Oops, you're using an old version of your browser so some of the features on this page may not be displaying properly.

MINIMAL Requirements: Google Chrome 24+Mozilla Firefox 20+Internet Explorer 11Opera 15–18Apple Safari 7SeaMonkey 2.15-2.23

Recommendations for a Molecular Diagnostics Curriculum

The Association for Molecular Pathology publishes curriculum recommendations for medical laboratory scientists
25 Apr 2014
Targeted Therapy;  Bioethical Principles and GCP;  Translational Research

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) released a report on 22 April, 2014 in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics with recommendations for a molecular diagnostics curriculum at both the baccalaureate and master's levels of education. The report was prepared by the Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) Curriculum Task Force of the AMP Training and Education Committee.

Addressing the growing and changing realm of molecular diagnostic testing

Sara Taylor, PhD, Task Force Co-Chair and a first author on the paper said: "Our goal was to address the critical need of educating future medical laboratory scientists appropriately in order to manage the rapidly growing and changing realm of molecular diagnostic testing".

The challenge, as stated in the report, is to balance the requirements of accreditation, certification, and the needs of the job market. To address that challenge, the recommendations are based on input from three key elements: 1) the USA National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) guidelines for accreditation of molecular diagnostics programs; 2) guidelines of several key certifying bodies for clinical laboratory scientists; and, 3) feedback from current employers of molecular diagnostics scientists via a survey of AMP members.

In addition, the curriculum recommendations are directed towards three major academic levels of laboratory scientists who perform molecular diagnostic testing - the generalist MLS/CLS, and both the bachelors and masters-level lab scientists with specialised molecular training.

AMP concluded that up-and-coming molecular diagnostic laboratory scientists should complete an NAACLS accredited training programme, then become certified or licensed in their state of employment.

The specific curriculum recommendations, if adopted, will prepare tomorrow's medical laboratory scientists for the reality that molecular diagnostics are an integral and growing part of the clinical diagnostic laboratory.

"As the organisation that is home to all molecular diagnostic professionals, AMP has a responsibility to help guide the training for future molecular technologists," said Elaine Lyon, PhD, AMP President. "The demand for specially-trained scientists who are capable of performing high complexity testing is growing. The recommendations set forth by the MLS Task Force will help to support the rapid advances in genomic technology and techniques."

Additional curriculum recommendations for fellows and residents are currently being developed by AMP and will be released in the coming months.

The AMP was founded in 1994 to provide structure and leadership to what was, at the time, the newly-emerging field of molecular diagnostics and during the years has established as the resource for expertise, education, and collaboration on what is now one of the fastest growing fields in science.

Reference:

Taylor S, Bennett KM, Deignan JL, et al. Molecular Pathology Curriculum for Medical Laboratory Scientists. The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics 2014; 16(3): 288-96. 


Last update: 25 Apr 2014

This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential, while others help us improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used.

For more detailed information on the cookies we use, please check our Privacy Policy.

Customise settings
  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and you can only disable them by changing your browser preferences.