About This Career

Performs routine medical laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. May work under the supervision of a medical technologist.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Diagnostic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Conducts chemical analyses of body fluids, such as blood or urine, using microscope or automatic analyzer to detect abnormalities or diseases and enter findings into computer.
• Analyzes the results of tests or experiments to ensure conformity to specifications, using special mechanical or electrical devices.
• Sets up, maintains, calibrates, cleans, and tests sterility of medical laboratory equipment.
• Prepares standard volumetric solutions or reagents to be combined with samples, following standardized formulas or experimental procedures.
• Collects blood or tissue samples from patients, observing principles of asepsis to obtain blood sample.
• Supervises or instructs other technicians or laboratory assistants.
• Conducts blood tests for transfusion purposes and performs blood counts.
• Inoculates fertilized eggs, broths, or other bacteriological media with organisms.
• Obtains specimens, cultivating, isolating, and identifying microorganisms for analysis.
• Examines cells stained with dye to locate abnormalities.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Rotating shift work
• Weekend work