Medical Technologist (Technical Specialist)

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Basic Education and Experience: A bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.), AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four-year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. OR, A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. OR, A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. NOTE: Transcript(s) are required and MUST clearly state the name of the institution, name of the major/program and degree confer date NOTE: Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described above. This finding may be based on either of the following: (1) A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual’s foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree. (2) A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination Certification: Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. ???????NOTE: Certificate must be submitted and clearly state the month and year of the certified/excepted certification date and accrediting body. NOTE: Loss of Credential: Once certified, MTs must maintain their certification. Loss of certification will result in removal from the occupation and may result in termination of employment. Grade Determinations GS-11: Experience: ???????Applicant must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09). The experience includes the following but not limited to: Carrying out the day-to-day operations in the laboratory including routine testing, quality control, routine maintenance of instrumentation and troubleshooting. Developing, performing, evaluating, interpreting, correlating and validating the accuracy of laboratory procedures and results ensuring all laboratory regulatory requirements are met. The work performed is in a variety of laboratory disciplines, such as chemistry, microbiology, immunology, hematology, and immunohematology. OR; Education: 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in medical technology or a directly related field. (NOTE: Transcript(s) are required. Must clearly state the name of the institution, name of the major/program and degree confer date). In addition to the experience above an applicant must demonstrate Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). Candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below: (i) Advanced knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles, methodology of medical laboratory technology, regulatory and accrediting agency requirements, medicolegal requirements and pertinent statistics sufficient to perform complex diagnostic tests. (ii) Skill to apply new scientific/technical developments and theories to laboratory testing. (iii) Advanced knowledge of instructional techniques to instruct newly hired technologists and clinical pathology residents in proper performance of tests and applications of the laboratory procedures. (iv) Ability to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods in order to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations. (v) Advanced knowledge of a particular discipline or function with wide latitude for exercising sound independent judgment. Preferred Experience: Possess ASCP certification 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-11. Physical Requirements: The work of this position requires regular and recurrent sitting, standing, walking, reaching and bending. Occasionally lifts heavy containers of supplies or equipment. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
VISN 22 Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service (PALMS) has two positions for Medical Technologist (Technical Specialist) at VA Long Beach Health Care System, one position located in Rapid Response area covering Chemistry and one position located in Microbiology. The incumbents serves as an expert providing authoritative advice and consultation for more markedly difficult, complex, unique and/or emerging tests requiring special knowledge.