10/08/2020
Medical Laboratory Technology and clinical laboratory science helps diagnose, treat and prevent disease through clinical laboratory tests. It is complementary to medical science. It involves analysis of body matter such as fluid, tissue, and blood. It also covers micro-organism screening, chemical analyses, and cell count. These professionals, medical lab technicians and technologists, play an important role in collecting information, sampling, testing, reporting and documenting medical investigations. Read on to know how to develop a career in medical lab technology:
Medical Technologist work covers areas such as:
Blood banking
Clinical Chemistry (chemical analysis of body fluids)
Haematology (blood related)
Immunology (study of immune system)
Microbiology (study of bacteria and other disease organisms)
Cytotechnology (study of human tissue)
Phlebotomy
Urine analysis
Coagulation
Parasitology
Blood Sample Matching
Drug Efficacy Tests
Serology
Technologists may also conduct research supervised by medical researchers, who are responsible for maintaining report accuracy and conducting complex tests. They generally have more training than a medical laboratory technician, who performs routine testing under stipulated conditions.Technicians may help by preparing specimens and operating automated sample analysing machines, setting up testing equipment, keeping the lab clean, maintaining tools and conditions etc.
Medical Laboratory Technology Skills and Attributes
A Medical Laboratory Technologist should be disciplined and attentive. As fire is a bad master, likewise the chemicals in the laboratory are good servants but very bad masters. A Medical Laboratory Technologist should also have the ability to conduct research, finish tasks with speed as well as with accuracy, to handle stress, make analytical judgment, interpreting technical/scientific data, knowledge of laboratory instrumentation, mechanical ability and the ability to use computers.
Medical Laboratory Technology Job Prospects
Medical technologists are an integral part of the medical profession. These professionals get involved in practical and technical work to aid correct diagnosis and effective functioning of Biochemical Laboratories.
The career prospects in this field depend on the academic and technical skills of the technologist/technician. Initially he/she joins any laboratory as a certified medical laboratory technician. These days with the growth in the private sector there are so many private hospitals, nursing homes, blood banks, pathology laboratories etc. the demand for laboratory technicians is on the up-swing.
With adequate knowledge and experience, Medical Laboratory Technologists can advance to supervisory or management positions in laboratories and hospitals. They can also work as Laboratory manager/Consultant/supervisor, health care Administrator, Hospital Outreach coordination, laboratory information system Analyst/Consultant, educational consultant / coordinator etc. Additional opportunities are available in molecular diagnostics, molecular biotechnology companies and in vitro fertilization laboratories as well as in research labs.
Medical Laboratory Technology Salary
Medical lab Technologists/Technicians get reasonable salary in government and private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic laboratories etc. Employment of clinical laboratory workers is expected to grow fast in the near future.
The average starting salary of a lab technician ranges between Rs.10,000 - 19,000 per month in hospitals and in clinics. However, lab technologists get higher salary as compared to lab technicians.