What are the job requirements of a medical technologist?

Medical technologists prevent, diagnose, and treat disease by collecting samples and performing important lab tests. Tested materials may include sputum (phlegm), peritoneal fluid, blood, urine, stool samples, tissue, cells, and other substances.

The day-to-day duties of a medical technologist include complex analysis of microscopic, immunologic, biologic, bacteriologic, hematologic, and chemical tests and their results. The specific job duties of a medical technologist will vary based on specialization and the hospital's specific needs.

Some tasks that a medical technologist might be asked to perform could include:

• Preparing cultures of tissue samples (e.g., fluids, tissue, blood)

• Establishing and monitoring programs that ensure data accuracy

• Microscopically examining slides of bodily fluids

• Cross-matching blood for transfusions; verifying sample and specimen match

• Chemically analyzing blood or urine for toxic components

• Analyzing lab reports for accuracy

• Operating and calibrating equipment; performing basic equipment troubleshooting

• Delivering test results to physicians, researchers, or patients

• Communicating with doctors and other medical professionals about required tests

• Performing blood tests and other routine medical tests on patients

• In cases of patient contact, performing first aid as needed

• Assisting pathologists and other medical laboratory professionals in collecting and updating patient data

• Using lab equipment like microscopes to evaluate samples, cultures, and slides