Is This Program for You?

Are you people-oriented and interested in science, technology, and health care? The Phlebotomist / Specimen Processor program may be a good fit for you.

If you are interested in a health care career and think you would enjoy the variety of administrative, laboratory, and patient care areas of a physician's office or clinic, a Medical Assistant career will be an excellent choice for you.

Students entering the Phlebotomist / Specimen Processor program should:

• Have basic reading, math, and communication skills.
• Have good manual dexterity.
• Be detail oriented.
• Be flexible, adaptable, and enjoy working with people.
• Be self-confident, independent, and a self-directed learner.
• Meet Wisconsin Caregiver Law requirements.

Program Basics

• Technical diploma, requiring a minimum of one year to complete.
• Current August program start date.
• This program consists of two courses. Both courses are face-to-face courses and must be taken in the same semester.
• Complete competency checks in venipuncture and basic lab skills must be completed successfully.
• Students must achieve a grade of a C or better in each of the two courses in the program curriculum to obtain the technical diploma.
• Expect to spend at least six hours per week beyond scheduled class time to study course material and complete assignments.
• Students are eligible for ASCP Certification Route 3 after 1 year of full-time experience as a Phlebotomy Technician.

Phlebotomy / Specimen Processor Student Handbook

Note :All courses completed in the Phlebotomy / Specimen Processor technical diploma are eligible to transfer into the Medical Laboratory Technician associate degree.

Cost of Attendance (COA) 25-26

Cost of Attendance (COA) is a total of all the usual expenses of being a student. The COA sets the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive.

Based on Wisconsin Residents.

Approximate school costs are for a full-time (12 credit) student over a semester span of 17 weeks.

Fees are legislated by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.

These costs are estimates and are subject to change without notice.

Admission and Program Requirements

• Submit Application
• Submit High School Transcripts, College Transcripts, and Test Scores to: Southwest Tech (email admissions@swtc.edu, or mail to Attn: Admissions, 1800 Bronson Blvd, Fennimore, WI 53809)
• Admissions Meeting: After applying and submitting transcripts, work with your advisor to begin or continue your student success plan to talk about your career interests and goals, develop a plan for paying for college, learn about various funding options, create an academic map, and discuss supports and services. Schedule an admissions meeting by clicking "Make an appointment" with your program advisor.
• Admissions Preference Policy

  Priority for program acceptance will be given in this order:

  1. Southwest Wisconsin Technical College District Residents (permanent address is in one of Southwest Tech’s 30 school districts the College serves) Southwest Tech District Information
     • January 1 for the following fall semester
     • May 1 for the following spring semester
     • October 1 for the following summer semester
  2. After the dates specified in (1) for District Residents, Non-District State Residents have priority equal to District Residents.
  3. Out-of-State Residents will be admitted after District and Non-District State Residents, as spaces remain available.

Program Requirements

• Prior to January 15^th of your Spring semester each student will need to complete and submit the Health Requirements listed below, to be able to participate in there clinical externship experience.
  • Physical Form
  • Background Information Disclosure - complete in MySWTC listed in "My Documents"
  • TB skin testing
  • Fact Sheet
  • Current BLS for Healthcare providers CPR certification

Additional Health Requirements

• Hepatitis B immunization: Need documented proof of the 3 vaccine dates or copy of a blood test/titer indicating you are immune to the disease.
• If Unable to provide documentation of immunization for Hepatitis B, students are required to get the first shot in a series of three for Hepatitis B.
• Students who elect not to start the Hepatitis B series prior to their laboratory sessions, are required to sign a form stating they are electing to continue with the program without the benefit of the Hepatitis B immunization.

Helpful Academic Background

Traditional Students:

• High School diploma or GED certificate or be currently enrolled in a secondary youth options program
• Keyboarding skills at 30 wpm or greater
• Biology
• Applied Math and Algebra
• 4 years English with emphasis in grammar/writing

Returning Students:

• Basic Education English
• Basic Education Math & Science

Program Fees

• This program is eligible for Financial Aid.
• Estimated cost for each semester can be found under the Curriculum tab. Please note that costs are approximate and are based on the current academic year.
• Please discuss additional fee questions with the program advisor or instructor.

Program Outcomes

Upon graduation and initial employment, the phlebotomist and/or specimen processor should be able to demonstrate entry level competencies in the following areas of professional practice:

• Draw blood from a patient using venipuncture or capillary puncture techniques for clinical or medical testing, transfusions, or research.
• Collect, process, and store blood and other biological specimens for analysis.
• Operate and perform routine preventative maintenance on basic laboratory equipment including centrifuges used to process specimens.
• Perform analytical testing using CLIA waived methods and instrumentation.
• Recognize the pre-analytical factors that affect clinical laboratory testing
• Understand that proper specimen collection and processing is key to accurate and timely clinical laboratory testing.
• Demonstrate effective and professional interpersonal communication skills with patients, colleagues, other health professionals, and the public.
• Monitor and evaluate quality control for CLIA waived testing.
• Adhere to safety and regulatory compliance.

A graduate of the program will have the potential to be employed as a:

• Phlebotomist - Phlebotomy functions include drawing blood from a patient for clinical or medical testing, transfusions, donations, or research.
• Lab Assistant / Clinical Lab Support – Collect and process blood and other specimens for laboratory testing. Perform waived laboratory tests.

With additional training and work experience, graduates may find employment in various areas of healthcare including Medical Laboratory Technician.

Southwest Tech's Career Connections Center offers Services to assist students looking for job placement.

All courses completed in the Phlebotomy / Specimen Processor technical diploma are eligible to transfer into the Medical Laboratory Technician associate degree.

Essential Functions for Phlebotomist / Specimen Processor Technicians

Observation / Visual

The Phlebotomy /Specimen Processor student must be able to:

• Observe laboratory demonstrations of specimens, techniques, and instruments.
• Characterize the color, consistency, and clarity of biological specimens or reagents.
• Read and comprehend text, numbers, and graphs displayed in print and on a video monitor.

Movement / Motor Function

The Phlebotomy /Specimen Processor student must be able to:

• Move freely and safely about a laboratory.
• Perform continuous physical work, often requiring prolonged sitting or standing over several hours.
• Reach laboratory benchtops and shelves, patients lying in hospital beds, or patients seated in specimen collection furniture.
• Maneuver phlebotomy and culture collection equipment to collect laboratory specimens from patients.
• Operate laboratory equipment (pipettes, inoculating loops, test tubes) and adjust instruments to perform laboratory procedures.
• Use an electronic keyboard to operate laboratory instruments and calculate, record, evaluate, and transmit data.

Communication Skills

The Phlebotomy /Specimen Processor student must be able to:

• Read and comprehend technical and professional materials (textbooks, journals articles, handbooks, and procedure manuals).
• Follow oral and/or written instructions to correctly perform laboratory test procedures.
• Clearly, effectively, confidentially, and sensitively converse with patients regarding laboratory test orders and specimen collection instructions.
• Communicate with instructors, peers, laboratory staff, and other health care professionals orally and in recorded format.

Intellect

The Phlebotomy /Specimen Processor student must:

• Possess the intellectual skills: comprehension, reasoning, self-expression, and self-analysis.

Behavior

The Phlebotomy /Specimen Processor student must:

• Organize work and manage the use of time in order to complete technical tasks within realistic time limits.
• Possess the emotional health necessary to effectively use his or her intellect to exercise appropriate judgment in a distracting environment under stressful circumstances.
• Be flexible and creative and adapt to professional and technical change.
• Follow established safety procedures to minimize the risk of injury to self and co-workers.
• Adapt to working with unpleasant biological specimens.
• Be supportive of peers and healthcare professionals to promote a team approach to learning, task completion, problem-solving, and patient care.
• Exercise sufficient judgment to recognize errors and take appropriate corrective actions.
• Be honest and forthright about errors.
• Be able to critically evaluate his or her performance, accept constructive criticism, and be responsible for improving performance.
• Be compassionate and ethical.

Students with disabilities should consult with Southwest Tech's Disability Services regarding reasonable accommodations needed to perform successfully in this program.

Credit for Prior Learning

Experience Pays! You've Been There... You've Done That... Let's See If You Can Get Credit For It!

Credit for prior learning gives you opportunities to earn credit for college-level knowledge that you have already acquired. This may be the result of work or volunteer experiences, certifications, apprenticeships, military training, extensive self-instruction, or professional development. Credit for Prior Learning affords you the opportunity to accelerate the completion of your educational goals.

For more information on Credit for Prior Learning see our Credit for Prior Learning page.

At any time, you may Request Credit for Prior Learning.

Medical Assistant Courses that may have Credit for Prior Learning options:

Course #	Course Title	Challenge Exam (Demonstration)	Challenge Exam (Standard)	CLEP	Credential	Portfolio
10-501-101	Medical Terminology
	Available online