Technical Standards
Biomedical & Nutritional Sciences Admission, Continuation and Graduation
The goal of the University of Massachusetts Lowell Department of Biomedical & Nutritional Sciences is to prepare entry level practitioners in clinical laboratory and nutritional sciences. This preparation specifically requires the accumulation of scientific knowledge and essential skills necessary to accurately and safely work in a variety of clinical, industrial, research and academic settings.
The faculty of the Department of Biomedical & Nutritional Sciences has the responsibility to accept and graduate students who are well educated and possess the qualities of critical thinking, sound judgment, emotional stability, maturity, mental stamina, and empathy. In order to fulfill this responsibility, the faculty of the department maintains that certain minimal essential functions must be met in a timely manner by every applicant, with or without reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students who feel they may not be able to meet one or more of the Essential Functions described below should contact their faculty adviser or Program Director for clarification.
Communication skills
- Communicate effectively in written and spoken English
- Comprehend and respond to both formal and colloquial English person to person, by telephone, and in writing
- Appropriately assess nonverbal and verbal communication
- Maintain body language that portrays alertness, confidence, interest and a professional demeanor
- Relate to students, instructors, patients, and members of the healthcare team, demonstrating calmness and reasoned judgment
Large and small motor skills
- Move freely from one location to another in physical settings such as clinical laboratories, patient care areas, schools, corridors, and elevators
- Use computers in data entry, administration, and education with facility
- Perform delicate manipulations of specimens, instruments, and tools with facility and accuracy
- Grasp and release small objects (e.g. test tubes, pipette tips, microscope slides and coverslips); twist and turn dials/knobs (e.g. on microscopes, balances, centrifuges, spectrophotometers)
- Manipulate other laboratory materials (e.g. reagents and automated pipettes)
Professional and application skills
- Follow written and verbal directions
- Apply mathematical skills necessary in job related problems
- Work independently and with others under time constraints
- Prioritize requests and work concurrently on at least two different tasks and react to changing roles quickly
- Maintain alertness and concentration during a normal work period
- Apply knowledge, skills, and values learned from course work and life experiences to new situations
- Exercise good judgment, function effectively and display flexibility under stress, (eg. frequent interruptions, noise levels and unexpected situations)
- Recall, interpret, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and then apply the information obtained from reading, lecture, and discussion materials
- Show respect for self and others
- Project an image of professionalism including appearance, dress, and confidence
- Function effectively using all necessary skills under normal working conditions
- Recognize emergency situations and take appropriate actions
- Work safely with potential chemical, radiological, and biological hazards using the standards established in the department chemical hygiene plan, safety manual, and the blood-borne pathogen policy
- Problem solve and comprehend spatial relationships of structures
- Follow all institutional, local, state and federal regulations related to the medical laboratory
- Students must have the ability to complete reading assignments and search and evaluate the literature
- Maintain student and patient confidentiality
Other physical requirements
- Identify and distinguish objects macroscopically and microscopically, including color and clarity
- Read charts, graphs, and instrument scales/readout devices accurately
- Lift and move objects of at least 20 pounds
- Distinguish objects by touch and temperature
Essential Functions adapted from: Body of Knowledge, American Society of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 1998.
No applicant with a disability is required to disclose that disability as part of the application process. If reasonable accommodations and/or academic adjustments are required based on a documented disability it is the student’s responsibility to contact Disability Services.