.

Initials can be confusing when they appear after a health professional's name. Those initials are very important, however, because they stand for a profession, an educational degree, or a professional certification. Many people are familiar with the "MD" after a physician's name - - but what about the MT(ASCP) after the name of the person who manages your local hospital's laboratory? Those letters mean that the individual is a Medical Technologist who has met the high standards of certification by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.

Health professionals who achieve educational and professional standards in their fields proudly use the symbols for their profession after their names, because those letters stand for study, practice, learning, and accomplishment! Perhaps someday you, too, will earn credentials and display them next to your name.

Here are some health professional initials you may see: