Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

1

• Clinical Laboratory Technologists and
  Technicians

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
2
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Overview
• Clinical laboratory testing plays a crucial role
  in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of
  disease. Clinical Laboratory Technologists and
  Tech
• Clinical laboratory personnel examine and analyze
  body fluids, and cells. They look for bacteria
  and parasites analyze the chemical content of
  fluids match blood for transfusions and test
  for drug levels in the blood that show how a
  patient is responding to treatment.

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
3
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Overview (continued)
• Technologists also prepare specimens for
  examination, count cells, and look for abnormal
  cells in blood and body fluids. They use
  microscopes, cell counters, and other
  sophisticated laboratory equipment.
• They also use automated equipment and
  computerized instruments capable of performing a
  number of tests simultaneously. After testing and
  examining a specimen, they analyze the results
  and relay them to physicians.

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
4
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Overview (continued)
• With increasing automation and the use of
  computer technology, the work of technologists
  and technicians has become less hands-on and more
  analytical.
• The complexity of tests performed, the level of
  judgment needed, and the amount of responsibility
  workers assume depend largely on the amount of
  education and experience they have. Clinical
  laboratory technologists usually do more complex
  tasks than clinical laboratory technicians do.

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
5
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Preparation
• The usual requirement for an entry-level position
  as a clinical laboratory technologist is a
  bachelor's degree with a major in medical
  technology or one of the life sciences however,
  it is possible to qualify for some jobs with a
  combination of education and on-the-job and
  specialized training. Universities and hospitals
  offer medical technology programs.
• Medical and clinical laboratory technicians
  generally have either an associate degree or a
  certificate.

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
6
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Preparation (continued)
• The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical
  Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) accredits about 470
  programs for medical and clinical laboratory
  technologists, medical and clinical laboratory
  technicians, histotechnologists and
  histotechnicians, cytogenetic technologists, and
  diagnostic molecular scientists. They also
  approve about programs in phlebotomy and clinical
  assisting. A list of programs is available on the
  Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
7
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Day in the Life
• Clinical laboratory personnel are trained to work
  with infectious specimens. When proper methods of
  infection control and sterilization are followed,
  few hazards exist. Protective masks, gloves, and
  goggles often are necessary to ensure the safety
  of laboratory personnel.
• Working conditions vary with the size and type of
  employment setting. Laboratories usually are well
  lighted and clean. Laboratory workers may spend a
  great deal of time on their feet.  

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
8
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Day in the Life (continued)
• Hours of clinical laboratory technologists and
  technicians vary with the size and type of
  employment setting. In large hospitals or in
  independent laboratories that operate
  continuously, personnel usually work the day,
  evening, or night shift and may work weekends and
  holidays. Laboratory personnel in small
  facilities may work on rotating shifts, rather
  than on a regular shift. In some facilities,
  laboratory personnel are on call several nights a
  week or on weekends, in case of an emergency.

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
9
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Earnings
• Median annual wage-and-salary earnings of medical
  and clinical laboratory technologists are about
  49,700.
• Median annual wage-and-salary earnings of medical
  and clinical laboratory technicians are about
  32,840.

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
10
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Employment
• Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians
  hold about 319,000 jobs in the United States.
  More than half of jobs were in hospitals. Most of
  the remaining jobs were in offices of physicians
  and in medical and diagnostic laboratories. A
  small proportion was in educational services and
  in all other ambulatory health care services.

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
11
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Career Path Forecast
• According to the U.S. Department of Labor,
  employment of clinical laboratory workers is
  expected to grow 14 percent between 2006 and
  2016, faster than the average for all
  occupations. The volume of laboratory tests
  continues to increase with both population growth
  and the development of new types of tests.
• Job opportunities are expected to be excellent
  because the number of job openings is expected to
  continue to exceed the number of job seekers.

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.
12
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians

• Resources
• More information about Clinical Laboratory
  Technologists and Technicians is available at the
  Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, including
  accredited university programs, suggestions for
  precollege students, a free monthly careers
  newsletter, and a PDF summarizing the field.
• Associations
• American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science
• American Society for Cytopathology
• Clinical Laboratory Management Association
• National Accrediting Agency for Clinical
  Laboratory Sciences

Overview Preparation Day in the Life
Earnings Employment Career Path Forecast
Resources
Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.