Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship
• Citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) Education and/or Experience Combination(1) A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory science such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.)
• AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program
• Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
• The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree
• OR (2) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course inorganic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification(ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT)
• This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory
• OR (3) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course inorganic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory
• Foreign Graduates
• Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described in paragraph 2b(2) or (3) above
• This finding may be based on either of the following:(1) A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree.(2) A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination
• Certification
• Candidates must have either (1) or (2) below (MUST SUPPLY): (1) Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT
• (2) For positions up to the full performance level, candidates must currently possess the categorical or specialist technologist level certification from the certification agencies listed above, such as, but not limited to, chemistry (C/SC), hematology (H/SH), microbiology (M/SM), molecular biology (MB/SMB)and blood bank (BB/SBB)
• Technologists with categorical or specialist certifications may only perform duties within the area of the laboratory specific to their categorical certification (e
• g., an individual with a chemistry certification can only perform duties in chemistry)
• Preferred Experience: Previous experience as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, experience in Laboratory Testing, and Laboratory Information System
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
• English Language Proficiency
• MTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part
• Grade Determination: GS-12 Experience
• Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled
• Assignment
• The CLS serves as a Technical Specialist CLS, providing expert authoritative advice and consultation for more markedly difficult, complex, unique and/or emerging tests that require special knowledge
• Examples include, but are not limited to, molecular pathology, gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy, and flow cytometry
• The CLS advises all organizational levels on various aspects of specialized testing,including appropriateness that takes into consideration clinical context
• The CLS advises on alternate testing to overcome ambiguities in the clinical diagnoses and analyzes emerging trends and technology to adopt appropriate methods and testing
• The CLS develops policies, precedents, regulatory, licensing, and accrediting requirements to establish, monitor, and maintain the specialized testing
• The CLS assumes responsibility for training and competency assessment of staff and students within the area assigned
• The technical specialist often works independently and is given freedom of action under the general guidance of a pathologist or other laboratory practitioner
• The Clinical Laboratory Scientist - Ancillary Testing Coordinator is a qualified, experienced Clinical laboratory scientist who serves as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist Specialist for the Ancillary Testing Coordinator (ATC) for the Pathology for the Miami VA Healthcare System Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service which is a large diversified clinical and anatomical pathology laboratory
• In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: a
• Knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles, methodology of medical laboratory technology, regulatory and accrediting agency requirements, medico-legal requirements, and pertinent statistics sufficient to perform complex diagnostic tests
• b
• Knowledge of instructional techniques to instruct newly hired clinical laboratory scientists and clinical pathology residents in proper performance of tests and applications of laboratory procedures c
• Knowledge of one or more advanced clinical laboratory functions
• d
• Skill to apply new scientific/technical developments to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations
• e
• Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to accomplish the work of a clinical laboratory
• f
• Ability to provide guidance and technical direction to accomplish the work of the specific laboratory section.