5: Health Careers

Last updated

Mar 13, 2025
Save as PDF
- 4: Medical Terminology
- 6: CLIA

Kari Christenson, Western Technical College

$\newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} }$

$\newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}}$

$\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}$ $\newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) $\newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}$

$\newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}$ $\newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}$

$\newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}$ $\newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}$

$\newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}$

$\newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$

$\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}$

$\newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$

$\newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}$

$\newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}$

$\newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}$

$\newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}$

$\newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}$

$\newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}$

$\newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}$

$\newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}$ $\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}$

$\newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}} % arrow$

$\newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}} % arrow$

$\newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} }$

$\newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}}$

$\newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}}$

$\newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}}$

$\newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}}$

$\newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} }$

$\newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}}$

$\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}$

$\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}$

$\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}$

$\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}$

$\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}$

$\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}$

$\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}$

$\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}$

$\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}$

$\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}$

$\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}$

$\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}$

$\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}$

$\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}$

$\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}$

$\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}$

$\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}$

$\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}$

$\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}$

$\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}$

$\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}$

$\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}$

$\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}$

$\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}$

$\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}$

$\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}$

$\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}$

$\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}$

$\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}$

$\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}$

$\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}$

$\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}$

$\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}$

$\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}$

$\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}$

$\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}$

$\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}$

$\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}$

$\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}$

$\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}$

$\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}$

$\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}$

$\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}$

$\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}$

$\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}$

$\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}$

$\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}$

$\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}$

$\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}$

$\newcommand{\lt}{<}$

$\newcommand{\gt}{>}$

$\newcommand{\amp}{&}$

$\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}$

Learning Objectives

Course Competency: Investigate health career options.

Learning Objectives:

List departments of the medical laboratory.
List common laboratory occupations and personnel.
List responsibilities of common laboratory occupations.
Describe the educational requirements for common laboratory occupations and personnel.
Describe career-laddering options for laboratory occupations.
Examine the relationship of laboratory occupations with other healthcare providers.
Examine professional organizations and certification agencies

Introduction

Types of Labs

By far the most common type of lab that MLT students find employment in after graduation are in hospital or clinic laboratories.

Hospital Labs – laboratories located inside hospitals. Typically staffed 24 hours/day. Offer a wide variety of tests.

Clinic Labs – laboratories located inside clinics. More restricted staffing hours vs. hospitals. Fewer tests are typically performed in a clinic lab. Some tests are sent out to their associated hospital or to a reference laboratory.

Other types of labs include reference, research, nursing homes, government agencies, industry, and military labs.

Laboratory Personnel

Similar to nursing, there are several levels of education, training, and skills found in laboratory workers. The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment of 1988¹ defines the qualifications of the personnel based on the job functions required of that position.

Lab Director – typically a pathologist (medical doctor trained in laboratory medicine)
Lab Manager – individual trained in lab science with additional healthcare administration or business/management degree or experience. Reports to the lab director.
Department Supervisor - responsible for the work performed in that respective department/lab area. Report to the lab manager. MLT or MLS depending on the requirements of specific employers.
Testing Personnel – technicians or scientists performing testing.
- Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)/Clinical Laboratory Technician (CLT) - Associate’s degree, clinical training, national certification exam to become certified.
- Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS)/Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) - Baccalaureate degree, clinical training, national certification exam to become certified.
Phlebotomist – draw blood samples and process samples. High school diploma. May have on the job training or have taken a phlebotomy course.

Certification Agencies

To become a certified laboratory professional, individuals must complete an approved course of study and pass a national certification examination. There are several types of training programs offered. They can be through colleges and universities, hospitals, technical schools, or private institutions. There is typically an academic component as well as a clinical component to the training programs. Certification agencies are independent institutions that provide examinations for the various levels of laboratory professionals. Examples include: American Medical Technologists (AMT) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). Each organization defines the requirements to be eligible to sit for their certification exams. In our area, ASCP is the most commonly obtained certification.

Relationship with Other Health Professionals

The clinical laboratory professional is a valued member of the healthcare team. They work with nurses, physicians, therapists, and other professionals to provide quality patient care. Many clinical decisions are based on the laboratory test results that MLTs provide.

Lab Departments

Depending on the size of the lab, there can be several different areas/departments where testing is performed. In the MLT program, you will notice that you have one or more courses in each of these areas.

Support Services – Includes phlebotomy and processing (Phlebotomy course)
- Phlebotomy – Responsible for drawing blood from patients
- Processing – Phlebotomists draw samples and send to this area for centrifugation and aliquoting.
Hematology – Determine number of cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets) in the blood and look at changes in cells. (Basic Hematology and Advanced Hematology courses)
Coagulation – Department where tests are performed to see how a patient’s blood is clotting. Tests are performed to monitor treatment of blood clotting disorders. (Coagulation course). This department is sometimes within the hematology area, especially in smaller facilities.
Urinalysis – Physical, chemical and microscopic examination of urine is performed (Urinalysis course). As with the coagulation area, urinalysis is sometimes in hematology.
Chemistry – Utilizes complex instruments to determine concentration of substances (glucose, cholesterol) in samples. (Clinical Chemistry course). This is typically the largest department within the lab.
Microbiology – Culture and identify microorganisms causing disease. Determine antibiotics that will be effective against the organism. (Clinical Microbiology and Advanced Microbiology courses)
Blood Bank/Transfusion Services/Immunohematology – Determine the patient’s blood type (ABO and Rh) and what blood product will be compatible to transfuse them. (Blood Bank course)
Immunology/Serology – Many tests in this department are based on antigen/antibody reactions. Common tests include pregnancy, HIV, hepatitis, and infectious disease testing. (Basic Immunology Concepts course)

Additional Resources

"Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians," U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook.
"ASCP Board of Certification," American Society for Clinical Pathology, ASCP.org.

References

¹102 Stat. 2903, Public Law 100-578

Search

Text Color

Text Size

Margin Size

Font Type