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Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians

Perform routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May work under the supervision of a medical technologist.

What you’d do

  • Perform quality control analyses to ensure accuracy of test results.
  • Conduct blood tests for transfusion purposes and perform blood counts.
  • Conduct chemical analyses of body fluids, such as blood or urine, using microscope or automatic analyzer to detect abnormalities or diseases and enter findings into computer.
  • Analyze the results of tests or experiments to ensure conformity to specifications, using special mechanical or electrical devices.
  • Set up, maintain, calibrate, clean, and test sterility of medical laboratory equipment.
  • Examine cells stained with dye to locate abnormalities.
  • Prepare standard volumetric solutions or reagents to be combined with samples, following standardized formulas or experimental procedures.
  • Supervise or instruct other technicians or laboratory assistants.

Skills that matter

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Operations Monitoring
  • Quality Control Analysis
  • Complex Problem Solving

How to get there

Medium preparation: usually vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree

Also called

  • Clinical Lab Tech (Clinical Laboratory Technician)
  • Lab Tech (Laboratory Technician)
  • Medical Technician (Medical Tech)
  • MLT (Medical Laboratory Technician)
  • Lab Assistant (Laboratory Assistant)
  • Lab Associate (Laboratory Associate)

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