A career in clinical laboratory involves hands on working with blood samples and tissues. The clinical laboratory technician collect samples and performs various complex tests on cells, tissues and body fluids to identify the cause of illness or a disease. The career in clinical laboratory science includes Phlebotomogist, Hematology Technician, Blood Bank Specialist, Renal and Dialysis Technician, Medical Laboratory Technologist, Histological Technologist and Cytotechnologist. In this article, we will threw a basic light on all the seven career fields in clinical laboratory science
Phlebotomists:
A Phlebotomists is a trained medical technician professional specializing in drawing patient’s blood for testing, donation or other medical purposes like screening. A Phlebotomist is trained in needles, syringes, collection tubes and tourniquets to draw blood samples from patients. The phlebotmoist may use venipuncture, vein piercing, finger prick or heel stick, depending on the amount of blood required and the patient’s age to draw the blood from the patient’s body for testing, screening or donation.
Cytotechnologist:
A cytotechnologist examine the cells on a microscopic level to diagnoize cancer or other diseases of the cells. A cytotechnologist will use multitude of test or study various tissues to check for cancerous cells like Lymph Nodes, Bladder, Lungs, Brain Tissues and Bones. A cytotechnologist will also work along with pathologist or oncologist in determing in derterming cancerous cells, pre cancerous lesions and infections in the body.
Hematology Technician:
A hematology technician works along with hematologist or hematology specialist in determing the blood diseases. Hematology collect blood and perform various tests on the blood to determine various diseases. A hematology technician perform tests which help in understanding blood platelets, blood infections, plasma counts, antibodies counts, red blood and white blood cells and anaemia.
Blood Bank Specialist:
One of the integral member of heatlhcare system, a bloodbank specialist is a person who is responsible for performing blood collection and processing, blood transmission, performing quality checks on blood products, maitaining cold storage and assisting physicians and surgeons in transmitting the blood to the patients.
Renal and Dialysis Technician:
A renal and dialysis technician is responsible for preparing patients for dialysis, gaining vascular access and monitoring the patient during dialysis treatment. Dialysis is a medical practice used by End Stage Renal Disease patients (kidney disease patients) to filter their blood. A renal and dialsysi technician should also specialize in phlebotomy and taking vital parameters of the body.
Histological Technician:
A histological technician prepare microscope slides of body fluid samples and other specimens for pathologists. Histotechnology is the scientific study of tissue structure, especially as it relates to abnormal cellular changes and the association with disease formation. A histotechnician works with a pathology team, preparing thinly cut sections of tissue by mounting them on slides and staining them to make the cells visible under a microscope.