Career Connections Related to Blood^[1]

Clinical Laboratory Technologists (CLT)

Clinical laboratory technologists, also known as medical laboratory scientists (MLS), typically have a bachelor’s degree and certification from an accredited training program. They perform a wide variety of tests on various body fluids, including blood. The information they provide is essential to health care providers in diagnosing and monitoring the course of a disease and response to treatment.

Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLT)

Medical laboratory technicians typically have an associate’s degree but may perform duties similar to those of a clinical laboratory technologist.

Phlebotomists

Phlebotomists are health care professionals trained in the collection of blood samples. When more than a few drops of blood are required, phlebotomists perform a venipuncture, typically from a surface vein in the arm. Capillary samples may be taken from a finger, an earlobe, or the heel of an infant when only a small quantity of blood is required for testing. Arterial samples are collected from an artery and used to analyze blood gases. After collection of blood samples, it is typically analyzed by medical laboratories. While many health professionals practice phlebotomy, the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians issues certificates to individuals passing a national examination.