I think one aspect to consider is the region you may be applying in. I live and work as a Medical Technologist in the Greater Boston area, and BSMT w/ASCP certification is the hiring norm.  Much of this has to do with the fact that Northeastern University once offered a BSMT four plus 1 year bachelor in Medical Technology and rotation program and many graduates are still tenured in the profession here.  Additionally, UMASS Lowell offers a BS and MS Medical Technology, as does University of Rhode Island, Providence.   So the area is saturated with highly educated Medical Technologists. I work with only two MLTs (ASCP) and they were hired many years ago. The minimum hiring requirements where I work do not even consider MLT as a minimum requirement.

That said, I have worked as an MT in a regional hospital in Vermont, where an MLT could potentially be hired into the same position, at a lower pay grade.  While they consistently sought to hire recent grads from the University of Vermont BSMT program, those grads were chosing to go elsewhere, specifically big city hospitals. 

 I earned my BSMT at Marist College in Poughkeepsie NY - and surprisingly, most of the hospitals where I did my clinical rotations hired both MTs and MLTs with an *emphasis* on MLTs in one hospital, because they felt they had a better chance of retaining an MLT than an MT, given their proximity to NYC and many large city hospitals. 

 So, my advice, is to spend some time on the internet; perusing the websites of many hospitals. See who's hiring MLTs and concentrate your efforts there.  I think the bottom line is supply and demand, hospitals with a steady stream of BSMTs available to them will most likely chose them over MLTs.  

 With regard to AMT/HEW, I think the field will continue to see these credentials phased out as older techs that hold them retire.  I have to agree with Glenn; its distressing to me that although you have learned through experience with laboratory professionals both through your contact with them in your employment search and here in this forum, that persuing ASCP certification will give you the credentialing that the industry is basically demanding for employment, yet you refuse to take it.  You have done the preliminary groundwork for the exam and hopefully your AMT coursework has prepared you -- if not, there are plenty of resources out there to help you.  You cannot expect laboratory managers to bend thier requirements, which are most likely not based on discrimination but from their own experience with AMT and what thier pathologists, Medical Director and Physicians are expecting of them -- as Medical Technologists --- we are moving toward one standard -- ASCP has always been the gold standard.  I say go for the gold.

Best,

S La Fave, BSMT (ASCP-MLS)cm

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Richard, I can understand your dismay all too well. I gratuated in 2008 with Honors MLT in MN, and after a whole year and a half of trying to get hired, it demoralized me to the point where I currently am in Management with a contract cleaning crew for meat packing plants. I am not where I want to be professionally, I often look back and wish I could work in a lab, but I was not able to get a job out of school for so long I never got my certification. I look around and see Nurses get paid more and I see that there are a lot more positions available in that field, I am considering starting over in the nursing field, but only because I have always wanted to work in a hospital helping people, it gave me a lot of satisfaction while I was going threw my 8 month internship, and as I stated earlier I am unhappy with my current career. I always heard while going to school that there was a shortage of Lab Professionals while I was in College too, it was the driving force that kept me going when times got tough!  I hope your situation improves, best of luck in the future.

 

Trent

Well, Hello There Trentyn,

 

I see we have something in common, you graduated with honors as an mlt in 08 and I obtained my AMT mlt certification in 08. It's a shame that these stubborn selfish lab managers couldn't have hired and trained you while you studied to acquire your certification. These stubborn selfish lab managers forget that somebody had to hire and train them too. ASCP certified lab managers exhibit discriminatory/unfair hiring practices.  Trentyn, these lab managers are far from the effective leaders that we need in this industry. They could never be considered leaders of this industry. They just don't see the big picture. They couldn't give a rat’s azz about decreasing the shortage of mlt's/MT's less known, providing work-life balance for their subordinates. ASCP certification is not the golden standard and is no better than AMT or ABB certification. All MT's and mlt's have to be trained on the ever changing instrumentation in today’s' clinical laboratories. On an ongoing basis, as medical technology continues to grow, regardless what agency one acquired their certification from he/she will periodically need to train to learn how to operate and maintain the automated instrumentation and computer systems in today’s clinical laboratories. This is principally why ASCP certification is no better than AMT or ABB Certification. While employed at a Veterans Hosp as a medical technician I have instructed many of today’s MT's with the development of phlebotomy skills while they were on their phlebotomy rotations yet, they continue to slam the door in my face.

 

Some of these lab managers won’t hire and train entry level mlt’s because they want the shortage of mlt’s to last forever. They hope that the shortage will keep salaries higher. I can see that Sabrina Lafave doesn’t see the big picture either. She could never be a leader in this industry. Sabrina, ASCP certification is not the golden standard in this industry because ASCP solely represents pathologist, not MT’s, mlt’s, histologist, cytologist est. A Golden Standard is representative of effective leadership. The ASCP is void of effective leadership because the ASCP is not looking for unity in this industry. What’s more, is that the ASCP practices separatism. For instance, why didn’t the ASCP call for the synchronization of all national certification agencies instead of just synchronization with NCA? Unity in this industry requires the synchronization of ASCP, NCA, AMT, ABB, not just the ASCP & NCA. Can you see the big picture, Sabrina? Sabrina, let me ask you a question? Are you a Christian? If so, isn’t unity an essential concept of being a Christian? Then why do you practice separatism? Will you and Glenn George ever see the big picture? “IT’S UNITY NOT SEPARATISM”

 

Lastly, Trentyn, I don’t know what your doing for work right now but don’t give up on acquiring the certification that you need. On the other hand, if you don’t see much upward mobility in managing the cleaning crew at the meat packing company perhaps you should look into the meat inspector industry. There’s plenty of good pay, upward mobility and unity there!

 

 

 

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Richard Covington

Richard, just take the ASCP exam for fun. I just did and I passed. I work 80 HOURS A WEEK as a Medical Technologist I read  within the 3-month period they allow you to take the exam. Nothing came out from the review material a friend lended to me. I guess all my answers based on my 23-years experience as a technologist. I will still maintain my allegiance to AMT to stay true to my conviction that certification exam don't mean a thing. If you graduated the course you have the needed knowledge to function as a full-fledge technologist. We will NEVER be united until people will realize that ASCP is NO better than AMT! FYI, I already have 4 Medical Technologist certifications, 1 in the Philippines, 1 in Canada, 2 in the USA! We should only be the profession in the entire world to have not a certification because we are all smart right when we get off from school!  Everything can be learned in our profession EASY because we are born to do this. It's in our DNA. We are done with those gruelling thing at school and that should be already more than enough for somebody to get hired. Oh well, here I am again singing the same song since 2001!.....I better just s......!