Department of Medical Lab. Technology

Medical Laboratory Technology, also called Clinical laboratory science, is an allied health profession which is concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease through the use of clinical laboratory tests. These tests help doctors to diagnose and treat diseases. Also it is required for prognosis of the disease. Medical Laboratory Technologists play an important role in collecting the needed information, sampling, testing, reporting and documentation of these investigations. They determine the presence, extent or absence of disease and provide data needed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.

Scope of Medical Lab Technology

Medical technologists work in five major areas of the laboratory, i.e., in Blood banking (Components), Clinical Chemistry Lab, Haematology, Immunology, Clinical Pathology and Microbiology. They also work in the areas of cytology and histology. Some of the duties of an MLT include collecting blood samples from patients and identifying abnormal blood cells, assuring safe transfusion of blood products, culturing micro-organisms to determine their identity and susceptibility to antibiotics, detecting a cancerous tumor with DNA technique, performing cultures and identifying bacteria and viruses, analyzing body fluids to determine chemical and biological components. Assuming administrative functions relative to reporting and recording results of tests conducted in the laboratory, maintaining accurate clinical records, selecting and evaluating laboratory equipment and new test methodologies and performing other duties as may be assigned by the laboratory supervisor.

Job Prospects & Career Options

The career of a lab worker depends on academic and technical skills. A certified medical laboratory technologist may find a challenging career in a hospital, minor emergency centers, private laboratory, blood banks, doctor's clinical pathology lab and various clinical research centres. The demand for laboratory technologists will always increase, as the number of multi speciality hospitals, laboratories etc. are increasing. Job opportunities are also available in research laboratories and military service.
Technologists can advance to supervisory or management positions in labs and hospitals. They can also work as Laboratory manager/Consultant/Supervisor, Health Care Administrator, Hospital Outreach coordinator, laboratory information System Analyst/Consultant, Educational Consultant / Coordinator/ Director, Health and Safety Officer etc. Additional opportunities are available in molecular diagnostics, molecular biotechnology companies and in vitro fertilization laboratories as well as in research labs. In the clinical areas, drug testing, therapeutic drug monitoring and biogenetics are just a few of the specialties with openings. In industry, medical technologists are needed for positions in product development, marketing, sales, quality assurance, environmental health and insurance, among others.