What is Medical Laboratory Technology?
As we are well aware that before initializing treatment of any disease, the first step is to perform some lab tests to be specific about the disease that the medicare professionals have to diagnose. Medical lab technicians are those professionals who run these tests by performing blood transfusion, chemical and electrolytic balance in the body, drug tests, sample analysis of blood, urine, body fluids, etc. These tests help doctors to analyze the disease and prevent it to spread furthermore by commencing the treatment accordingly. If you are interested in laying out your time in labs and performing various tests and experiments, then this might be your course. It sounds quite interesting that one has to perform tests in labs, but apart from just running tests, there comes a huge responsibility as lab tests need to be exquisite, there is no chance of inaccuracy as a patient’s treatment is wholly dependent on these tests.
Why to pursue career in Medical Laboratory Technology
In healthcare, there is two such paradigms of technologies that helps doctors in paramount dimension. Medical Lab Technology (MLT) and Medical Imaging Technology (MIT) form the foundation for the onset of any treatment. There is a good career scope in MLT and job opportunities are also growing exponentially, especially in the time of COVID-19 pandemic. For the deserving and hardworking candidates, MLT offers surprising avenues and salary packages. Here, we will discuss about Medical Lab Technician’s career, job, eligibility, admission, best colleges around the world.
Medical lab technician course and eligibility
- Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT): Diploma generally takes 2 years for completion.
Eligibility: A Diploma in medical lab technology could be opt right after the 10th if a candidate seeks to get enrolled earlier.
- B.Sc. in Medical Laboratory Technology (BMLT): BMLT is an undergraduate level course. Generally, it takes 3 years to accomplish graduation in lab technology, but some colleges include internships, so it can also take up to 4 years to round off.
Eligibility: One must have completed his senior secondary education (10+2) with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as their standard subjects to opt for BMLT.
- M.Sc. MLT: There could be numerous career options if one wishes to pursue higher education in lab technology. For M.Sc. courses, there is general M.Sc. in medical laboratory technology as well as one can choose a particular subject such as M.Sc. in Biochemistry/Histopathology/Microbiology/ Toxicology/Hematology and so on depending on the subject they want to opt.
Eligibility: For M.Sc., one should have cleared their graduation in medical Laboratory technology. Although, many colleges consider an entrance test as well as satisfactory graduation marks for the admission process.
- Ph.D. in MLT: Ph.D. in MLT could be opt in a particular subject of interest but the subject must have been studied in masters.
Eligibility: Ph.D. can be pursued after completion of masters.
Diploma courses in MLT
The various important diploma courses in MLT are:
- Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology
- Diploma in Medical Laboratory Assistance
- Diploma in CVT Technician
- Diploma in Clinical Analysis
- Diploma in Radiography Technology
- Diploma in ECG Technology
- Diploma in Medical Imaging Technology
Bachelor courses in MLT
The most popular courses in the graduation level are:
- B.Sc. in Medical Laboratory Technology
- B.Sc. Clinical Laboratory Technology
- Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Technology
- B.Sc. ECG and Cardiovascular Technology
- B.Sc. Medical Imaging Technology
- B.Sc. X-Ray Technology
Job oriented career in MLT
With the booming growth in the healthcare industry, it is easy to diagnose any disease or syndrome by performing several tests and procedures. Gone are the times when diagnosing disease was a back-breaking task. Now, technology has emerged up to such an extent that nothing seems impossible. In the era of technology, availability of ultra-modern set up, suitable growth in the market, etc., students are considering the profession of medical technician as one of rewarding options. In the present circumstances, this profession is in wave demand.
Career prospects as Medical Lab Technician
If you have the acumen of testing, analyzing and sampling of blood, drug, urine and body fluid, Medical lab technicians are one of the best career options to go ahead. There are many lucrative career options technician, researcher, educationist or professor and scientist are available in MLT
Medical laboratory technology courses
The general purpose MLT is the prognosis, analysis, and prohibition of disease. This course comprises of the study of
- Human Anatomy: This lays the foundation of the medical profession. It gives a detailed knowledge of the structure of various systems of the human body and its relationship with several other factors such as the concentration of body fluids present in an individual which is necessary to track symptoms of diseases.
- Physiology: Physiology provides knowledge about the functions of various organs. One gets the algorithm of capacities or capabilities of various systems with the help of physiology.
- Biochemistry: In its name only, it is specified that biochemistry deals with a complex study of biology and chemistry. It is the bureau of science that enumerates the chemical analysis of biological molecules.
- Microbiology: This deals with the study of microbes that includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, viroid, etc. This imparts a huge aid for lab researchers to generate antibiotics that are used to kill disease-causing microbes.
- Pathology: Pathology is a wide range of studies that includes disease-causing organisms belonging to bacteria, viruses, protozoans, etc. which are known as pathogens. Lab technicians examine the root cause of any disease by these pathological findings in body fluids, tissues, and organs.
Roles of Medical Lab Technician
- Collect specimens from patients for testing
- Prevent blood coagulation by using an anticoagulant right after the sample has taken
- Be attentive while separating samples to desired sampling units
- Preparation of lab reports
- Working in a multispecialty hospital counts one more task and that is generating test results on the online portal through a computed system for the availability of lab reports from any place.
- A lab technician must also hold decorum and ethics while working in a laboratory.
Departments of Medical Laboratories
- Blood collection unit: A common unit where various samples of patients are collected
- Biochemistry Lab: In this department, different types of profile testing of organs specifically, liver and kidney are done such as LFT, KFT.
- Microbiology Lab: This department comprises of the testing of microbes viz. bacteria, fungi, protozoan are done in particular.
- Histopathology Lab: In this lab, examination of tissue culture and tissue cells is performed.
- Hematology Lab: Every kind of blood/plasma testing is carried out in this lab.
- Serology Lab: Antigen-Antibody testing is executed in this lab through a certain procedure of separation of serum from blood.
- Blood Bank: A blood bank is one of the essential units among all the labs as it stores various blood groups needed for blood transfusion. Also, testing of blood contamination is performed in this lab.
Salary of Medical Lab Technicians
The average starting salary of a lab technician ranges between ₹10k – ₹30k in India. However, with experience and knowledge, one can earn up to ₹ 6-7 lacs per annum. The package and salary depend upon the choice of colleges, your inclination towards the field and sensing of the subject. If you are a hard worker and has keen desire of testing and sampling; after few years of experience, one easily get placement to the big chain of hospitals.
Top colleges of Medical Lab Technology
- Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
- Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry
- Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard University, Delhi
- Jamia Milia Islamia, Delhi
- Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College, New Delhi
- K.J Somaiya Medical College and Research Centre, Mumbai
- Madras Christian College, Chennai
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi
