How to Become a Medical Laboratory Scientist?

Overview of Medical Laboratory Scientist 

Medical laboratory scientists also known as medical technologists or clinical laboratory scientists, perform diagnoses on blood or other body fluids to analyze them in a laboratory. This process helps them find the accurate status of our body in terms of health by detecting the presence of any kind of disease if any and then properly treating the patient. 

Medical technologists or medical laboratory scientists are well-trained to handle samples (blood, tissues, etc.) by using highly sophisticated pieces of equipment, to get data that helps in detecting any disease. 
 

Skills of Medical Laboratory Scientist 

Below are some must-have skills of a medical laboratory scientist:

• The candidate should know basic sciences and logical reasoning
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Writing and Communication Skills
• Research and Analytical Skills
• Equipment Maintenance Skills
   

Job Responsibilities/Description of Medical Laboratory Scientist

Out of a wide variety of responsibilities and duties, below are some most important responsibilities of a medical laboratory scientist:

• Diagnosing body fluids, tissues, cells, etc., to detect disease or pathogens inside our body.
• Using medical lab equipment optimally to diagnose accurately.
• Monitoring patients' outcomes and re-evaluating results for accuracy.
• Interpreting lab results to doctors for the right treatment to the patients.
• Using computers for proper data entry, and storage of medical records. 
   

Why Pursue a Career as a Medical Laboratory Scientist?

A medical technologist also known as a medical laboratory scientist,  is a career if you love to work in laboratories and want to make vital decisions for patients. You will have all the authority over the patients’ diagnosing process and a medical laboratory scientist will interpret the clinical data of the patients to doctors, which will decide the treatment of the patients by doctors. 

Apart from that, the scope of a medical technologist is very wide as they can find opportunities in both private and public sectors. 

How to Become a Medical Laboratory Scientist?

To become a medical laboratory scientist, you have to follow the following steps:

Step 1. Earn your high school certificate 

One needs to have passed their class 12th exam with subjects like physics, chemistry, and biology. To be eligible to pursue a relevant bachelor's degree for becoming a medical lab technologist. 

Step 2. Pursue a bachelor’s degree in medical technology

A bachelor's in Medical Laboratory Technology will be the perfect degree for those who want to become a medical laboratory scientist.  

Step 3. Get the required percentage

The cutoff percentage for many colleges to get admission to a master's in medical laboratory technology program is around 50%. A higher degree in medical technology will take you closer to the role of a medical laboratory scientist. 

Step 4. Gain some relevant work experience

Once you are done with the education, you should try getting some relevant experience in medical technology. Jobs roles like Clinical pathologists, Cytotechnologists, and Phlebotomists can help you gain relevant experience and boost your work profile for the medical laboratory job position.  

Step 5. Search for a Medical Laboratory Scientist role

Once you have the necessary experience in medical technology, now you can start applying for the available medical laboratory scientist roles in the market.
 

Top Colleges Offering Medical Laboratory Technology

• Delhi Paramedical & Management Institute
• Trishna College of Paramedical & Polytechnic
• Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute
• Purbanchal Educational Welfare Society (PEWS) Group of Institutions
• Rajiv Gandhi Paramedical Institute 
• Madras Christian College 
• Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara University
• Apollo Institute of Hospital Management & Allied Science
• Global Healthcare Academy (GHA)
• Manipal Academy of Higher Education 
• Christian Medical College 
• Arogya Institute of Health Sciences
• Amity University 
• Manipal School of Allied Health Science
• JB Group Of Institutions
   

Educational Programs and Course Fees

Benefits of Studying Medical Laboratory Scientist 

You become a part of the healthcare industry - The growth of the healthcare industry has been fantastic and building a career in healthcare has been the best choice of many. 

Being a Medical Laboratory Scientist is valued by society - The contributions of a medical laboratory scientist are not less than that of a doctor. A medical lab scientist is largely responsible for an accurate diagnosis of diseases in patients. 

Be a part of a rewarding career - Being a medical lab scientist, you will experience a lot of rewards if you are good at what you do and eventually will be offered leadership roles once you gain a considerable amount of experience in medical lab technology. 

You get to work on flexible shifts - Most healthcare companies give flexible options to medical lab scientists, to choose a shift of their choice. 

Be a part of the growing Medical Lab Technology - With the advancements in technology globally, the healthcare industry is undergoing reforms in its technology and it will keep on getting better with time. Being a medical laboratory scientist, you can witness the technological change in your laboratory with time. 

Top Recruiting Centers of Medical Laboratory Scientists

• Hospital clinical laboratories
• Commercial laboratories
• Public health laboratories
• Biotechnology companies
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Research and teaching facilities
• Fertility clinics
• Veterinary clinics
• Forensic and law enforcement laboratories
• Transplant and blood donor centers
   

Jobs Roles and Salary of a Medical Laboratory Scientist 

Docthub can help to find a list of institutes that offer medical laboratory courses, including both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

FAQs

1. What degree do you need to be a medical laboratory scientist?

To become a medical laboratory scientist, one has to have a master's degree in medical lab technology or other relevant domains, and in some cases, you will need to have a doctorate in medical technology. 

2. What is the role of a medical laboratory scientist?

A medical laboratory scientist has a lot of responsibilities. Using complex computer systems for data entry, retrieval, and analysis, supervising inventory, and ensuring quality control throughout the lab are some of those. 

3. How can I become a medical laboratory scientist in India?

To become a medical laboratory scientist one has to get an undergraduate degree in medical lab technology or any other relevant domain, a master's in medical lab technology, considerable years of experience, and sometimes a research degree in medical technology. For more details about medical laboratory scientists as a career, refer to this blog. 

4. Which country pays medical laboratory scientists the most? 

Below are the countries that pay medical laboratory scientists the most:

• Switzerland
• Australia
• United States
• Luxembourg
• Canada
• Denmark
• Norway
• New Zealand
• Germany
• Israel

5. How long does a medical laboratory science degree take?

A bachelor of science in Medical Laboratory takes 3 years to complete, a master's in Medical Laboratory, and a Ph.D in Medical Laboratory will take around 3 to 5 years to complete.