Job responsibilities of a medical laboratory technician.
Medical laboratory technicians work in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, clinics and laboratories, performing duties under the supervision of a medical laboratory technologist, scientist or pathologist. They may specialize in chemistry, immunology, blood banking, hematology, immunology or microbiology. The average annual salary for a medical lab tech is $32,400, according to the Health Careers Center website.
Specimens
A medical laboratory technician receives specimens in the lab either though the mail or by hand delivery. The lab technician places a date stamp and the time received on the specimen. Recording data from the specimens into the computer is also a responsibility of a medical lab tech. The patient information and the identification number for the specimen are entered by the lab tech, and after testing is complete, any test results are also entered into the computer.
Testing
Medical lab techs work under the supervision of technologists or other professionals to perform testing of specimens. The tests performed by the lab techs are less complex than those done by technologists. Collecting and preparing the specimen for testing are also required duties of medical lab techs. They may be asked to draw blood or collect samples from patients inside the lab. They do manual testing and operate automated analyzers. Analyzing specimens is done by using microscopes, chemicals and computers.
Maintaining Equipment
Cleaning the lab and equipment is a medical lab tech's responsibility. This includes disinfecting benches, centrifuges and other equipment. Making sure the equipment is repaired or replaced as needed is also a required duty. Ordering supplies such as test tubes, masks and gloves is part of a medical lab tech's responsibilities.
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