Individual Occupational Requirements for
GS-644: Medical Technologist Series
The text below is extracted verbatim from
Section IV-B of the Operating Manual for Qualification Standards
for General Schedule Positions (p.IV-B-102), but contains minor edits
to conform to web-page requirements.
Use these individual occupational requirements in conjunction with
the "Group Coverage Qualification Standard for
Professional and Scientific Positions."
- Degree: medical technology, chemistry, or biology that included or was supplemented by at
least:
- 16 semester hours of biological science of which one course was in microbiology and one
course was in immunology. (NOTE: If there is no mention of immunology or immunobiology in
the course title, the requirement for a course in immunology may be met by any course
that covers the following topic areas: (1) definition and relationships of antigens
and antibodies; (2) host-antigen interactions; (3) bursal and thymic influences
on lymphoid cells; and (4) humoral and cellular response mechanisms.) The remaining
biology courses must have been in general biology, zoology, or any of the areas listed
below under "Evaluation of Education and Experience;"
- 16 semester hours of chemistry of which one course was in organic or biochemistry. The
remaining chemistry courses must have been in general chemistry, qualitative analysis,
qualitative chemistry, quantitative chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry,
or any of the areas listed below under "Evaluation of Education and
Experience;" and
- 3 semester hours of college mathematics.
OR
- A full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by at least 12 months in a
college or hospital-based medical technology program or medical technology school approved by
a recognized accrediting organization. The professional medical technology curriculum may have
consisted of a 1-year post-baccalaureate certificate program or the last 1 or 2 years of a
4-year program of study culminating in a bachelor's in medical technology.
OR
- A combination of (1) at least 35 semester hours of biological science, chemistry, and
mathematics as described in paragraph A above and (2) additional appropriate education
and/or experience totaling 4 years. This combination of education and experience must have
provided knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices of medical technology equivalent
to that provided by the full 4-year course of study described in A or B above. All science and
mathematics courses must have been acceptable for credit toward meeting the requirements for a
science major at an accredited college or university. Acceptable experience is responsible
professional or technician experience in a hospital laboratory, health agency, industrial
medical laboratory, or pharmaceutical house; or teaching, test development, or medical
research program experience that provided an understanding of the methods and techniques
applied in performing professional clinical laboratory work. Certification/licensure as a
medical technologist (generalist) obtained through written examination by a nationally
recognized credentialing agency or State licensing body is a good indication that the quality
of experience is acceptable.
Candidates for positions involving highly technical research, development, or similarly complex
scientific functions must have completed the full 4-year course of study described in A or B above.
The four major areas of clinical
laboratory science are microbiology, clinical chemistry, hematology, and immunohematology (blood
banking). Qualifying course work in these areas includes bacteriology, mycology, mycobacteriology,
tissue culture, virology, parasitology, endocrinology, enzymology, toxicology, urinalysis,
coagulation, hemostasis, cell morphology, immunology, serology, immunoserology, immuno-deficiency,
hemolysis, histocompatibility, cyto-genetics, and similar disciplines or areas of laboratory
practice.
Related fields include physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, cell biology, embryology, pathology,
genetics, pharmacology, histology, cytology, nuclear medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, infection
control, physics, statistics, and similar areas of science where the work is directly related to
the position to be filled.
For positions above grade GS-5, experience or graduate education must have been in (1) the
general field of medical technology, (2) one of the disciplines or specialized areas of medical
technology, or (3) a field directly related and applicable to medical technology or the position
to be filled.
Work study experience in a clinical laboratory as a student medical technologist in a
CAHEA-accredited education program may be credited on a month-for-month basis toward meeting the GS-7
specialized experience requirement. (NOTE: A typical program comprises 12 consecutive months of
professional study, including didactic and practical instruction. Approximately 6 to 7 months are
devoted to lectures, laboratory study, demonstrations, and seminars covering theory and technique in
clinical laboratory science. The other 5 to 6 months are devoted to clinical laboratory rotations. It
is the latter, i.e., the period(s) of supervised work experience in a service laboratory that may be
credited as work study experience.
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