Medical Technician Job Description
Medical technicians, also commonly referred to as clinical laboratory technicians or technologists, perform complicated scientific tests and then analyze the results in order to assist with diagnosis or treatment recommendations. Some of the other, more specific tasks that those in this position generally must take on include:
- Preparing cultures of blood and/or tissue samples
- Examining slides of bodily fluids via microscope
- Counting cells as well as looking for cell abnormalities in bodily fluids such as blood
- Putting programs into place that help to ensure data accuracy
- Checking blood types for transfusions
- Testing blood for drug levels in order to figure out how a patient is responding to treatment
- Using and calibrating various medical equipment
- Testing stool samples for parasites
- Analyzing urine or blood samples for toxic components
- Looking for fungus, microorganisms, and bacteria in a patient’s bodily fluids
- Collecting blood samples and then studying them to determine morphology
Medical technicians typically work in a hospital setting. However, there are other environments in which a medical tech could work such as companies that administer drug tests for various businesses, prisons, or government industries.
Additionally, you could find employment at a medical and diagnostic laboratory, a physician’s office, or other ambulatory healthcare services.
What Do Medical Techs Need to Know?
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the majority of companies that employ medical technicians require that the candidate has at least a bachelor’s degree from a university, college, or other type of technical school in the field of medical technology, allied health technologies, clinical laboratory science, or another related field.
If you’re fresh out of school and are looking for further training in how to become a medical technician, you may want to consider contacting agencies or companies that have internship opportunities available.
Many states require medical technicians to be certified, registered, or licensed. In order to become certified, you must provide proof of your bachelor’s degree and then pass a written exam.
In order to sit for the written exam, you must have a bachelor’s degree and either a year of approved experience or a recognized medical technology internship.
Some of the organizations that offer certification to medical technicians include The Board of Certification of the American Society for Clinical Pathology(SCP Board of Certification), the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel(NAACLS), American Medical Technologists, and the Board of Registry of the American Association of Bioanalysts.
What Do Medical Techs Make?
The average medical technician earns an annual salary of approximately $53,830. This is an excellent starting salary for someone who is straight out of school, which is just one more reason why a position as a medical technician is so desirable.
Once you have some experience, you can expect to earn up to $73,440 each year.
So if you enjoy working in the health/science industry, want to make a difference in people’s lives, and are looking for a stable career with excellent pay, consider training to become a medical technician.