It is often difficult for college students to make a choice on a career path. It is not an easy decision and it is important for all college students to be well educated and informed on all of their options. One path that flies far under the radar is medical laboratory science (MLS). In fact, when students were asked if they knew what a medical laboratory scientist did, 16 out of 21 answered “No.” Little do students know nurses and doctors would not be able to do their jobs without the help of medical laboratory scientists. Medical laboratory science is a “behind the scenes” type of career mainly because they do not work directly with patients and none of the results are given via medical laboratory scientist. Yet, they offer a great deal
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Salary for a medical laboratory scientist may not be the highest out of any occupation but it is definitely not the lowest either. The salary for a medical laboratory scientist depends on where the job is located. In May 2012, the median wage for a medical laboratory scientist was approximately $77,000 (“Summary”). The location of the job can vary by the type of lab as well as the city or state the job is located. Furthermore, medical laboratory scientists have high job security as, “Employment of medical laboratory scientists is expected to grow by 14 percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than the average for all occupations” (“Mayo”). Medical laboratory science is a career that will always be needed as testing is used by physicians on a daily basis. In general, the hours for a medical laboratory scientist are normal. They typically work about 8 hour shifts. Nevertheless, some are working night shifts because medical laboratory science is a 24/7 business. Although, because it is 24/7 business, there is exceptionally little stress in the job. Kacvinsky states, “I like that I can to work, go home, and not have to worry about unfinished work. When one shift is done, the next comes in and picks up where they left off.” Medical laboratory science is a low stress career, but it is important to keep up with changes in the career; mainly the technology. This is because …show more content…
The numerous different tests require countless different skill sets. Attached is a sample of a blood test report that was done in Bronx, New York (Appendix A). The results from a blood test can tell a doctor numerous factors about someone’s health. Nonetheless, because there are several different tests performed in a medical laboratory, a blood test report is not the only type a medical laboratory scientist must learn to understand. For example, attached is also a sample urine test report (Appendix B). As one may notice, when looking at the two reports, they look exceptionally different. Because there are various types a medical laboratory scientist must learn to understand, the education process for this career is difficult. Yet, it is important to keep in mind that, “Overall, it is a tough program and it takes a large amount of difficult classes and training; conversely, the education is much harder than the actual job…” as Kacvinsky
Salary for a medical laboratory scientist may not be the highest out of any occupation but it is definitely not the lowest either. The salary for a medical laboratory scientist depends on where the job is located. In May 2012, the median wage for a medical laboratory scientist was approximately $77,000 (“Summary”). The location of the job can vary by the type of lab as well as the city or state the job is located. Furthermore, medical laboratory scientists have high job security as, “Employment of medical laboratory scientists is expected to grow by 14 percent between 2008 and 2018, faster than the average for all occupations” (“Mayo”). Medical laboratory science is a career that will always be needed as testing is used by physicians on a daily basis. In general, the hours for a medical laboratory scientist are normal. They typically work about 8 hour shifts. Nevertheless, some are working night shifts because medical laboratory science is a 24/7 business. Although, because it is 24/7 business, there is exceptionally little stress in the job. Kacvinsky states, “I like that I can to work, go home, and not have to worry about unfinished work. When one shift is done, the next comes in and picks up where they left off.” Medical laboratory science is a low stress career, but it is important to keep up with changes in the career; mainly the technology. This is because …show more content…
The numerous different tests require countless different skill sets. Attached is a sample of a blood test report that was done in Bronx, New York (Appendix A). The results from a blood test can tell a doctor numerous factors about someone’s health. Nonetheless, because there are several different tests performed in a medical laboratory, a blood test report is not the only type a medical laboratory scientist must learn to understand. For example, attached is also a sample urine test report (Appendix B). As one may notice, when looking at the two reports, they look exceptionally different. Because there are various types a medical laboratory scientist must learn to understand, the education process for this career is difficult. Yet, it is important to keep in mind that, “Overall, it is a tough program and it takes a large amount of difficult classes and training; conversely, the education is much harder than the actual job…” as Kacvinsky