PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Carvalho, John
TI  - Importance of Clinical Microbiologists for U.S. Healthcare Infrastructure
AID  - 10.29074/ascls.24.3.136
DP  - 2011 Jul 01
TA  - American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
PG  - 136--141
VI  - 24
IP  - 3
4099  - http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/24/3/136.short
4100  - http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/24/3/136.full
SO  - Clin Lab Sci2011 Jul 01; 24
AB  - Clinical microbiologists are highly skilled scientists within national hospitals and reference laboratories who diagnose patients with infections by emerging pathogens. Most advanced training for clinical microbiologists occurs at universities, where an individual can receive certification as a “Medical Laboratory Scientist” (MLS). Unfortunately, many MLS programs have closed in the United States and this has caused a shortage of clinical microbiologists at U.S. hospitals and reference laboratories. This paper explores the present crisis in MLS training and its ramifications for the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the economics of hospitals, and the overall health of the nation, and provides resolutions for better public health policy with respect to MLS education.