The true facts about MT salaries and pay

I've been reading too many threads and comments about how med techs do not get paid well. To those who may be thinking about becoming a med tech, let me give it to you straight. As everyone knows it’s all about the pay, yet when trying to decide on a career, or in school, or if you ask a working med tech about pay, people generally hate to discuss specifics about pay or how much they actually make.

First it depends on your location. Cities and areas around cities will pay more than rural areas. Go to www.salary.com, put medical technologist and your zip code in the search field, and it gives you a range of salaries in your area, the average salary per year, and even how your actual paycheck after taxes including if you're married or single will look like. This is one of the most accurate salary websites around. I say that because it basically gives me a number similar to my paycheck give or take a few hundred dollars.

I live in CA where the pay is pretty good. After 3 years of working as a MT(ASCP), I make about $65,000 a year at my full time day shift job. Combined with my per diem job where I work maybe 4-6 days a month, my salary is $80,000 a year.

If you work on a pm shift, hospitals give a differential anywhere from $1.50 to $3.00 more per hour on top of your base pay, which is not included in the pay ranges that you see on job websites. To those that don’t understand this, if your base pay is $28.50, but you work on a pm shift that has a $2.00 differential, you actually get paid $30.50 an hour. This differential is generally not looked at when they think about giving you raises or when you switch jobs to a different company.

If you work on a night shift, that differential is usually more than a pm shift, about $2 to $5 per hour on top of your base pay. Also, since labs are 24/7, you can have a full time job and a part time job, or my favorite the full time job and per diem. A per diem job is where you work whenever you feel like or on call whenever they need someone and you’re available to work. Generally, you can work a few days in the month or even just 3 hours a day here and there. Lots of per diems are flexible like this and it allows you to earn a little extra cash. Also, since per diem jobs don’t offer health benefits, they usually give you a higher base rate per hour. That is something to think about with your full time or even part time job as health benefits will decrease your hourly pay.

Hospitals generally pay more than research labs. In fact, the best pay is in large hospitals. Also, if there is a union there for either the technicians or the CLSs, the pay will generally be better. In CA, Kaiser Permanente, which has a union for CLSs is thought to pay the best in the area.

So, in conclusion, MT pay is location specific to a certain extent, but working a little extra or on a pm or graveyard shift will increase your pay. To generalize and say that MTs do not get paid well is ludicrous.

Why is it that MT's specializing in Micro seem to make less than an ASCP certified MT? (according to salary.com) Shouldn't specializing increase your pay rate?

I think it depends on what you mean by specializing. You can be an MT(ASCP)working just in the department of micro, blood bank, hematology, etc. and get paid the same as the title MT(ASCP). You could call yourself a specialist, but that doesn't mean you have the certification. Those figures in salary.com don't really point out if they mean if you're a certified specialist or not so I'm not sure.

Between the departments you really don't get paid more or less. Pay is mostly based on how much experience you have. In larger hospitals, they may force you to specialize or work just in one department while in smaller hospitals you tend to be a generalist.

I have heard that sometimes getting the specialist certification from ASCP may help increase your pay. That is, for blood bank the SBB(ASCP) on top of your MT(ASCP) would make you an MT(ASCP)SBB, can increase your pay since you are a certified specialist in blood bank. They also have SH(ASCP) and SM(ASCP) or specialists in hematology and microbiology. I am not sure if your pay is increased if you are one of those, though, and it probably is a case by case basis and depends on the hospital.

What it may help with if anything is to get a job in those particular departments over someone that isn't a specialist, which in this economy may be an advantage seeing as how many hospitals have frozen their lab hiring. It also would probably give you the chance to become a supervisor more easily if you have the specialist certification.

One thing I would mention is if you're going to get any certification or specialize in anything get the ASCP certification, as in MT(ASCP). All hospitals in the US recognize this.

Well it all depends on the location, and how cheap your hospital is. In CA you have to make 60K to survive. I work in PA and they are very low paid over here. Salary.com is pretty accurate if you can find a job. Most employeers would rather pay MLT lower wages than MT the hight wages, that is just economics 101. There is no restrictions for MLT here in the east coast. So I have to saying this from day one, they have to get rid of the MLT programs and make MT with cert (ASCP or NCA) to work in the clinical lab, the wages will be higher.

So you're saying on the east cost MLTs can verify and release results? Can they also issue and crossmatch blood? Can they also identify bacteria and release those results to doctors?

I highly doubt that. If they could, then there would be no difference between MT and MLTs and MLTs would get paid the same as MTs.

Please call any hospital in PA and ask them if they hire MLT and MT. And then call the Laboratory ask any MLT what there job duties are, they do EXACTLY the same thing as MT. That is what I have been trying to say. They can xmatch blood, issue, call results to doctors, speciate organims etc. They only have a ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN MLT. That is why I say that MT salary will never go up b/c they do the EXACT same thing as MT here in the EAST COAST. If you dont believe me call ANY hospital in PA. I work for one right now that and a majority of them are MLT. Here is the only difference, MLT CANNOT be departments supervisors or Lab Directors, and in my hospital MLT only do 15 hours of CE while me being a MT has to do 20 hours of CE. When I was looking for a job recently and I asked for 30/hour <mind you I have 5 years experience as a generalist with ascp cert> HR was looking at me like I was committing a crime. They know the pay is low for MLT so why on earth would they pay me 30/hour. Any other profession, if you have a RN degree with 5 years experience 30/hour no prob, or pharmacy, OT, PT, Respiratory, etc....

I've never heard of MLTs being able to release results to the floors. There always has to be an MT that checks the results and releases them. MLTs can only perform the results. PA seems to be pretty messed up in that sense.

I'm pretty sure that most of the country is like CA in that they don't allow MLTs to release results. It could be a state by state kind of thing. In CA, it's against the law for anyone other than MTs to verify and release results. An MLT can perform the results but they must always be checked by the MT before they are let go. Hence why MTs have a CA CLS license and MLTs do not.

Texas is the same way, I have worked at 3 hospitals and MLT can do everything that a MT does. The only difference is the pay, and MLT cannot be department supervisors or lab managers. Most of the MLT I work with work 3-5 years as a generalist and then take the BSMT ASCP exam when they get eligible just for higher pay. But the duties are EXACTLY the same.

yes the duties are exactly the same.. you are trapped in your own world Mr CA...

That is not the case in CA, and as I said I'm sure in other states. There is a critical shortage of MTs in the nation and this will drive salaries up even more. The average age of MTs is 50 and the number of edcuational programs for CLSs is going down. In 10 years labs will have a tough time filling their positions.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_technologist

"Although the Medical Technologist and the results they provide to the physician are essential to patient care, there is a crisis looming. According to an article in the October 2008 issue of "Critical Values" (Vol. 1, Issue 4), there is a swiftly approaching critical shortage of MT's. "The number of technologist/scientist and technician education programs has declined by more than 50% since 1970, with the most dramatic decline in technologist/scientist programs, 71% of which closed between 1970 and 2007. In contrast, the number of phlebotomy training programs increased sixfold from 1987 to 2003....The shortage of technologists/scientists and technicians is expected to worsen over the next decade with demographic changes and requirements." (Exerpted from "From Laboratory Medicine: A National Status Report," pg. 12-14).

The very next article "Awareness - The 'A' Factor" by P. Epner, states that "the average laboratory professional is believed to be almost 50. Given the number of new laboratory professionals needed due to increasing requirements for laboratory services and the number of employees within 5-10 years of retirement, demand is expected to far exceed the number anticipated to be available for hire" (pg. 15).

This bodes well for those seeking a career in science or allied health - there will be lots of job openings as the Baby-Boomers and Baby-Busters retire and make way in the lab for new staff. However, the burden on new inexperienced Med Tech's will worsen as the 60+ population increases and become greater consumers of health care in their "Golden Years," unless more people get trained for the profession....

...The best way to minimize this problem is to make secondary and post-secondary educators and advisers aware of both the benefits and the job security of degrees from accredited Med Tech programs, and advising their students to get informed about the profession. The number of students currently in training programs will not be sufficient to satisfy the vacancies and the increased work load just around the corner.

This phenomena is not only in the United States, so students with abilities in other languages may find their dream job being a traveling Med Tech (like a traveling Nurse), and be able to work around the world, while earning an embarrassing amount of money and per diem.

Yes, the job is hard and demands accuracy and a high ethical standard. And, yes, the job pays less than others in the medical field. And, yes, there are constant changes and challenges which face staff. But a degree in Medical Technology may open doors to high wages, travel, management experience, or even pave the way to another career, such as Pharmacy or Physician."

CLS48 in California said: That is not the case in CA, and as I said I'm sure in other states. There is a critical shortage of MTs in the nation and this will drive salaries up even more. The average age of MTs is 50 and the number of edcuational programs for CLSs is going down. In 10 years labs will have a tough time filling their positions.

I am glad CA is so restrictive. This is the way it should be for all 50 states. You pay indicates that they pay pretty well <i realize your in CA and the cost of living is crazy>. But you do get paid really well. Other states are NOT restrictive therefore hospitals will hire cheap labor <MLT> so they can profit and the MT will always have a lower salary. This is the problem that MT are faced with. This is why there is no interest in the field, this is why we have a shortage. There are 7 pharmacy schools here in texas and there are more opening up. Pharmacy pay there graduates well, and there is no way a hospital can pay a pharmacy tech to do the same as pharmacists. Unfortunetly this is not the case in the lab side. As the years progress people WILL get out of the profession b/c they pay is so low. With MLT in the work force doing to same duties, MT wages will never be high. So this profession is headed down a HORRIBLE path, schools are closing b/c there is NO INTEREST <LACK OF PAY>, there will be shortage, unless they make BSMT with cert manditory for the clinical lab, start paying 50K starting and increases well each year, there is no way any one would want to be in the field. This leads to hiring from OVERSEAS, so employeers will sponsor MT from other countries. So instead of PAYING WELL from the START, they would rather have a shortage IN THE US, then just give people VISA b/c they have to sign a 3 year contract to work. Probably for next to nothing....This is why we have a shortage.

I think it should be illegal for MLTs to release results everywhere. It doesn't make sense to me since they don't have the education.

The cost of living isn't that bad in CA. It costs about $1100 in a decent area for a one bedroom apt and gas is now only $1.89 or so a gallon. I'm sure food isn't that much different. Housing is also going down everywhere with the average in some places $300,000 for a nice house.

I suppose if you can call that cost of living expensive but I think it's reasonable.

Yes unfortunetly employeers only look to save money and keep increasing every quarter. Thats why they will always hiring cheaper labor, unless the government enforces rules that mandates only BSMT work in the clinical lab this will be the trend and the lab will always be poorly paid.

Well, salary.com has philadelphia CLSs making on average 60K. I think if you start at a job that pays low, you're kind of stuck there. The key is to try and start at the highest pay possible per hour. Then when you move to a different place they either give you a $1 raise or stay at your level. Rarely, will a new job offer you lower for the same level of position.

I probably make $2 more an hour than my classmates since I started higher than them and moved around to increase my pay. Stay away from reference labs and recruiters because they will just put a lag on your hourly rate. The real money is in the large hospitals.

If you start at an hourly rate lower than other CLSs, when you ask a new employer for a $2 to $3 increase in your hourly pay, they would probably laugh at you. Your new pay has to be on par with your old pay. The only reason why you would want to start at a low rate is if you can't find a job. However, if CLSs are scarce in your area then you probably can negotiate a higher pay.

In Ohio, mlts can release and verify information to the floor. Granted it depends on what kind of facility you work at: large hospitals vs small rural hospitals, who owns the hospital and where to cut corners etc. on the varying degree like some hospitals wont hire mlts in microbiology but let them hand out blood and blood products down the hall in immnohematlogy. From my experience in the mlt program I completed I'am scared to let some of my classmates that charm their way through the program work in a laboratory and most of the ones that charmed their way didnt cut it in a 4 year setting. While the ones that are the less charming and outcast but knew what they were doing in the program didnt get recommendations for positions before/during/after clinicals.
I myself would love to see the laboratory industry get their communications together and their egos out of the way to implement the following:
Licensing for all states
Limitations depending on MLT/MT staus and experience
One or no certification agency
If you are MLT but have a four year degree and a certain amount science credits after a year of experience sit for mt license and certification.
Pay must be addressed in ohio long term care lpn with no college degree makes more than an mlt with an associates....thats dishearting.

60K is about 29-30 per hour. I dont know any MT making that much. I know management does, but a regular tech does not make that much. Starting salaries here are for MT are 18-20 coming out of school and gradually moving up. There are MLT schools here so employeers would rather hire them at a lower wage thus decreasing our pay.

I worked at 3 hospitals here, and no MT makes 60K base salary. Maybe after shift diff and OT. Most hospitals here pay between 21-23 with 5 years experience.

All the big major hospitals around here now start at $31 per hour for new grads and can go up to $45 per hour with experience. This is after browsing different job ads.

MTs get respect in CA and that's how it should be. I believe it's because there is a large shortage of licensed MTs in CA and here, only MTs can release results. If only other states would follow our profession, we would have a better image. My hourly pay is now on par with many newly graduate RNs that have not specialized.

My last job I applied to, I asked for 30/hour, the HR was looking at me like I was crazy. Apparently there was no way to much than they would like to offer. I ask them what the base pay for MT with 10 years experience with ASCP. They said 23-25. I found out that most of the lab had MLT working in there, so there was the reason I never was offered what I asked for.

I'm moving to California !!!

Cost of living is also higher.

I'm now studying to become a MLT; I plan to move to California when I done and continue study for MT program online or off-line. Is there is any good school for MT in CA? I also want to know what all the big major hospitals starts for new MLT graduate. Please list names some of the Hospitals? I have never been to California; I want to know what is the best area to live with low crime. And do you think the salary I will make in CA will be enough compare to the cost of living there even If I will have a roommate?
Thanks!

California just started licensing MLTs. Their pay is generally $14 to $18 an hour. As for CLS schools in southern CA there is only Loma Linda and Cal St. Dominguez Hills. In northern CA I believe there are a bit more. As far as area it all depends. You probably can do research on which areas have lowest crime. The metropolitan areas like around LA and around San Francisco would pay the most.

I know that UC Davis Medical Center starts new grads at $33 an hour. UCLA and UC Irvine medical centers both start their new grads at $31.40 or something like that. Northern CA does pay more than southern CA. Kaiser Permanente is generally thought to pay the most because their CLSs are unionized. A CLS who I know that works at Kaiser says she gets $51 an hour plus $6 differential for night shift but she's been working for 20+ years. I've also heard from others that with experience the CLSs are getting in the high 50s.

As far as living expenses I'm not sure if it is all that expensive as people think. Depending on location a one bedroom goes for $900 to $1600 for rent. Even two bedrooms in different areas go for $1400. With a roommate you probably would pay $700 for rent.

With housing prices down you can get a 3 bedroom house for 200K in a decent area. If you make $31 an hour which is like 65K a year, you can easily pay $700 rent and live comfortably.

Thanks for all the info. I think the pay for MLT in Ca is a little bit low compare to Arizona. I saw that the Yuma Regional Medical Center started MLT 19.66-29.49 and MT $22.76-34.13.

They have to get rid of these MLT programs! I wish I can do 2 years and become a pharmacist or PT

I also wish I can do 2 years at a community college, become a pharmacist tech, then do a 2 year online course to become a pharmacist, PT. But I guess that is possible for MT.

Tasha Pastory in Blountstown, Florida said: Thanks for all the info. I think the pay for MLT in Ca is a little bit low compare to Arizona. I saw that the Yuma Regional Medical Center started MLT 19.66-29.49 and MT $22.76-34.13.

That is pretty good pay if a technician could hit $29. Way too overpriced in my opinion. The thing is, in CA anyone can be a "technician". A high school graduate with not even an associates can be a "lab technician" so their pay is low. The sad thing is, I know of people with bachelors degrees also working as technicians getting paid as low as any other technician without a bachelors.

As I said though, they just came out with the official medical lab technician licensure last year in CA where if you have a degree you can be certified in it. However, I think it will take awhile to raise the pay of technicians because hospitals are slow in that sense. Maybe 10 to 20 years down the road, there pay will also increase.

Wow, you guys sure do whine about MLTs a lot. I find myself wondering how many of you have ever considered that many MLT students use their Associates as a stepping stone to become an MT?

MTs here in Oklahoma get paid roughly what most of you have said (25-30 bucks an hour) while MLTs get paid anywhere from 16-20 per hour. MLTs can report results and do so competently. As a matter of fact, Mr. CLS48, the MLTs that I know here tend to be as competent as the full techs. They run the same tests, take care of the machines, deal with doctors, field ridiculous requests/questions that notoriously dotty nurses, etc...

There is some kind of weird bitterness and a strange hostility toward MLTs here. If this is the world of health care, especially that in a clinical laboratory, I feel for patients that count on people that behave in such a fashion.

And that, friends and neighbors, is what our respective fields are really about; patient care. Seriously, get it together and put aside your pettiness. This is supposed to be a team endeavor.

In CA, you can be a lab technician with just a high school degree and no training or classes in hematology, blood bank, micro, or chemistry. Personally, I wouldn't want such a technician to crossmatch a unit of blood for me much less release results out to the floors. This is why technicians aren't allowed to do so in CA.

CLS48 in California said: In CA, you can be a lab technician with just a high school degree and no training or classes in hematology, blood bank, micro, or chemistry. Personally, I wouldn't want such a technician to crossmatch a unit of blood for me much less release results out to the floors. This is why technicians aren't allowed to do so in CA.

Which is also why in most other states we have to go through at least two years of college, including a whole bunch of clinicals overseen by techs. I wouldn't want someone with only a high school diploma running tests either, but it's not like that in most places.

The shortage of MT, I have heard that for quite some time. In the meantime, 2 year degree nurses pay have bypass us starting 5 dollars more straight out of school with less education. And believe me, you can tell by the questions or demands they have. They have lower student loans to pay off and less knowlegde. The MT shortage is answered with more computers and automation and less MT's per shift. This is possible because we do not have direct patient contact. I would not recommend anybody to enter the field of MT unless you don't mind to make less money for the amount of science you need to know, long hours standing in noisy environment due to all of the equipment and get lower raises, otherwise I advise you to pick a profession that has patient contact and make more money with 2 year degrees. I myself like my profession but it is a slap in the face where we stand compared by other medical professions.

Flint let me ask you this, if employers had no option but to hire BSMT (ASCP) reguardless of the automation, dont you think MT salaries would have to be higher? If there are 2 year degree that can do the same thing as 4 year degree, employeers will always hire the lower pay to increase their bottom line. That is why PT, OT, Pharmacist have a set degree level to get into their field. PT have PT aides, Pharmacists have pharmacy techs, neither of those field have a associate degree so they can get into the field entry level "and move up as a stepping stone" in essence lowering people with higher degrees pay. That is why there is a shortage, noone wants to get into a field that someone with a 2 year degree can do the same job.

You are right,that is why some hospitals here in Michigan started to set boundaries for MLT and MT. MLT's can't work in bloodbank in a hospital in Detroit and here in Flint they cannot work on antibodies identifications and in micro they can't read plates. They shortend the education of RN from 4 to 2 year degree due to lack of nurses. There is no difference in starting pay between associate and bachelor RN degree, but there is with MLT and MT. At our place MLT starts around 17 dollars and MT around 23 dollars. Our lab hires mainly MT because of bloodbank but argues that our pay is lower because there is no patient contact, we are not in view or as much in demand as nurses, but they do close ER when our instruments are down, or longer TAT's, so can they still use that argument to justify our pay?

Flint,in PA MLT can do EVERYTHING except as the role of department manager or laboratory director. We have a senior tech in our BB now that is only a MLT. These are the issues we are facing. You said a MLT makes 17, so if a MT with experience asks for 30, there is no way that the MT will get that salary b/c at least here, MLT can do everything so they would rather save money rather than paying someone with more experience and a higher degree. On the other hand if you have a pharmacist that asks for 50 per hour or a PT that asks for 35 per hour they have no other choice but to pay the qualified individual b/c in those careers that do not have lower degree that can fill the position.

Flint, that agrugemtn on patient contact is BS. Pharmacist have little to no patient contact and they get paid 40-50 per hour.

Saber your right, I have 6 years experience with ascp cert and our salaries are not increasing b/c of asscociate degree techs that run the same testing as me. Pharmacy when it was a BS degree the salaries have always increased. The MT salaries will never increase b/c you have the 2 year degrees in the field. That is why people looking into allied health will always use this as the LAST OPTION. There will always be a shortage until something is done with regulation about working in the field and only one licensure or certification. Why would someone want to spend 4 hard years working for a BS MT degree when you can get a BS PT degree and not worry about having someone with a associate degree doing the same job as you with lower pay.

So why don't you guys go get 2-year RN degrees or PT or pharmacist degrees?

Or here's another idea; ask those MLTs you dislike so much how many of them had Bachelor's degrees in addition to their Associates? 90% of the people I'm going through the MLT program with already have a Bachelor's in something or other.

I'm not sure why I'm bothering to argue this anymore. This is obviously a forum for bitter people to voice their displeasure at me and my fellow MLTs, not a place for real people to have real questions answered in a fair, mature, and unbiased manner.

Please continue.

Rus that is the point I am trying to make there is no 2 year PT or pharmacy degrees. Those professions have set standards to work in the field. They have ONE LICENSURE and specific credentials in order to work in the field. In the clinical lab there is alot of grey areas were you have a many certifications and different degrees. How can anyone respect that? There has to be standards set fourth in order to have increase pay, all these other options are causing people not to get into the field b/c all the grey areas in the field.

Okay, a question I pose to all you BSMTs; how many hours of clinical rotations were you required to perform in order to gain your all-important degree that makes you so much more educated than MLT grads? I did a search of three different MT programs locally and they all three came up with 30 hours of clinicals, compared to the 21 in my program. Is that a huge difference?

The degree requirements (broken down on an hourly basis) are as follows:

MT- 124 hours, 50 of which are general education (History, English Comp, Humanities, etc...) [74 related to field]

MLT-73 hours, 15 of which are gen ed. [58 hours related to field]

So let's hear again how much more educated in the clinical laboratory an MT is than an MLT. 74 hours compared to 58 hours. Wow, 16 whole hours difference...

So what exactly do you all think? Is it all the art classes or philosophy classes or music appreciation classes that mean you all are so much more qualified to work in a laboratory environment than me?

You all need to get over your own delusions of grandeur. I would be willing to bet that every one of you that complain about MLTs lowering your pay make your workplace a miserable place to be.

I did one whole year of rotations, about 13 weeks in each of the major departments, much more than a technician who only did 21 hours. I'm glad CA is one of the states that understands the value of a licensed CLS.

I am not bitter about MLTs. They are victims too with their pay. Like I said, associate RN make the same as BS RNs, why, because they do the same work, but they are licenced, but they cannot become manager or supervisor. I feel that MLTs should make the same as MT. I have used this argument many times with our Administrator. When they increased the pay range, we did not move within. New hires would come in with higher pay. After a whole year arguing with him, we MTs got a 5% adjustment pay raise but MLTs did not, so that is what we as a team are working on know. We only have 4 MLTs and they are very much a part of us. The real problem is that we are not licenced. Here in Michigan, it has failed many times by our politicians. The hospitals have strong lobbyist working for them with the argument that if we would be licenced there will be a shortage and a increase in pay demand which healthcare can't affort. (you do have to have a licence to be a proffesional dogwalker). They feel that taking the BOR exam (ACLS) is enough, but I know that in hospitals in Detroit, we have MTs and MLTs that never took the exams. In this case MTs get MLTs pay. We need to get licensure.

CLS48 in California said: I did one whole year of rotations, about 13 weeks in each of the major departments, much more than a technician who only did 21 hours. I'm glad CA is one of the states that understands the value of a licensed CLS.

Why do you continue to intentionally misconstrue what I say?

21 college hours, sir. That equals two full semesters (16 weeks each) and one summer semester (8 weeks) of clinical experience, rotating through each department. That adds up to one year of clinicals. It seems to me that I will have as much clinical experience coming out of my program as you did coming out of yours. Interesting.

And I'm not sure about anywhere else in regards to licensure, but I will be required to sit for the ASCP Board of Registry exam when I am finished with school. And I will be required to keep up with my Continuing Education through ASCP throughout my career as an MLT.

No I had 1 full year of just CLS classes. That includes hematology, biochemistry, microbiology, blood bank, immunology, and urinalysis. My second full year was rotating in all classes. Before that I had a 4 year bachelors degree. Your education was not equivalent to mine which is why I do think CLSs should get paid more.

That is my 2nd year was rotating in all the clinical departments. The point is MTs do receive much more education then MLTs which should be justification for the increase in pay.

Freshman year

Fall Semester
Credits Spring Semester Credits
Rhetoric & Composition I 3 Rhetoric & Composition II 3
General Chemistry I 4 General Chemistry II 4
General Biology I 4 General Biology II 4
College Algebra 3 Religious Studies 3
Med. Lab Techniques 4 Med. Lab. Techniques 2
Med. Lab. Techniques 4

Summer Session I

Med. Lab. Practicum I 1

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester Credits Spring Semester Credits
Clinical Microbiology I 4 Clinical Microbiology II 4
Anatomy & Physiology 4 Sociology or CO200 3
Intro. to Psychology 3 Humanities/Soc. Science Elective 3
Med. Lab. Techniques 4 Med. Lab. Techniques 4
Med. Lab. Practicum II 1.5 Med. Lab. Practicum III 1.5

This is the normal MLT cirriculum. Where is the calculus? Where is hematology? Where is the coagulation? MLT are eligible to take their own ASCP, where as RN reguarless of a associate or BS degree have to take the NAPLEX. There is a MLT ASCP and a MT ASCP, there is a big difference in the depth of knowledge on those exams. There is no way a MLT would pass the MT ASCP coming out with a 2 year degree. This is why we need standards in the clinical lab.

MLT are the reason why we have lower pay, its like hiring cheap labor. Other professions have a standard to work in the profession, but I guess thats why we have a shortage b/c there is not a standard.