College’s MLT Program grads post top pass rate on board exam
For the eighth consecutive year, students in the Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) Program at Meridian Community College have achieved a 100 percent pass rate on their national board of certification (BOC) examination.
Students in the MLT Class of 2026 included Shayla Long, Precious Jenkins, Bailey Moore, and Haley Coody.
“This achievement is an indication of the impressive amount of hard work and dedication students maintain throughout their two years in the MLT program. The knowledge that they will be providing excellent ‘behind-the-scenes’ care for patients in healthcare facilities across Mississippi and other states is what drives students in the MLT program to succeed,” said Sheila Johnson, MLT program coordinator and instructor. Krystal Holifield is MLT Program clinical coordinator.
While in the MLT program, students learn in classroom training, on-campus laboratory sessions, as well as hands-on training at clinical affiliates. With recent additions of instrumentation and technology which replicate that seen in clinical laboratories, the MLT program is able to provide students with a broader understanding of the laboratory profession, Johnson said.
Graduates move into the field of laboratory medicine with a strong and comprehensive background pertaining to both the hands-on skills and knowledge needed to become a part of the laboratory team.
Due to the availability of MLT positions across the United States, graduates of the MCC MLT program are able to secure a job often before they have graduated, Johnson noted.
“With the opportunity to work in a hospital laboratory, public health laboratory, physician’s office (clinic) laboratory, blood donation centers, reference laboratory, in addition to other laboratory settings, the skills and knowledge students obtain as an MLT are always in demand. The consistent and continuous need for qualified laboratory professionals is why MLTs will always serve in a vital capacity within the healthcare system,” she added.
For more information about the College’s MLT program, visit meridiancc.edu/mlt.