How to Become a Medical Technician in Colorado

By allied health world contributing writer
Published: January, 9 2010

Steps to Become a Medical Laboratory Technician in Colorado

The state of Colorado does not require that MLTs have a state license. However, a review of job openings revealed that employers are looking for people that meet national certification requirements with the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP), American Society of Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) or the American Medical Technologists (AMT) certification, but ASCP seemed to be the most common.

MLT programs through Colorado medical technician schools should be accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). You can access a searchable database of accredited programs on their web site at http://www.naacls.org/. The Colorado Rural Health Center has some funding for scholarships and loan repayment, but loan repayment grants must go to an organization, not to an individual.

Steps for Certification

1. Complete an associate's degree or the equivalent in a relevant discipline.
   • For AMT certification, you can have either 60 hours of coursework from an accredited college with at least 25 semester hours in classes relevant to medical technology, including six months of laboratory experience, OR an associate degree from an accredited medical laboratory technician program.
   • ASCP has four possible routes to be eligible for certification. All require an associate degree or 60 semester hours of academic credit from a regionally accredited college. In addition to that, Route 1 requires completion of an NAACLS accredited program within the last 5 years. Route 2 requires 6 semester hours each of chemistry and biology and CLA certification. This certification was discontinued in 1982, so Route 2 is limited to individuals certified before that date. Route 3 requires 6 semester hours each of chemistry and biology and successful completion of a 50 week U.S. military medical laboratory training course. Route 4 requires 6 semester hours each of chemistry and biology and three years full time experience in certain fields within the past 10 years, with at least 2 of those years under a board certified supervisor.
2. Apply for the national certification exam offered by ASCP or AMT after completing all degree requirements.
   • The AMT certification is valid for three years and is renewed every three years through the Certification Continuation Program (CCP). The initial application for certification costs $125, but will increase to $130 effective January 1, 2010. You must be certified to be a member.
   • The ASCP certification is valid for three years and must be renewed every three years through the Certification Maintenance Program (CMP). Membership in ASCP is $89 per year and you must be certified by ASCP to be a member. The initial certification exam is $185.

http://www.amt1.com/
http://www.ascp.org/
http://www.ascls.org/

Medical Technician Schools in Colorado

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IntelliTec Medical Institute

[Campus]

Locations:

• Colorado Springs

Programs:

• Medical Laboratory Technician

Quick Summary: Start your career in health care at IntelliTec Medical Institute.

CollegeAmerica

[Campus]

Locations:

• Colorado Springs
• Denver
• Fort Collins

Programs:

• Bachelor of Science Completion in Health Science (Online)
• Associate of Occupational Studies in Medical Specialties

Quick Summary: Other colleges make promises. CollegeAmerica delivers.

Everest College

[Campus]

Locations:

• Aurora
• Colorado Springs
• Denver

Programs:

• Medical General
• Associate of Applied Science - Surgical Technologist

Quick Summary: Leave that dead-end job behind with training from Everest College.

Colorado Technical University

[Campus]

Locations:

• Englewood
• Denver

Programs:

• Denver North - Associate of Science - Surgical Technology
• Denver - Associate of Science - Surgical Technology

Quick Summary: As the workplace becomes more competitive, employers are looking for more skills. Everything you need to excel in IT, Business, or Tech Management can be found at Colorado Technical University.

American Institute College of Health Professions

[Campus]

Locations:

• Denver

Programs:

• Diagnostic General Sonography

Quick Summary: If you have a degree, but don't have the career you want, our program is specifically designed for you. In less time than you might think and on a convenient schedule averaging just one day per week on campus, with our unique approach to ultrasound education, you could combine your Bachelor's Degree in any field or Associate's Degree in a Healthcare field with our Diagnostic General Sonography program and become a desirable candidate for positions in the field of ultrasound.