Career in Medical Lab Technology

Being a doctor is not the only option to make a career in medicine, as popularly believed. There are various other options and career opportunities provided by this sector. One such path is in the area of Medical Laboratory Technology.

To help diagonose an illness, doctors need investigations through tests. Basis the results of these tests, they treat and give suggestions for prevention. This is where Medical Laboratory Technology or Clinical laboratory science comes in.

Working in a medical laboratory demands high level of responsibility, skill and given the rate at which diseases are increasing, a lot of hard work. Therefore, it is a very challenging and dynamic career field where you can make a difference in people’s lives.

Career prospects:

Career as a Medical laboratory technician/technologist offer you the opportunity to have a significant impact on patient care, without actually interacting with patients.

With required skill you can find yourself employed in a hospital, minor emergency centers, private laboratory, blood donor centers, doctor’s office or clinics. You can aim to become a technologist in due time and work experience.

Medical lab technicians can also find jobs in research facilities, crime laboratories, universities, pharmaceutical companies and military.

With their specialised skills, lab technologists are always in demand in hospitals, specialty hospitals, laboratories etc. You could grow to become:

• Laboratory manager/Consultant/supervisor
• Health care Administrator
• Hospital Outreach coordination
• Laboratory information system Analyst/Consultant
• Educational consultant / coordinator/ director
• Health and safety officer etc.

Medical technologists are also needed in industry like pharmaceutical for positions in product development, marketing, sales, quality assurance, environmental health and insurance, among others.