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How to Become a Medical Technician in Georgia

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

Steps to Becoming a Clinical Laboratory Technician in Georgia

The state of Georgia does not require that individuals be licensed, but laboratory facilities must be licensed by the state. The state does require that medical laboratory technicians be certified through a national organization such as the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) or the American Medical Technologists (AMT). The National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA) is also on the state list of certification agencies, but NCA merged with the ASCP Board of Certification, effective October 23, 2009.

The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) is the primary national accreditation body for Georgia medical technician schools.

Steps to Certification for Medical Technicians in Georgia

1. Complete an associate's degree or the equivalent in a relevant discipline that includes science and laboratory classes.
1. AMT certification
   • 60 hours of coursework from a regionally accredited college with 25 semester hours in science and laboratory experience OR
   • an associate degree from one of the online or campus based Georgia medical technician schools.
2. ASCP certification
   • An associate degree or 60 semester hours of academic credit from a regionally accredited college with one of the following:
1. Completion of an NAACLS accredited program within the previous 5 years
2. 6 semester hours each of chemistry and biology as part of the education program and CLA certification. This path is limited to individuals certified before 1982.
3. 6 semester hours each of chemistry and biology and successful completion of a 50 week U.S. military medical laboratory training course.
4. 6 semester hours each of chemistry and biology and three years of full time experience with at least 2 of those years under a board certified supervisor. The experience must be within the previous 10 years.
2. Upon completion of all degree requirements, apply for the national certification exam offered by ASCP or AMT.
   • Certification by AMT is valid for three years and must be renewed every three years through continuing professional development that meets the criteria of the Certification Continuation Program (CCP). The initial application for certification has a fee of $130.
   • You must be a member of ASCP, which costs $89 per year, but you must first pass the certification exam to become a member. The initial exam is $185. The initial certification is valid for three years and must be renewed every three years after that through the Certification Maintenance Program (CMP).

Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Medical Technicians in Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus and Savannah, Georgia may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including Atlanta Medical Center, Grady Memorial Hospital, WellStar Kennestone Hospital, and DeKalb Medical at North Decatur.

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