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How to Become a Medical Laboratory Scientist?

Medical laboratory scientists are crucial in health care as they help with the diagnosis of diseases by doctors. Although they work behind the scenes, the accuracy of their work determines the course of diagnosis and further treatment of the patients.

Here is the complete guide on how to become a medical laboratory scientist and the other requirements and course details.

What is a Medical Laboratory Scientist?

A medical laboratory scientist (MLS) is a licensed professional who works in a lab conducts tests on biological specimens collected from patients, and analyzes these samples to help with the diagnosis of diseases or symptoms.

They prepare the reports of the tests conducted on these samples and submit them to the physicians for interpretation. Medical laboratory scientists can work in clinics, health laboratories, research institutes, pharma companies, etc.

How to Become a Medical Laboratory Scientist?

To become a medical laboratory scientist, you must have the required academic qualifications, must have some skill sets, or do the degree or certification course as required. Let’s see the details here.

What is the MLS qualification?

The academic qualifications required to be a medical laboratory scientist are given below.

Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Technology or Clinical Laboratory Science.
Bachelor’s degrees in other health-related fields such as microbiology, biology, botany, zoology, chemistry, etc would also do.
Completing an internship at a hospital, or doing a clinical lab program would be advantageous.
Having a medical lab science certification or similar certifications would also be considered.
In countries such as the US, you will need a certification from an accrediting body such as the ASCP Board of Certification.

Skills Required for a Medical Laboratory Scientist

Just like any other job, a medical laboratory scientist must also have certain skills to pursue a career in this field. Those skills are mentioned below.

Analytical skills to assess and determine the conclusion as per the test results.
Deciding which test to be given priority when there is a limited amount of time.
Since even a minor error could later produce results, precision is important and so is attention to detail.
Good communication skills for effective communication both verbal and written.
Computer literacy to feed in the results correctly.
Good coordination of eye and hand. This will be useful for certain types of tests where you have to use both hands and must be attentive to the results.
Good understanding of laboratory procedures, protocols, sample preparation, conducting experiments, recording the results, etc.
The most important skill is problem-solving in a systematic manner. You must be able to solve the problem appropriately.

Courses to do to Become a Medical Laboratory Scientist

There are different types of courses you can take to become a medical laboratory scientist. There are degree, diploma and certification courses. Depending on the course you choose and other academic qualifications, your designation in the lab would differ, based on the hierarchy in the office. Here are the main courses you can choose to do.

Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Technology: This is a regular 3-year degree course available in major colleges and universities.
Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology or DMLT: This is a 2-year course that gives the basic but necessary knowledge in this field. This will be enough to qualify to be a lab technician, rather than a scientist.
Certification Programs: There are various certification programs such as medical lab science certification, or equivalent courses that cover the basics of lab technology. If you have a basic degree, then you could choose this type of certification or diploma course.

Career Options For Medical Laboratory Scientists

Once you have finished the course the next question would be, what can you do with a medical lab science degree? You can apply for various medical laboratory scientists jobs as seen in the job market. There would be various requirements in a medical laboratory from the manager to a technician. Some of the common roles that you can choose from include.

Bioengineering
Clinical Analysis
Drug and Alcohol Screening
Environmental Health and Safety
Forensics and Law Enforcement
Genetic Testing
Healthcare Administration
Higher Education
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Public Health
Research and Development

Medical Laboratory Scientist Salary

A medical laboratory scientist who has completed the qualifying degree can expect a salary of INR 4 lakhs to INR 8 lakhs per annum. In other countries, the salary could be USD 35,000 to USD 93,000 per annum. The salary would be different in different industries, roles, and designations.

FAQs

How many years is MLS?

MLS is a three-year degree course, with an average course fee of INR 45,000 per year.

What is the starting salary for a medical lab scientist?

The starting salary could be INR 2.5 – 4 lakhs per annum.

What are the disadvantages of being a lab technician?

Depending on the type of lab that you work in, there are certain disadvantages to this job. You will be exposed to toxic fumes from the chemicals and reagents used, biohazards from the biological samples, cryogenic materials, etc could be harmful.

Is being a lab technician a good career for girls?

Yes, careers in medical laboratory science are a good option for girls. Such jobs are not gender specific. It is a wonderful opportunity to work in the healthcare sector. You just need the required qualifications and skills to excel in this field.

Is medical laboratory science a good course?

Yes, it has a good career scope. Although there may not be much growth in terms of promotion or higher posts, specialization is the key. You could specialize in specific fields such as immunology, hematology, chemistry, microbiology etc. This will improve your career prospects as a medical laboratory scientist.

Can MLT make you a doctor?

No, completing an MLT degree does not qualify you as a doctor. However, you can do MBBS after completing MLT to be a doctor. You just need to appear for the qualifying entrance test such as NEET to get admission to medical college.