“What is the difference between phlebotomy technicians and phlebotomists” is a common question among people who are thinking about entering the field of phlebotomy. But are they really separate careers and if so, what are the differences?
The short and quick answer to this question is “there is no difference between phlebotomy technicians and phlebotomists”. They are one in the same job within this particular medical field.
A follow-up question might be “what is the difference between a phlebotomy technician and a medical lab technician”. Or asked in another way “is a phlebotomist the same as a medical lab tech”. The answer is “absolutely not”.
Medical lab techs, also known as Clinical Lab Technicians, work in a lab testing blood samples and other materials. They do not perform the venipunctures (blood draws) that the phlebotomists do.
Another difference is in the area of education. Lab techs typically have a 4-year college degree whereas phlebotomists training is readily available locally and may involve only taking a few courses. (Look for more information on phlebotomist training courses coming soon.)
Leave a comment or contact us if you still have questions about the difference between phlebotomy technicians and phlebotomists or medical lab technicians.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Im a certified phlebotomist 6 months out of school and my question is this. I have the most comforting personality one could ever imagine and i have always been good with my hands in terms of technique and being very steady but i’m afraid of running into situations where i have to calculate. I can however as a weakness it is that! I just wanna draw blood,centrifuge,label and on to the next and thats it. What would you suggest in terms of employment? Hospital,clinic,blood banks,Laboratories etc. I think u know what im getting at
Hi Michael,
First, thank you for visiting our site. We hope you found it both interesting and useful.
Secondly, we have forwarded your question to our resident Phleb for a response. As soon as we receive her reply, we will get it posted right away.
Thanks again.