Pre-Medical Technology

 

Career and Major Information
Related Career Titles
Web Sites
Salary Information

 

The Associate of Science Degree in Pre-Medical Technology is intended to fulfill the preadmission requirements at the freshman and sophomore levels for a bachelors degree program in medical technology.  The curriculum in the WSCC catalog is not designed for transfer to any specific school.  Students will need to talk with a faculty advisor about a particular college or university’s courses and transfer.  The link for the Natural Science Division at Walters State is: http://www.ws.edu/science/default.asp

 

 

Career and Major Information:

 

Clinical laboratory testing plays a crucial role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. Clinical laboratory technologists, also referred to as clinical laboratory scientists or medical technologists, and clinical laboratory technicians, also known as medical technicians or medical laboratory technicians, perform most of these tests.

Clinical laboratory personnel examine and analyze body fluids, tissues, and cells. They look for bacteria, parasites, and other microorganisms; analyze the chemical content of fluids; match blood for transfusions; and test for drug levels in the blood to show how a patient is responding to treatment. These technologists also prepare specimens for examination, count cells, and look for abnormal cells. They use automated equipment and instruments capable of performing a number of tests simultaneously, as well as microscopes, cell counters, and other sophisticated laboratory equipment. Then they analyze the results and relay them to physicians. With increasing automation and the use of computer technology, the work of technologists and technicians has become less hands-on and more analytical (Occupational Outlook Handbook 2004-2005).

 

Related Career Titles:

Chemists                                             Science Technicians                                     Veterinarian Technician

 

Web Sites:

American Association of Blood Banks, 8101 Glenbrook Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814-2749. Internet: http://www.aabb.org

 

American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, 6701 Democracy Blvd., Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20817. Internet: http://www.ascls.org

 

American Society for Clinical Pathology, 2100 West Harrison St., Chicago, IL 60612. Internet: http://www.ascp.org

 

American Society for Cytopathology, 400 West 9th St., Suite 201, Wilmington, DE 19801. Internet: http://www.cytopathology.org

 

Clinical Laboratory Management Association, 989 Old Eagle School Rd., Wayne, PA 19087. Internet: http://www.clma.org

 

Occupational Outlook Handbook 2004-2005: http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos096.htm

 

Salary Information:

Median annual earnings of medical and clinical laboratory technologists were $42,910 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $36,400 and $50,820. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,530, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $58,000.

Salary figures quoted are based on national figures.  Local or regional salaries may be lower.

Citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos096.htm