Medical and pathology laboratory technicians

Medical and pathology laboratory technicians perform clinical tests on specimens of bodily fluids and tissues in order to obtain information about the health of a patient or cause of death.

Job Responsibilities

• Conducting chemical analysis of body fluids, including blood, urine, and spinal fluid, to determine presence of normal and abnormal components
• Operating, calibrating and maintaining equipment used in quantitative and qualitative analysis, such as spectrophotometers, calorimeters, flame photometers, and computer-controlled analyzers
• Entering data from analysis of laboratory tests and clinical results into records-keeping systems and reporting results to medical practitioners and other health professionals
• Analyzing samples of biological material for chemical content or reaction
• Setting up, cleaning, and maintaining laboratory equipment
• Analyzing laboratory findings to check the accuracy of the results
• Establishing and monitoring programs to ensure the accuracy of laboratory results and developing, standardizing, evaluating, and modifying procedures, techniques and tests used in the analysis of specimens
• Obtaining specimens, cultivating, isolating and identifying microorganisms for analysis
• Examining cells stained with dye to locate abnormalities
• Inoculating fertilized eggs, broths, or other bacteriological media with organisms