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By choosing a career in the clinical laboratory YOU can make a difference!
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Many career opportunities are available in clinical lab science. A career in clinical lab science is also a great way to learn about the science of the human body and an excellent fit for someone interested in later pursuing a career as a physician.
There are several branches of medicine that clinical laboratory professionals work with. Here are a few examples:
Click here to find clinical lab job descriptions or visit www.ascls.org and www.agt-info.org for more information.
Hematology
Hematology is literally the study of blood, and more importantly diseases of the blood. The laboratory plays a crucial role in diagnosing diseases of the blood by analyzing specimens on specialized instruments and examining blood smears under the microscope in the hematology section.
Blood consists of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, white blood cells defend the body against disease and infection, and platelets help to form clots when injury or trauma occurs to the body. Medical laboratory scientists that work in the hematology section examine these cells for abnormalities to discover disease processes that cause harm to the body. Hematologists can uncover cancers, bleeding disorders, infections, and various genetic disorders.
Immunology
In the clinical laboratory, the term Immunology or Immunodiagnostics refers to a type of chemistry testing or analysis that uses the science of antibodies to detect a specific chemical of interest. These antibodies are produced in commercial labs and are typically used to measure hormones, drugs, and other complex molecules. Some immunology tests are even able to detect viruses such as the retrovirus HIV. Immunologic analysis is typically performed on the liquid portion of the blood, called serum. Immunodiagnostics can also be performed on urine and other body fluids.
Science has allowed clinical chemistry analysis to become incredibly technologically advanced. Tests that used to take hours or days, like detecting chemicals produced when a person has a heart attack, now take minutes. These tests also require much less blood than the old manual chemistry tests. These attributes benefit both the patient and the laboratory making immunology an increasingly popular method for new complex chemical tests.
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms. Microbiology is a broad term which encompasses the following: bacteriology-the study of bacteria, virology-the study of viruses, mycology-the study of yeasts and fungi, and parasitology-the study of parasites.
Everyone has billions of microorganisms living throughout their body. Human and microorganism coexistence has an important role in human nutrition and metabolism. When an infectious organism, also called a pathogen, enters the body and the normal microorganisms are disrupted it caused illness and disease.
This is why the microbiologist is an integral part of the health care team. They detect and prevent illness by telling the physician what organism is causing the disease and can provide a list of antibiotics that will kill the organism. A general microbiologist with perform cultivation or growth, identification, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of many different organisms. They will also detect infectious organisms by looking in a microscope or by using chemical, immunological or molecular techniques. Microbiologists can work in hospital laboratories, public health laboratories, reference or independent laboratories, physician office laboratories, or research laboratories.
Immunohematology (Blood Banking)
Immunohematology, also know as Blood Banking, plays an essential part in the clinical laboratory. Blood banking includes the processes of collecting blood from donors, testing the donor blood for infectious diseases, processing the blood into the various blood components, and finally ensuring that the donor blood and blood products are safe to transfuse to a patient in need.
As a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) working in a blood bank, you will play a vital, life saving role in providing blood and blood components to patients undergoing operations, experiencing severe trauma, or suffering from one of the many medical conditions that require treatment with blood products.
Cytogenetics
Cytogenetics is a branch of genetics that is concerned with the study of the structure and function of chromosomes. Chromosomes are present in the cells of the body and contain many genes. Information about suspetibility to and diagnosis of certain disorders can be determined by studying the number of chromosomes or their structure.
Through a microscope, the cytogenetic technologist counts and compares the banding patterns of chromosomes. By revealing the nature of chromosomal defects, cytogenetics helps the healthcare team identify, and sometimes prevent, certain genetic disorders. Cytogenetic technologists can look for the extra chromosome associated with Down syndrome or the switching of parts in two chromosomes resulting in leukemia. The medical laboratory professional working in the field of cytogenetics plays an important part in recognizing genetic syndromes and acquired diseases.
Molecular Biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. Molecular biology attempts to understand the interactions between the various systems of a cell, including the interactions between different types of DNA, RNA, and protein within the cell. Technologists using molecular biology techniques can characterize, isolate, and manipulate the molecular components of cells and organisms.This field overlaps with many areas of biology and chemistry.
Using molecular biology, technologists can ensure that blood transfusions are safe from many pathogens. They can also identify pathogens that cause disease, allowing physcians to provide the correct treatment and medication. Additionally, molecular technology allows a detailed look at the genetic material that makes up the chromosomes in the body. This information about subtle genetic changes helps physicians determine a more specific diagnosis and prognosis for the patient.
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