The Certificate Required to Get a Job as a Foreign Medical Technologist

Meeting the Eligibility Requirements

Earning the international certificate starts with meeting certain eligibility requirements. The ASCP allows candidates to choose from one of five education routes. The first route requires a bachelor’s degree in medical technology, biological science or chemistry, and completion of a medical laboratory training program that includes blood banking, chemistry, hematology and microbiology. Route two asks for a bachelor’s degree in medical technology and three years of professional experience in a clinical laboratory, while route three mandates a bachelor’s degree in any degree and a two-year medical laboratory program. If you have a bachelor’s degree in any biological science field and at least five years of experience you qualify for route four, and if you have a bachelor’s degree in any field with an associate degree in biological science and five years of experience, you fit the requirements for route five.

Checking Off Other Requirements

After you determine which educational and experience route fits your education and experience, you can start checking off the other certification requirements. These include submitting an online application and paying the $200 application fee. You’ll also have to turn in documentation, such as transcripts and work documentation forms, that prove you meet the educational and experience requirements in one of the five routes.

Taking the Test

When you’ve submitted your application and the ASCP has determined you meet all the requirements, you can schedule your test at a Pearson computer testing center. You must take the exam within three months of ASCP accepting your application. The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and you’ll have two hours and 30 minutes to complete it. To help students prepare, the ASCP offers free study materials, including reading lists, study guides, online practice tests and exam content lists.

Maintaining the Credential

Once you earn the designation, your work isn’t over; you have to maintain the credential by taking part in the ASCP’s Certification Maintenance Program. As part of the CMP, you must renew your certification every three years by paying a renewal fee and submitting a declaration form stating your intent to renew. You’ll also have to earn 36 points during those three years. Points come from taking a variety of courses; candidates must earn at least one point in laboratory safety and patient safety, and two points each in blood banking, hematology, chemistry and microbiology. The other points can come from other courses or pathology-related activities such as seminars, workshops and conferences.