What Does a Medical Lab Technician Do?

The job of Medical Lab Technician is expected to grow more quickly than average and have great job prospects in the future. However, before you decide to jump into this field, you should make sure you know the answer to the question "What does a medical lab technician do?"

Although the answer to this question might vary a bit depending on the place of employment, the basic answer is that they perform laboratory tests and procedures.

Generally, a Medical Lab Technician completes a certificate program or associates degree where they learn the necessary skills of the job. Some also take an exam so that they become certified, which makes it clear to employers that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to do their job well and makes it so that they will have an easier time finding positions.

Part of their training involves learning how to keep themselves and others safe as they test samples that are possibly contaminated with infectious diseases. If they know and follow the proper precautions, the job is considered to be pretty safe even if some of the samples do contain infectious material.

What does a medical lab technician do as a part of their job? They prepare specimens of blood and other body fluids for testing and analysis and perform some of the simpler automated tests, as well as some of the manual tests while following detailed instructions.

These tests might be to test for abnormalities, drugs, blood type, bacteria, parasites, microorganisms, and chemicals in the samples. Most of the actual analysis of the results is usually done by the Technologists or Laboratory Managers, though more simple analysis might be done by a Technician in some cases.

Generally medical lab techs work with a variety of equipment to analyze samples that they have been given. This includes microscopes, cell counters, and a lot of automated and computer equipment that can do a lot of different tests at the same time. The field is becoming more and more automated and computerized, which means that this job is becoming more about analyzing the results.

Medical Lab Technicians usually work under Medical Lab Technologists and do the less complex tests and analysis since they have less training than the Technologists.

Louis Zhang,

Medicallaboratorytechnicianprograms dot com

For information on medical laboratory technician programs and salary of a medical lab tech go to Medicallaboratorytechnicianprograms dot com

How to Become a Medical Lab Technician - Advancing Your Career in the Right Direction

Have you ever dreamed about being a Medical Lab Technician? Do you find experimenting with different blood and tissue samples fascinating? Well, here is a quick guide to introduce you to the duties of this job, its training requirements and some tips that can help you advance your career in the right direction.

The Duties

Doctors all around the world prescribe routine tests to determine the health of their patients. However, it is the Medical Lab Technician who actually performs and analyzes these tests. Some of the typical duties of this professional include:

Preparing a number of urine, blood and tissue samples for analysis
Utilizing lab equipment to detect bacteria, parasites and other microorganisms
Testing for drug levels in the blood to discover how positively a patient is responding to treatment
Matching blood samples for transfusions
Performing EKGs
Monitoring different tests and procedures
Analyzing the chemical content of different fluids

The Training

In order to become a Medical Lab Technician, you must first complete your high school diploma, and then complete an accredited medical lab tech associate degree or certificate program. Some of the main subjects included in your curriculum will be Laboratory mathematics, Microscopy, Microbiology, Immunology, Pathology and Chemistry

Practical Experience is one of the most important aspects of being a good medical lab assistant. Try working as an assistant for a lab technician in an entry level position at either a hospital or a clinic. This will help you learn as much as you can.

Skills

Training for this field is sometimes just not enough. You must also possess the necessary skills to succeed within this field. Some of these skills include:

Problem-solving and analytical skills
Using your judgment as well as paying attention to detail
Working independently without supervision
A sound grasp on verbal and written communication skills

The Career

Luckily, Medical Lab Technician is one area of expertise that has had an ever growing demand. Moreover, you also have the flexibility to work full time or part-time based on your preference.

You can start working in a hospital as soon as you complete the medical assistant program. Once you gain some relevant experience, you can easily seek jobs in hospitals, clinics, private laboratories, Public Health Organizations as well as R&D departments of pharmaceutical companies.

Ideally, you can earn up to $ 40,000 a year in this field. However, your salary may increase based on your experience and efficiency.

With so many lucrative benefits, what are you waiting for? Being a Medical Lab Technician just might be the best job for you.

Lisa Thomas is your guide to medical careers.

Learn about Medical Lab Technician education, job and salary. Search for health care schools near you and receive free information from Medical Lab Technician schools at http://www.medicalassistantvacancies.com

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