Section 490.420  Medical Technologist

a)         An individual who meets one of the following qualifications shall qualify as a technologist.  These qualifications must be documented on the Department's form entitled "Laboratory Personnel Qualifications Appraisal" (See Section 490.40 (c)(6)).

1)         The individual has an earned Bachelor's degree in Medical Technology from an accredited college or university.

2)         The individual has successfully completed 3 academic years of study (a minimum of 90 semester hours or equivalent) in an accredited college or university which meets the specific requirement for entrance into, and successful completion of a course of training of at least 12 months, in a school of medical technology accredited by one of the agencies recognized by the U.S. Office of Education for the accreditation of training programs for medical technologists, as distinguished from training programs for medical laboratory technicians.

3)         The individual has an earned Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in one of the chemical or biological sciences and in addition at least 1 year of laboratory experience and/or training in an approved blood bank or clinical laboratory (See 77 Ill. Adm. Code 450.10).

4)         The individual has successfully completed 3 years (90 semester hours or equivalent in quarter hours) in an accredited college or university with a distribution of courses as shown below, and, in addition, successful experience and/or training covering several fields of medical laboratory work of such length (not less than 1 year), and of such quality that this experience or training in an approved blood bank or approved clinical laboratory (See 77 Ill. Adm. Code 450.10). The specified courses must have included lecture and laboratory work.  Survey courses are not acceptable.

A)        For those whose training was completed prior to September 15, 1963:  Academic training must include at least 24 semester hours in chemistry and biology courses of which not less than 9 semester hours must have been in chemistry and must have included at least 6 semester hours in inorganic chemistry, and not less than 12 semester hours must have been in biology courses pertinent to the medical sciences.

B)        For those whose training was completed after September 15, 1963. Academic training must include 16 semester hours in chemistry courses which must have included at least 6 semester hours in general chemistry and the remaining semester hours in analytical chemistry, organic chemistry and/or physical chemistry and which are acceptable toward a major in chemistry; 16 semester hours in biology courses which are pertinent to the medical sciences and are acceptable toward a major in biological sciences; and 3 semester hours of mathematics.

b)         An exception to the requirement of subsection (a) of this Section will be made if an individual who has successfully passed the United States Public Health Service exam in order to qualify under Medicare and Medicaid as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist provides documentation to the Department.