1. (1) In addition to the requirements of 37-34-303, MCA, applicants for licensure shall meet the following additional qualifications:

   1. (a) Applicants for a license as a clinical laboratory scientist must have graduated from an accredited college or university with a baccalaureate degree with at least 36 semester or 54 quarter hours in the physical and biological sciences. The applicant must also have passed a generalists examination offered by a national certifying body for clinical laboratory scientists.

   2. (b) Applicants for a license as a clinical laboratory specialist must have graduated from an accredited college or university with a baccalaureate degree with at least 36 semester or 54 quarter hours in the physical and biological sciences. The applicant must also have passed a specialist examination offered by a national certifying body for clinical laboratory specialists. The following are areas of clinical laboratory science for which the board will grant a specialist's license:

      1. (i) clinical chemistry;
      2. (ii) hematology;
      3. (iii) microbiology;
      4. (iv) cytology;
      5. (v) immunohematology;
      6. (vi) cytogenetics; and
      7. (vii) molecular biology.
   3. (c) Applicants for a license as a clinical laboratory technician must have graduated with an associate degree or possess 60 semester or 90 quarter hours in a science-related discipline, or completed a military medical laboratory training program of at least 12 months in duration. The applicant must also have passed a technician examination offered by a national certifying body for clinical laboratory science technicians.

2. (2) Examinations administered by the following national certification agencies are approved by the board:

   1. (a) American Association of Clinical Chemists (AACC);
   2. (b) American Medical Technologist (AMT);
   3. (c) American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP);
   4. (d) American Society for Microbiology (ASM);
   5. (e) International Society for Clinical Laboratory Technology (ISCLT);
   6. (f) American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG);
   7. (g) National Registry of Certified Chemists (NRCC);
   8. (h) National Certification Agency (NCA); or
   9. (i) American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB).
3. (3) Applicants holding valid licensure to practice in another state or jurisdiction shall submit verifications from all states where the applicant has held or holds a license.
4. (4) Foreign-trained applicants shall be required to use an evaluation of educational background performed by the World Education Services (WES) or another evaluating entity approved by the board.

Authorizing statute(s): 37-1-131, 37-34-201, MCA

Implementing statute(s): 37-1-131, 37-34-303, MCA

History: NEW, 1993 MAR p. 2766, Eff. 11/25/93; AMD, 2000 MAR p. 727, Eff. 3/17/00; TRANS, from Commerce, 2002 MAR p. 1485; AMD, 2002 MAR p. 1486, Eff. 5/17/02; AMD, 2008 MAR p. 629, Eff. 4/11/08; AMD, 2016 MAR p. 518, Eff. 3/19/16; AMD, 2017 MAR p. 299, Eff. 3/11/17; AMD, 2022 MAR p. 835, Eff. 5/28/22.