Looking around for phlebotomy courses, you will find that there are numerous schools that offer them. How do you choose the best, a course which will teach you all you need to know and more than that, which will give you qualifications that are acceptable in good medical institutions? Here are some things that will tell you if indeed you are getting what you’re paying for, because it’s very likely that you will be spending a good amount of money to get your phlebotomy training.
- Look at the geographical area that your certification allows
- Look at flexibility of learning hours
- Look at the lab and equipment that’s available
- Look at the curriculum
- Look for one with funding options
There are some phlebotomy courses that will qualify you to work only within a certain geographical region, which of course means that if you were to move, you would need to repeat the accreditation process again. Look for a school that offers a national qualification because that way, you can practice in any medical institution countrywide. Any course that’s recognized by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical and Laboratory Sciences and that offers exams that are administered by an external agency is a good one to consider.
Depending on how your life is structured, you might want to consider phlebotomy training that’s flexible. Remember there will be course work as well as lab work (clinic work, venipunctures and dental punctures). The lab work may not be very flexible, but if you can get the option of doing the course work online, it would help you with setting your own learning hours.
A fully equipped laboratory will mean that you will get the best when it comes to the practical side of your training. It also means that when you eventually get to a real medical institution, you will be familiar with the equipment that’s there.
This is closely tied to how well your accreditation will be accepted in good medical institutions that will pay you well. The recommended curriculum from the most widely recognized accrediting body, the American Certification Agency requires 100 hours of clinic work, 100 venipunctures and 10 dermal punctures, and this is in addition to the actual course work.
Unless you have cash in hand, you need to look at schools that give you different options to pay your fees. The best offer financial aid and you can find out either by talking to the school administration or checking online to see what you need to do to qualify for financial aid.
Your choice of a school determines the kind of jobs you will be accepted for, so it’s critical that you make very conscious choices. Phlebotomy training can also be a way for you to start your way up the medical career ladder, and if you get good accreditation, you will find that it will be easier to get into good medical or nursing schools later.
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