What does a technician do in a medical laboratory?

The tests that medical technicians perform are chemical analyses of body fluids, such as blood or urine, using a microscope or other advanced lab equipment. These tools also help medical lab technicians detect abnormalities or diseases, which are then recorded and reported in computer systems.

These chemical analyses are considered a core job duty, but they also use mechanical and electrical devices to ensure test results conform to specifications.

Medical lab technicians also perform the following typical job duties and responsibilities:

• Setting up, maintaining, calibrating, cleaning, and testing the sterility of lab equipment

• Preparing solutions or reagents to be combined with samples

• Collecting blood, tissue, or other samples from patients

• Analyzing bodily fluids and tissues in search of abnormalities

• Collecting samples from patients

• Testing fluids such as blood and urine for drug presence

• Preparing solutions to add to samples for testing

• Analyzing blood to ensure a perfect match for successful blood transfusions

• Preparing and maintaining equipment such as microscopes and cell counters