Medical Laboratory Scientists are essential members of the healthcare team who are responsible for performing the analysis, evaluating normal and abnormal results, and correlating the results with disease states. The information they provide physicians is essential to patient care. They are involved with every aspect of clinical laboratory testing including method development, analysis, quality assurance, training of personnel, and laboratory management.

Career Opportunities

Because there is a significant demand for qualified laboratorians, job opportunities are unlimited. Unlike many other careers, your degree or post-baccalaureate certificate will prepare you directly for a job. You can either work as a generalist, rotating through all laboratory sections or as a specialist in one of the disciplines.

You can work in the following settings:

• Clinical - hospitals, physicians' offices, reference laboratories
• Community - local, state and federal laboratories, American Indian Reservations, VISTA
• Management & Supervision - laboratory departments, hospital administration
• Business - sales and marketing
• Education - teaching, directing or coordinating medical laboratory sciences programs
• Research - product development, pharmaceuticals, food products, cancer
• Industry - equipment development, technical representative
• Consultant - physician's office laboratories, health care facilities
• International - Peace Corps, governmental and non-governmental agencies