med course they suggested.

Fall

• Biology w/ lab
• Inorganic Chemistry w/ lab
• Physics with lab
• Organic Chemistry w/lab
• Calculus I (recommended)

Spring

• Biology w/ lab
• Inorganic Chemistry w/lab
• Physics w/ lab
• Organic Chemistry w/lab
• Calculus II (recommended)

I'm not even sure what to do now

 

[gravitywave]

a good next move then might be to go to the biology department website and see what their recommended courses are for pre-meds. repeat for chem and physics. then compare to the CLS curriculum. be aware that sometimes courses are cross-listed, so just because they have a different number and prefix doesn't mean that they aren't the same class, after all. but that's usually apparent if you look the course up in your school's catalog.

 

[Astarael]

right, OK. i was honestly asking the question: "Is it protective?" because the numbers seem to imply a lower standard for the MCAT when it comes to allied health applicants. If it is protective as an independent variable, then that would tend to fly in the face of what I've been saying, which is that majoring in allied health is for the most part a bad idea. I'm inclined to think not, however - that the CLS apps getting admitted with lower MCATs are the ones who've worked in their field for a while and then came to medicine through that. In other words, it wasn't the major that compensated for the lower MCAT, it was the work experience.

the fact that the absolute acceptance rate is low can certainly be explained by the low MCAT scores of allied health applicants. what's a more interesting discussion for our purposes is whether or not a hypothetical applicant with a CLS major and 36 MCAT is going to be hurt by his/her major.

Ok I see what you're saying now. I've always assumed, but had no way to verify, that a good amount of successful allied health majors are those that have work experience. This topic seems to come up semi-regularly, and I always see at least one person chime in with a statement along the lines of, "I worked as [insert allied health profession here] for two years and then decided that I wanted to go to medical school. My experiences really helped me out on the interview trail. So you should totally do [major]."

In a way this seems reminiscent of how certifications such as CNA/EMT/Phlebotomy are viewed-the training itself is less important than the experience gained while working. I bet if you looked at allied health majors that have worked for a couple years, you'd probably find higher acceptance rates at any given GPA/MCAT level. Schools do like people to know what they're getting themselves into.

As to the hypothetical 36 MCAT CLS major? I wish there was more data so we could say for sure if it is helpful or hurtful.

 

[SoDakMLS]

Is this the same as Medical Laboratory Science? I was just seeing if my school has something similar and that's what I found. I am sadly still undecided myself

Yes. MLS = Clinical Laboratory Science = Medical Technology.

Every certified tech with a bachelor's is now an MLS, by the American Society of Clinical Pathology. Techs with an associate degree are Medical Laboratory Technicians, also certified by ASCP.

Different employers and schools still use the terms interchangeably, like at my hospital my job title is Medical Technologist, but I am really certified as an MLS.

 

[boboyahoo]

a CLS degree is an "academic major" (whatever that means, ha.) You take all the same biology and chemistry courses as other pre-meds do who major in those areas. Your upper level courses will be more focused on things like immuno, micro, hematology, etc...If anything, a CLS major will better prepare you for med school.

I was a CLS major in college...I didn't do it as a reason/background to get into medical school (though I think that is a legitimate reason to major in it)...it wasn't until I was working in the field for a few years that I decided to pursue medicine.

My job has given me a lot to talk about on my application and interviews...multiple interviewers straight up told me that the background I gained from my my major/work will be extremely beneficial to me.

I say go for it!

this is an old thread but do you know what GPA you applied with and how long you worked? I feel like our courseload is extremely compressed and my gpa has gone down from being among the top %tile of my graduating class.