Student Information
What does a clinical laboratory scientist/technician do?
Clinical laboratory testing plays a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease in patients. It’s estimated that 60 to 70 percent of all decisions regarding a patient’s diagnosis and treatment are based on laboratory test results.
Clinical laboratory scientists, also referred to as medical technologists, and clinical laboratory technicians, also known as medical technicians, perform most laboratory tests.
Clinical laboratory personnel microscopically examine and analyze body fluids (e.g., urine, peritoneal fluid, cerebrospinal fluid), tissues and cells. They also make cultures of these fluids to look for bacteria, parasites and other microorganisms. They analyze the chemical content of fluids, such as blood glucose or cholesterol levels. They also match blood for transfusions and test for drug levels in the blood to show how a patient is responding to treatment.
Laboratory technologists and technicians also prepare specimens for examination, count cells, and look for abnormal cells. They use sophisticated equipment and instruments capable of performing a number of tests simultaneously, as well as microscopes, cell counters, and other high-precision laboratory equipment. Then, they analyze the results and relay them to physicians. With increasing automation and the use of computer technology, the work of technologists and technicians is quite analytical.
The complexity of tests performed, the level of judgment needed, and the amount of responsibility laboratory technologists assume will depend largely on the amount of education and experience they have.
Clinical laboratory technicians generally have an associate’s degree and may work in all areas of the laboratory including chemistry, microbiology, transfusion medicine, immunology, hematology and genetics, or they may specialize and develop one expertise such as virology, molecular genetics and cytogenetics. They work under the supervision of technologists and make fewer decisions independently. Laboratory technicians may work in a hospital laboratory or an outpatient clinic as well as a reference laboratory. Clinical laboratory scientists evaluate test results, develop and modify procedures, and establish and monitor programs, to ensure the accuracy of tests. Some clinical laboratory scientists supervise medical and clinical laboratory technicians. Laboratory scientists in small labs perform many types of tests, whereas those in large labs generally specialize.
Career Opportunities
Job opportunities are expected to be excellent, because the number of job openings is expected to continue to exceed the number of job seekers. Employment of clinical laboratory workers is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2012, as the volume of laboratory tests increases with both population growth and the development of new types of tests.
The advancements in bioengineering have created numerous career opportunities in commercial, biotechnology, industrial and pharmaceutical companies. Laboratory scientists/technicians with computer experience and/or training are eligible for jobs with their company’s computer systems support groups or with information technology companies. Training also qualifies them to work in the research and development branch of a commercial laboratory developing new technology or in the marketing and sales of laboratory equipment and products.
Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians held about 295,000 jobs in 2000. About half worked in hospitals. Most of the remaining jobs were found in medical laboratories or offices and clinics of physicians. A small number were in blood banks, research and testing laboratories, and in the federal government at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and U.S. Public Health Service facilities.
Salaries
Median annual earnings of medical and clinical laboratory technologists were $40,510 in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $34,220 and $47,460. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $29,240 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $55,560.
Median annual earnings of medical and clinical laboratory technicians were $27,540 in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $22,260 and $34,320. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $18,550 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $42,370.
Links to Schools listed as Degree in Medical Technology
Rasmussen College -- Moorhead/Bismarck
Scholarship Opportunities
North Dakota Society for CLS
Student ASCLS/NDCLS members who are currently enrolled in their final year of an accredited clinical laboratory science program in North Dakota are eligible to apply. The number and amount of the scholarships are approved by the ASCLS board members on an annual basis. Four scholarships in the amount of $500.00 each were allocated for 2009. An application, brief essay (100 words or less) which outlines your plans for a career in CLS, and transcript of CLS program grades are required.
Applications for 2010 will be posted in January of 2010
For student’s planning to attend the 2009 ASCLS Annual Meeting July 21-25 in Chicago, IL, student members of ASCLS may apply for the Beckman Coulter Student Travel Grant. The grant fund will assist in supporting up to five students to attend the ASCLS Annual Meeting. Attending the meeting is a unique opportunity for student members to become more active in ASCLS, attend various educational sessions, network with colleagues and established professionals, and interact with vendors at the Clinical Lab Expo, the world’s largest laboratory exhibit. Student members must submit an application.
2009 Beckman Coulter Student Travel Grant
For more information about Clinical Laboratory Science follow this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_technologist