MP Overview of Program

Overview of the Molecular Pathology Program 

The Program accepts one class per year, beginning in the summer semester. Students are required to complete a one-year curriculum.  Completion of the curriculum according to the policies set forth by the State of Texas and the School of Health Professions will culminate in the award of the Master of Science in Molecular Pathology.  This curriculum consists of:

1. On-campus classes and laboratory sessions in the TTUHSC student laboratories. These courses are taught by Molecular Pathology faculty and guest speakers and are intended to prepare students for clinical preceptorship. Some classes are delivered online and taught by the Molecular Pathology faculty.

2. Online classes. Several courses will be administered online.
3. A graduate-level research project. This project is designed to give students the experience of performing diagnostic molecular research and presenting the data in various forms.
4. Clinical Preceptorships in affiliated laboratories. The Clinical Education Coordinator in cooperation with the clinical teaching staff directs the education of the students at the affiliate site. Clinical faculty will serve to instruct students in the application of theory and principles to patient testing procedures. The clinical preceptorship begins in March and ends in May. Students are assigned their clinical preceptorship site during the fall semester. This assignment is made in advance so students can make arrangements for moving. It is the student’s responsibility to find housing, meet all financial obligations, arrange for transportation, and (if desired) seek employment.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Molecular Pathology program is to improve the health of people by producing competent and compassionate molecular scientists by providing a high-quality relevant education with an emphasis on scholarly activity, research, patient care, and service, in order to meet the educational and clinical needs of the communities of West Texas, Texas, and the nation.

Vision Statement

The vision of the Program in Molecular Pathology is to earn regional and national recognition for excellence in graduate education.  We will progress toward achieving this vision by:

• Providing students with a specific educational background in molecular testing by utilizing a variety of educational resources and experiences.
• Providing a strong curriculum based on current needs.
• Maintaining the level and quality of instruction in the molecular science courses by including the most recent technological advances.
• Developing in students the professional attitudes and ethics required of laboratory professionals.
• Educating students on the merits of continuing professional development.
• Providing the region and the State of Texas with molecular scientists who can function at career entry-level and who can assume leadership roles as health professionals.

Departmental Organizational Structure

Chairperson

The Chairperson is directly responsible for departmental functions including serving as a liaison between the departmental personnel and the university administration, conducting performance evaluations, determining merit salary, assigning staff (administrative assistants and clinic coordinators) duties; mediating all personnel and/or student grievances; assigning and determining space utilization; coordinating faculty meetings; administering all departmental budgets and accounts payable with the recommendation from the Program Directors; determining course instructors; appointing committees; coordinating tenure and/or promotion applications; executing disciplinary actions per the University Operating Procedures Handbook, and reports to the School of Health Professions Dean.

Program Director

The Program Director (PD) is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the academic programs and clinical operations. Duties include: serving as the first point of contact for grievances, course scheduling, and facilities management; participating with the chairperson in annual performance appraisals; monitoring curricular requirements in accordance with NAACLS; maintaining outcome data for the academic and clinical programs; managing the department’s Quality Improvement processes; reviewing students’ academic records; and monitoring budgetary matters. Other duties may be assigned by the Chairperson.

Assistant Program Director

The Assistant Program Director (APD) assists the PD in duties associated with oversight of the program curriculum including assessment and evaluation of effectiveness. The APD also assists the PD in monitoring requirements in accordance with NAACLS. Additional duties include recruitment activities, student advisement, and the admissions process.

Clinical Education Coordinator

The Clinical Education Coordinator assists the PD with matters regarding the affiliates. Duties include developing and maintaining clinical affiliation agreements (i.e., contracts), assigning students to clinical sites, and meeting regularly with affiliate education coordinators. Other duties may be assigned by the PDs or Chairperson.

Laboratory Manager

The Laboratory Manager is responsible for setting up student laboratory sessions, instrument maintenance and troubleshooting, and managing day-to-day operations of the laboratory. The Laboratory Manager also assists the students in the technique and theory behind individual laboratory sessions. Other duties may be assigned by the PD.

Admissions Committee

The committee serves to review all undergraduate and graduate applications into the respective programs of study (i.e., pre-professional and graduate), coordinate graduate applicant interviews; recommend admission or denial to the Chairperson; maintain statistical information relative to student indices (e.g. grade point averages, etc.); execute all admission policies per faculty approval, and report to the Chairperson at each faculty meeting.

Advisory Committee

The Molecular Pathology advisory committee meets as needed to review the curriculum and discuss the evaluation of each program’s effectiveness. Evaluation of program effectiveness includes student course evaluations, employer’s surveys, national certification scores, and faculty input regarding curriculum and the admissions criteria for each program. The committee provides a unique perspective in the field of laboratory medicine.

Program Goals

It is the primary goal of the TTUHSC Molecular Pathology program to provide excellent graduate professional education in molecular pathology; it is the ultimate goal of the Molecular Pathology program to prepare students for career entry positions as diagnostic molecular laboratory professionals. The Molecular Pathology preceptorship will enhance a student’s knowledge in the clinical aspect of molecular diagnostics and in the application of laboratory theory and technique. The program goals are as follows:

1. To provide students with a broad educational background by using a variety of educational resources and experiences.
2. To provide a strong graduate curriculum based on current needs.
3. To maintain the level and quality of instruction in the molecular science courses by including the latest in technological advances.
4. To develop in students the professional attitudes and ethics required of molecular scientists.
5. To educate students on the merits of continuing professional development.
6. To provide the region served by the program with graduate diagnostic molecular scientists who can function at career entry levels and who can assume leadership roles as health professionals.

Program Affective Objectives

The student shall:

1. Follow biosafety regulations by practicing proper disposal of biohazardous material, as evidenced by complying with established safety regulations.
2. Exhibit interest in the laboratory assignments and lecture discussions through participation.
3. Help maintain a neat, clean, and orderly work area in all laboratories without being asked.
4. Demonstrate proper care and use of laboratory equipment, as evidenced by lack of breakage.
5. Attend classroom and laboratory sessions regularly and punctually.
6. Demonstrate preparedness for the laboratory by following directions and completing the tasks assigned with minimal need for additional instructions.
7. Cooperate by communicating with and helping other students.
8. Exhibit assurance and confidence in performing laboratory tasks.
9. Demonstrate integrity by recognizing and repeating questionable tests.
10. Act responsibly.
11. Accept instruction and constructive criticism maturely.
12. Show respect for other students, instructors, and patients.
13. Comply with the stated dress codes.
14. Demonstrate interprofessionalism through respect, collaboration, and appropriate communication with other healthcare professionals.

Career Entry Competencies

It is the ultimate goal of the program to prepare students for career entry positions as molecular scientists. Thus, specific professional competencies focused on preanalytical, analytical, and postanalytical knowledge are expected of graduates. The program strives, through educational methods, to incorporate all facets of quality laboratory practice into the students’ professional development.

At career entry, the Diagnostic Molecular Scientist will be able to demonstrate entry level competencies such as:

Professional Behaviors and Communication

• Demonstrate professional and ethical behavior along with effective interpersonal communication skills when engaging with various stakeholders.
• Establish effective interprofessional working relationships with other health care professionals, demonstrating comprehension of and respect for their roles and patient welfare.
• Recognize and appreciate the importance of engaging with an inclusive workforce through collaboration.
• Value and advocate for a workplace environment that fosters inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility.

Safety and Compliance

• Comply with government regulations and accreditation standards relevant to the respective discipline.
• Adhere to prescribed protocols for overall laboratory safety, biohazard containment, and waste disposal.
• Implement quality assurance principles to ensure the validity and accuracy of laboratory generated data.

Education and Research

• Acknowledge and respond to individual requirements for continuing education and development to foster growth and maintain professional competence.
• Provide instruction to users of laboratory services regarding appropriate procedures, test utilization and interpretation.
• Evaluate clinical research studies and data sets to assess applicability and validity.

Laboratory Operations

• Employ a logical and systematic problem-solving approach when identifying errors and/or technical issues with laboratory procedures and instrumentation.
• Apply principles of data security to safeguard laboratory and hospital information systems.
• Apply principles of quality assurance to ensure validity and accuracy of laboratory data.
• Recognize principles and practices of laboratory management as applied to clinical laboratory science.

Pre-Analytical Competencies

• Evaluate specimen collection, processing, and storage procedures in accordance with standard operating procedures.
• Ensure specimen integrity is maintained throughout the sample procurement process.

Analytical Competencies

• Adhere to written policies, processes, and procedures for analytical testing, analysis, and instrumentation maintenance.
• Evaluate and provide rationale for troubleshooting protocols in analytical testing when appropriate.
• Perform routine procedures in accordance with standard operating procedures.
• Apply quality control principles to analytical testing procedures, including instrument calibration, statistical analyses of control results, Westgard rules, and verification of reference ranges.
• Perform basic calculations, dilutions, and statistical analyses for procedures and analytical testing in the respective discipline.
• Apply theoretical principles of instrumentation to current methods of analysis.

Post-Analytical Competencies

• Perform all post-analytical procedures in accordance with quality assurance protocols and regulatory standards.
• Evaluate results for accuracy relative to quality control, patient history, specimen integrity, and overall clinical correlation.
• Report test results, including abnormal, STAT, and critical values, in accordance with the laboratory’s standard operating procedures.

(Adopted October 2024 Standards - Diagnostic Molecular Scientist NAACLS)

Accreditation

The MP program is accredited by the National Accreditation Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) is located at 5600 N. River Road Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate, masters, doctoral, and professional degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, or call (404) 679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. The commission should be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support the institution’s significant non-compliance with a requirement standard.

A member of the Texas Tech University System, TTUHSC has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges as a separate institution from Texas Tech University since 2004. TTUHSC received its reaffirmation of accreditation from SACSCOC in 2009. The next reaffirmation is scheduled for 2029.