Medical laboratory scientist


A medical laboratory scientist, clinical laboratory scientist, or medical technologist, is a licensed Healthcare professional who performs diagnostic testing of body fluids, examples: blood, urine, sputum and other body tissue. The medical technologist is tasked with releasing the patient results to aid in further treatment. The scope of a medical laboratory scientist's work begins with the receipt of patient or client specimens and finishes with the delivery of test results to physicians and other healthcare providers. The utility of clinical diagnostic testing relies squarely on the validity of test methodology. To this end, much of the work done by medical laboratory scientists involves ensuring specimen quality, interpreting test results, data-logging, testing control products, performing calibration, maintenance, validation, and troubleshooting of instrumentation as well as performing statistical analyses to verify the accuracy and repeatability of testing. Medical laboratory scientists may also assist healthcare providers with test selection and specimen collection and are responsible for prompt verbal delivery of critical lab results. Medical laboratory scientists in healthcare settings also play an important role in clinical diagnosis; some estimates suggest that up to 70% of medical decisions are based on laboratory test results and MLS contributions affect 95% of a health system's costs.
The most common tests performed by medical laboratory scientists are complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, electrolyte panel, liver function tests, renal function tests, thyroid function test, urinalysis, coagulation profile, lipid profile, blood type, genotype, pack cells volume, hepatitis, glucose test, Endo cervical swab, high vaginal swab, semen fluid analysis, serological studies and routine cultures. In some facilities that have few phlebotomists, or none at all, medical laboratory scientists may perform phlebotomy. Because medical laboratory scientists have many transferable technical skills, employment outside of the medical laboratory is common. Many medical laboratory scientists are employed in government positions such as the FDA, USDA, non-medical industrial laboratories, and manufacturing.
In the United Kingdom and the United States, senior laboratory scientists, who are typically post-doctoral scientists, take on significantly greater clinical responsibilities in the laboratory. In the United States these scientists may function in the role of clinical laboratory directors, while in the United Kingdom they are known as consultant clinical scientists.
Though clinical scientists have existed in the UK National Health Service for ≈60 years, the introduction of formally-trained and accredited consultant-level clinical scientists is relatively new, and was introduced as part of the new Modernizing Scientific Careers framework developed in 2008.
Consultant clinical scientists are expected to provide expert scientific and clinical leadership alongside and, at the same level as, medical consultant colleagues. While specialists in healthcare science will follow protocols, procedures and clinical guidelines, consultant clinical scientists will help shape future guidelines and the implementation of new and emerging technologies to help advance patient care.
In the United Kingdom, healthcare scientists including clinical scientists may intervene throughout entire care pathways from diagnostic tests to therapeutic treatments and rehabilitation. Although this workforce comprises approximately 5% of the healthcare workforce in the UK, their work underpins 80% of all diagnoses and clinical decisions made.

Specialty areas

Many Medical Laboratory Scientists are generalists, skilled in most areas of the clinical laboratory. However, some are specialists, qualified by unique undergraduate education or additional training to perform more complex analyses than usual within a specific field. Specialties include clinical biochemistry, hematology, coagulation, microbiology, bacteriology, toxicology, virology, parasitology, mycology, immunology, immunohematology, histopathology, histocompatibility, cytopathology, genetics, cytogenetics, electron microscopy, and IVF labs. Medical Technologists specialty may use additional credentials, such as "SBB", "SM", "SC", or "SH" from the American Society for Clinical Pathology. These additional notations may be appended to the base credential, for example, "MLS, SBB". Additional information can be found in the ASCP Procedures for Examination & Certification.
Andrology Laboratory Scientist, Embryology Laboratory Scientist, and Molecular Diagnostics Technologist certifications are provided by the American Association of Bioanalysts; those with the certifications are classified as ALS, ELS, and MDxT respectively. Certified Histocompatibility Associate, Certified Histocompatibility Technologist, Certified Histocompatibility Specialist, and Diplomate of the ABHI are titles granted by the American Board of Hisocompatibility and Immunogenetics after meeting education and experience requirements and passing the required examination; those individuals would hold the credentials CHA, CHT, CHS, and D upon passing the corresponding examination.
In the United States, Medical Laboratory Scientists can be certified and employed in infection control. These professionals monitor and report infectious disease findings to help limit iatrogenic and nosocomial infections. They may also educate other healthcare workers about such problems and ways to minimize them.
In the United Kingdom the number of Clinical Scientists in a pathology discipline are typically greater, where less medically qualified pathologists train as consultants. Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Immunology and Genomic Medicine are specialities with an abundance of UK Clinical Scientists, and where the role is well established. Infection services in the United Kingdom are generally undertaken by medically qualified Microbiologists, who may have overall responsibility for laboratory services in addition to Infection Prevention and Control responsibilities, and may be required to contribute to ward rounds and patient clinics. Therefore, the Royal College of Pathologists and Royal College of Physicians have developed Combined Infection Training, that medical trainees gain a much more patient focused experience, and undertake Physician examinations in addition to Pathology training. The result of this is that several regional medical deaneries no longer permit Medical Doctors to train in Microbiology or Virology as single disciplines, and instead advocate dual-specialisation as Infectious Disease/Microbiology or Infectious Disease/Virology . Simultaneously the expansion of higher specialist scientist trainees in microbiology mean that many of the laboratory and scientific responsibilities of medical doctors may be taken on by Clinical Scientists, and medical doctors will instead be expected to perform a much more patient facing role. The exception in Microbiology is the sub-discipline of Virology, which is well suited to the expertise of clinical scientists due to reliance on cutting-edge scientific methods, increasing use of specialised genetic technologies, and a technical understanding of virus biology, with a reduced emphasis on patient management compared with Microbiology as a whole.

Educational requirements

Educational and licensing requirements vary by country due to differing scopes of practice and legislative differences.

Australia

In Australia, medical laboratory scientists complete a four-year undergraduate degree program in medical science, medical laboratory science or laboratory medicine. These programs should be accredited by the Australian Institute of Medical and Clinical Scientists.

Canada

In Canada, three-year college or technical school programs are offered that include seven semesters, two of them comprising an unpaid internship. The student graduates before taking a standard examination to be qualified as a medical laboratory technologist. Many MLTs go on to
Canada is currently experiencing an increasing problem with staffing shortages in medical laboratories.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, a medical laboratory scientist must complete a bachelor's degree in medical laboratory science or biological or chemical science recognized by the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand. As part of this degree they must complete clinical placement. Once they graduate they must have worked at least six months under supervision, be registered with the Medical Sciences Counsel of New Zealand, and hold a current Annual Practicing Certificate.

Ghana

In Ghana, a doctor of medical laboratory scientist is a professional with a six years professional doctorate degree in medical laboratory science, the medical laboratory scientist has four years bachelor's degree in medical laboratory science and the medical laboratory technicians has three years diploma in medical laboratory science.
The curriculum for the programme include internship rotations, where the students get hands-on experiences in each discipline of the laboratory and performs diagnostic testing in a functioning laboratory under supervision.

India

In India, Medical laboratory science education is divided into secondary, post-secondary, undergraduate, and post-graduate. The courses are offered by many state boards of vocational education post-secondary, State technical education boards, and various universities under the UGC. Some universities have vocational degrees abbreviated as Bachelor in vocational education and Masters in vocational education. Medical laboratory technologist and technician registration is done at the state level. A new commission will be formed called the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions to replace state registers with central registers enforced and controlled by NCAHP.
  • After secondary, education is called DMLT; it's 2 years offered by Vocational boards of respective states.
  • After Post-secondary education, it is also called the DMLT of 2 years offered by Vocational boards of respective states.
  • The undergraduate degree in MLT is 3 or 4 years offered by universities.
  • State boards of technical education offer an Advanced Diploma of 2 years equivalent to the PGDMLT offered by universities.
  • A postgraduate degree in MLS Is 2 years offered by universities.