Education · 1 of 5

The path

Two years, mostly at a community college, with clinical rotations at the end.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Biology, chemistry and math. A diploma is the entry requirement for almost every program.

2. 2

   Apply to an accredited program

   Months

   Associate degree programs are accredited by the national clinical laboratory accrediting agency. Places are limited, so apply early and to more than one.

3. 3

   Classroom and student lab

   About 3 semesters

   Hematology, chemistry, urinalysis, microbiology, immunology and the rules that govern specimen handling.

4. 4

   Clinical rotations

   1 to 2 semesters

   Unpaid placements on real hospital benches, supervised, running real patient samples.

5. 5

   Certification exam and first job

   Year 1

   Pass the national technician exam, then start on one bench and rotate as you prove out.