National Certification Examination

Critical to high-quality health care is the assurance that individuals performing laboratory tests are able to carry out their responsibilities in a proficient manner. These certification agencies provide a mechanism for Laboratory personnel to be recognized as having the necessary competence to perform the medical laboratory roles.

Therefore, laboratory personnel are most often certified by one or both of two professional organizations:

ASCP The Board of Registry (BOR) of the American Society for Clinical Pathology

ASCLS sponsors the National Credentialing Agency (NCA)
by The American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science

The credentials obtained for the two year graduate of a clinical lab science program will depend which certification the graduate obtains. The titles of either MLT(ASCP) or CLT(NCA) will be appropriate

• The ASCP certification refers to a Medical Laboratory Technician MLT (ASCP)
• The ASCLS sponsored certification refers to a Clinical Laboratory Technician CLT(NCA).

Upon completion of a B.S. degree program, an MLT/CLT would be eligible to certify as a Medical Technologist – MT(ASCP) or a
Clinical Laboratory Scientist- CLS(NCA). Licensure of Medical Laboratory Personnel varies by state. 

Licensure

Currently 13 states require licensure of Medical Laboratory Personnel.  The majority of these states recognize the national examinations mentioned above as well as the less used AMT (American Medical Technologists)  examination. 

For more information or to make an appointment, please contact:

Molly Saunders-Bloom, Program Director and Professor
301-784-5548
msaunders@allegany.edu

Stacey Rohrbaugh, Associate Professor
301-784-5547
srohrbaugh@allegany.edu