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What is a Medical Lab Technician? |
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A Medical Lab Technician (MLT) is someone who works in a medical lab, usually under the guidance of a medical technologist (MT), preparing slides and working with medical equipment to analyze samples. Their responsibilities vary, but often include helping medical technologists find abnormalities, typing blood samples, and performing routine blood tests.
Since Medical Lab Technicians work in labs, they're usually employed by hospitals or clinics that have on-site labs, as well as stand-alone labs.
On average, a Medical Lab Technician earns between $25,000 and $35,000 annually.
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How do I become a Medical Lab Technician? |
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In order to start a career as a Medical Lab Technician, you must complete a quick healthcare degree program for certification. These programs are often available at vocational or technical schools, and may be offered through hospitals, as well. An associate's degree is required for the training program.
Medical Lab Technicians may choose to go on to earn a Bachelor's degree in order to become a medical technologist, as well.
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What are the benefits and drawbacks of a career as a Medical Lab Technician? |
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One of the benefits of a career as a Medical Lab Technician is that it is a much-needed job. Since testing is key in diagnosing patients, it's not likely that healthcare providers won't need Medical Lab Technicians anytime soon. Because of this, there's a measure of job security in the career.
One of the drawbacks of a career as a Medical Lab Technician is that you don't work directly with patients. If you want to go into a healthcare field to work with people, a career as a Medical Lab Technician probably wouldn't be your first choice.
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