Introduction to Medical Laboratory Careers:

Working in a medical laboratory could be an excellent career option for you if you are interested in a medical job that does not require direct patient care or continual patient interaction. If you are more interested in the science and technology aspect of the medical field, as opposed to direct patient care, a medical laboratory job may be for you! Additionally, if you are comfortable with computers, medical equipment, and have an excellent attention to detail, you could be very successful in a medical laboratory role.

What and Where are Medical Laboratories:

Some medical labs are housed in medical facilities such as a large hospital or clinic. Other medical labs are corporate owned labs that charge medical facilities for processing labwork as an outsourced service. Other medical labs may be university or government owned labs that conduct research or analyze specimens for government healthcare providers. Therefore, as a medical laboratory professional, you could work as an employee of a corporation, a university, a government institution, or directly for a hospital or other healthcare facility.

Work Environment for Medical Laboratories:

Medical laboratories are often well-lit, sterile environments with a lot of high-tech equipment for viewing and analyzing microscopic samples of human tissue or bodily fluids.

Working in a medical lab may entail many hours of sitting or standing, peering into microscopes or utilizing biomedical equipment to process slides and specimens. Additionally, some type of computer software will most likely be used for documentation purposes.

Depending on the role and the type of specimens being handled in the lab, you may have to wear protective covering such as gloves, goggles, mask, or lab coat.

Examples of Medical Laboratory Jobs and Careers:

There are a variety of medical laboratory careers available at a variety of educational levels, from high school graduates, to doctorate level professionals. Therefore, salaries for medical lab careers vary accordingly.

A few examples of medical laboratory jobs are:

• Medical Lab Technician (MLT)
• Medical Technologist (MT)
• Cytotechnologist
• Pathologist
• Phlebotomist
• Histotechnician