The job of a medical laboratory technician, also known as a medical technician or clinical laboratory technician, is one that is indispensible in the operation of medical facilities. These trained individuals perform many of the tasks that are needed in order to successfully diagnose patients, allowing other doctors to treat them properly. They also operate within other fields, providing much needed support to laboratory technologists who often have their hands full.
The Job of a Medical Laboratory Technician
Many important aspects of a medical lab are cared for by technicians. They deal with analysis and preparation of bodily fluids and tissue samples that hold the key to gaining accurate information regarding a patient’s condition. Medical technicians also perform a variety of other jobs, such as:
- Testing fluid and cell samples for foreign bodies such as bacteria and parasites.
- Analysis of the chemical content of fluids.
- Testing drug levels in patients’ blood to determine how they are responding to treatment.
- Matching blood for transfusions.
- Monitoring of tests and procedures.
- Setting up, cleaning, operating, calibrating and maintaining complicated laboratory equipment.
- Supervising and training of lab assistants and other technicians.
- Analysis and recording of test data for reports.
- Preparing vaccines.
- Collection of blood and tissue samples from patients.
The Place of the Technician in the Medical Field
While a medical technologist may have more education than a technician, they often have their hands full in dealing with the more complex or delicate tests and procedures that need to be performed. The technician’s place is to assist them as much as possible, often double-checking work to make sure that results are accurate. Technicians do most of the same things that technologists do, though under direction and supervision.
Medical laboratory technicians play a critical role in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease. It is the tests that they run which let doctors know what is happening inside their patients. Without them, doctors would be in the dark with nothing to base their decisions on other than purely physical symptoms. They form an integral part of the support force in hospitals and other health environments.
Medical Technician Training
The job of a medical laboratory technician requires a thorough knowledge of a variety of complicated laboratory equipment and technologies. They must also have an understanding of the workings of the human body in all the aspects that their job requires, including procedures to work safely with potentially infectious materials.
Whereas a medical technologist requires a Bachelor’s Degree to obtain their title, a technician only needs an Associate’s Degree or a certification in order to work.
Many technicians choose to specialize in a particular field and gain a more focused understanding. The specialties that a technician may study are:
- Chemistry
- Hematology
- Cytotechnology
- Immunology
- Virology
- Microbiology
- Blood banking
The job outlook for a medical laboratory technician is positive. Many hospital, clinics and private laboratories are in need of those who can perform this job. Main growth in the field is in the private sector and many opportunities are showing up within R&D departments of pharmaceutical companies. The average salary for this job is around $36,000 but can be much higher depending on experience.
