Medical Laboratory Technician : Admission, Courses, Fees, Colleges, Eligibility & Career

Healthcare Courses

Medical laboratory technology is the science that deals with using clinical laboratory tests to prevent, diagnose, and cure various diseases. During this course, the students learn about human physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, microbiology, clinical hematology, immunology, serology, and bio-medical waste management.

Feb 2

Deesha Vyas
Executive Recruiter

Medical laboratory technology is the science that deals with using clinical laboratory tests to prevent, diagnose, and cure various diseases. The analysis of bodily fluids is part of this. Medical Laboratory Technologists use laboratory equipment to prepare slides of human tissues and other specimens for analysis. These professionals can also perform blood tests and blood typing. They execute complicated procedures and tests to assist other healthcare professionals in detecting, diagnosing, and treating diseases in patients. Medical Laboratory Technology students learn about human physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, microbiology, clinical hematology, immunology, serology, and bio-medical waste management, among other things.

Advantages of pursuing Medical Laboratory Technician

Medical lab technicians/technologists usually collaborate with other healthcare professionals, such as physicians, surgeons, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists, and play an important role in evaluating, monitoring, and assessing a patient's health status, keeping doctors and others informed so that a course of treatment can be devised and appropriate care arrangements can be planned for the patient. Allied healthcare professionals are critical to the healthcare system, and demand for them is growing all the time.

Eligibility Criteria to get admission in Medical Laboratory Technology

To work as a medical lab technologist, you must first enroll in an MLT course, a Diploma/Advanced Diploma in MLT (also known as DMLT and DMLT), or a B. Sc. MLT (i.e. Bachelor of Medical Lab Technology or BMLT) course at a college or university.

DMLT is a one-year curriculum with a five-month internship component.
ADMLT is a two-year curriculum with a six-month internship component.
BMLT is typically a three-year program with a six-month to a year-long internship.

The generic criteria required to be eligible for this course is a minimum of 50% marks in 12th class with biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics as their main subjects. Although it is important to know that the minimum eligibility score can vary from college to college. It is also important to note that some institutes conduct their entrance examinations.

Entrance Examination required for Medical Laboratory Technology

JEE Mains - JEE stands for Joint Entrance Examination in its entire form. It is a twice-yearly national level admission examination administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The exam lasts 3 hours or 180 minutes, and each correct answer is worth +4 points, while incorrect answers are for -1 points.

JEE Advanced – It is said to be one of the toughest tests to pass. Students are admitted to top institutes such as IITs, NITs, IIITs, and others based on their performance in JEE Advanced. Candidates get three hours to answer all of the questions.

JUNE- JNUNEE stands for Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination which is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA). Candidates will be admitted to various UG and PG degrees based on the results of this exam. To be admitted to the various courses offered by JNU, you must pass the JNUEE.

AIIMS Paramedical: AIIMS Paramedical entrance exam is directed by the All-Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate paramedical courses in AIIMS colleges.

BCECE Paramedical- Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (BCECEB) is conducted every year for admissions in various professional courses of Medical, Engineering, and Agricultural streams in the Institutions of the state of Bihar.

Employment opportunities for a medical laboratory technician:

A medical laboratory technician can find a job at:
Diagnostic labs
Clinics or nursing homes
Government and private medical colleges and universities
Hospitals
Serology
Drug Efficacy Testing
Phlebotomy
Cytotechnology (the study of human tissue)
Blood Banking
Coagulation
Urine Analysis
Clinical chemistry

Career Options & Scope after MLT

CT Scan Technicians
Anesthesia Technicians
MRI Technicians
X-Ray Technicians/ X-Ray Technologists
Operation Theater Technicians
Pathology Technicians
Orthopedic Technicians/ Plaster Technicians
Optical Laboratory Technician
Dental Machine Technician
Medical Record Technician

Salary & Demand for MLT

Once you are a trained MLT, you stand to get a fair-paying job in any hospital or laboratory. You can also earn as a freelancer or set up your lab. The earning potential increases with experience in the field.

Salary Range	INR 1.17 LPA to INR 5.5 LPA
Minimum Salary	INR 1.17 LPA
Average/ Median Salary	INR 2.4 LPA
Highest Salary	INR 5.5 LPA

To pursue this course, a student needs to spend 3 to 4 lakhs.
Students have to spend approxly 1 year to prepare for the MLT entrance test. While some countries require medical laboratory technicians to be licensed to work in healthcare setups, only some states in India require you to register at the paramedical council of India in order to be eligible for a job or your private practice as a medical laboratory technician. Most jobs require a training certificate and an internship experience at a reputed hospital.