Nowadays phlebotomy is a popular choice for those people who are looking to join the medical profession. In order to succeed in this profession training and education is a must.

Phlebotomy is not simply about blood collection and storing, for a person to become good phlebotomist knowledge of human body and recommended procedures of safety and protocol is also required. The training required for phlebotomy can be acquired from many schools and vocational colleges. You can go to a conventional class room or you can study online. A person can either do a certification (the most popular), associate or bachelor’s degree in phlebotomy.

The certification exam can be attempted after completion of a training program. Careful selection of a training program is a must. The program chosen must have the following features.

• The program must be accredited or recognized by United States Department of Education, the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), or a similar agency.
• There must be a provision for practical training in the program.
• The curriculum of the program and its standard must meet the requirements set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Clinical and Laboratory Sciences Institute (CLSI).

The right school or program can be found through the internet. Many certification agencies have list of school on their websites. NAACLS has 59 approved schools on its website along with information like addresses, websites, detail of contact persons and numbers.

The certificate course can be completed in a time frame ranging from 12 weeks to one year. The cost of these courses and their curriculum varies. There will be two portions of these courses. One would be theoretical and the other practical. The practical portion could consist of a internship or on the job training in a clinic or hospital. The cost of phlebotomy training differs from $1,500 to $3,000.

In California and Louisiana where phlebotomy certification is legally required before starting a job as a phlebotomist, the requirements and standards for training programs are even stricter.

The Complete Phlebotomy Training (CPT) is the certification body in California. It has approval from California Department of Public Health, Laboratory Field Services and is accredited with Better Business Bureau. The CPT offers three courses for student’s interested in practising phlebotomy in California. The detail of these courses is as follows.

Basic 101
The requirement of enrolling in this course is a high school diploma or equivialent qualification. Students are taught about human anatomy, physiology, infection control, and phlebotomy theory in twenty hours of class room study.

Advanced 102
This course will teach the students all about infection control, the cardiovascular system and how to avoid pre analytical mistakes in addition phlebotomy law and ethics would also be taught. The course would also last around 20 hours.

Clinical 103
Using phlebotomy equipment and collecting blood are the main topics covered in this course. The students will also gain on the job experience with the help of an instructor. This course will last around 40 hours.

The cost of course, registration fee and text book is $1,750. Certified phlebotomist can also obtain their continuing education credit through CPT.