The Role of Clinical Laboratory Scientists and Technicians

Before a doctor can do anything about a patient's medical condition, he or she must first obtain as much information as possible. This means questioning the patient as to the symptoms being experienced, and turning to the clinic's medical laboratory for blood and tissue specimens, sample preparation, immunological assays, and so on and so forth.

Some of the unsung heroes of the medical profession, medical lab technologist and lab technicians work far from the public eye to obtain, analyze and evaluate information which could prove to be the key to saving a patient's life. In fact, a medical laboratory technologist may find up to seventy percent of the information a physician needs in order to make an accurate diagnosis of a patient's ailment.

A medical technologist is a graduate of a four-year course in medical science or one of the life sciences. He or she has most likely gone through one of the medical technologist schools accredited by bodies such as the NAACLS (National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences), and where courses dealing with clinical laboratory science are taught.

At the moment, there are over 400 NAACLS-accredited programs dealing with CLS courses of various kinds for the medical and clinical laboratory technologist and medical and clinical laboratory technician who may wish to further their education. Since there are few people who undertake clinical laboratory science courses yet there is a consistent rise in the demand for such professionals, keeping the educational level of those in the work force up is very important indeed.

While the medical technologist attends medical technologist school for a baccalaureate degree, a medical technician school also often offers a two-year associate degree course. A medical technician certificate may also be obtained from a hospital, vocational/technical institute, or from the United States Armed Forces. Under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act of 1988, however, medical laboratory technicians (MLTs) are not allowed to perform tests of high complexity.

Both the MT and the MLT must pass a national examination before they can be certified. Moreover, both are integral parts of any laboratory science program.