Medical Laboratory Colleges

If you enjoy biology and chemistry, you could consider medical laboratory colleges for technician training. As a medical laboratory professional, you will play an important role in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease. In addition, as a laboratory technician you would have a more standardized schedule than you would work in many other medical and healthcare positions.

Dental Health | Nutrition/Dietitian | Healthcare Careers | Healthcare Management | Holistic Health | Massage Therapy | Medical Administration | Medical Assistant | Medical Billing/Coding | Medical Laboratory | Nursing | Occupational Therapy | Office Assistant | Personal Training | Pharmacy Technician | Physician Assistant | Physical Therapy | Psychology | Public Health | Radiology | Respiratory therapy |

If you are patient, organized and detail-oriented, you could consider medical laboratory colleges to attain a B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science. You would perform tests and laboratory procedures, prepare specimens and operate automated analyzers. Technicians work in several areas of the clinical laboratory or specialize in one area. They usually work under the supervision of laboratory technologists or laboratory managers in clean, well-lit facilities.

Lab techs run different tests on tissues, cells, and fluids, match blood types; analyze drug concentration, look for bacteria, parasites, and viruses; and break down fluids’ chemical composition. They do this using instruments and tools to perform such as microscopes, automated equipment, cell counters etc. They summarize data which are then sent to the doctors for their review.

Education and Training

Becoming a medical laboratory technologist generally requires a Bachelor's degree for example that offered by the University of Cincinnatibut with an associate degree, diploma or certificate, you can become a medical or clinical laboratory technician assistant. You would also have the opportunity to learn more skills through on-the-job training. The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) fully accredits 469 medical and clinical laboratory technician programs at community colleges, career colleges, junior colleges, vocational schools and technical schools around the nation including A.T. Still University. This means that you have more options about where you would get your training. Some states require laboratory personnel to be licensed or registered after graduation. Information on licensure in your state is available from your state department of health or board of occupational licensing.

Expected Salary

As a medical laboratory technician, you can expect to earn between $25,000 and $ 46,000 or more.

Projected Career Growth

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth of jobs in this area, as with other medical jobs, will continue to be higher than in other professions.

Home |