Clinical Laboratory Scientist

This position serves as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist at one of the various Hospitals or Clinics in the Great Plains Area. The purpose of this position is to perform a variety of procedures including complex analyses, using and maintaining equipment and setting up and monitoring quality controls.

There may not be immediate vacancies at all locations. Interested applicants should check with the local Administrative Office concerning immediate employment needs.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):
General Schedule Qualification Standard Link: Medical Technologist Series 0644 (opm.gov)
Education

1. A Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from a regionally accredited college/university including courses in biological science, chemistry and mathematics, AND successful completion of a Medical Laboratory Scientist/Clinical Laboratory Scientist program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

   OR

2. A full 4-year course of study that included 12 months in a college or hospital-based medical technology program or medical technology school approved by a recognized accrediting organization. The professional medical technology curriculum may have consisted of a 1-year post- bachelor's certificate program or the last 1 or 2 years of a 4-year program of study culminating in a bachelor's in medical technology.

   OR

3. A Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of biological science (with one semester in microbiology), 16 semester hours (24 quarter hours) of chemistry (with one semester in organic or biochemistry), one semester (one quarter) of mathematics, AND five years of full time acceptable clinical laboratory experience in Blood Banking, Chemistry, Hematology, microbiology, Immunology and Urinalysis/Body Fluids. This combination of education and experience must have provided knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices of medical technology equivalent to that provided by the full 4-year course of study described in A or B above. All science and mathematics courses must have been acceptable for credit toward meeting the requirements for a science major at an accredited college or university. Acceptable experience is responsible professional or technician experience in a hospital laboratory, health agency, industrial medical laboratory, or pharmaceutical house; or teaching, test development, or medical research program experience that provided an understanding of the methods and techniques applied in performing professional clinical laboratory work. Certification/licensure as a medical technologist (generalist) obtained through written examination by a nationally recognized credentialing agency or State licensing body is a good indication that the quality of experience is acceptable.

Evaluation of Education and Experience: The major areas of clinical laboratory science are microbiology, clinical chemistry, hematology, and immunohematology (blood banking). Qualifying course work in these areas includes bacteriology, mycology, mycobacteriology, tissue culture, virology, parasitology, endocrinology, enzymology, toxicology, urinalysis, coagulation, hemostasis, cell morphology, immunology, serology, immunoserology, immuno-deficiency, hemolysis, histocompatibility, cytotechnology, and similar disciplines or areas of laboratory practice.

Related fields include physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, cell biology, embryology, pathology, genetics, pharmacology, histology, cytology, nuclear medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, infection control, physics, statistics, and similar areas of science where the work is directly related to the position to be filled.

Experience or graduate education must have been in (1) the general field of medical technology; (2) one of the disciplines or specialized areas of medical technology; or (3) a field directly related and applicable to medical technology or the position to be filled.

Clinical laboratory intern (student medical technologist) experience in an education program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) education program may be credited on a month-for-month basis toward meeting the GS-7 specialized experience requirement.

Note: Employees currently assigned to positions in this occupational series as of September 2017 will be considered to have met the basic requirements for the position occupied.

In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below-

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
GS-7: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Assist senior technologist in preparing reagents; assist with performance of routine laboratory tests; follow procedures to ensure quality control; and use basic laboratory equipment and instruments. Or, successfully completed at least 1-year of graduate level education in the field of medical technology, Or, successfully completed a 4-year course of study in the field of medical technology AND meet one of the requirements for Superior Academic Achievement.

GS-9: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Perform procedures of a routine and complex nature in all clinical laboratory sections; standardize and/or calibrate section instruments; prepare reagents and controls; maintain quality control; perform analysis which is reviewed by senior staff; perform electronic standardization procedures for laboratory instrumentation function. Or, successfully completed 2-years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree in field of medical technology.

GS-11: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: calculating from statistical data, using standard deviation, coefficient of variation, mean value formulas, use of histograms and negative skew; maintaining effective, accessible section records system, including patient testing reports, daily section worksheets and instrumentation preventative maintenance reports; providing training to junior and generalist technologists; conferring with attending physicians on a daily basis in solving complicated patient testing and diagnostic problems. Or, successfully completed 3-years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree in the field of medical technology.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Responsibilities:

• Performs a variety of clinical laboratory tests/examinations per requests by medical staff for use in clinical diagnosis, patient screening, monitoring patient therapy and status and other authorized purposes.
• Performs preventive maintenance, periodic inspection and performance testing of equipment and instruments together with the maintenance of appropriate records.
• Assignments encompassed include such specialization as chemistry, microbiology, hematology, immunology, urinalysis and blood banking.
• Calibrates, standardizes, adjusts and maintains instruments.