The Impact on Hospital-Based Programs If the CLS/MT Entry Level is Advanced to a Masters Degree


The CLS/MT profession stands at a crossroads: Should the entry level to the profession be moved to the Masters Degree level? Many hours of research, thought and debate have surrounded this question since its first airing and there are still many hours to follow. If the decision is made to move the entry level to a Masters Degree for a CLS/MT, the impact on hospital-based programs will be significant. Currently, hospital-based CLS/MT programs comprise about 48% of the active CLS/MT education programs in this country. However, their graduates represent from 25 - 30% of those entering the profession each year. Typically these programs are affiliated with colleges and/or universities in 3+1 agreements and are designed to have students who are enrolled in CLS/MT programs at the college or university to complete their education by finishing the senior year in a hospital-based program. The move to Masters Degree entry level would eliminate this 3+1 avenue. The premise on which hospital-based programs exist would no longer be valid. Hospital based programs, in most instances, could not be the providers of the didactic portion of the CLS/MT education. Regional collegiate Accreditors of masters degree level education usually require didactic education to be done by those holding terminal degrees in the field, e.g. those holding doctorates. Since the majority of individuals who currently teach in hospital-based programs do not yet have these degrees, all or most of the didactic education would be done at the university level.

What role would the hospital-based programs play if the entry level is a masters? The most likely scenario would be for the hospital to function as a clinical affiliate, providing the laboratory experiences for the students. Clinical affiliation agreements would need to be developed which would reflect the roles each would be responsible for fulfilling. In addition, new professional relationships would be necessary since the universities, which currently have 3+1 programs at the undergraduate level, would need to move their programs to the graduate level. A question that needs to be answered is how many of the universities which currently have 3+1 programs would be interested in establishing a program at the Masters level? If a significant number of undergraduate 3+1 programs choose not to establish graduate programs, there could be significant loss of programs which could be problematic to the workforce shortage currently plaguing the profession.

Generally, hospital-based programs have been under pressure, due to a variety of economic factors, to justify the existence of their program to institutional administration. Those who have been successful in keeping their programs have used as part of their justification, the value of training individuals who potentially can fill vacant positions within the hospital. Each hospital would have to make a decision to function as a clinical affiliate (and hopefully attract graduates to their institution) or to eliminate ties with educational programs. Again, a careful analysis of the willingness of institutions to change their roles needs to be undertaken.

Another significant impact will be to those who currently hold the positions of program directors, education coordinators, and instructors in the hospital-based programs as part of undergraduate 2+2 and 3+1 programs. If these programs are eliminated by the transition of entry level to a masters degree, there will be no need for the majority of full-time and part-time workers currently in these hospital-based programs and for those teaching in undergraduate schools and who do not possess a terminal degree. For hospitals seeking to continue in an educational role, an individual would be needed who could serve as a coordinator between the institution and the college or university. This would, at most, require a part-time individual. Those individuals currently employed in hospital-based programs would need to transfer to other jobs with their current place of employment or find work elsewhere. An additional opportunity for employment might become available to those individuals with Masters and Doctorate degrees to teach in a university-based program.
Indeed if the decision is made to move the entry level to a Masters, then an avenue for entry into the field will be eliminated. Many questions still need to be answered regarding the desirability, feasibility and impact this change would have on the profession.
 

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