Clinical
Laboratory Technicians
Description:
Clinical laboratory technicians
perform procedures on medical specimens using
the latest biomedical techniques and instrumentation.
They require excellent technical skills as well as analysis, computer
and communication skills.
- Clinical Laboratory Technicians
(CLT) are also called Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLT)
Some of the responsibilities of
Clinical Laboratory Technicians include:
- Analyzing blood
and body fluids for diverse proteins, sugars, enzymes, lipids, hormones
and drugs
|
- Detecting and
identify disease causing bacteria and determining the best antibiotics
to use for treatment
|
- Testing donated
blood to ensure it is safe for transfusion
|
- Analyzing plasma
for causes of abnormal clotting or bleeding disorders
|
- Examining blood for abnormal cells found in anemia and leukemia
|
- Using immunological
techniques to identify antibodies to Strep and Lyme disease
|
The information
that Clinical Laboratory Technicians provide to physicians is essential
for diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as diabetes,
kidney disease, food poisoning, heart attacks, drug overdoses, and many other
diseases.
Additional infomation
may be found at:
Educational Requirements:
-
Two year Associate Degree Program with courses in biological science,
anatomy and physiology, microbiology, general chemistry,
mathematics and general education plus clinical sciences
in the disciplines of clinical chemistry, clinical microbiology, hematology serology
and blood banking
-
Clinical education includes practice in "real life" laboratories of
hospitals, reference laboratories and other settings
-
Educational programs meet the requirements of the National Accrediting
Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences - NAACLS (www.naacls.org )
- Graduates are eligible for national certification exams in
the Clinical Laboratory Technician ( www.nca-info.org ) or Medical Laboratory Technician
( www.ascp.org/bor
) categories
Employment
Opportunities and Salaries:
- Employment opportunities are readily available in hospital
laboratories, physician office laboratories, reference laboratories,
public health and veterinary laboratories, and the pharmaceutical, chemical,
food and cosmetic industries.
- With advanced degrees and/or experience, career advancement
is available in biotechnology, medicine, dentistry, public health, biomedical
informatics, forensic science, research, health care management and
administration, sales, marketing, product development, law and public
advocacy, and education.
- According to a survey conducted by the American Society of Clinical
Pathologists in 2002, the vacancy rate in the Northeast in hospitals
and reference laboratories was 3.5% for MLTs. Lab Med
(2003), 34:702-707.
Starting salaries in NJ for CLTs
(MLTs) range from $32,000 to $36,000. Further salary information by region may be obtained at
www.salary.com .
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