Have you ever wondered…

1. Have you ever wondered… • What happens to the blood sample you give at the doctor’s office? • How do doctors diagnose disease? • How can you have a rewarding career helping others?

2. Welcome to the world inside the medical laboratory. It’s a world where medical laboratory professionals find answers to these questions and more. In the laboratory, a highly-skilled medical team of pathologists, specialists, technologists and technicians work together to determine the presence, extent or absence of disease and provide valuable data needed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. The fact is, the practice of modern medicine would be impossible without the tests performed in the laboratory.

3. Who works in the laboratory? • Phlebotomy Technicians • Histologic Technicians • Histotechnologists • Cytotechnologists • Medical Laboratory Technicians • Medical Technologists

4. These professionals ... • are problem solvers • like challenge and responsibility • are accurate and reliable • work well under pressure • communicate well • set high standards for themselves • are fascinated by science

5. Phlebotomy Technician The phlebotomy technician works directly with patients. They have the important responsibility of collecting blood specimens from patients. They must be accurate and excellent communicators. The phlebotomy technician must set high standards for themselves and be deeply committed to quality healthcare delivery.

6. “As a phlebotomist, I interact with patients, so they see me as the “face” of the laboratory. I work with patients in the hospital and those who are homebound. I love the variety of people I serve every day.” Marilee Derr, PBT(ASCP)

7. Wage and Vacancy Rates In 1998 the average phlebotomist earned $9.00 per hour; an increase of $1.60 per hour from two years before. Because there were not enough certified phlebotomists, 12.3% of phlebotomy positions went unfilled.

8. Where does a Phlebotomy Technician work? • Laboratory • Physician Office • Hospital • Insurance Companies • Home Health • AND MANY OTHER PLACES!!

9. How can you become a Phlebotomy Technician? • You need to have a excellent communication skills and want to work with patients. • You must earn an high school diploma and complete a NAACLS accredited phlebotomy technician program or have acceptable work experience. • You need to be sure to take the certification examination given by the Board of Registry of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.

10. Medical Laboratory Technician The medical laboratory technician works in all areas of the clinical laboratory and searches for basic clues to the absence, presence, extent and causes of diseases. Medical laboratory technicians are dedicated and self-motivated to do their part in providing the highest quality patient care.

11. “I had been looking into going to medical school before learning about this field. I originally chose this career as a stepping stone, but it has turned into so much more. I especially like to find out the “whys” in disease diagnosis.” Tracy Donahue, MLT(ASCP)

12. Areas of the Clinical Laboratory • Hematology & Coagulation • Clinical Chemistry • Immunohematology • Microbiology • Urinalysis • Serology • Parasitology & Mycology

13. Hematology

14. Coagulation

15. Clinical Chemistry

16. Immunohematology

17. Microbiology

18. Urinalysis

19. Serology

20. Parasitology & Mycology

21. Wage and Vacancy Rates In 1998 the average medical laboratory technician earned $12.90 per hour; an increase of $2.50 per hour from two years before. Because there were not enough certified medical laboratory technicians , 11.1% of medical laboratory technician positions went unfilled.

22. Medical Laboratory Technician- #18 on the best job list According to Jobs Rated Almanac, by Les Krantz, medical laboratory technician has 15% job growth, very low unemployment and good job security. Among health care professions, it ranks #4.

23. Where does a Medical Laboratory Technician work? • Hospital Laboratory • Physician Office Laboratory • Reference Laboratory • Fertility Clinic • Pharmaceutical Company • Research Laboratory • Veterinary Laboratory • AND MANY OTHER PLACES!!

24. How can you become a Medical Laboratory Technician? • You need to have a solid background in biology, chemistry, math and computer science. • You must earn an associate degree and complete a NAACLS accredited medical laboratory technician program. • You need to be sure to take the certification examination given by the Board of Registry of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.

25. Thank you and for more information, please contact: • American Society of Clinical Pathologists Board of Registry Box 12277 Chicago, Illinois 60612-0277 • Email: bor@ascp.org • Web site: http://www.ascp.org/bor