Qualifications
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
Basic Requirements:
Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part)
English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
Education: Candidates must meet the applicable educational requirements for certification.
Certification: Candidates must currently possess one of the appropriate certifications as an MLT granted by the following organizations.
- American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
- ASCP, Board of Certification. OR
- ASCP, Board of Registry.
- American Medical Technologists.
- American Association of Bioanalysts.
Exception: Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification may receive a temporary appointment up to the full performance level not to exceed two years as a graduate MLT under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2) without the option to extend. For grade levels above full performance level, the candidate must be certified in accordance with paragraph 4.c.(1) above.
Loss of Certification. Management officials, in collaboration with HR Office staff, must immediately relieve employees of the duties and responsibilities associated with the MLT occupation who fail to maintain the required certification, which may also result in separation from employment.
May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Grade Determinations:
Medical Laboratory Technician, GS-05
- Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: None.
Medical Laboratory Technician, GS-06
- Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level.
- Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of MLT principles, practices, concepts and theories for sound independent work.
- Knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures to manage reagents and supply inventories using document control systems.
- Ability to maintain, troubleshoot and repair instrumentation.
- Ability to work as a team member in a laboratory setting to effectively complete assignments.
- Ability to use technical judgment to interpret laboratory results.
- Ability to apply complex written laboratory instructions.
- Ability to consult with other members of the health care team, patients and external customers.
Preferred Experience: 1 - 2 years of laboratory, draw station, and phlebotomy experience.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-6.
Physical Requirements: The position primarily involves work performed in both sitting and standing positions with occasional requirements to lift objects, computer work and operating office equipment. The position requires the ability to process written and electronic information. The work requires the ability to physically control or defend against emotionally distressed patients. The work requires above average agility and dexterity due to the fine skills of some of the point of care lab testing. The work may require heavy lifting of equipment or patients however standing and bending for a prolonged period of time, walking, lifting up to 20 pounds, kneeling, and some climbing of stairs is also required. The work requires manual dexterity, a large degree of concentration, and working at top speed for several hours at a time. The ability to distinguish colors and color intensity is required. The Medical Technician may be required to commute between two outpatient clinics with the workweek, depending on the clinic workload. Per VA handbook 5003/4, Functional Statements are to be reviewed,
Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Medical Laboratory Technician Education requirements for certification:
AMT Eligibility Requirements: Applicant shall have graduated with an associate degree in medical laboratory technician (or equivalent) within the past five years from a program or institution accredited by a recognized regional or national accreditation agency.*
- Acceptable programs must include clinical rotation through the following sections of the laboratory: Blood Banking, Microbiology, Chemistry, and Hematology
- A minimum of six months of approved clinical laboratory experience within the last five years is required for individuals who either:
- Graduated more than five years ago OR
- Graduated from a program that does NOT include an experiential component (experience must include a clinical rotation through the abovementioned sections of the laboratory)
*Program or institution must be accredited by either the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or another regional or national accreditation agency approved by the US Department of Education (DOE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or otherwise approved by AMT.
ASCP Eligibility Requirements: There are several ways applicants can be eligible for the Medical Laboratory Technician Certification, including:
- Applicants must have an associate degree in medical laboratory technology.
- Candidates must have completed 60 semester hours within the last two years, including 25 hours of work related to laboratory sciences, AND completed at least 6 months of clinical laboratory experience in the blood bank, microbiology, or chemistry laboratories.
- Applicants who have completed a 50-week medical laboratory training program sponsored by the US military.
- Applicants must have previously taken and passed a generalist MLT examination that a certification group or licensure organization provided. An applicant must also have an active state license or certification and meet employment and education requirements.
Once a candidate is deemed eligible, they can apply and pay an application fee. If a candidate does not pass the exam and wants to retest, they must wait at least 45 days after the initial test. A non-refundable fee of $125 is required. Applicants are limited to 4 exam attempts for certification.
AAB Eligibility Requirements: To be certified as MLT(AAB), an individual must be a high school graduate, or equivalent and meet one (1) of the following requirements:
Route 1: Complete a clinical laboratory training program approved or accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
and Pass the MLT(AAB) Generalist examination.
Route 2: Earn an associate degree (or the equivalent) in laboratory science, or medical laboratory technology, from an accredited institution. The equivalent of an associate degree is defined as sixty (60) semester hours, of which twenty-four (24) semester hours are either:
a) medical laboratory technology courses (i.e., chemistry, hematology, immunohematology, immunology, microbiology)
or
b) six (6) semester hours of chemistry; six (6) semester hours of biology; and twelve (12) semester hours of courses in chemistry, biology or medical laboratory technology in any combination
and
Pass the MLT(AAB) Generalist examination.
Route 3: Successfully complete an official U.S. military medical laboratory procedures course of at least fifty (50) weeks duration and earn the military enlisted occupational specialty of Medical Laboratory Specialist (Laboratory Technician)
and Pass the MLT(AAB) Generalist examination.