Clinical technologists analyze blood and other tissues.
Physicians rely on medical and clinical laboratory technologists to provide them with crucial diagnostic assistance. Laboratory technologists are trained to analyze blood and tissue samples, searching for health and risk factors such as parasites, drugs, chemicals or other abnormalities. This is a brief categorization of the hundreds of training programs available.
Associate's Degree Programs
Associate's degrees are awarded in two-year programs, offered by a range of vocational and technical schools, community colleges and some universities or hospitals. This is the minimum requirement for a laboratory technologist. An associate's degree in science includes foundational courses in general science and the humanities, including some form of written English, aside from specifically health-oriented course work. Supervised clinical experience is also an important part of the program. Associate's degrees are now seldom seen among technologists, as most employers prefer a bachelor's degree.
Bachelor's Degree Programs
Baccalaureates typically require four years of study at a university, technical school or teaching hospital. Although the first two years are very similar to an associate's degree program, students benefit from a wider range of course work and additional clinical experience. Course work will typically include subjects such as chemistry, microbiology and statistics, as well as some management and administrative subjects. Students may choose to focus their training on one specialized area of practice or earn some knowledge of the widest possible range. Both employment strategies have their advocates.
Graduate Degrees and Advanced Clinical Specialization
Advancement for clinical technologists is driven by a combination of experience and higher education. Some return to school in search of advanced clinical specializations, such as histotechnology or cytogenetic technology. Others select a career path in management, by earning either an MBA or a master's degree in one of the related biological sciences. Those who aspire to careers in research, laboratory direction or academia are best served by a doctoral degree in one of the biological sciences.
Certification and Credentialing
Professional certification is also necessary for most careers, and is offered by various bodies including Board of Certification of the American Society for Clinical Pathology or ASCP, the American Medical Technologists and the Board of Registry of the American Association of Bioanalysts. Many current technologists were also certified by the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel, which has since merged with the ASCP's former Board of Registry. Each clinical specialization has its own credentials, which must be maintained by a regular process of professional development.
Tags: analyze blood, associate degree, Associate degrees, biological sciences, Board Registry, clinical experience, Degree Programs
