What is a Medical Technologist
Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Almost daily, a new outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is reported in communities nationwide. Over 5000 times a year, a child is diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). What do all these statistics have in common? Medical technologists. Every unit of blood that is collected from a donor and transfused into a patient is screened and matched by a med tech. Med techs culture, grow, identify, and test bacteria for antibiotic susceptibility. They examine blood cells under a microscope for the telltale signs of leukemia and other diseases. They perform these and many other highly technical and essential duties. Yet most people don't know these laboratory professionals even exist.
As a medical technologist, I've come to accept the fact that most people have either never heard of medical technologists or they have no idea what med techs do. Often, even other health professionals don't seem to know what medical technologists do. Working behind the scenes, med techs have little patient contact, and so the patient population is usually unaware of their existence.
Medical technologists, also known as clinical laboratory scientists, are laboratory professionals who have a bachelor's degree or higher, and have been certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) or the National Credentialing Agency (NCA). They are employed mainly in clinical laboratories of hospitals, but many work in reference labs, research labs, genetics labs, doctors offices, and other places where a solid biomedical sciences background is required. Med techs perform testing in a wide range of disciplines, including clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology, microbiology, urinalysis, and blood and tissue cross matching for transfusions and transplants.
Medical technologists are experts who, by using equipment ranging from microscopes to large, sophisticated analyzers, analyze body fluids and tissues, and report the results to the requesting physician. The physician can then make a more informed diagnosis of the patient's condition, and provide the proper treatment.
In large hospitals, medical technologists usually don't have direct patient contact. In smaller hospitals, however, med techs are often responsible for both collecting the specimens and analyzing them.
Many people are drawn to medical technology because it offers a chance to learn biomedical science and use sophisticated technology to help others, yet doesn't involve actual patient care. But the reality of laboratory life can be different from the expectations of a beginning med tech. In fact, it usually is. Turnover in most labs is high for many reasons, but include the following:
- Schedule: Like other health care professionals, med techs have to work weekends and holidays, and usually start out working the evening or night shift. In one hospital lab I worked in, only six holidays a year were recognized and we were required to work half of them. That meant that we only got three holidays off per year.
- Pay: Considering med techs have a minimum of a 4-year degree, the pay is not as high as in comparable fields, such as business. It is roughly the same as a beginning teacher, but where most teachers can earn a fairly high wage with years of experience, med techs usually don't earn much more later on unless they become supervisors or lab managers. These positions are relatively few and competition for them is high.
- Respect: Med techs are laboratory professionals with a 4-year degree, yet they are treated as if they are part of the equipment, rather than valuable members of the medical team. Lab structure tends to be very hierarchical, rather than an environment where teaming and mutual respect is encouraged.
- Boredom: After spending a great deal of time and effort learning biological sciences, med techs seldom get to put their extensive education to use. Once in the lab, the job becomes routine, with little variation. Med techs who don't strive to maintain their knowledge soon find it slipping away from disuse.
But working as a med tech has its benefits, as well. It offers the chance to help people, and it gives a feeling of satisfaction knowing the work you do allows someone to walk out of the hospital, rather than ride to the morgue.
There is currently a shortage of medical technologists. In the coming years, the lab environment will have to change to attract more young people to the field and keep them in the lab after they become trained. I believe the future is brighter for the medical technologists of the future than for any time in the past.
