According to American Harbor College, an accredited Phlebotomist school, there has never been a better time to be a Phlebotomist. For those who don’t know, Phlebotomists are the technicians who handle blood withdrawals and transfusion. These procedures may be done for a multitude of reasons, from research purposes to getting a diagnosis. The Phlebotomists work under the supervising physician, following their instructions to care for patients, do the procedure correctly, and more. A study done just a few years ago found that by 2024 the job demand for Phlebotomists could be up by twenty-five percent. The rate is rising much higher than the rate of many other jobs.
What Are The Steps To Becoming a Phlebotomist?
While becoming a Phlebotomist requires no previous medical experience, the first step is going through a program to get a non-degree diploma or a certificate. American Harbor College offers one such program, with three different options for class schedules. These schedules are designed to fit into the busiest of lifestyles.
The Classes
The class schedules are day classes, evening, classes, and weekend classes. The day and evening classes consist of ten class days with the weekend schedule only having seven class days. These equal forty hours of class time, which include hands-on experience.
The Externship
After the forty hours of classroom training comes the externship. The schedule of the externship will depend on which where the student is assigned, and if they opted for a part-time, full-time, or weekend schedule. At AHC, the schedule of the externship and preferred site will be discussed with the student while they are getting enrolled. An externship is the same as on the job training, and the student will be placed at a hospital, clinic, lab, or somewhere similar. One benefit of doing an externship is getting to have experience working in your field. In addition, some sites that choose to host externs look at them as possible employees when the externship is over.
The Requirements
The main requirement for enrolling at AHC is having a high school diploma or GED. For possible students who went to high school in another country, their transcript will have to go through an evaluation process before admitted. There is no previous medical experience needed, but some people already in the healthcare field choose to go to Phlebotomy school to advance their careers.
What Will I Learn?
The Phlebotomy program at AHC will give students all the tools they need to get to work as Phlebotomist. The classes include lectures, presentations, labs, simulations, and more to make sure that students are equipped with all of the necessary skills. Students will even get to practice on their fellow classmates during labs to help them learn how to draw and process blood. Other than the hands-on learning, students will leave with a vast vocabulary of medical and anatomy terminology. Students will also be taught how to effectively communicate with patients and walk nervous ones through the procedure. The externship is where these skills will come into play as the students finish out their program.
Phlebotomist school