How to become A Medical Lab Technician

It is certainly not for the faint of heart to take up a job in a medical laboratory. A scientific bent of mind paired with meticulous skills and extensive knowledge supported by a rigorous work ethic are only a few of the attributes required to take up and succeed in the role of a Medical Lab Technician. The trained expertise behind the paper or electronic lab results patients and physicians receive may not always be visible, yet your accurate and timely inputs are critical to healthcare to ensure successful diagnosis and treatment.

• Certified Clinical Laboratory Technician
• Clinical Laboratory Technician
• Clinical Lab Technician
• Laboratory Assistant
• Lab Assistant
• Laboratory Technician
• Lab Tech
• Medical Laboratory Technician
• Medical Technician

What do Medical Lab Technicians do?

A Medical Lab Technician would typically need to:

• Carry out routine laboratory-based medical experiments and technical tasks to support scientific investigations; test and analyse biological specimens, including body tissue and fluids, to detect disease or abnormalities; make observations, interpret, and report findings
• Work in strict compliance with standard laboratory procedures & safety guidelines and under the supervision of medical laboratory managers
• Collect or receive samples of blood, urine, tissue, and other biological specimens directly from patients or healthcare facilities; observe principles of asepsis during blood collection; label and prepare samples for testing and analysis
• Clean, calibrate, maintain, and prepare diverse laboratory equipment and tools, such as cell counters, microscopes, analysers, incubators and centrifuge machines, and test them for sterility; operate equipment to analyse medical samples
• Organise and store all chemical substances, fluids and compressed gases following safety protocols
• Prepare medical supplies for use; cultivate, isolate, and identify microorganisms for study, testing, or medical preparations
• Inoculate organisms into fertilised eggs, broths, or other bacteriological media
• Prepare standard volumetric solutions or reagents to combine with samples according to standardised formulas and experimental procedures
• Test raw materials, processes, or finished products to assess the quantity and quality of resources and substance characteristics
• Conduct chemical analyses of body fluids using microscopes or automatic analysers; test for the four main microorganism groups - bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses - to determine the cause of infection
• Analyse proteins and enzymes to see how the major organs are functioning, such as the liver, heart, kidneys, and pancreas
• Run tests to get a patient’s complete blood count, including the count of white and red blood cells, and check for levels of cholesterol or sugar; identify blood type and compatibility to facilitate accurate transfusion products to minimise adverse outcomes
• Examine dye-stained cells to pinpoint abnormalities; consult pathologists to determine a final diagnosis in case of abnormal cells
• Cut, stain, and mount tissue samples for pathologists to examine; test biopsies for pathological reasons
• Record and assemble findings and all patient or treatment data accurately into specified forms and data reports (paper and electronic, as needed) after all tests on a specimen are complete; include charts, graphs, or narratives for clarity; submit them to relevant physicians
• Analyse test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment; corroborate the results of tests or experiments to ensure conformity to specifications, using special mechanical or electrical devices
• Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care; consult with laboratory managers, pathologists or other healthcare professionals about any abnormalities noted during lab analysis
• Conduct medical research to advance knowledge about medical issues, and further control or cure disease; provide technical support to controlled experiments, scientific investigations, and trials to verify or reject hypotheses using refined scientific methods
• Supervise and train technical medical personnel; demonstrate procedures; carry out risk assessments; order and maintain stocks of supplies
• Write reports, reviews and summaries; present results to senior staff
• Keep up to date with relevant scientific and technical developments

Due to the work they do, the workplace of Medical Lab Technicians is clean, sanitised, and well-lit. They work with highly specialised equipment and tools to conduct testing and analysis on biological specimens, as well as computers to record, analyse, and present results and data.
Local travel to healthcare facilities or patients’ homes may be required. You may need to spend time away from home to attend conferences and seminars in other locations.

Medical Lab Technicians typically work full-time at least 40-45 hours a week. The workweek may extend to 50 hours, perhaps stretching to the evenings. 

The medical facility that you work at may also determine your daily routine. For instance, if you work at a university, you may have regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. timings, Monday to Friday. At a hospital, however, you may need to work the night shift or other less convenient shifts or remain on call during an emergency, even on holidays or weekends. 

In all cases, you must typically present yourself at the work location since you cannot work remotely.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Medical Lab Technicians may boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at recruitment agencies and careers services. Ensure that you look through newspapers, relevant scientific publications and their online equivalents, and journals published by professional organisations to spot job openings.

Medical Lab Technicians are generally employed by: 

• Independent Diagnostic Laboratories
• Public & Private Hospitals & Clinics
• Physicians' Offices
• Blood Banks/Donor Centres
• Organ Donor/Transplant Centres
• Medical Equipment Manufacturers
• Medical Equipment Sales Companies
• Research Facilities
• Public Health Organizations
• Pharmaceutical & Reference Laboratories
• Environmental Agencies
• Specialist Research Organisations or Consultancies
• Universities
• The Civil Service
• The Armed Forces
• Water Companies
• Pharmaceutical Companies
• Biotechnology Companies
• Chemical Companies
• Food & Drink Companies
• Cosmetics Industry
• Minor Emergency Centers
• Law Enforcement & Forensic Laboratories
• Veterinary Hospitals & Clinics

Healthcare associations, such as The International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science (IFBLS), provide unparalleled networking and educational opportunities. They offer all the certification courses members will need throughout their professional careers. Affiliated Medical Lab Technicians may attend conventions, seminars, and dinners frequented by peers, mentors, and other industry leaders. The events help them learn about the newest breakthroughs and latest developments in the field, including plum jobs.

• Stress arising from the fact that the speed and accuracy of delivering test results to doctors may be lifesaving or threatening
• The need to remain calm in emergencies in ICUs, operating rooms, or emergency departments to deliver required outcomes
• The risk of exposure to testing materials and infectious samples and the need to follow strict safety protocols to protect you, your colleagues, patients, and visitors from contamination
• Maintaining accuracy and avoiding mishandled samples that could ruin the testing process

Any academic program that a potential Medical Lab Technician takes up typically requires a period of supervised experience, such as an internship, to ensure that students  receive hands-on experience before taking up a job in a laboratory. Internships allow you to practise your theoretical knowledge or observe its application, foster your skills, and build contacts. Use online portals, direct application, or your college employment services to locate internships.

Pre-entry lab experience demonstrates your laboratory skills, familiarity with scientific procedures, and your commitment to and interest in the field. Even part-time or voluntary work based in a lab or a scientific setting will help you chalk up valuable experience to land your first job.

It is handy to have practical experience in the operation of electrical and non-electrical laboratory equipment and be familiar with handling potentially dangerous substances, including flammable liquids, biohazards, etc.

Staying up to date with the latest technological developments in your field by reading as much as possible about the profession and interviewing or shadowing those working in a medical laboratory are other important ways to explore your interest. Relevant organisations provide their members access to resources and updates.

School leavers may apply for apprenticeships or entry-level roles, ideally having studied a science subject and having attained the prescribed school level and grades.

You may opt for vocational clinical and medical laboratory courses to learn lab technologies and skills. However, given the technical skills and knowledge that laboratory work demands, aspiring Medical Lab Technicians would benefit from a college education. An associate degree would give you the necessary core learning and hands-on experience to start working in the field. You may then, at a suitable time, opt for a bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, biotechnology, or a related field, as advancement to managerial lab positions typically mandates four-year college programs or relevant certification.

Some clinical lab technician courses offer admission through entrance examinations and personal interviews, while others base admission offers on high school grades. 

After completing a bachelor’s degree, you may directly enter a master’s degree program in the specialisation of your choice or work in a lab to acquire experience before pursuing a master’s degree, which will qualify you for mid-level and senior roles.

Typically, you will need to  earn certification relevant to your location if it is mandatory to begin working in a medical laboratory. Certification demonstrates a Medical Lab Technician’s competence in a skill set, typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination. It also provides you with credentials that hold the potential for a salary raise. 

You may choose to be certified as a specialist in phlebotomy or other areas. An exam that offers generalist certification would cover chemistry, haematology, immunology, immunohematology, and microbiology.

Being certified as a Medical Lab Technician will allow you to conduct moderately complex clinical laboratory procedures supervised by the laboratory director or manager.

Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.

Licensure also depends on your location and may require national or other certification. Individual government entities conduct the licensing process. It typically involves the passage of an examination in addition to the fulfilment of eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience, training, or the completion of an internship, residency, or apprenticeship.

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive career progression. Employees with consistently high levels of performance may be eligible for promotion every two to three years.

Your training and qualification would place you in the role of a technician or technologist in a medical laboratory. Starting as a junior technician in a hospital or a clinic, you would work on routine tasks under technologists or supervisors, acquiring experience over time to rise to the level of Senior Medical Lab Technician. Your tasks as technicians would include preparing specimens and operating automated analysers. You would also prepare standard solutions by measuring and mixing prescribed quantities of chemicals for testing samples.

Over a few years, and having demonstrated superior knowledge, expert skills, and effort, and having acquired certification, you may rise through several levels to eventually become a Lab Supervisor or Manager. Keep in mind, however, that to take on a research role, you would need to acquire a degree.

To be assigned greater and more autonomous responsibilities, you would need to qualify for the role of a Medical Lab Technologist. You could then specialise in any one of several areas, such as clinical chemistry technology, molecular biology, phlebotomy and others. Given time and experience, you may aim to become a technologist.

You may take on the roles of a Laboratory Information Systems Analyst or  Consultant Hospital Outreach Coordinator. Medical Lab Technicians may also diversify into the areas of product development, promotion, sales, quality assurance, environmental health, and insurance in industries such as pharmaceuticals. Freelance work is also a possibility.

Candidates with the necessary skills, experience, and education have the best job prospects. It is helpful to acquire an associate degree or certification and be familiar with operating laboratory equipment, handling materials, and following safety protocols.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential in the healthcare sector for public wellbeing and career progression. It embraces several new learning objectives, educational methodologies, and novel technological developments, especially in education, management, and IT.

Reflective learning, interaction with peer groups, comprehensive inclusion, workshops, and professional publications educate, influence, support, and foster lifelong enlightenment in all career-grade Medical Lab Technicians.

You may choose to obtain certification if you wish to specialise in certain areas or relevant academic qualifications if you wish to enter research. CPD programs for Medical Lab Technicians should ideally cover quality management systems, case studies, competence assessment, and customer/patient care.

Medical Lab Technicians may expect support and additional training from the academic institution or from Vitae, a non-profit global leader with over 50 years of experience in enhancing the skills of researchers. In partnership with governments, funders of research, professional bodies, trusts & foundations, universities, and research institutes, Vitae offers training, resources, events, consultancy, and membership.

Gear Up for Safety

Protective clothing, including lab coats, masks, goggles, and gloves when handling equipment or specimens, is mandatory.

Differences Between Medical Lab Technicians & Technologists

A salient difference is that medical lab technologists are qualified to run more complex tests than Medical Lab Technicians. Technicians typically run automated tests. However, when physicians give specific instructions, technologists would fulfil them manually, if required. Technicians may receive training and supervision from technologists.

Generally speaking, Medical Laboratory Technicians may begin to work after completing certificate programs or an associate degree, while technologists typically require at least a bachelor’s degree. Furthermore, technologists in large laboratories often pursue a specialisation more often than technicians do. Their specialities may include clinical chemistry, blood banking, immunology, haematology, microbiology, cytotechnology, phlebotomy, urinalysis, coagulation, parasitology, and serology.

That said, Medical Lab Technicians may also specialise in fewer and less intensive areas. For instance, they may work as histotechnicians who prepare tissue samples for pathologists by cutting and staining them. 

A Career in High Demand

The recent Covid-19 pandemic may have had a widespread negative impact on the job market for nearly all sectors but for healthcare, where investments are expected to grow. In any case, medical lab technology is a growing sector with the potential to open numerous job opportunities for aspiring Medical Lab Technicians.

Although Medical Lab Technicians are in high demand in the healthcare sector, employers find it hard to fill their roles, partly because since they are not frontline workers, people are less aware of the field or the nature and importance of their work. 

Nature of Work

As critical as their contributions are to healthcare, Medical Lab Technicians are typically not pressured to make split-second decisions to save their patients since their work does not involve direct patient care. However, even if they work behind the scenes, their work is hands-on and crucial to patient care, diagnoses, and treatment.

Hospitals Depend on Labs

Laboratories are critical components of the healthcare process. Their results enable patient diagnoses, disease management, therapy and screening for specific conditions, thus assisting physicians in their role. Medical testing plays a critical role in not just providing treatment but also assessing its efficacy. Even without direct hands-on interaction with or impact on patients, they are partners in their journey towards good health. Hospitals and physicians depend on the knowledge and expertise of Medical Lab Technicians to deliver accurate results so that they can better help their patients recover. 

Diversity of Specimens & Results

Healthcare jobs bring you new cases, challenges and responsibilities each day. As a Medical Lab Technician, you are likely to receive new specimens to apply your skills, knowledge, experience, and critical thinking to analyse. Whether you may choose to work in several areas or specialise in one, the opportunities are plentiful and varied, with hardly a dull moment. You can examine nearly any body fluid or tissue, making the results also immensely diverse.

Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs Full-Time Employment

Freelancing Medical Lab Technicians have more flexible work schedules and locations. They have full ownership of the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.

On the other hand, a full-time Medical Lab Technician has company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety.

When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.

Stanford University has developed “a lab on a chip”. It contains a complex network of channels narrower than a strand of human hair and can deliver coronavirus test results within 30 minutes.

The goal is clear and straightforward enough to understand. You must make an enduring difference to healthcare by optimising medical lab procedures and ensuring reliable results. The methods, equipment, and techniques to achieve the goal, however, are extensive and complex but not impossible to master. As a Medical Lab Technician, your work is as much under the microscope of the healthcare sector to reveal and remove anomalies as the countless specimens that reach your hands for examination, day after day. The more you succeed in achieving your goal, the more that patients stand to benefit.

Thoroughness in discharging your duties, successfully keeping records of laboratory processes and equipment, and generating reports to submit to the relevant laboratory manager is crucial to your success as a Medical Lab Technician. Your keen eye for detail should detect the slightest abnormality, which can lead to a particular diagnosis.