Medical Laboratory Technicians perform biological tests in search of diagnostic clues as evidence of health or disease. In the search for data on a patient’s health, people working in this field may examine specimens through a microscope or perform, for example, the tests necessary to match a donated unit of blood to a patient in need of that unit. They may identify the microorganisms associated with health and disease. They are also competent operators of the computers and complex instrumentation which are used in most areas of today’s laboratories.
The Medical Technician plays a vital role in patient care by performing the full range of laboratory testing in six major areas of the laboratory: Hematology, Immunology, Microbiology, Body Fluids, Blood Banking, and Chemistry. Technicians may choose to advance, by education or experience, to the levels of Medical Technologist or specialist.