Medical Laboratory Technologist Overview
If you are fascinated by science and technology as they apply to healthcare, you may want to be an MLT!Like other medical lab careers, demand for medical lab technicians is huge, according to the BLS and the ASCP. Over half of all medical laboratories in the U.S. are hiring!
Moreover, medical laboratory technician jobs offer an opportunity to have a significant impact on patient care, without actually interacting with patients. While people skills are important in any job, medical laboratory technician jobs do not require the level of interpersonal interaction or skills that other medical jobs require when direct patient care is involved.
A Medical Technologist is a person who exercises technical functions in medical laboratories. Medical Laboratory Technology also called Clinical laboratory science is an allied health profession which is concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease through the use of clinical laboratory tests. These tests help doctors to detect, diagnose and treat diseases.
A Medical Laboratory Technologist (MLT) do these tests by analyzing body fluids, tissues, blood typing, microorganism screening, chemical analyses, cell counts of human body etc. They play an important role in collecting the information's needed, sampling, testing, reporting and documentation of these investigations. They determine the presence, extent or absence of disease and provide data needed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.
Medical Laboratory Technologist work in five major areas of the laboratory ie, in Blood banking, Clinical Chemistry (chemical analysis of body fluids), Hematology (blood related), Immunology (study of immune system) and Microbiology (study of bacteria and other disease organisms).
Medical Laboratory Technologist also work in the areas of cytotechnology (study of human tissue), phlebotomy, urinalysis, coagulation, parasitology and serology. Phlebotomists draw and test blood where as Blood bank technologists determine correct blood types for transfusions. Histology technicians cut and stain tissue samples.
Medical Laboratory Technologists have more training and job responsibilities. They perform complex tests such as microscopic examinations of tissues, blood and other body fluids to detect evidence of disease and detect the presence of bacteria, fungi, parasites etc and chemical tests to determine blood cholesterol levels.
Medical Laboratory Technologist also match blood samples for transfusions and test drug levels in blood to determine how patients are responding to medications. They are often responsible for making sure that testing is done accurately. In some labs, technologists conduct research under the supervision of medical researchers.
Medical Laboratory Technologist do routine laboratory testing manually according to instructions. They work under Technologists or supervisors. Technicians may prepare specimens and operate machines that automatically analyze samples. In addition to running tests, technicians set up, clean, and maintain laboratory equipment, such as centrifuges, microscopes etc. They also prepare standard solutions for use in the lab. This involves measuring and mixing the correct amount of various chemicals.
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