Admission Requirements
Admission Process
Students applying for admission to the Gaston College Phlebotomy Program MUST meet all Gaston College admission requirements for GENERAL ADMISSION to the college. Applications are accepted May - September. Admission to the general college does not guarantee admission to the Phlebotomy Program.
Please Complete The Admission Process In The Order Listed Below:
- Schedule and take the ACT exam. The ACT exam is taken in addition to the college placement test (Accuplacer). Applicants should schedule and take the ACT examination to determine acceptance scores for admission into the Phlebotomy Program. Contact the Katherine Harper Testing Center (704.922.2433) for instructions on registering for the ACT. Individuals with a previous college degree will have the ACT examination waived with proof of graduation from an accredited college. Note: SAT score can be accepted in place of the ACT score. Applicants must attain a minimum composite score of 16 or higher on the ACT examination or a score of 790 or higher on the SAT examination to be considered for admission to the Phlebotomy Program. These scores must be current within five (5) years of program admission.
- U.S. resident applicants whose primary language is not English will be required to demonstrate English proficiency. This may be established by making a minimum score of 540 (207 on the computer) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
- Complete and submit the Gaston College Phlebotomy Program Application. This form can be requested through the Phlebotomy Office (704.922.6377). Applicants are advised to apply early.
Competitive Admission Criteria
The Phlebotomy Certificate Program is limited to the number of students matching the number of internship spaces recruited. This usually means that 14-18 students can be accepted. Therefore, the top 14-18 qualifying admission scores will be accepted for program entry.
While the ACT score is the only required admission criterion, acceptance is based on a point system with the following ADDITIONAL ADMISSION POINTS being used in the selection process of qualified applicants:
CPR Certification (current)
Nursing Assistant I/II Certificate (current)
College degree/diploma
College level math course
College level Anatomy & Physiology course
PSY 150
Previous Applicant
In the event of a tie, the ACT score with the highest math component will be accepted first. In the possible event of a tie for the math component, the English component will become the deciding factor. Applicants earning the highest Admission Points will be offered acceptance into the program.
Admission Status
All applicants will be notified by mail of their admission status by the Phlebotomy Coordinator. Qualified applicants will be contacted for an admission interview by the Coordinator for Phlebotomy beginning September through the second week in October. Acceptance letters will be mailed to qualified applicants during the third week in October after the admission interview and verification of files being complete through Gaston College (ACT/SAT Scores, college placement test and transcripts). Individuals not accepted to the Phlebotomy Program must repeat the application process to be considered for admission to the next class. Students reapplying for admission must meet the admission requirements current at the time of their application.
Students Admitted to the Program
Students must meet the following requirements in order to enroll and continue in phlebotomy courses:
- Earn a minimum grade of “C” in ALL phlebotomy curriculum courses. In “PBT” prefix courses that have a lab component,
- students must receive a passing grade in both theory and classroom skills procedures in order to pass the course and progress in the program.
- Submit by the specified date a satisfactory physical and emotional health examination documented on a “Gaston College
- Health and Human Services Division Student Medical Form” provided by the Phlebotomy Program
- Provide proof of immunizations required by the clinical agencies
- Submit criminal background check and fingerprinting by the specified date
- Submit a drug screen by the specified date
- Hold a current certification in adult CPR through the American Heart Association
- Participate in OSHA Safety Training
- Participate in HIPAA Training
NOTE: In order to comply with the current Student Affiliation Agreements, students accepted into the Phlebotomy Certificate Program will be requested to submit the Criminal Background Check, Fingerprinting and Drug Screen according to Gaston College procedures prior to placement in a clinical facility. The facility reserves the right to deny the student access to the facility. If the student is denied access, the student will not be allowed to complete the program. Completion of clinical experiences is required for the satisfactory completion of the program. More information will be provided upon acceptance into the program.
NOTE: All information provided by the student to the College/Program should be to the best of the applicant’s knowledge. Giving false information or withholding necessary information to the College/Program may result in dismissal from the College/Program.
The semester sequence for the program will consist of a ten (10) week concentrated classroom experience followed by a six (6) week practicum experience. Upon successful completion of PBT 100, PBT 101 and PSY 150, the student will be awarded the Phlebotomy Technician Certificate.
The Practicum (PBT 101) will provide the student the opportunity to apply the skills learned in the classroom/laboratory phase to the work environment, under supervision. Students will be assigned to either an area hospital laboratory, an independent laboratory, a medical clinic, or a physician’s office laboratory for an eight-hour (8-hour) shift, three (3) days a week for a total of twenty-four (24) hours a week clinical experience. Hours for the practicum will vary according to the facility to which you will be assigned and may be any of the following sets of hours:
06:30 a.m. - 02:30 p.m.
07:00 a.m. - 03:30 p.m.
08:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.
08:30 a.m. - 05:30 p.m.
02:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
03:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
NOTE: In order to participate in the Practicum of the Phlebotomy Program, students must pass PBT 100 and must be willing to work any of the internship assignment hours listed. There is no guarantee of “preferred” hours.
Due to the limited number of practicum facilities, the student rotations through clinical facilities may be divided. The internship rotation may consist of two (2) sections, based on need. If there are more students than practicum sites available at the end of the ten (10) week classroom experience, the group will be divided into two (2) sections as listed below:
- Students assigned to Section A will complete their Phlebotomy Practicum immediately following the ten (10) week concentrated classroom experience.
- Students assigned to Section B will complete their Phlebotomy Practicum six (6) weeks after the concentrated classroom experience, following Section A.
- If all students can be placed in a practicum facility for the first rotation (immediately following the ten (10) week concentrated classroom experience), there will be only one Phlebotomy Internship for that year.
- Assignment to a Phlebotomy Practicum section is the sole decision of the Phlebotomy faculty.
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