Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Medical laboratory technologists (commonly known as medical laboratory scientists) and medical laboratory technicians collect samples and perform tests to analyze body fluids, tissue, and other substances.

What do Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians do?

Medical laboratory technologists and technicians typically do the following:

• Analyze body fluids, such as blood, urine, and tissue samples, and record normal or abnormal findings
• Study blood samples for use in transfusions by identifying the number of cells, the cell morphology or the blood group, blood type, and compatibility with other blood types
• Operate sophisticated laboratory equipment, such as microscopes and cell counters
• Use automated equipment and computerized instruments capable of performing a number of tests at the same time
• Log data from medical tests and enter results into a patients medical record
• Discuss results and findings of laboratory tests and procedures with physicians
• Supervise or train medical laboratory technicians

Both technicians and technologists perform tests and procedures that physicians and surgeons or other healthcare personnel order. However, technologists perform more complex tests and laboratory procedures than technicians do. For example, technologists may prepare specimens and perform detailed manual tests, whereas technicians perform routine tests that may be more automated. Medical laboratory technicians usually work under the general supervision of medical laboratory technologists or laboratory managers.

Technologists in small laboratories perform many types of tests; in large laboratories, they sometimes specialize. The following are examples of types of specialized medical laboratory technologists: