Medical Lab Schools

Schools by State
for Medical Lab Technicians:

AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK ON OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY

Career Highlights for
Medical Lab Technicians

Training generally required for this career includes: Associate degree.

Relevant Job Titles

(Supplied by experts and industry contributors for this career category)

• Biotechnician
• Blood and Plasma Laboratory Assistant
• Blood or Blood Bank Technician
• Blood Typer
• Clinical Laboratory Scientist
• Clinical Research Assistant
• Cytogenetic Technician
• Cytotechnologist
• Hematology Technician
• Hemodialysis Technician
• Histologic Aide
• Histopathology Technician
• Laboratory Assistant (Lab Assistant)
• Laboratory Associate (Lab Associate)
• Laboratory Supervisor
• Laboratory Technician
• Laboratory Worker
• Medical Lab Assistant
• Medical Laboratory Assistant
• Medical Laboratory Technician (Medical Lab Tech)
• Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)
• Medical Laboratory Technologist
• Medical Numerical Control Operator
• Medical Technologist
• Microbiology Technician
• Neurology Technician
• Non-Registered Technician
• Pathological Technician
• Pathologist Assistant
• Pathology Technician
• Pharmaceutical Laboratory Technician
• Phlebotomist
• Serology Technician
• Sleep Technician
• Specimen Processor
• Tissue Technician
• Toxicology Laboratory Technician
• Vascular Technician

Information Sources

BrainTrack's information on colleges and careers is drawn from many sources, including government databases, BrainTrack's own research, and results from original data analysis algorithms.

Medical Lab Technician Job Description

Career tips, salaries, and lists of schools.

When doctors order blood, urine or other tests to assess patients' health, medical laboratory technicians test the collected specimens according to established protocols. By personally examining and analyzing these samples for bacteria, parasites, fungi and other microorganisms, clinical laboratory technicians can identify many diseases and conditions, providing valuable diagnostic information to physicians.

Medical laboratory technicians are also known as Clinical laboratory technicians.

Medical lab technicians prepare samples for testing, operate automated analyzers and conducting manual tests. In smaller laboratories, they may work in several areas within the lab, while in large laboratories their work may be dedicated to one area.

Medical Lab Technician Degrees and Schools

Most medical laboratory technicians have either an associates degree in medical technology from a community college or vocational school, or a certificate from a hospital training program or vocational school. A few lab technicians receive on-the-job training instead of formal education.

Employers prefer graduates of programs accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).

Medical Lab Technician Classes

Students working to become medical laboratory technicians divide their time between classroom and supervised lab experience. Courses typically include:

• microbiological analysis of body fluids
• cellular analysis of body fluids
• chemical analysis of body fluids
• blood banking test procedures
• clinical chemistry test procedures
• hematology test procedures
• microbiology test procedures
• serology test procedures
• urinalysis test procedures

Graduates of programs that place strong emphasis on the sciences are qualified for positions in industrial laboratories in addition to the hospital laboratories, physicians' offices, clinics, pharmaceutical companies, research and educational institutions and public health agencies where most clinical laboratory technicians work.

Online Medical Lab Technician Classes and Programs

Any medical laboratory technician or medical technology program should be accredited by the NAACLS, which lists few if any Web-only certificate or degree programs. However, many campus programs offer at least some online classes as part of their course offerings.

Online programs should also be accredited by the Accreditation Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).

Medical Lab Technician Requirements

Laboratory personnel are required in some states to be registered or licensed; requirements vary by state.

Voluntary certification through the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel, the Board of Registry of the American Association of Bioanalysts, and/or American Medical Technologists can provide significant career advantage.

How to Evaluate Medical Lab Technician Schools

Asking the following questions can be useful when evaluating medical laboratory technician or medical technology degree and certificate programs:

• Accreditation and focus - Is the program accredited by the NAACLS? Do courses and practical experience qualify students for national certification as well as any state requirements in the state where the student plans to work?
• Practical experience - Does the program require substantial supervised clinical experience? Are clinical experience labs reputable and equipped with the latest technology?
• Class structure - Are classes or labs difficult to get into? What is the student/teacher ratio?
• Tuition and financial aid - What grants, student loans, scholarships and work / study financial aid opportunities are available?
• Graduate success - Over the past several years, how many graduates were eligible to sit for national certification examinations? What is the program's track record in job placement?

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