Plebotomy Certification

I was wondering if anyone can help me..... I am certified through the American society of Phlebotomy Technicians (A.S.P.T) I have misplaced my certification number and have emailed and called them so many times that I have lost count. All responses from them they can not help me unless I have my number, if I had it I would not be calling them. I am a certified Medical Assistant as well and the company who certified me for that gave me my number with no problems. I have checked with my former employers and they never requested a copy, so they do not have it either.

Has anyone ever experienced this??????

They did say however I can take the entire phlebotomy course again, come on.... I know what the HIPPA laws are and this is just ridicoulas... I have offered to send my birth certificate, ss# and any other info they need and still they will not give me my number. Taking the course is not an option. I have 5 kids and not to mention I worked hard to get where I am today!

Any help with this issue will be greatly appreciated!!!!

Kindly,
Kelly

There is no reason why they cannot send you something that they have. If an agency is going to be that way about giving you something that is on file,then I wouldn't recommend anyone becoming certified through them. Are you dealing with the same person,the same department,when you call? Let them know how you will join up with another agency in the future because of the trouble they are giving you. Yeah,they want you to take the course again so they can get the fee if you take the certification exam again.
Is this something you really need? Most jobs don't require certification in most states.

Well, that is what my thought was... It is my number. I have told them I would not recommend them to anone I knew etc etc.... It is the same person. I have been looking at the NHA to become re certified and you need to have been employed within the last 5 years and your former employer needs to fill out a form. My problem there is my former employer closed there business, they divorced and I have not had any luck finding them. My 5 years will be up in 9/2008. It is not someting I need per say, but I will tell you it will provide you with better pay especially if your certification is in another field as well and I am certified in Medical Assisting. I moved here from Ohio 3 years ago and the jobs are scarce and the ones available require certification. It is not required, but the jobs go to the certified canidates first.

Thank you for replying to my post and if you are not certified and thinking of doing it look at the NHA.

Kindly,
Kelly

I was certified by ASCP in 2004 and did not find anything in phlebotomy in this lousy region (northern Ohio) so I entered a medical assistant program (BIG mistake) and took another phlebotomy exam through AMT. I had not been working and didn't even need to take the exam itself to get the certification,but I did to see how much I remembered. I had no trouble recertifying and I think the exam was $79,so keep AMT in mind.

Around here,being certified in phlebotomy or medical assisting has no bearing on pay or getting the job. Knowing the right people does,at least for getting in.

Can you try speaking to another person at that agency,like a supervisor?

LC in Cleveland, Ohio said: I was certified by ASCP in 2004 and did not find anything in phlebotomy in this lousy region (northern Ohio) so I entered a medical assistant program (BIG mistake) and took another phlebotomy exam through AMT. I had not been working and didn't even need to take the exam itself to get the certification,but I did to see how much I remembered. I had no trouble recertifying and I think the exam was $79,so keep AMT in mind.

Around here,being certified in phlebotomy or medical assisting has no bearing on pay or getting the job. Knowing the right people does,at least for getting in.

Can you try speaking to another person at that agency,like a supervisor?

Would not even let me speak to someone else.... I know I cannot even tell you my frustration or anger....

I grew up in Wadsworth, then moved to Ashtabula while living there I worked for Clinical Health Labs and absolutly loved it!!!!! I was responsiblr for 4 nursing homes and would start at 3am and was done by 6am drive the blood to the lab, do a few house calls and be home by noon. You would also do on call hours and that also involved stats and time draws, the money was great and as long as you had a good car and the drive to get up early it was awesome.... It was a great job if you had a family. I also worked for red cross and the hours there are VERY long, but the pay was awesome as well and that was perfect when I was single. Have you tried Quest as they contract out to physicians or even labcorp? They do prefer certification and the pay is good $14-15/hr. What area do you live in?

Quest and LabCorp are a joke to try and get into around here,especially the latter. Have you looked at the LabCorp forums on this site? This is a company that will advertise the same jobs over and over and yet when you apply to them,you are lucky if they notify you that they got your application. In some ads they are asking for 2-5 years experience. And Quest makes it extremely difficult to apply on their site.

I have heard of Clinical Health Labs and applied once even though a middle of the night paper delivering job a few years back wore me out. Red Cross did show an interest and this is something I want to ask you about: I was told that they have their blood drawers travel to 19 counties-how in the world can you work a job where you are driving around to that many places,that far? Did you encounter this?

Thank you for any information. I live about 30 miles west of Cleveland and my e-mail is in my profile. I have found about 3-4 other pen pals from these forums.

red cross does require alot of travel. It is long hours, but pays well. It is the perfect job if you do have children. They have paid training as well. How it works you travel to the job site i.e. amish area... you unload the trucks, set up the stations, such as the intake paperwork, iron test area, beds etc.... you verify all info, do the draw etc..... when it is over you take down all areas and start all over the next day.

Say the site hours are 9am till 5pm you need to be there 2 hours early (if memory serves me correctly) you are not done at 5pm if there are people still there at 6pm you still do the draws, so say it does not clear out till 7pm by the time you take things down it is 9pm, you may have an hour drive home. When you do the amissh in the summer they work in the fields till 7pm, so it is a very late night. That is why it is perfect if you are single and have no children, that is why it no longer worked for me. They may have changed all of this as it has been at least 6 years since I worked for them, so it is worth looking into. It is not for everyone.

As far as Quest goes, my former supervisor from clinical now works for Quest and they do require certification as well as experience. Here in WV there are no jobs, but do not give up on quest... when they contract out to physicians or hospitals you may very well end up with a permanent job that pays well.... send me your resume and I will forward to quest and see if she can do anything for you. I think my biggest complaint was all the call offs Clinical allowed/put up with. We had one girl who would just fall asleep in her car and I was left with her 3 homes on top of mine. I was doing 200 plus draws a day, but I loved it and really miss it. The staff has sinced changed so I would hope things are better there.

Let me know if this helps you:0)
Kindly,
Kelly

Thank you for giving this information but I am still having trouble trying to figure out why the Cleveland based Red Cross chapter requires traveling to NINETEEN counties. Isn't that clear across the state? How can they expect you to be 17 or 18 counties away at 6 am? I have traveled long distances for health screenings but those are just now and then,and not over a dozen counties away. I really wanted to get into blood banking but this multiple county thing has prevented that.

To all of the above phlebotomists,
I live just south of Newark, Ohio and our Red Cross chapter is in Columbus, Ohio. The last time I had applied to the Red Cross, they did not require any certifications or a lot of expereince. You do have to work long hours with some travel, but most of their blood drives or draws are done in local areas. There is not much travel, just some.

Just wanted to let you know I spoke with the Clevand Red Cross today re a seperate issue, but asked her about the 19 county issue. As a whole they do cover 19 counties.... They do however keep you in the counties you are closer too. They do pay gas for 25 miles and then you get .51 cents per mile after that which is AWESOME compared to the .21 cents Quest pays currently. Let me know if this has helped you....

On the certification issue on my end.... I found a company who does certify nationally. The documentation you need is a letter from any past or previous employer OR a diploma from a school that incorporated Phlebotomy, which I do so all I had to was fax it and I am ready to take the exam online. It is a 100 question 2 hour timed exam. As soon as you finish it will give you the results immediatly. You can only miss 21 questions.... Also the National Phlebotomy Association has changed the order of draw, and trust me this is so wrong and they agree. Here is the new order of draw:

Lt Blue
SST
Red top
Lavender

It will vary depending on the hospital etc... but as far as the exams this is the correct answer.

Here is the website for the Certification: www.medtexx.com

Also you actually get a real human and they are very helpful and pleasant.

Let me furthermore state certificaton IS NOT a requirement anywhere, but it does help...

Kelly-Yes,that is very helpful to know,so thank you for finding out. I resent that I was told twice by HR how it was mandatory that a worker would be covering that much territory. I wonder how many people lost interest as soon as they were told that misinformation.

As for Medtexx,I did not know they do certification for those already trained in phlebotomy. I know they do one day training sessions for blood drawing and IV insertions and that isn't recommended.

You do know there are 3 states that require certification?

And by the way,someone who heads a phlebotomy center told me they do not recommend the ASPT agency......

I can see why.... I would not recommend them either.

Actuallt there are only 2... California and Louisiana
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Believe it or not, you do not have to be certified in order to be a phlebotomist. California and Louisiana are the only states that require "all persons who are not doctors, nurses or clinical lab scientists" to be licensed in those states in order to draw blood. So under proper supervision, you can draw blood regardless of former experience or education in the remaining states; however, getting a phlebotomist job without certification is nearly impossible.

Certification gives you an edge when applying for a job. It tells you

I have been told that Nevada has restrictions also. I wish all states did.

I agree..... There are many people I used to work with who had notraining other than on the job, and had no idea what they were doing. I hope they soon make it mandatory to be nationally/state certified. Also please call the red cross again and ask them how they staff for blood drives as far as counties go and tell them your concerns. After speaking with them the other day I think whoever you talked to gave you wrong information....

I've been trying to find out how i can go about getting a contract to work in nursing homes within northern westchester county. Does anyone know how I go about this? Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated

Thank you, *smiles*

I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU WOULD GO TO YOUR FORMER EMPLOYERS AND SEE IF YOUR APPLICATION ARE STILL ON FILE AND ASK TO REVIEW THEM THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN YOUR MA CERTIFICATION NUMBER OFF OF IT . USUALLY A APPLICATIONS REQUEST CERTIFICATIONS IF ANY AND THE CERTIFICATIONS NUMBERS AND EXPIRATION DATE.
BEST OF LUCK!

Kelly Keyes in Shepherdstown, West Virginia said: Would not even let me speak to someone else.... I know I cannot even tell you my frustration or anger....

I grew up in Wadsworth, then moved to Ashtabula while living there I worked for Clinical Health Labs and absolutly loved it!!!!! I was responsiblr for 4 nursing homes and would start at 3am and was done by 6am drive the blood to the lab, do a few house calls and be home by noon. You would also do on call hours and that also involved stats and time draws, the money was great and as long as you had a good car and the drive to get up early it was awesome.... It was a great job if you had a family. I also worked for red cross and the hours there are VERY long, but the pay was awesome as well and that was perfect when I was single. Have you tried Quest as they contract out to physicians or even labcorp? They do prefer certification and the pay is good $14-15/hr. What area do you live in?

Kelly..Do you still live in Ashtabula?WV? I'm in Ashtabula and am considering going into the MA/phlebotomy field.The job you explained (traveling to homes and such) sounds like a perfect job for me. But do you think there is much "call" for this in Ashtabula...I'm getting a little worried w/ all the post on people not being able to find a job. The schooling is going to take 8 months and I really don't want to waist my time if I'm not going to be able to get a job. If you could shed some light I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

I do not live in Ashtabula anymore, but will be moving back to Wadsworth (where I grew up) by the end of the year. You need to go to Clinical Health labs in Willoughby. I worked for them for a few years. You are responsible for several nursing homes in the am and then drive your samples back to willoughby, do a few house calls and you are done. They do require you to be on call every other weekend and I believe 1 or 2 days a week. Ohio has alot of jobs in the Phlebotomy field....I do not feel you will be wasting your time at all....there are several other labs as well as hospitals that are in desperate need of good Phlebotomists. I would recommend you get certified in both fields and do not let it run out. I have since straightened my situation out and have been recertified in both MA as well as Phlebotomy. I will be checking out all possibilities when I return to Ohio. Some of the other labs out there are QUEST & LabCorp. You should apply for the positions now, because they do hire to train, but I would still recommend the schooling. Good luck to you and have fun with it:o) It is a very rewarding job!
Kindly,
Kelly

MY NAME IS NICOLE AND I WAS CERTIFIED TO BE A PLEBOTOMIST IN 2001.MY TEACHER SENT ME TO A CLINICAL SITE THAT SHE KNEW WASNT HIRING SO THAT MEANS I WAS LEFT WITHOUT A JOB. EVERYBODY WANT YOU TO HAVE ALEST 1YR EXPRIENCE. BUT HOW CAN YOU GET EXPRIENCE WHEN NO ONE WILL GIVE YOU A JOB.

I worked as a Dialysis Tech about 4 years ago...been home with my children and now looking for a full time job again. I am interested in the best way to become certified. I found the medtexx site but really that seems too easy. One day 9-6 as long as you have medical training. Can I really learn all I need to know in one day? I have given injections and of course done draws from grafts nad set grafts for dialysis but I thought I would need more training. Does anyone know of a company that has hands on paid training? I am in the northern VA area....thanks, Robin

You cannot learn all the clinical lab science there is to know in phlebotomy in one day. If you have phlebotomy experience though,and it was long enough,then you can become certified through AMT.

LC in Cleveland, Ohio said: You cannot learn all the clinical lab science there is to know in phlebotomy in one day. If you have phlebotomy experience though,and it was long enough,then you can become certified through AMT.

LC, where do you work now? I'm starting phlebotomy classes August 11. Our teacher said based on our grades that we get that will entitle us to pick where we want to do our extership. Our choices are Quest, Labcorp, and the 3 main hospitals in our area. Do you think it's best at a hospital?(I'm guessing the hospital by the replies I read in this forum)

Thanks for any info.

LC in Cleveland, Ohio said: And by the way,someone who heads a phlebotomy center told me they do not recommend the ASPT agency......

What is ASPT?

I would go with a hospital because a clinic that uses a lab may only have mostly adult patients and you will need to get ALL kinds of experience,especially pediatric. Don't make the mistake I made by picking a small hospital,pick a big one (that hires now and then) and do EVERYTHING you can,and don't show any reluctance to try something after the first week. They want to see you eager to do it all. I was recently turned down for a job because of the lack of hospital experience I have.

ASPT stands for something like American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians. ASCP is recognized and preferred more,but the AMT certifying exam is a little easier. Good luck with your classes. And make sure to keep asking your instructors about what are you supposed to do if you have trouble finding a job after graduation.

okay well that is what I thought ASPT stood for because that is who's certifying us when we're done...Do you think that will be okay?

You should be able to pick who you want. Your teachers must be members of that agency because they will need to sign off on any applications(but you can get a lab director to do the same). Show them the beginning of this forum and the ridiculous hassle she got.

Do you mean that I can get any accredited agency to certify me when I'm done? I saw the books we are using and one of them is from the ASPT.

You should but remember that when you go to make out an application to take an exam,someone has to sign off that you completed the program and have so many sticks. I originally took the ASCP test because my phlebotomy teacher was a member but then I decided to take the AMT exam while in MA school and had a teacher in that who was an AMT member so she signed off. Many lab bosses are ASCP members,and you can get answers from the AMT website(by emailing or calling)-
www.amt1.com/

LC in Cleveland, Ohio said: You should but remember that when you go to make out an application to take an exam,someone has to sign off that you completed the program and have so many sticks. I originally took the ASCP test because my phlebotomy teacher was a member but then I decided to take the AMT exam while in MA school and had a teacher in that who was an AMT member so she signed off. Many lab bosses are ASCP members,and you can get answers from the AMT website(by emailing or calling)-
www.amt1.com/

Thanks for all the info. Do you work in a hospital?clinic?

I work for Health Fitness doing health screenings. If you want anymore info,my e-mail address is in my profile(click on my initials).

www.hfit.com/

Hi LC,
I would love some more info on this:o)
Kindly,
Kelly
kelkeyes@comcast.net

Kelly Keyes in Shepherdstown, West Virginia said: I was wondering if anyone can help me..... I am certified through the American society of Phlebotomy Technicians (A.S.P.T) I have misplaced my certification number and have emailed and called them so many times that I have lost count. All responses from them they can not help me unless I have my number, if I had it I would not be calling them. I am a certified Medical Assistant as well and the company who certified me for that gave me my number with no problems. I have checked with my former employers and they never requested a copy, so they do not have it either.

Has anyone ever experienced this??????

They did say however I can take the entire phlebotomy course again, come on.... I know what the HIPPA laws are and this is just ridicoulas... I have offered to send my birth certificate, ss# and any other info they need and still they will not give me my number. Taking the course is not an option. I have 5 kids and not to mention I worked hard to get where I am today!

Any help with this issue will be greatly appreciated!!!!

Kindly,
Kelly

hi kelly my name is lena maybe i can help! could it be through another certification company? i would trying calling other certification co to see if i am certified through them

Hi I work for quest in michigan I dont know if you have temp agency's there but her the best way to get in to quest which by the way owns labcorp is to get placed by a temp agency then take the position most of are posted jobs have a temp in place and that is who is given the position you do not need to be certified for quest unless you are in california.

Goodluck

Kelly Keyes in Shepherdstown, West Virginia said: I was wondering if anyone can help me..... I am certified through the American society of Phlebotomy Technicians (A.S.P.T) I have misplaced my certification number and have emailed and called them so many times that I have lost count. All responses from them they can not help me unless I have my number, if I had it I would not be calling them. I am a certified Medical Assistant as well and the company who certified me for that gave me my number with no problems. I have checked with my former employers and they never requested a copy, so they do not have it either.

Has anyone ever experienced this??????

They did say however I can take the entire phlebotomy course again, come on.... I know what the HIPPA laws are and this is just ridicoulas... I have offered to send my birth certificate, ss# and any other info they need and still they will not give me my number. Taking the course is not an option. I have 5 kids and not to mention I worked hard to get where I am today!

Any help with this issue will be greatly appreciated!!!!

Kindly,
Kelly

you can re-cert thru quality care phlebotomy inc. in jax fl. they will send you a test based on a s p t and give you a national nva cert [ qcpjax@aol.com ]

LC in Cleveland, Ohio said: I was certified by ASCP in 2004 and did not find anything in phlebotomy in this lousy region (northern Ohio) so I entered a medical assistant program (BIG mistake) and took another phlebotomy exam through AMT. I had not been working and didn't even need to take the exam itself to get the certification,but I did to see how much I remembered. I had no trouble recertifying and I think the exam was $79,so keep AMT in mind.

Around here,being certified in phlebotomy or medical assisting has no bearing on pay or getting the job. Knowing the right people does,at least for getting in.

Can you try speaking to another person at that agency,like a supervisor?

CAn you please give me the info for AMT

Hello how are you doing? I was very interested in your comments. I graduated from phleb in 03, sad to say I didn't get my certification. I'm trying now to find a refresher course, but I'm not having any luck, I would actually have to take the program all over again.I do not have any experience, do you think AMT can be helpful to me if so, will you please provide that info to me . Thanking you in advance. LaTonya Francois

Please write me directly at llc114@aol.com so I can answer your question. I don't get on here much anymore.