Stackable Credentials

Advancing your career and becoming an expert in your field requires continuous learning and professional development. One method to do this is by stacking your credentials. Stacking or adding credentials allows you to build a career that is unique to you and supports your personal goals and interests.

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What is credential stacking?

Stacking credentials means earning progressive or additional certifications in the allied health field. Multiple credentials can help reflect mastery in your specialization, broaden career opportunities, and open doors for increased responsibility, career advancement and earnings. Stackable credentials allow allied health professionals to move “up” and “across” the lattice of professional opportunities in healthcare.

What credentials can I stack?

AMT offers 12 certifications across the medical, laboratory, and dental fields. Many of these credentials provide the opportunity for stacking.

Stackable Laboratory Credentials

Those in specialized laboratory fields can stack their credentials with other laboratory roles. For example, discover how a Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA) can open the doors to become a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS).

Examples of Stacked Credentials

CMLA (AMT) + MDT (AMT)

A Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA), with some education, could move on to do diagnostics work as a Medical Diagnostics Technologist (MDT).

CMLA (AMT) + MLT (AMT) + MLS (AMT)

A Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA) could move on to a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), and then progress onto a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS).

RPT (AMT) + CMLA (AMT) + MLT (AMT) + MLS (AMT)

A Phlebotomist (RPT) could grow into a position as a Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA), could move on to a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), and then progress onto a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS).

RPT (AMT) + CMLA (AMT) + MLT (AMT) + MLS (AMT) + MDT (AMT) + CLC (AMT)

A Phlebotomist (RPT) could grow into a position as a Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA), could move on to a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT), and then progress onto a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS). They could then get diagnostics experience and move into a Medical Diagnostics Technologist (MDT), and then onto a Clinical Laboratory Consultant (CLC).

Stackable Medical Credentials

In the patient care field, professionals can stack credentials to advance their career in other medical-related roles. For example, one can enter the workforce as a Patient Care Technician (PCT) and advance their career to a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA), or even roles outside of the allied health field.

Examples of Stacked Credentials

PCT (AMT) + RMA (AMT)

Patient Care Technician (PCT) gains experience and earns their Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification.

RPT (AMT) + ECG Certificate (AMT)* + RMA (AMT)

A Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT) earns an ECG certificate from AMT and then moves into a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) role.

*Returning soon.

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Is Stacking Credentials Worth it?

AMT’s variety of credentials and stacking possibilities provide an opportunity to enter the allied health field in an entry-level role, gain experience, and advance to higher-level positions with more earning potential.

Stacking or adding credentials allows allied health workers to build a career that is unique to them and supports their goals.

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How Does Stacking Credentials Help Employers?

Workers who stack their credentials can demonstrate competence on the job and mastery in the field. This helps employers promote from within, reward staff, and publicize their practice/organization as a great place to work with loyal staff and consistent patient care.

Those with multiple credentials also reflect their ability to handle more tasks and complex responsibilities, helping to lighten the workload of doctors and advanced-practice roles.

Credential stacking is an effective strategy to help reduce turnover, increase productivity, improve patient care, and boost overall employee morale and satisfaction.

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Certify Your Staff

Learn more about how AMT works with employers to certify employees in our Employer’s Guide to Certification.