RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 From Technical Assistants to Critical Thinkers: The Journey to World War II JF American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science JO Clin Lab Sci FD American Society of Chemistry and Laboratory Science SP 204 OP 208 DO 10.29074/ascls.27.4.204 VO 27 IS 4 A1 Butina, Michelle A1 Leibach, Elizabeth Kenimer YR 2014 UL http://hwmaint.clsjournal.ascls.org/content/27/4/204.abstract AB A review of professional literature was conducted to examine the history of the education of medical laboratory practitioners. This comprehensive review included historical educational milestones from the birth of medical technology to the advent of World War II. During this time period standards were developed by clinical pathologists for laboratory personnel and training programs. In addition, a formal educational model began to form and by the 1940's two years of college was required for matriculation into a medical technology program. Intertwined within the educational milestones are imprints of the evolution of critical thinking requirements and skills within the profession. For the first laboratory practitioners, critical thinking was not developed, discussed, or encouraged as duties were primarily repetitive promoting psychomotor skills.ABBREVIATIONS: American Medical Association (AMA); American Medical Technologists (AMT), American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP), Board of Registry (BOR), critical thinking (CT); doctor of medicine (M.D.), laboratory technician (LT), medical technologist (MT), World War I (WWI).