Phlebotomists are medical professionals who are trained to draw blood, usually for the purpose of performing diagnostic tests. These tests help diagnose patients so that doctors can begin treating them as soon as possible, making the job of a phlebotomist important. In Pennsylvania, phlebotomists are not required to obtain certification before they can practice phlebotomy. However, obtaining certification is a requirement for many employers, including hospitals and clinics. Certification demonstrates that you have all the necessary qualifications and that you're serious about your career in phlebotomy.

Decide which association or organization you'd like to receive certification through. You are not required to become certified according to the state of Pennsylvania, but you will be much more competitive in the job market if you do. You have three choices for certification in phlebotomy: the American Society of Clinical Pathology, the Association of Phlebotomy Technicians and the National Phlebotomy Association.

Find a phlebotomy school or training program in Pennsylvania to complete your requirements. Depending on the association or organization you choose for your certification, the school or training program should involve a combination of classroom hours, hands-on training, documented venipunctures and skin punctures and completion of an internship. You can find phlebotomy schools in Pennsylvania through TopPhlebotomySchools.com, located in the resource section below.

Contact the organization or association you chose to receive certification through. You will need to prove that you have met the requirements for certification for each association or organization by providing documentation and passing an exam. For the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the requirements are a high school diploma, 40 classroom hours, 120 hands-on training hours and documentation for 100 unaided blood collections. For the Association of Phlebotomy Technicians, the requirements are completing a phlebotomy training program that involved 100 documented venipunctures and five skin punctures, as well as becoming a member of the association. For the National Phlebotomy Association, the requirements are completion of a training program that includes a practical internship and 160 classroom hours.