Volume 94 - Winter 2006	Download

NAACLS Approves Standards for the Clinical Doctorate by David D. Gale, PhD Chair, NAACLS Graduate Task Force

At the September 30, 2006 meeting of the NAACLS Board of Directors, the Standards of Accredited Educational Programs for the Clinical Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences were approved. This effort was the culmination of more than six years of study and planning on the part of NAACLS in cooperation with NAACLS stakeholder organizations.

What began with discussions at a Futures Conference in September 2000 developed into a formal study of graduate level entry for CLS. A second Futures Conference in October 2004 resulted in the appointment of a Graduate Task Force (GTF), whose charge began with a bibliographic review of patient and laboratory needs, as well as planning steps to develop Standards for a new profession in the clinical laboratory at the doctoral level. Please see NAACLS News, Volume 92, Spring 2006 Special Edition, for a list of Graduate Task Force members.

At a March 2006 Invitational Conference, the first draft of Standards was unveiled. Based upon comments and critiques offered at that conference, a Special Edition of the NAACLS News was distributed, articulating the rationale, history, role and function of a clinical doctorate. Based on the responses received from the Special Edition and from public input, an updated set of Standards was developed and presented to the NAACLS Board for approval in September 2006.

The members of the GTF reflected a broad spectrum of experience and responsibility in CLS education, in graduate education as well as administration and accreditation. The members recognize that doctoral education is significantly different from undergraduate education and requires standards and processes that provide for flexibility, creativity, discovery and autonomy but culminate in a highly skilled professional.

It has become clear that the Clinical Doctorate in CLS is very much needed to bridge gaps in the health care delivery system as well as to complete the career ladder for clinical laboratory scientists. Without this new professional, much of laboratory diagnosis, test interpretation, patient education and management will fall to individuals less qualified or even untrained in the clinical laboratory sciences.

In addition to the Standards and the Special Edition, the GTF has developed numerous documents to assist the public with understanding of the new professional. These include, but are not limited to, a full bibliography, an historical treatise, and required education and practice areas developed in cooperation with the ASCLS Professional Doctorate Task Force. Key documents are on the NAACLS web site and the others are available from NAACLS.

In addition, the GTF recommended to the Board a proposed initial accreditation process for the doctorate that differs somewhat from current NAACLS processes. It suggests achievement of Program Candidate Status, an optional focused site visit, and graduation of at least three students prior to submission of the
Self-Study before a full site visit.

At the April 2007 NAACLS Board meeting, a Review Committee will be assigned to finalize processes and begin to review applications. A survey of interested graduate level CLS programs has been completed by the GTF, and there are plans to develop documents helpful to potential program directors and faculty. It is likely that workshops could be provided on issues such as devel-opment of appropriate internships/residencies, program funding, coursework requirements, etc.

Questions and comments are still being invited and readers are asked to contact any one on the Task Force, the Board or the office for assistance.

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