A similar two-year degree or certificate qualifies the graduate to work as a medical laboratory technician. Technologists generally earn a higher income than technicians do and have more opportunities for advancement. They work in all areas of the laboratory including immunology, microbiology, histology, hematology, chemistry, and blood banking. Clinical laboratory technologists calibrate and operate complex equipment, precision instruments and computers.
They are responsible for the accuracy of test results, therefore the results and information that the laboratory technologist gives to the physician influences the medical treatment a patient will receive. Medical and clinical laboratory technologists assist doctors and nurses in choosing the correct lab tests and ensure proper collection methods. An increase in the aging population will lead to a greater need to diagnose medical conditions, such as cancer or type 2 diabetes, through laboratory procedures.
Medical laboratory technologists will be needed to use and maintain the equipment needed for diagnosis and treatment. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. In general, salaries are higher in a hospital setting than in physician offices. You must be logged in to post a comment. Skip to content. Table of Contents What is a Medical Technologist? Job Description and Responsibilities of a Medical Technologist The work of a medical technologist blends the worlds of scientific investigation, and evidence-based patient care.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Most of this is returned to the circulation, and only one liter of urine is made in the course of a whole day. Tests of urine can determine a lot of things about the health status of an individual. Electrolyte imbalance, kidney damage, urinary tract infection and diabetes are just a few of the problems that can be found in urinalysis. A medical technologist in urinalysis looks at the physical properties of the urine, such as color and clarity.
They also look at the chemical composition of the urine. This usually involves tests for blood, protein, glucose, and white blood cells. Finally, the technologist looks at the urine under a microscope and looks for crystals, bacteria, and blood cells that are not supposed to be in the urine.
Hematology is the study of blood. The medical technologist in hematology looks at blood under a microscope and tells the doctor what type of white blood cells are present and in what numbers. They also use a cell counter, which is a big instrument that will count the cells for the technologist and can even tell the different types apart. The technologist also measures how much of the blood is red blood cells versus plasma the fluid part of the blood.
This test is called a Hematocrit. Technologists measure how much hemoglobin is present in the blood, too. Remember hemoglobin is very important in the making of red blood cells. This means that there should be mostly red blood cells and fewer white blood cells.
The white blood cells present in the blood are counted and differentiated. This means counting the different types of white blood cells. The different types of white blood cells are also usually present in certain proportions. The medical technologist must determine if the red cells and white cells have the right shape and color as well. Hemostasis is the stopping of blood flow from an injured blood vessel. Medical technologists are responsible for operating and maintaining the equipment used to analyze specimens and ensuring that tests are completed in a correct and timely manner.
Medical technologists' training is more extensive than that of the medical lab technicians with whom they often work. Although medical technologists do not often interact directly with patients, their work is vital to the appropriate diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients. Medical technologists work in all areas of the lab, including immunology, microbiology, genetics, histology, hematology, chemistry, toxicology, and blood banking.
The role of a medical technologist may be determined by the branch of pathology their lab specializes in, but is otherwise only limited by the tools they are provided. Regardless, it is purely diagnostic.
In clinical pathology, the technologist would conduct and oversee lab tests on body fluids. The tests are performed to identify markers for infectious and non-infectious diseases. Among the specimens a medical technologist will typically analyze are:. Anatomical pathology involves the examination of tissues taken from the body during a biopsy or surgery.
While some of the diagnostic tests can be performed by a technologist, others require the expertise of the pathologist. The types of examinations a technologist may perform or assist in include:. The combined branches of clinical and anatomical pathology are referred to as general pathology. Medical technologists are responsible for preparing tissue samples, slides, and cultures for the pathologist to examine, streamlining the diagnostic process and allowing for faster lab results.
In larger facilities, technologists will perform more exacting tasks, such as molecular, genetic , or genomic testing. They will also step in when confronted with diagnostic challenges, including uncommon or contradictory lab findings. The training that medical technologists undergo provides them the insights needed to know which testing methodologies, tools, and agents are most appropriate for each case.
Medical technologists typically work under a pathologist but may be independently tasked to operate a lab itself. Among their duties, medical technologists will oversee the work of lab technicians in addition to managing their own duties. Although the pathologist is ultimately in charge of the lab and its staff, the medical technologist will usually be the one who ensures that the lab operates smoothly, safely, and properly on a day-to-day basis. This includes setting up, calibrating, and sterilizing lab equipment, as well as analyzing and checking the accuracy of lab reports.
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