Learn How to Prepare for a Career as a Medical Laboratory Professional in Northeast Ohio
As vital members of the healthcare team, medical laboratory professionals play a critical role in collecting information needed to detect, diagnose and treat disease. There are several different types of medical laboratory professionals:
Phlebotomists:
- Collect blood specimens in a skillful, safe and reliable manner.
Medical Laboratory Technicians:
- Work under the supervision of a Medical Technologist.
- Perform general tests in all laboratory areas.
- Prepare specimens, operate automated analyzers, and perform manual tests.
Histotechnicians:
- Work closely with pathologists.
- Must work quickly and under pressure.
- Freeze and cut very thin sections of body tissues, mount them on slides, and stain them with special dyes to make the cell details visible under a microscope.
Medical Technologists:
- Work in six major areas of the laboratory: blood banking, chemistry, hematology, immunology, microbiology and phlebotomy.
- Perform complex chemical, biological, hematological, immunologic, microscopic, and bacteriological tests.
- Microscopically examine blood, tissue, and other body substances.
- Make cultures of body fluid and tissue samples to determine the presence of bacteria, fungi, parasites, or other microorganisms.
- Analyze samples for chemical content or a chemical reaction and determine blood glucose and cholesterol levels.
- Type and cross match blood samples for transfusions.
- Evaluate test results, develop and modify procedures, and establish and monitor programs to ensure the accuracy of tests.
Cytotechnologists:
- Examine human cell samples under a microscope, looking for early signs of cancer and other diseases.
- Trace the clues to disease in the cytoplasm and nucleus of cells that have been stained with special dyes.
- Look for the smallest abnormalities in color, shape and size that can be clues to the presence of disease.
- Issue the final report on specimens that contain normal cells; when abnormal cells are present, the cytotechnologist works with a pathologist to arrive at a final diagnosis.
There are many career avenues available for Medical Laboratory Professionals:
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Phlebotomists - a high school graduate with acceptable phlebotomy training (usually a certificate program).
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Medical Laboratory Technicians - a formal education plus clinical education in a medical laboratory technician (MLT) program (usually an associate degree) accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).
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Histotechnicians - a formal education plus clinical education (usually an associate's degree) in a histotechnician (HT) program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).
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Medical Technologists - a baccalaureate degree plus clinical education in a medical technology program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).
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Cytotechnologists - a baccalaureate degree plus clinical education in a cytotechnology (CT) program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
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Licensure/Certification - Some states require laboratory personnel to be licensed or registered. Check licensure requirements with the department of health or board of occupational licensing for the state in which you plan to work.
Most employers require certification. Agencies certifying medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, histotechnicians, cytotechnologists, and phlebotomy technicians include the Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (www.ascp.org), the American Medical Technologists (www.amt1.com), the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (www.nca-info.org), and the Board of Registry of the American Association of Bioanalysts (www.aab.org). Contact the agency regarding the requirements needed to take the certification exam.
Phlebotomist
- Bohecker College, Ravenna (C)
- Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland (C)
- Lakeland Community College, Kirtland (C)
- Lorain County Community College, Elyria (C)
- Trumbull Memorial Hospital, Warren (C)
Medical Laboratory Technician
- Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland (A)
- Lakeland Community College, Kirtland (A)
- Lorain County Community College, Elyria (A)
- Mercy College of Northwest Ohio, Toledo (A)
- Stark State College, Canton (A)
- Youngstown State University, Youngstown (A)
Histotechnician
- Lakeland Community College, Kirtland (A)
- Youngstown State University, Youngstown (A)
Medical Technologist
- Akron General Medical Center, Akron (C*) (B - in conjunction with affiliated universities)
- Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green (B)
- Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Akron (C*) (B - in conjunction with affiliated universities)
- Cleveland Clinic School of Medical Technology (C*) (B - in conjunction with affiliated universities)
- Ohio State University, Columbus (B)
- Southwest General Health Center, Middleburg Heights (C*) (B - in conjunction with affiliated universities)
- Youngstown State University, Youngstown (B)
Cytotechnologist
- Akron General Medical Center, Akron (C*)
(Type of program: A=Associate Degree, B=Baccalaureate Degree, C=Certificate; C*=Certificate, prerequisite Baccalaureate Degree; D=Diploma)