About

The Medical Technology Program was established at the University of Texas Pan American in 1976. Prior to that time, the Biology Department offered a major in Medical Technology which required students to complete 90 hours of on-campus coursework. The students would then apply for an internship at an accredited hospital-based program. 

Two hospitals in the Rio Grande Valley maintained hospital-based programs, Valley Baptist Hospital and McAllen General Hospital (now McAllen Medical Center). Both programs were experiencing difficulties with program pass rates. Dr. Julian Castillo worked with the two local hospitals and agreed to establish a university-based program if the two hospitals would give up their hospital-based programs. Both hospitals agreed to the proposal, and the first class of the new university-based program began in July of 1976. 

The first class had ten students and utilized Valley Baptist Hospital and McAllen General Hospital as clinical affiliates. The Education Coordinators from the two hospitals, Judy Baughman and Ken Schill, were employed as full-time faculty. Dr. John Abraham was hired as the Program Director. Dr. Domingo Useda served as Medical Advisor for the Program. 

During the early years, the program did not have a dedicated student laboratory. Faculty and students used Dr. Savage’s microbiology lab in the old Science Building. Before each lab, equipment and supplies had to be transported back and forth between the Nursing Building (now Health Sciences and Human Services East), and the old Science Building (now Health Sciences and Human Services West). In 1978, one of the study rooms in the Nursing Building was remodeled to become the medical technology laboratory. This laboratory was not ideal, but it was the first real laboratory that the program had. There was no source of deionized water, and no autoclave was available to prepare the media. The laboratory was primarily equipped with donations of used equipment from hospitals in the Rio Grande Valley. 

In 1984, the program changed its name to Clinical Laboratory Science Program. The name change took place to reflect changing trends in the profession’s organizations. In addition, in 1989 Pan American University joined The University of Texas System and became The University of Texas Pan-American. 

In the Fall of 1992, construction started for an addition to the Nursing Education Building. The program had to temporarily vacate its laboratory and classes were again held in Dr. Savage’s microbiology laboratory in the old Science Building. In 1993, the program moved into a brand-new laboratory in the Allied Health Annex of the Nursing Education Building. This laboratory provided spacious new quarters and the addition of a preparation room. However, the program rapidly outgrew the existing facilities. The faculty began teaching a general service microbiology course for Allied Health and Nursing majors, and a laboratory methods course for the Physician Assistant Studies Program. It became obvious that increased space was necessary 

In 2015, The University of Texas Pan-American acquired The University of Texas at Brownsville to become  The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. 

In May 2021, the program was renamed once more as the Medical Laboratory Science Program. The name change reflects the title accepted in the certification exam by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) and used by other professional organizations. It also represents our important role as part of the Healthcare Profession. The MLS faculty take pride in the program’s legacy and will continue to provide the Rio Grande Valley with qualified medical laboratory professionals.