What is a Medical Technologist?

If you have a strong science interest, the desire to help others, good critical thinking skills, good manual dexterity, the ability to work well in a team environment, and have a well developed sense of responsibility, you may have found a niche in Medical Technology/Clinical Laboratory Science!

Medical Technologists, or Clinical Laboratory Scientists, are highly educated people who use both their technical skills and their knowledge of disease states to provide valuable laboratory information. Such data is an integral part of patient diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance.

In a clinical laboratory setting, Medical Technologists perform and/or supervise the performance of analytical testing of blood, body fluids, urine, and other types of biological specimens. They may work with bacteria and viruses, and may help prepare units of blood for transfusion. They may help diagnose bleeding disorders and perform toxicology screens. They will use critical thinking skills and a high degree of subjective judgment in performing, evaluating, and troubleshooting laboratory data.

Careers for those in Medical Technology are abundant. Clinical laboratories, private and governmental laboratories, the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, forensic laboratories, transplant programs, biotechnology companies, and educational institutions are all places where Medical Technologists can build rewarding careers.