Clinical laboratory technicans help diagnose diseases.
Clinical laboratory technicians, also known as medical laboratory technicians, generally work in labs helping analyze patient blood work and other body fluids. This helps to detect and diagnose diseases in a patient and may help their treatment as well, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Due to the nature of the work, many employers prefer to hire individuals who have a certification as a clinical laboratory technician over those who do not.
Basics
Every certification for clinical laboratory technicians has their own specifications for attaining the credential; however, there are a few basics that most certifications have. First, most certifications have an application that you must submit. This application generally has a fee that you need to submit along with it. Certifications for clinical laboratory technicians also have eligibility requirements and/or an examination that you must pass to receive the credential. Lastly, certifications generally require maintenance by paying annual fees and/or completing continuing education credits.
Organizations
According to the BLS, there are a number of organizations that have certifications for both clinical laboratory technologists and technicians. When you visit their website, be careful to select the certification for technicians. Some of the organizations offering these certifications are the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), the American Medical Technologists (AMT) and the Board of Registry of the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB).
Eligibility
Many of the certifications require you to have an education for clinical laboratory technicians. To be eligible for the clinical laboratory technician program through the AMT, you must complete either a college program or professional school. For the college or university program, you must have at least an associate degree in medical terminology or a minimum of 60 semester credits (25 of which are related to clinical laboratory technicians). For the professional school option, you need to graduate from an U.S. Department of Education-approved medical laboratory program or one that has been approved by a regional or national accrediting organization or commission.
Examination
ASCP’s examination for their clinical/medical laboratory technician provides a good of example of what you may see on other certification tests in this field. Their exam tests you on topics about blood banks, chemistry, hematology, immunology, laboratory operations, microbiology and urinalysis and other body fluids. As of June 2010, the largest part of the test with 23 percent of the questions is on chemistry, according to ASCP.
Fees
The AAB credential for clinical/medical laboratory technicians has required fees to attain their credential, much like many credentials from other organizations. The AAB requires you to pay $95 for the application fee and another $125 for the generalist examination, as of June 2010. According to AAB, there is an additional $20 fee that goes for the exam's proctoring. If you wish to take a test in a specific field, versus the generalist exam, it cost $70 for the first specific test and $40 for each other test you wish to take.
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