What is a medical lab technician or technologist?

A medical lab technician or technologist is a health care professional who performs laboratory tests to help diagnose, treat and prevent diseases. Testing can be automated, where it runs on a machine, or manual, where a person uses test tubes to read reactions or examines individual cells under a microscope. The lab tech analyzes any type of substance produced in the body, including blood, fluids and tissue. Medical lab
techs have a strong knowledge of biology and chemistry so that they can provide accurate results that
paint a patient’s full clinical picture for the doctor and care team.

How do I become a medical lab tech?

• Consider starting your career as a lab associate or specimen processor. You don’t need any prior experience or college education to apply for these positions. This is a great way to get handson experience and see if a career in the lab is right for you before furthering your education with a degree to become a medical lab technician or medical technologist. To apply, visit
  NortonHealthcareCareers.com.
• You must complete either an associate or bachelor’s degree with an accredited program. There are two types of medical lab techs: One requires an associate degree and is called a medical laboratory technician (MLT), and the other requires a bachelor’s degree and is called a medical laboratory technologist (MT) or medical laboratory scientist (MLS). You must obtain certification after you graduate, but there is a grace period for new graduates so you can complete your certification while being employed.
• While enrolled in a college program, you can work as a student tech within one of Norton Healthcare’s many locations. This allows you to job shadow and work to gain laboratory experience while you complete your degree.

Where can I work?

Our medical lab technologists have a variety of employment options, including at acute care hospitals, stand-alone emergency department facilities, doctor’s office labs and CPA Lab, a Part of Norton Healthcare. 

We offer careers in specialty areas, such as point-of-care testing, microbiology or blood bank, as well as generalist positions, where techs can rotate throughout any area of the lab. Our techs work with pediatric and adult patients with a myriad health conditions or for wellness visits, allowing them to gain new skills and knowledge routinely.

What is a typical day in this role?

Norton Healthcare and Norton Children’s offer a variety of flexible scheduling options, including 12-hour or eight-hour shifts. Our hospital labs and microbiology department operate 24/7, allowing for day, evening, night or weekend shifts, based on preference. A typical day for a medical lab technician or technologist includes:

• Coordinating automated testing on analyzers
• Evaluating quality control to ensure proper analyzer or method function
• Troubleshooting and performing minor repairs on analyzers
• Preparing slides for microscopic examination and cell identification
• Pipetting, measuring and preparing reagents and specimens for manual testing
• Handling blood products; using a cell washer for allergen removal
• Consulting with doctors or care teams on test options
• Using the lab’s information system to transmit results to patients and health care providers

Are you interested?

• Try job shadowing. We offer opportunities to observe the lab up close and determine if this is the right career for you. Email [email protected] to set up a job shadowing appointment
  or to learn more.
• Tuition assistance: We offer up to $45,000 to help pay for your education through the Norton Healthcare Scholars Program. This can help you get your lab tech certification or help you advance your career by getting the next degree (for example, from an associate degree to a bachelor’s degree).