Medical Technician Certification—How to Get One?

In the healthcare industry, medical technicians are one of the highest paid professions. Moreover, medical technicians can work in different settings and facilities. They can work in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and nursing homes, among others. However, before a person becomes a medical technician, he needs to obtain first a medical tech certification.

A medical tech certification is only given to individuals who had only obtained and completed a medical technician training and had passed the exams provided for aspiring medical technicians. Furthermore, before being able to obtain a medical tech certification, a person needs to undergo first a medical technician training.

Individuals who wanted to undergo a medical technician training must present a high school diploma or it equivalent together with some aptitude tests in sciences. Contact the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) to ensure that the school and colleges enrolled into is accredited to offer programs on medical technician.

A medical technician training usually lasts for 2 years. Yet, there are some specialties that require a few years more, and some entails just less than 2 years. The subjects that might be included in the curriculum for the medical technician training are as follows: medical terminology, medical laboratory skills, medical clinical skills, basic life support, intravenous therapy, pathology, and human growth and development.

After rigorous lectures in the training, the aspiring medical techs are required to undergo the clinical internship. With this, they can apply what they learn inside the classroom. They will know how it feels to become a medical tech for real. The internships can be done in affiliated hospital and clinics.

After completion of the training, the future medical techs will have to pass the examination for medical technicians provided by every state. They can also obtain medical tech certification from the American Medical Technologists (AMT). The AMT will contact the applicants for their examination date.

Moreover, the applicants can request study guides from AMT for their examination. These guides will help them in successfully passing the exam. When they are able to pass the exam, they can now be given a medical tech certification. This medical tech certification is a key to finding a job perfectly if not that quickly.

There are lots of career options for a medical technician, which are also known as clinical laboratory technicians. The options differ with the tasks and specializations. The choices are as follows: Histotechnician, Surgical technician, Medication technician, Dialysis technician, Radiology technician, Medical lab technician, and Ultrasound technician. The career options mentioned typically work under and function under the supervision of laboratory managers, medical technologists, nurses, and or physicians.

Possessing a medical tech certification gives any individual an edge over other applicants because the medical tech certification is a proof that they know their job, they are capable of doing the tasks, and of course, they are certified. Also, through the medical tech certification, medical technicians can demand higher salaries from their employers. Nevertheless, being a medical technician is not just about high salaries, just like any other healthcare profession, it needs to have heart for others.

Sterilization Technician Certification

A sterilization technician is a worker in the medical field who contributes in health care through preparation of medical equipments to be used by health care professionals. The responsibility of a sterilization technician, also known as a central sterilization technician, is to handle, assemble, clean, package and test a range of medical equipments and surgical instruments. It is also within their duty to have any procedures involving sterilization with heat and chemicals. Sterilization technicians are in need by many hospitals and medical facilities nowadays and this medical career is becoming increasingly popular among individuals desiring to work in a healthcare facility.

In order to be a sterilization technician, one must first be qualified by possessing a sterilization technician certification. A sterilization technician certification can be acquired after completing the application process, which involves completion of requirements, training programs, payment of fees and passing the certification exam.

The level of education essential in acquiring a sterilization technician certification includes a high school diploma or a GED and completion of training from a college, a technical school or a sterilization technician training program. The training and education given by the educational facilities include classes on anatomy and physiology, care of patients, heath safety and quality control, medical and surgical technology, equipment management and sterilization process.

In order to obtain a sterilization technician certification, the organizational bodies of IAHCSMM or International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management and CBSPD or Certification Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution will review the requirements. The organizations’ basic requirements, aside from what has been mentioned above, include payment of fees and a sterilization technician certification exam.

A job as a sterilization technician pays quite well for any individual. A novice in the job can already receive a salary up to nine dollars per hour. Sterilization technician certification with more years of experience can make twelve to seventeen dollars per hour.