The duty of medical laboratory technicians is to analyze a wide range of specimens such as blood and urine in order to help identify, diagnose and treat many health problems and illnesses. If you are aspiring to become a lab technician, you must first enroll in an accredited lab technician training program which is generally offered in community colleges, vocational schools, as well as laboratory technician schools.
Laboratory technician schools are rapidly gaining popularity when it comes to finding quality lab technician training programs. While there are some who receive on-the-job training, enrolling in a two-year associate’s degree course is still the best path to take in becoming a lab technician. It is here that you will build a solid foundation in key subjects such as chemistry, biology, microbiology, statistics and mathematics.
Laboratory technician schools offer programs which provide comprehensive trainings in laboratory work such as test procedures in blood banking, urinalysis, hematology, serology, microbiology, and clinical chemistry. Training also gives emphasis on the microbiological, chemical, and cellular analysis of body fluids. In contrast to medical lab technologists, lab technicians perform less sophisticated tasks and also take less time in training and education.
It is important that laboratory technician schools have their training programs accredited by authorized agencies such the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), and Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Accreditation is among the most important aspects of a good medical lab technician training program.
When choosing between a myriad of laboratory technician schools, you may want to personally visit the schools in order to make specific inquiries. Besides accreditation, try inquiring about a school’s admission requirements, tuition fees, class structure, success rate of their graduates, and if they are providing supervised clinical experience. If you are worried about your budget, there are also schools which offer financial aid and you may inquire about that as well.
As a medical lab technician, the area where you plan to work will dictate as to whether or not certification is required prior to employment. Certification is usually earned by having significant working experience and successfully completing a certification exam from a reputable organization such as the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). Laboratory technician schools can prepare you for challenges such as this and others that await you once you become a full-pledged medical lab technician.
Lab technician training is what you should pursue if you want to start a thriving laboratory tech career. So how do you select among the vast number of lab technician schools for this? Check out laboratorytechschools.com and you’ll find tips and free resources to get you at the right track.
