Health Careers
Clinical Assistant/Lab Assistant
Professional Activities
Clinical Assistants perform basic laboratory testing in medical laboratories, working under the supervision of a medical technologist, medical laboratory technician, or pathologist. A Clinical Assistant collects and processes blood specimens and performs test procedures in chemistry, hematology, microbiology, and urinalysis. Clinical Assistants may also perform and record vital signs. In rural Alaska, Clinical Assistants often are employed in regional hospitals or subregional clinics.
With the changes in laboratory medicine and the economy, there is a need for a one-year assistant program to meet the needs of the future. This program may be taken by other allied health professionals to increase their repertoire of skills, or by individuals who want a career ladder. Individuals who complete this program may articulate into the two-year Medical Laboratory Technology program.
Educational Requirements
- High school diploma or GED equivalency.
- High school biology and chemistry courses highly recommended.
- Post-secondary training in clinical laboratory assisting.
Academic Programs
University of Alaska Anchorage
Contact: Heidi Mannion, Associate Professor
Allied Health Science Building, Room 172
Phone: (907) 786-6924
Email:
Web site: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/ctc/programs/alliedhealth/medt/
UAA offers an Occupational Endorsement Certificate for Clinical Assistants. Currently no national certification exam is available for clinical assistants.
Contacts
State Contact:
Clinical Laboratory Scientists of Alaska (CLSA)
Karen Martin -CLSA Webmaster
1536 Porchet Way
Fairbanks, Alaska 99709
Email:
Web site: http://www.clsaonline.org
National Contacts:
American Society for Clinical Pathology
33 West Monroe, Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: (312) 541-4999
Toll Free: (800) 267-2727
Fax: (312) 541-4998
Email:
Web site: http://www.ascp.org
American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
6701 Democracy Boulevard, Suite 300
Bethesda, Maryland 20817
Phone: (301) 657-2768
Fax: (301) 657-2909
Web site: http://www.ascls.org/
American Medical Technologists
10700 West Higgins Road, Suite 150
Rosemont, Illinois 60018
Phone: (847) 823-5169
Fax: (847) 823-0458
Web site: http://www.amt1.com
National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel
P.O. Box 15945-289
Lenexa, KS 66285
Phone: (913) 895-4613
Fax: (913) 895-4652
Email:
Web site: http://www.nca-info.org/
This page was last updated by Janice Troyer on June 07, 2007
