I want to change careers. how can i go about becoming a medical lab tech?

i know that need college but is there a program less than six months that i can take to work in the lab or with them?

i need to work. i have alimony and joint custody of our kids(she lives about a mile from me in our house no less).

i need to find a program that i can do at home online while i continue to work and go to school.

any suggestions are welcome.I want to change careers. how can i go about becoming a medical lab tech?
well nowadays if you look, you can do almost anything online. i don't know where you live but, in nc you can get your associates in MLT from southwestern community college (near the mountains i think) mostly online provided you have a clinic or hospital that is accepted by the cc to do your labwork and clinical work. at winston-salem state you can get your bachelors in MT (as long you have your associates from an accredited school) online with the same lab requirements.

in MD you could try university of md university college they have bachelors in biotech and lab management as long as you have your associates degree from a school that has an articulation agreement with the school.

in DC try george washington university. they have a bachelors in CLS (as long as you have an associates) and a combined bachelors and masters. that university costs a lot.

you could try getting your MA certification online through somewhere like US career institute. if you use the correspondence option you could finish in 4-6 months. if you chose the all online option, you could finish in about 3 months.

make sure to check all accreditations. be sure that you can sit for the exams required by your state.

hope this helps.

google online distance education programs for your state and check out the actual colleges in your area. start with the community/junior colleges and then check out the 4yr schools.I want to change careers. how can i go about becoming a medical lab tech?
There are 2 types of people who work in the lab: a medical lab TECHNOLOGIST (MT aka CLS): this person has a 4 year bachelors degree in science or med tech and has done a 1 year dedicated med tech training program. It is impossible to do online as they rotate through all the aspects of the clinical lab doing the lab work. You then take an exam by the ASCP and get licensed. There is no short cut to this field, as the hours %26amp; training are mandated.\\



Then there is their assistants, so to speak, who work under the MT. Medical lab TECHNICIANS (MLT). These people do the lower complexity testing and less critical things, as well as prepare samples. This makes less money %26amp; requires less schooling--usually a 2 year community college or vo-school training program (1-2 years). Again, it also can not be done on line. They also take an exam %26amp; are licensed.



You can google each to get far more info %26amp; lists of schools. The American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) is the testing body; states license them.



Some labs hire MAs to process specimens (limited training) but the income is small %26amp; the job is pretty basic.