subject: How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technologist - Turning Your Dream Into Reality [print this page] How to Become a Medical Laboratory Technologist - Turning Your Dream Into Reality
Do you dream of being a Medical Laboratory Technologist? Believe it or not, it is not as tough as it may sound. In order to guarantee yourself a long term career within this field, all you need is a legitimate medical degree, a firm grasp on handling lab equipment and some hands-on training. With those, you will have a lucrative job in the ever growing field of medicine!
Before we proceed towards how you can get there, let's have a quick review of some of the responsibilities which you'll be asked to handle and the qualifications required for this job.
Key Responsibilities
Being a Medical Laboratory Technologist is no more an arduous and complex job like it used to be before the advent of computerized testing equipment. Gone are the days when you were limited to preparing and analyzing all the samples by hand. However, as times have changed, so have the responsibilities of this job. Some of the key responsibilities included these days are:
Ensuring that all the lab equipment are in excellent working condition
Performing different kinds of manual and automated lab tests
Analyzing blood samples to match them for a transfusion or to test different levels of drugs in the blood
Performing tests to determine the nature of a patient's illness or disease
Educational Requirements
In order to have a rewarding career within this field, you must enroll in a college right after high school and aim at obtaining at least a bachelor's degree in medical technology. Apart from spending long hours studying within the classroom, you also need to spend more time in a laboratory in order to be well aware of the different types of equipment present there.
I know all this may sound a little complicated right now, and believe me, it does require a lot of hard work as well. But once you are through with the training stage, you can move on towards reaping the benefits of becoming a Medical Laboratory Technologist
Expected Income
Once you are certified as a Medical Lab Technologist, you will not be bound to working in laboratories only; there are other venues that require your skills, such as hospitals, private physician offices, etc. Your annual income can range between $30,000 and $60,000 a year depending on your level of experience and where you work. Apart from this, many hospitals and corporations also provide health benefits and insurance to their medical staff.
So what are you waiting for? If you want to make a career as a Medical Lab Technologist then start looking for a medical college today. Good Luck!
