Higher education requirements include:

• Completing a bachelor’s degree in medical technology or clinical laboratory science. A bachelor’s degree in a science or health related field (e.g. chemistry or microbiology) may also be considered.
• Completing a clinical laboratory program or internship through a hospital-based program or as part of their education
• National certification as a medical technologist (MT), clinical laboratory scientist (CLS), or medical laboratory scientist (MLS)
• Previous experience in a health care setting

Responsibilities and duties, including:

• Examining and analyzing blood, body fluids, tissues, and cells
• Relaying test results to physicians
• Utilizing microscopes, cell counters, and other high-precision lab equipment
• Cross matching blood for transfusion
• Monitoring patient outcomes
• Performing differential cell counts looking for abnormal cells to aid in the diagnosis of anemia and leukemia
• Establishing quality assurance programs to monitor and ensure the accuracy of test results
• Overseeing the work of a medical laboratory technician