Various Phlebotomy Degree Options

Experienced medical professionals who draw blood are called phlebotomists. They are an integral member of a laboratory team, especially in large facilities like hospitals. It is much more efficient to have one person with considerable skills in drawing blood to specialize on the task, rather than have everyone taking blood specimen now and then. The motivation behind phlebotomy is to ensure the blood draw goes quickly and smoothly, but the task extends to safely withdrawing, testing, storing and cataloging blood sample for donation.

Because blood collection is needed in various areas and manner of medicine-related practices, phlebotomists have a wide range of career options. Their employment prospects can include assisting surgeons, managing blood drive, as a general practitioner, and a clinical laboratory technician. For someone to be a phlebotomy technician, however, they must meet certain education and certification requirements, such as a phlebotomy degree.

Phlebotomy Certificate

Acquiring a phlebotomy certificate would usually involve 6 months to 1 year of training or course program. Classes in a phlebotomy program usually include hematology, anatomy and physiology, clinical chemistry blood banking, and ethical medical issues. Certification requirements, however, differ from one state to another, and potential students must visit a state’s government page online to determine prerequisites. After the course program, students must take certification examination provided by certifying agencies, such as the American Society of Phlebotomy Technician, the American Society for Clinical Pathology, and the National Center for Competency Testing.

Associate Degree

Students can also enroll in an associate phlebotomy degree that would usually run between one and two years. This is a specialized undergraduate degree that will prepare students for an additional career in the medical field, such as a medical assistant or an EKG technician.

For students to graduate with an associate’s degree, they must complete 90 credits worth of classes. Coursework, especially in EKG-related practices, may cover basic clinical procedures, blood chemistry analysis and cardiac rehabilitation. Associate of Applied Science in EKG – Phlebotomy Technician degree program is offered at the Stratford University. During the 60-week training, students will learn how to draw and collect blood and urine samples, identify heart diseases, and operate a 12-lead EKG machine. While studying, students may be required to take part in an externship that will hone their skills outside the classroom setting.

Graduating with an associate’s phlebotomy degree will prepare students for a career in a private insurance office, blood bank, hospital or other medical facility they can expect to work full time or for 40 hours a week. If a phlebotomy technician acquires an associate degree while working this will give employers an impression of an employee’s commitment to the medical field. This will then open doors for phlebotomists to progress in their career resulting in better pay, greater job security, and higher credibility and self-esteem.

Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s phlebotomy degree is not available, related degree programs. Bachelor in medical technology or clinical laboratory science, for example, includes phlebotomy in its curriculum. A degree in clinical laboratory sciences prepares students to work in a blood bank or laboratory, performing tests on blood, tissue and other body fluids. Classes under the clinical laboratory science bachelor’s degree program include laboratory management, phlebotomy, urinalysis, laboratory math, infectious diseases, clinical microbiology and immunology, statistics, clinical chemistry, clinical biology, advanced blood banking, and coagulation.

To qualify for an undergraduate degree program in phlebotomy, aspiring students must be a high school graduate (or its equivalent), preferably with a 2.0 GPA or better. Specific performance goals in standardized tests may be required by technical schools or community colleges.