A medical lab career in the U.S. Army: challenges with rewards

Medical Laboratory Observer, March, 2006 by Elaine Perry

The United States Army provides training in medical laboratory science--from associate's and bachelor's through post-doctoral degrees--for individuals who want careers that provide growth opportunities, increased responsibilities, variety, and a chance to see the world. Active-duty enlisted personnel, reservists, National Guard, and international military students who are interested in the medical laboratory field can obtain the basic skills and education necessary to support the U.S. Department of Defense medical mission during peacetime, mobilization, wartime, and support operations. The program--311-91810--is divided into two phases:

* Phase 1 consists of a 26-week resident course conducted at the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School (AMEDDC & S) at Fort Sam Houston, TX.

* Phase 2 provides clinical training at any one of 22 U.S. hospital clinical laboratories.

Graduates earn 60 semester credits but must also earn 12 additional credits to receive their Associate in Integrated Studies (AIS) degree and receive the Army's military occupation-specialty designation of medical laboratory technician (MLT). The entire course is affiliated with George Washington University in the District of Columbia, which offers graduates the opportunity to eventually earn their bachelor's degree. It complies with the requirements of the Department of Defense's Clinical Laboratory Improvement Program and is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

After a tour of duty, medical laboratory technicians can apply for an additional skill identifier, such as cytology or biological-sciences assistant. The cytology course is accredited, and all graduates receive a bachelor's degree. The biological-sciences assistant must have a bachelor's or master's degree in a biological science and must perform professional-medical and medical-research duties. Enlisted personnel may work in a hospital, research facility, or in the field.

Enlisted personnel train for the future

At AMEDDC & S, enlisted servicemen and women who are enrolled in the medical laboratory program usually enter with definite goals and discover career advantages upon completion. Sgt. Derwin Johnson is currently training at the AMEDDC & S. "This is a very challenging program, and I am learning a lot. I am from the Bahamas and plan to work in the clinical lab for the military in my country. The certificate that I receive from this program will be very beneficial to my military career there."

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Spc. Antwone Wilson, who already had a teaching degree, graduated from the AMEDDC & S program last December. "I wanted to pursue a future in the Army, and I was interested in science and the laboratory. The program I studied provided me with an AIS degree as an MLT, which was a great incentive. I plan to use my skills in the William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC) at Fort Bliss, Texas, and if I should be deployed to Iraq."

Enlisted AMEDDC & S graduates are challenged in their ensuing career posts, particularly when they are given the chance to serve at posts overseas. As the non-commissioned officer in charge of Blood Services at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany, Sgt. 1st Class Joe Yglecias--currently stationed at the WBAMC--confronted many issues. Few local nationals qualified for the positions he needed to fill; and because the majority of his technicians were military, he was constantly training new civilian and military techs. "We did not have the benefit of a pool of applicants, as in the United States, to provide long-term stability."

He also experienced some difficulties with blood testing and FDA-compliance. Blood collected by the LRMC Blood Donor Center was tested by Fort Hood in Texas, which could take as long as seven days before collected blood could be issued to patients. "Because of this," says Yglecias, "we could not make our own platelets. Platelets and blood less than 10 days old for NICU patients had to be purchased from local German blood banks, often delaying the issuance of blood products for hours. And while those local blood products were tested similarly to U.S. blood products, they were not FDA-approved." These circumstances meant that patients who received local blood had to be counseled and tested initially, then at regular intervals for the following year, followed by testing at whatever hospital they went to after leaving LRMC.

Other opportunities for medical lab service personnel

The Army directly commissions lab officers in the fields of microbiology, biochemistry, clinical laboratory science, and research psychology. The mission of Army medical laboratory scientists is to ensure the readiness of the nation's fighting forces; provide clinical laboratory support to the deployable armed forces; assure survival against chemical and biological warfare weapons, disease, trauma, combat stress, and environmental threats; and provide biomedical leadership to military personnel.