The Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science: the Keystone Practitioner for the Profession

Elizabeth Kenimer Leibach

doi:10.29074/ascls.20.1.4

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Elizabeth Kenimer Leibach⇑
1. is Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical and Radiological Technologies, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta GA

Address for correspondence: Elizabeth Kenimer Leibach EdD MS CLS MT(SBB), Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical and Radiological Technologies, EC 2437 Medical College of Georgia, Augusta GA 30912-0500. (706) 721-3046, (706) 721-7631 (fax).ekenimer{at}mcg.edu.

Extract

So many world events characterize these times as revolutionary it's appropriate that clinical laboratory science would evolve, during this decade in this new millennium, into a self-defining, self-determining, and self-sustaining profession with the introduction of the keystone degree, the professional doctorate.

WHAT IS HISTORY…A national debate involving all interest groups within the clinical laboratory science (CLS) community occurred over the course of several years during which the profession determined that the “gap” in the healthcare delivery system defined laboratory practice as different enough from the practice of the baccalaureate entry level clinical laboratory scientist to warrant the design of a new practitioner. National professional debate also clarified that the academic level of this practitioner should be the doctorate, thus focusing further professional attention on creation of this terminal degree rather than on changing the professional academic entry level. This new practitioner is not the result of academic “degree creep”. The concept represents advanced practice built on expanded, complex knowledge of rigor comparable to established professional doctorates like the EdD, DO, JD, and MD.

During the course of professional debate, comprehensive assessments of the healthcare environment were conducted with input from both academia and practice. From these studies, convincing data were extrapolated defining multiple gaps in the healthcare delivery system that would benefit from a doctorally-prepared clinical laboratory practitioner able to apply knowledge, skills, and abilities from the clinical laboratory to administrative, public policy, and most important, patient care situations. Since laboratory information is estimated to comprise 60% of the…

ABBREVIATIONS: ASCLS = American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science; CLEC = Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference; CLS = clinical laboratory science; DCLS = doctorate in clinical laboratory science; PDTF =Professional Doctorate Task Force.