Become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist

Clinical laboratory scientists, also known as medical technologists, are essential members of the health care team. As a clinical laboratory scientist, you'll work behind-the-scenes, processing laboratory tests that doctors count on to correctly diagnose and treat patients.

These are some of the typical responsibilities of a clinical laboratory scientist:

• Identifying abnormal blood cells
• Identifying toxic agents, such as anthrax
• Detecting a cancerous tumor with DNA techniques
• Performing cultures and identifying bacteria and viruses
• Assuring safe transfusion of blood products
• Correlating test results with patient condition
• Selecting and evaluating laboratory equipment and new test methodologies
• Monitoring the quality of testing
• Supervising support staff
• Managing laboratory operations

Salary.com reported the following average annual salaries in 2011 for a lab science positions:

Many clinical laboratory scientists start out in the profession by working in a laboratory or in an acute care or community hospital. With more experience, you might work in any of the following settings:

• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Private laboratories
• Public health organizations
• Research and development departments of pharmaceutical companies

In order to become a clinical laboratory scientist, you'll need to complete a four-year bachelor's degree program in medical technology or clinical laboratory science. Accredited BS programs typically require coursework in the following areas:

• Four semesters of chemistry, including general and organic chemistry
• Three or four semesters of biology
• Anatomy and physiology
• Microbiology
• Hematology
• Immunology
• Clinical chemistry
• Transfusion services
• One year of clinical training

Clinical laboratory scientists must pass a national certification examination given by one of these professional agencies:

• American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
• National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA)
• American Medical Technologists (AMT)
• American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB)

Be sure to check your the ASCP website's state licensure agencies page to see if you'll need you need to be licensed in your state in order to to perform your job.