Career Option in Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) Course

Many diagnoses require associated tests for confirmation. Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT), also called Clinical Laboratory Science, is an allied health profession that helps in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases through the use of clinical laboratory tests. The course teaches the basics of preclinical subjects like Biochemistry, Pathology, Microbiology, and Blood banking. It provides training in manual methods of blood and other body fluid (urine, sputum) analysis, and drawing blood (Phlebotomy) for testing. They play an important role in collecting the information needed, sampling, testing, reporting and documentation of these investigations.

Education Details & Eligibility:

The course involves training in basic clinical biochemistry including carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism, basic hematology like WBC, RBC, Platelets morphology, its functions and its estimations, coagulation mechanism etc.; in microbiology through basic staining procedures, culture inoculation and antibiotic sensitivity testing. Blood banking involves training for drawing venous blood, blood grouping, Rh matching and cross matching etc.

The students are also trained in the type of blood sample needed for different tests - whether to use plain blood, or blood sample with anticoagulants like citrate, EDTA, Heparin, its optimum and appropriate ratio, order of drawing blood for various tests, centrifugation technique, tourniquet time and so on. However the student is not given any training about vacutainers, working with auto analyzer and handling advanced equipment. Some bigger institutions though arrange for students to observe the auto analyzers etc. with nearby institutions.

After finishing 10 +2 (Higher Secondary)

Course Duration:

Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Technology (BMLT) - course duration 3 years
Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT) - course duration 2 years
Certificate course in Medical Laboratory Technology (CMLT)- course duration 2 years

B.Sc in Allied Health Science (AHS) course duration 5 years
M.Sc Medical Lab Technology (MLT) (After Under Graduation) course duration 2 years

Philosophy in science (PhD).

On completing the course, one can work as Phlebotomist, technicians in hospitals, stand alone diagnostic laboratories and also as in the industrial laboratories.

Approximate Education Expenses:

A candidate has to spend between Rs.10, 000 and 25,000 per year for the course. Candidates doing 2 years and 3 years course may have to undertake a project work.

Almost all the universities and institutes involved in Medicine offer Bachelor’s degree in Medical Lab technology and its related fields.

For details on colleges please visit www.StudyGuideIndia.com

A certified Medical laboratory technician may find a challenging career in government, public and private sector hospital, clinical laboratory and blood donor centers (blood banks). In the present scenario the openings for medical laboratory technicians is huge. As health care is becoming more corporate and insurance oriented, many of the hospitals and laboratories are seeking national and international accreditation, which insists on employing qualified personnel for undertaking investigations. With adequate knowledge and experience, Medical Laboratory Technologists can advance to supervisory or management positions in laboratories and hospitals. These Laboratory Technologists can also run private laboratories. Postgraduates are employed as tutors in medical colleges.

They will be suitable for appointment as:

• Laboratory Technician in Blood Banks.
• Laboratory Technician in Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Diagnostic Laboratories.
• Technician in various firms Manufacturing Vaccines.
• Technician in Diary Industries.
• Technician in Municipal Water Testing Laboratories.
• Technician in Pharmaceutical Labs.
• Technician in Public Health Labs.
• In various departments or the Teaching Medical College/ Hospitals etc.
• Self-employment by starting own diagnostic laboratory.

Freshers can earn from rupees 6000 to 8000 initially, which increases with experience and smartness of performance.