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What Do Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technician Do?

Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technician Definition Perform routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May work under the supervision of a medical technologist.

Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technician Responsibilities

Test raw materials, processes, or finished products to determine quality or quantity of materials or characteristics of a substance.
Examine cells stained with dye to locate abnormalities.
Perform medical research to further control or cure disease.
Obtain specimens, cultivating, isolating, and identifying microorganisms for analysis.
Conduct blood tests for transfusion purposes and perform blood counts.
Set up, maintain, calibrate, clean, and test sterility of medical laboratory equipment.

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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technician?

These are the skills Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians say are the most useful in their careers:

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Science: Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Types of Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technician Jobs

Blood Typer
Laboratory Technician
Medical Lab Assistant
Laboratory Supervisor
Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)

Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technician Employment Estimates

In the United States, there were 164,200 jobs for Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 14% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 23,000 new jobs for Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technician by 2026. The BLS estimates 12,900 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technician are Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Connecticut, or Mississippi. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

What Tools & Technology do Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians:

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Outlook
Email software
Word processing software
SAP
Spreadsheet software
Database software
IBM Notes
Google Docs
FileMaker Pro
MEDITECH software
Minitab
National Instruments LabVIEW
Electronic medical record EMR software
Billing software
Laboratory information system LIS
Medical software
Microscopic image capturing software

How to Become a Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technician

Individuals working as a Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technician have obtained the following education levels:

How Long Does it Take to Become a Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technician?

Similar Careers

Career changers with experience as a Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technician sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla via U.S. Air Force photo

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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