Lab Technician Requirements
Clinical laboratory technicians play an important role in the health care system. Laboratory technicians help in the detection and diagnosis of disease by testing patient samples with specialized equipment. Becoming a laboratory technician is an accessible medical career choice due to its limited requirements in comparison to many other job titles in the health field, such as nurses or doctors.
Ability to Follow Instructions
The tasks of a laboratory technician require less complex skills in relation to the tasks performed by a laboratory technologist, but they still require the ability to follow complex directions for preparing and performing lab tests. According to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the advances of new automated technology, the work of a lab technician has moved from being hands on to being more operational and analytical.
Manual Dexterity
Manual dexterity, or the ability to quickly and easily work with small samples, including potentially harmful pathogens, is also a requirement for becoming a laboratory technician. Manual dexterity allows the technician to safely prepare samples and use the necessary equipment to test the samples in the lab.
Education
Unlike medical technologists who require a bachelor's degree, medical technicians need only an associate's degree or certificate to meet the education requirements for this career. Associate's degrees and certificates can be earned in many community and technical colleges across the nation, and may also be available at some 4-year universities.
Certification
Certification is another requirement for most jobs as a laboratory technician. To become certified, most technicians take the certification exam from the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA) or the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP).
Licensing
Many states, such as Hawaii, Georgia, Montana, New York and Nevada, require both medical technologists and clinical laboratory technicians to be licensed. Licensing requires proof that you meet the education requirements and that you have passed the necessary certification exams.
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