UK qualification and experience in USA

[gagpinks 49]

Hi

I am planning to emigrate to USA. Just want to know if my qualification and experience will be accepted or do I have to do any courses to be accrdiated to work as lab technologist. I have 17 years of experience in UK as a biomedical scientist in haematology and blood transfusion. What is a procedure required to be registered medical technologist.

[Cliff 397]

Most states in the US do not require a license.  I suspect after that it is up to the individual facility on what the requirements are.  We require our techs to be ASCP certified, you might want to look into that.

[SMILLER 854]

It looks to me that there are 12 states in the US with licensure requirements, including Florida, California and New York.  You will want to check the state government website for more information for the state you wish to move to. 

As for certification, which is required for any clinical lab science position in the US, check out the ASCP website as Cliff suggested.  You will have to take a national certifying exam.  You can google that also, here is one resource: https://study.com/articles/ASCP_Certification_Requirements_and_Information.html

Scott

[gagpinks 49]

I guess it's applies for transfusions as well. If I want to work in blood bank do I need to pass any exam ?

[SMILLER 854]

I think so.  One thing you could do is call a hospital in the state you are moving to and see if they have any suggestions.

Scott

[Bb_in_the_rain 105]

On 4/17/2018 at 2:17 PM, gagpinks said:

Hi

I am planning to emigrate to USA. Just want to know if my qualification and experience will be accepted or do I have to do any courses to be accrdiated to work as lab technologist. I have 17 years of experience in UK as a biomedical scientist in haematology and blood transfusion. What is a procedure required to be registered medical technologist.

It varies by the State that you are moving to. Majority of the US lab requires an ASCP certification at a minimum. May I ask which state you are moving to? 

[gagpinks 49]

On 7/13/2018 at 8:09 PM, dothandar said:

It varies by the State that you are moving to. Majority of the US lab requires an ASCP certification at a minimum. May I ask which state you are moving to? 

Hi thanks for your reply

First Virginia then after while probably Texas

[Bb_in_the_rain 105]

10 hours ago, gagpinks said:

Hi thanks for your reply

First Virginia then after while probably Texas

I dont think you need special state licenses for these states. CLIA (Clinical laboratory improvement amendment) defines most tests performed in hematology and immunohematology as moderate to high complexity testing, therefore needs specific education/experiences or accreditation. The easiest way to achieve it is to challenge accreditation exams conducted by ASCP (american society for clinical laboratory science). I have the link to their website below. You can go ahead and make an account free of charge and start looking through education/experience requirements and paperworks needed to challenges the exams. As you have 17 years of prior experience, recommend you to look into BB(work in blood bank), MLS (can work in every area of the lab except for cytology), H (can work in hematology)which are technoligist licenses. Also, specialized licenses SBB (specialist in blood bank, which majority of blood bank lab leadership personnel are certified for) or SH (specialist in hematology, which majority of hematology lab leaderships are certified for). 

https://www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed

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