Application Process
Submit your application, official transcripts from any College or University and 3 letters of reference. Once application materials are received and if you meet all requirements, you will be contacted to set up and interview.
Transcripts and letters of reference can be sent to the Program Director, Cyndee Lowe by email at cslowe@sentara.com or by mail at 2010 Health Campus Dr. Harrisonburg, VA 22801 with the attention of Sentara RMH Laboratory Schools.
Applicants must complete the following courses at an accredited institution of higher learning:
- 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of biology, to include microbiology
- 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of chemistry, to include organic chemistry or biochemistry
- 1 semester of college level mathematics
- Immunology is highly recommended
- Genetics is highly recommended
- Statistics and computer courses are recommended
- Students must have either a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college/university or be guaranteed one upon the completion of the clinical year.
Applicants who have met the minimum academic requirements more than seven years prior to application will be required to update by taking one course in biochemistry and one course in microbiology.
Admission criteria include a personal interview, analysis of college transcripts, review of recommendations and evaluation of a personal written statement. In addition, essential functions listed below are required for admission.
Degrees from colleges/universities outside of the United States and Canada must be evaluated by a foreign transcript evaluation agency acceptable to ASCP. Please visit the ASCP website for the most recent list of acceptable evaluation agencies for foreign transcripts.
NOTE: We will prepare you for the lab portion of the ASCP exam or any certification exam. We cannot change the non-lab (experience and/or undergraduate accreditation) requirement for any certification exam. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to sit for any exam.
Students are admitted twice a year for classes beginning in January and June.
Essential Functions
The following are essential functions required for admission to the program:
- Manual Dexterity: Ability to use hand(s) or prosthetic devices with coordination.
- Fine Motor: Ability to manipulate small objects with fingertips or adaptive devices.
- Mobility: Ability to maneuver in the laboratory, around instruments and in patient care settings.
- Vision: Ability to distinguish red, yellow and blue colors, distinguish clear from cloudy, and distinguish objects through a microscope.
- Speech: Ability to verbally communicate understandably in English.
- Hearing: Ability to adapt with assistive devices (i.e., phone receivers, hearing aid, etc.)
- Writing: Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
- Reading: Ability to read, understand and follow directions printed in English.
- Psychological stability: Ability to demonstrate the emotional health required for full utilization of the applicant's intellectual abilities. Must be able to recognize emergency situations and take the appropriate actions.
Students entering the Sentara RMH Medical Laboratory School must be able to sign the following statement:
I _________________ (name) attest that I have read and understand the essential functions of the Sentara RMH Medical Laboratory School, and I believe that I can, and am prepared to, meet these requirements.
It is strongly recommended that applicants have a minimum of a 2.6 grade point average on a 4.0 system. All prerequisite course work must be completed prior to admission to the program.
Please call 540-564-7232 or email CSLOWE@sentara.com with any questions you amy have. You can also dial 800-543-2201, ext. 47232.
Tuition
Tuition for the clinical year is $5,000. A scholarship may be offered by one or more of the clinical sites. A $100 fee is due upon acceptance into the program, the $100 is not refundable. An additional $150 graduation fee will be billed during the second half of the program. The tuition is refundable according to the Refund Policy.
Refund Policy
If a student withdraws from the program, a refund may be requested. Notice of withdrawal should be submitted in writing to the Program Director of the School of Medical Laboratory Science. (This refund policy applies to the $100 deposit and the $5,000 tuition).
The refund policy is as follows:
A. A student who enters the school but withdraws or is terminated during the first quartile (25 percent) of the program shall be entitled to a minimum refund amounting to 75 percent of the cost of the program.
B. A student who withdraws or is terminated during the second quartile (more than 25 percent, but less than 50 percent) of the program shall be entitled to a minimum refund amounting to 50 percent of the cost of the program
C. A student who withdraws or is terminated during the third quartile (more than 50 percent, but less than 75 percent) of the program shall be entitled to a minimum refund amounting to 25 percent of the cost of the program.
D. A student who withdraws after completing more than three quartiles (75 percent) of the program shall not be entitled to a refund.
A student applicant may cancel by written notice, their enrollment at any time prior to the first class day of the session for which application was made. When cancellation is requested under these circumstances, the school will refund all tuition paid by student, less a maximum deposit fee of $100. A student applicant will be considered a student the first day of class.