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| Clinical
Laboratory Technician If you are interested in a career that involves science and medicine, consider becoming a clinical laboratory technician. According to the best-selling 1999 book, Jobs Rated Almanac: The Best and Worst Jobs by Les Krantz, laboratory technicians are in the top 20 list of best jobs. Medical laboratory technicians, a specialty area of CLTs, ranked 18 in a list of 250 jobs. They also ranked fourth in the health care/medicine occupational category. The positions were scored on factors such as salary, stress levels, work environment, outlook, security and physical demands. What it takes to be a CLT All CLTs have certain common characteristics. They are problem solvers. They like challenge and responsibility. They are accurate, reliable, work well under pressure and are able to finish a task once started. They communicate well, both in writing and speaking. They set high standards for themselves and expect quality in the work they do. But, above all, they are deeply committed to their profession, and are truly fascinated by all that science has to offer. For someone who chooses a career as an CLT, the exploration never ends. Specialty Opportunities for Laboratory Technicians Technicians may specialize in the areas of chemistry, hematology, cytotechnology, immunology, virology, blood banking and microbiology. Medical technologists are specialists in major areas of the laboratory including blood banking, chemistry, hematology, immunology and microbiology. Other specialty areas include:
Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) MLTs perform blood tests, scanning for bacteria and viruses and examining diseases such as diabetes, and cancer. In addition to examining these diseases, MLT students learn how to correlate test results with a patient’s condition. Medical and clinical laboratory technicians generally have either an associate's degree from a community or junior college or a certificate from a hospital, vocational or technical school, or from one of the U.S. Armed Forces. A few technicians learn their skills on the job. Medical Technologists (MT) A medical technologist (MT) supervises MLTs. They perform a variety of tests including simple pre-marital blood tests, to more complex tests to uncover diseases such as AIDS, diabetes and cancer. Responsible for confirming the accuracy of tests performed by MLTs, MTs report test results to a pathologist and other doctors. The information provided by MTs is critical because it determines a doctor’s choice of treatment for the patient. Medical technologists have training beyond that of the medical laboratory technician, and may follow an educational program such as this:
Cytotechnologists (CT) Using a microscope, cytotechnologists evaluate cells to determine whether they are cancerous, or infected then they provide an interpretation of their evaluation to a pathologist (a medical doctor who specializes in the study of diseases) for review. Cytotechnologists have a bachelor's degree and typically attend a 12-month training program. Entrance to cytotechnology schools requires college preparation including a minimum of 20 semester hours of biology and 8 semester hours of chemistry. Histotechnician Cancer can often be detected by the appearance of cells in a tissue sample. Once a sample tissue is taken from the patient, it’s sent to the laboratory. It’s the job of the histotechnician to prepare very thin sections of body tissues for microscopic examination by a pathologist. The histotechnician must work quickly and under pressure since the answers may be needed while the patient is in surgery. Working closely with the pathologist, the histotechnician freezes and cuts the tissues, mounts them on slides and stains them with special dyes to make the cell details visible under the microscope. With the information learned from the section of tissue biopsy, the pathologist and the surgeon find out if disease is present and if it has spread. They can then decide on the best course of treatment for the patient. The histotechnician works with delicate instruments and automated equipment as well as knives, chemicals and glass slides. He or she must value precision and have good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. Phlebotomist Technician (PBT) Phlebotomist Technicians (PBT) work directly with patients. PBTs collect blood samples from patients that will produce an accurate laboratory result. The PBT must establish trust with the patient while performing their duties skillfully, safely and reliably. The primary duty of a phlebotomist is to draw blood specimens from patients for laboratory tests. The job includes establishing a professional relationship with the patient, selecting and preparing the puncture site of the skin, collecting specimens, preparing and maintaining equipment used for obtaining blood specimens and caring for the patient after specimen collection. Other duties include entering data into the computer for the testing process, as well as performing clerical duties associated with the record keeping of laboratory tests. Apheresis Technician (AT) Apheresis technicians are medical technicians who specialize in techniques that separate blood products (platelets, plasma and red blood cells) from a blood donation. After the required blood component is collected, the remaining components are returned to the donor. Apheresis techniques provide an advantage of obtaining the required amount of blood from two donors as opposed to ten donors. What Clinical Laboratory
The clinical laboratory technician performs general tests in all laboratory areas —
CLTs work in hospitals, laboratories and other health care facilities. CLT’s assist health care teams in identifying the absence, presence and degree of severity of a disease. This requires that their skills be accurate, that they be dedicated and skilled and that they pay attention to detail. Typically, an CLT’s duties will include preparing blood, urine and tissue specimens for analysis and monitoring tests and procedures. CLTs are trained to use high-tech laboratory equipment to look for bacteria, parasites, and other microorganisms; examine the chemical content of fluids; prepare blood for transfusions; and determine how a patient reacts to drug treatments by using various tests. Accuracy is of the utmost importance for CLTs. Income Potential According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual earnings of medical and clinical laboratory technologists in all settings were $45,730 in 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $38,740 and $54,310. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,240, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $63,120. Median annual earnings in hospitals employing medical and clinical laboratory technologists in 2004 were $46,020. Median annual earnings of clinical laboratory technicians were $30,840 in 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $24,890 and $37,770. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,410, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $45,680. Median hourly wages for other CLT specialty areas by work location are as follows:
The Job Market Employment opportunities for CLTs are numerous. The field has grown exponentially in the last few years and will continue to grow by as much as 10 to 20 percent through 2010. CLTs work in hospitals, laboratories and other health care facilities and the demand will increase due to the growth of the population and an increase in the number of tests that have become available. The future long-term employment for CLTs looks bright. Employment opportunities are expected to increase in the foreseeable future. Technological advances will continue to spur the employment of CLTs through 2010. Although significant, the growth of the profession will not be the only source of opportunities. As in most occupations, many openings will result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations, retire, or stop working for some other reason. The following information was taken from the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics - http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos096.htm. Career Preparation To prepare for a career as an CLT, you should have a solid foundation in high school sciences — biology, chemistry, computer science and math. You’ll need a combination of formal education plus clinical education in an CLT program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). Approximately 200 community colleges and hospitals offer these programs. With a career as an CLT, you’ll have unlimited choices. Unlike many other careers, your education in medical laboratory technology will prepare you directly for a job. While you’re going to school, you can work part-time in a laboratory to earn extra money, and you could start working full-time the day after you graduate. CLTs need to have:
Certification To be sure that laboratory workers are competent and able to perform high quality laboratory tests, the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology gives a national certification exam. Students take this exam after meeting their academic and laboratory education requirements. Those who pass the exam for CLTs may use the initials, CLT (ASCP), after their name to show they are proficient in their field. Schools Maryland community colleges and four-year colleges offer programs that prepare students for careers in the medical laboratory profession. These programs prepare students for a certification or diploma for medical assisting and laboratory assistant and an associates degree. In some cases medical assistants and laboratory assistants can receive an associate’s degree if they are in an advanced program. Here are some links to schools that offer training programs for CLT’s:
Other CLT Career Links:
Scholarships The following organizations provide scholarships for students who want to pursue an MLT career:
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