What is the difference between being a CLS and a microbiologist?

Question

Can a CLS work as a Microbiologist in CA.? The two positions usually ask for different Ca. Certs. One being the Ca. CLS cert and the other a public health microbiologist cert.

Answer 1

A CLS is the same as a medical laboratory technician, which requires a two-year degree and clinical rotations.  A CLS can work as a generalist in a laboratory, or can work in just one or two areas, such as in the microbiology section of a clinical laboratory.

A medical technologist (4-yr degree) can also work as a generalist or can specialize.  While I realize California requires licensure, in most other states, MT's take and pass an ASCP registry examination.  They can take the MT exam or just a section exam, such as microbiology.  A registered MT can also take a Specialist in Microbiology exam.  

So, a person could be registered as such: M (ASCP), MT (ASCP), or MT, SM (ASCP).

To answer your question, I think a microbiologist is someone with a four year degree in biology or microbiology who has taken and passed a licensure/registration examination to work in just the microbiology section of a clinical laboratory.  A CLS with microbiology experience might also be considered for the job, but, since microbiology is considered to be a highly complex area, many employers might want a specialist with a four year degree.

It never hurts to apply for the job.

Answer 2

CLS is clinical laboratory scientist.

This person can handle everything and anything in a given working lab. This person will have surface knowledge on all feilds which is sufficient enough to handle or process or test somethings.

Microbiologist: Deals only with Microorganisms. They deal with all infectious and pathogenic samples. Identify, characterise, isolate the microorganism. They also maintain the growth of the microorganism and preserve it for the useful medical and for future purpose. In case of Industrial microbiology, the products are generally checked for the presence of microorganisms ( quality testing) which contains a series of test, the tests depends upon the what product it is. Then the tested product is attested for the advertising, marketing and distribution. They play significant importance in Dairy Industries, where the microbiologist has got a very big role to play. Since they have only this field, They will have an in depth knowledge of the field when compared to CLS who knows only basics of all the fields.

Am not putting down CLS or giving more importance to Microbiology. Both are tough .

All the best.