Doctor Of Medical Laboratory Science In Nigeria

In this article, we complied the necessary information you need to know about becoming a Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science in Nigeria.

What is a Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science in Nigeria.

The Doctor in Medical Laboratory Science prepares MLS professionals for advanced practice roles.

A Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science (DMLS) interacts directly with the clinicians, making patient connections as well as having important conversations with core members of the clinical team.

They create a critical interface between practice, research, and health care policy.
The roles of DMLS practitioners also assure the effective and appropriate use of lab tests and information, which could result in decreased costs, earlier diagnosis, and improved patient outcomes.

A DMLS degree holder works with health care providers, external and internal to the clinical laboratory, and integrates information from laboratory professionals.
By providing information to consumers and health care providers, the role of a DMLS degree holder is instrumental in providing safe, effective, patient-centered, and equitable health care as envisioned by the Institute of Medicine.

Students working toward a DMLS degree will take courses in disease overview and treatment, pharmacology, evidence-based medicine, laboratory utilization in health care, and others.

Those who possess a DMLS degree will be prepared to act as consultants to healthcare providers, serve as laboratory directors, educate patients and healthcare providers, perform and disseminate research on evidence-based practice and test utilization, and enter academic positions.

Doctor Of Medical Laboratory Science Degree In Nigeria

Sometime In the year 2009, when WAHO thought it necessary to advance the diagnostic sector across its member states by proposing this Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science speciality to train professionals to the highest standard, it sounded almost impossible. Their desire for the policy was for professionals to be able to function across the West African sub-region.

It is worthy of note that the medical laboratory science profession has moved from the certificate program (LABASS) where professionals were trained on the bench to an elite phase of the profession—Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science trained in universities and teaching hospitals. This became reality through the struggle of prominent personalities that got the profession to where it is presently.

There has never been a successful revolution in human history unless it was fought aggressively by people who were threatened by it.

The Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science (DMLS) program, known in other parts of the globe as “Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS)”, remained in the pipeline for a long time. It was anticipated that the program would be implemented sooner rather than later when the West African Health Organisation first conceptualised it in the year 2009.

What Exactly Would a Person Holding a DMLS Do

A medical laboratory practitioner with a DMLS will have the knowledge and stature to develop, implement, and oversee protocols for the appropriate ordering of laboratory tests and the use of laboratory information.

Also, this laboratorian will help in the diagnosis and treatment of the patient by providing knowledge to other healthcare professionals.

The Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science degree, MLS.D, which was introduced in Ghana some years ago.

The MLS.D is more clinically oriented with an expanded curriculum (advanced courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, evidence-based medical practice, and advanced laboratory operations (quality and management). In many African countries where there exists, in the current MLS training structure, a pseudo specialisation of sorts at the undergraduate level, the added year as proposed would equally help cover relevant topics in all specialties of Medical Laboratory Sciences compared to the current state where students focus on one speciality (for example, Haematology or Chemical Pathology) in the final 5th year of study.

This will undoubtedly contribute to producing better equipped and well-grounded medical laboratory scientists, well positioned to make diagnostic sense of the emerging and re-emerging diseases that the world is perpetually burdened with.

The MLS.D will no doubt perfectly capacitate the Medical Laboratory Scientist to improve test utilization (improving clinical outcomes and preventing wastage) (literature abounds on the problem of over-utilization and under-utilization of test results).

Dr. Brandy Gonsulus, who has an MLS (ASCP) and DCLS degree, recounted her real-life experiences as the first advanced practice DCLS in the US. She proved, with concrete evidence, how the addition of a DCLS to the Diagnostic Management Team at her facility led to better clinical and economic outcomes.

NUC Approved Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science

In 2018, the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) approved the curriculum for the MLS.D (Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science) programme.

Is There Doctor Of Medical Laboratory Science In Nigeria

Yes, there is a Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science in Nigeria. The Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science program is designed to run for six years, and there will no longer be specialization at the first degree. All ChemPath, Haematology, Medical Microbiology, and Histopathology courses in Year 5 under B.MLS have been restructured to fit into Year-5 and Year-6 of the MLS.D programme.

Upon graduation with an MLS.D degree, medical laboratory scientists will be well trained as general practitioners in MLS.
Those who have a B.MLS and wish to have an MLS.D will apply for Direct Entry and start from 500L, or if you don’t wish to, you can proceed to do your Master’s and Ph.D.