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How does a Medical Laboratory Technician advance to a Medical Technologist?
Question : How does a Medical Laboratory Technician advance to a Medical Technologist?
I’m asking this question b/c my med technologist program has closed down and only a med technician program remains at local comm. college. I know most Med Technologists have a bachelors (I already have a bachelors in biology). Once I become certified as a medical technician can I later become a medical technologist through years of experience? Can anyone offer some HELPFUL advance? Thanks.
I NEED ADVICE FROM EITHER A MT OR MLT PLEASE.
medical technician
Best answer:
Answer by Diane A
No. You need to graduate from an approved med technologist training program. If you have a BS already, look around for another training program and do the full med technologist-its only 1 year. Don’t waste your time or money in the tech program.
In order to qualify for the MLS (ASCP) exam (medical laboratory scientist, formerly known as medical technologist) you’ll need to either complete a NAACLS approved school of medical technology/clinical laboratory science (exam route 1) or, if you have the MLT (ASCP) certification and a BS degree including the appropriate coursework you can sit for the exam with 2 years total experience in hematology, chemistry, blood bank, microbiology, and immunology (route 2). The latter may be difficult to accomplish since most floating positions are between 2-3 departments at most. If you can’t find an MT/MLS program and don’t have the MLT(ASCP) certification you can use route 4 (BS degree only) which requires 5 years of experience, total, in each area.
If you can’t find a good MT program and you’d like to advance a little faster, there is an increasing popular option that doesn’t require you sit for the MLT (ASCP) first. If you can get your foot in the door of a medical laboratory or small clinical lab as either a laboratory technician/assistant or uncertified MLT (in states that don’t require licensure), after some experience you can begin working towards a “categorical” certification. The newer “categorical” exams certify one to work as a technologist/scientist in a particular field only. For example, the M(ASCP) (technologist in microbiology) requires a BS degree and 1 year of experience in microbiology. But, in another area you’d only be qualified to work as an MLT. There are similar exams for hematology, chemistry, blood bank, molecular biology, and cytogenetics. Pursuing one of these routes means you’d be on your own to familiarize yourself with the material. Without a structured program it helps to work with an MT program director, MT/MLS, or laboratory manager. You’d need some guidance in order to know what to study and you’d probably also need a rotation through any areas that are technologist only (performing high complexity testing). It’s a good option if you have a definite area of interest you’d like to pursue and are confident you’re not going to move into a different medical laboratory field.
Despite the shortage of medical laboratory professionals, good MT schools have been shutting down at an incredible rate due to lack of interest or knowledge of the field among high school and college students. For those who can’t find or get into one of these programs, there’s no one perfect way into the field. So, it’s up to you to decide which route is right for you. Check out the link below for the technologist/scientist level ASCP exam routes.