If you want to study in the medical field, phlebotomy is a good choice. Many don’t know what phlebotomy is. What are the responsibilities? A phlebotomist is an allied medical professional who draws blood from patients or blood donors for medical testing. Processing the blood collected is another task of a phlebotomist. If you become a phlebotomist some of your duties could be; explaining procedures to patients, updating patient records, preparing stains and reagents, drawing blood by vein or skin punctures, cleaning and sterilizing equipment, taking blood pressure, pulse and respiration rates, and sending urine and fecal samples for lab testing, all while working under the direction of a physician.

The training for the field of phlebotomy is available at many learning institutions on site and online. When you choose one of the phlebotomy schools that is best for you, you will need either a high school diploma or a GED to qualify for advanced training. You now have everything you need to begin recognized phlebotomy classes. The time to complete the course varies from a semester to a year since it depends on the certificate program you choose. Learning anatomy, including the makeup of the circulation system and phlebotomy techniques will be covered in most programs. You will also need considerable hands on training drawing blood. Your course may require that you intern as well.