The DTM Specialist in Blood Bank (SBB) Training Program was established in 1966. Many of its graduates are now technical supervisors, education coordinators, quality assurance specialists, or reference technologists at some of the nation's finest blood banks and transfusion services. Others have joined commercial companies in reference and education capacities. The program is a 1-year course (July-July) in advanced blood bank technology. The NIH Clinical Center Blood Bank, Specialist in Blood Bank Technology Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) Committee on Accreditation of Specialist in Blood Bank Technology Schools (CoA-SBBT).
Students who successfully complete the course receive a certificate and are eligible to sit for the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Registry examination offered for the Specialist in Blood Banking.
The curriculum includes formal and informal teaching sessions covering basic and advanced serological techniques; blood donations; genetics; viral disease testing; blood preservation and storage; component therapy; apheresis; hazards of transfusion; immunology; human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and transplantation; blood bank administration; and other relevant topics. Participation is encouraged at the monthly Blood Bank Journal Club and Laboratory Review Conference and at the weekly Blood Bank Conference. Students are required to complete one evening course at the NIH graduate school, the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES), in a subject related to the field of transfusion medicine. Students complete rotations in the DTM Transfusion Services Laboratory, which includes an American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)-accredited Immunohematology Reference Laboratory, and the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Typing Laboratory. A rotation in the Blood Services Section of the DTM provides experience in donor recruitment, screening, phlebotomy, and apheresis procedures. Experience in infectious disease testing and hematopoietic transplantation is obtained through rotations in both the Infectious Diseases and Cell Processing Sections of the DTM. Rotations are also provided at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda for donor phlebotomy and processing and HDN serology, the National Children's Medical Center for pediatric hemotherapy, and the Washington Hospital Center for neonatal hemotherapy.
With the guidance of a senior DTM staff member, each student is required to pursue an in-depth project suitable for presentation and/or publication. The project may concern a research issue in blood banking, a case study with a review of the literature, or an educational project.
Students are evaluated periodically by the education coordinator and the technical supervisor. The final grade of pass or fail is based on appraisal of all activities and examinations. As employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), students are also evaluated through the department's employee performance appraisal system. Students are considered part of the technical staff of the Laboratory Services Section of the Department of Transfusion Medicine. They share in the responsibilities of holiday and weekend coverage plus other assignments as deemed necessary by the supervisory staff.
Admission Requirements
Candidates for the Clinical Center's Specialist in Blood Bank Training Program must meet the following requirements:
- Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college/university including biological science, chemistry, and mathematics courses.
- Medical Technologist (MT) American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) or equivalent certification.
- Two or more years full-time blood banking experience.
- Quality and extent of the applicant's blood banking experience are considered.
Additional criteria considered in selecting candidates are:
- Membership in blood bank associations
- Participation in training workshops
- Attendance at continuing education programs
- Research interests and projects
- Supervisory and teaching experience
- Attainment of advanced degrees
- Awards and outstanding employee ratings
How to Apply
Candidates must submit the following items for consideration by the Admission Committee:
- A resume, optional application for federal employment (OF-612
728 KB), application for federal employment (SF-171 309 KB), or any other written format ...provided it contains all the required information (application must include starting and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of duties/responsibilities for each position).
- Transcripts from all colleges attended, including medical technology and postgraduate courses, if applicable.
- A short summary of the applicant's reasons for applying to the Clinical Center's Specialist in Blood Bank (SBB) Training Program and a statement of career goals, including how the applicant intents to use SBB training.
- Two or more letters of recommendation, including one from the applicant's current supervisor or medical director.
Applications should be sent to:
SBB Education Coordinator
NIH Clinical Center
Dept of Transfusion Medicine
Building 10, Room 1C711
10 Center Drive, MSC 1184
Bethesda, MD 20892-1184
Applications must be received by December 31. Candidates will be contacted to arrange an interview with the SBB Admissions Committee. (The DTM cannot compensate candidates for their travel expenses.) Applicants will be notified of selection or nonselection.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) does not discriminate in employment on grounds of sex, race, color, age, religion, handicap, or national origin.
Salary and Benefits
A competitive salary range is offered based on market rates and experience. Each student is paid as a part-time (32 hours a week), temporary employee for 1 year. In addition to the 10 regular holidays recognized by the Federal Government, students accrue approximately 10 days of annual (vacation leave) and 10 days of sick leave, if needed.
Additional Resources
Students have access to an excellent collection of journals and books in the DTM library and the NIH library. An extensive collection of textbooks and journals in both blood banking and related fields is available from the National Library of Medicine, located on the NIH campus. Students are encouraged to attend seminars, lectures, and symposia given on the NIH campus and at area universities and other local medical institutions. If funds permit, students will receive support to attend one professional meeting in the field of transfusion medicine.
The Washington Community
Metropolitan Washington abounds in recreational and cultural opportunities. The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts offers the National Symphony Orchestra, ballet, opera, and drama. During the summer, musical and theatrical events are held at Wolf Trap Farm Park, a pleasant outdoor theater surrounded by a 117-acre park. Professional sports events, including hockey, football, soccer, and basketball, are held year-round. The Potomac River offers canoeing, kayaking, and boating; a network of hiking trails along the river and Rock Creek Park attracts the serious hiker or jogger. The area is 1/2 hour from the Chesapeake Bay and about a 2-hour drive to the ocean beaches or to the Blue Ridge mountains and the Appalachian Trail.
Housing in the immediate vicinity or within easy cycling distance of NIH is readily available.
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