The Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science: A Projection of Professional Outcomes

Extract

At the meeting in conjunction with the 2007 ASCLS in San Diego, California, the Board of Directors (BOD) approved a recommendation from the Professional Doctorate Task Force (PDTF) as follows:

“That the ASCLS Board of Directors establish a transition committee during 2007-2008 to include members from the Professional Doctorate Task Force to oversee the continuing development of DCLS programs and practice, as well as the creation of guidelines defining a formal, statutory body to assume responsibility for the permanent oversight of advanced laboratory practice, certification, and recognition.”

This single step by the governing body of ASCLS has firmly set the direction of clinical laboratory science for the foreseeable future. This direction has placed the responsibility of leadership of the profession with the doctorate, the keystone clinical laboratory science (CLS) practitioner.^1. The purpose of this article is to discuss the projected professional ramifications of this direction. The professional doctorate cycle below serves as a useful organizing construct for this discussion.

As defined elsewhere, progress in the development of the steps in this professional doctorate (PD) cycle process, though displayed as linear, will occur concurrently, at different rates of development, and with a changing focus depending on (sometimes unforeseen) environmental influences, e.g., CMS regulations interpretations, competitive bidding development, changes in the scopes of practice of other healthcare professions.^2.

The ASCLS PDTF and the NAACLS Graduate Task Force (GTF) began the PD cycle developmental process during the years 2005-2007. A national debate was entertained that resulted in the conceptualization of the professional doctorate,…

ABBREVIATIONS: ASCLS = American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science; BOD = Board of Directors; CLS = clinical laboratory science; DRC = doctorate review committee; DCLS = doctorate in clinical laboratory science; GTF = graduate task force; PD = professional doctorate; PDTF = Professional Doctorate Task Force