Healthcare Career Paper: Medical Technologist

Healthcare Career Paper: Medical Technologist

Job Description

In the United States Medical technologists who are also referred to as laboratory technologists are tasked with the role of analyzing distinct or multiple biological samples with the aim of diagnosing or treating different types of diseases or infections. Fundamentally, their primary duties include; preparing biological samples for testing, undertaking blood tests, and preparing reports about the findings from the tests (U.S-Bureau-of-Labor-Statistics, 2021). Medical technologists will professionally gather various (specified) samples for testing- such as spinal fluid, urine, tissue, and blood- and execute examinations to collect details about them and thereafter establish a diagnosis. Medical technologists keenly examine the behavior (characteristics) of the cells found in various microorganism such as bacteria and parasites (Mortazavi, 2020). Once any abnormalities (regarding behavior of cells) are identified, the medical technologists give a report of the detailed findings to other medical professionals such as physicians for the purpose of review.

In regards to the scope-of-practice for laboratory technologists, the professionals are required to contribute to disease prevention, prognosis, treatment, and treatment of pathophysiological elements (conditions) within the human body. Further, the professionals should ensure that accurate and reliable medical laboratory tests results are relayed to the appropriate departments (U.S-Bureau-of-Labor-Statistics, 2021). Medical technologists are mandated to implement, evaluate, design, and assess new methods of clinical laboratory tests while evaluating the existing methods for their cost-effectiveness and clinical utility. The code-of-ethics for medical or laboratory technology demands that the medical technologists should conduct their duties with integrity and competency while putting the interests (concerns) of their patients at a higher level compared to individual (personal) interests (Koo, 2019). The professionals should show cooperation and respect when dealing with fellow healthcare professionals, the public, and patients.

Education/ Registration/ Certification

Medical technologists are required to have a minimum of a BSc. (Bachelor of Science) degree in medical technology from an approved (accredited) university or institution in the United States of America. Further, medical technologists must bear the current certification from ASCP (American-Society for Clinical-Pathology) (USHEC, 2022). Washington State University and University of Texas at Arlington are some of top institutions offering the program- medical technology. The program takes four (4) years to complete and receive a degree certification (USHEC, 2022). At Washington State University, the program costs USD 26, 312 per year whereas at University of Texas at Arlington the cost per year for the program is USD 28, 278 (USHEC, 2022). The minimum degree certification earned for the program is Bachelor-of-Science (BS/ BSc.) in Medical Technology (USHEC, 2022). The professional certification required for the occupation is an active ASCP certificate.

Job Outlook and Employment

The prospects for employment regarding medical technologists are reasonably high in the United States since the market demand for medical technologists is expected to grow by about 11% between 2020 to 2030 according to projections from the United-States Bureau of Labor-Statistics (U.S-Department-of-Labor, 2020). Further, the job openings for medical (laboratory) technologists across the United States annually is about 25, 900; thus, the chances of getting a competitive and well-paying job in medical technology are considerably high (U.S-Department-of-Labor, 2020). From a statistical standpoint, the profession is growing at an average rate of 11% per year; hence, showing an upward trajectory in the profession.

There are about 2,158 openings for medical technologists advertised each month on the dailies such as Sunday Herald, in the United States. For a medical technologist position, it is a requirement to have at least one year of professional experience including internship (U.S-Bureau-of-Labor-Statistics, 2021). Ordinarily, the average annual (per year) salary for an entry-level position as a medical technologist is USD 49, 775. On the other hand, for the experienced professionals, the annual total-income is USD 75, 420 (U.S-Bureau-of-Labor-Statistics, 2021). Indeed, advancement opportunities for professionals in medical technology include; healthcare- administrator, chief technologist, laboratory manager, and pathologist assistant.

Professional Activities

One of the top professional organizations for medical technology students is the ASCP (American-Society for Clinical-Pathology). The body require that students taking medical technology (finalists) to pay for exams that qualify their certification for ASCP (ASCP, 2021). There are various categories- and fees- for certification depending on the specialization; for instance, technologists in microbiology pay USD 240 whereas technicians in medical laboratory pay USD 215 (ASCP, 2021). The professional journal under consideration for a medical technologist is the American Journal of Clinical-Pathology that is printed by a reputable publisher, Oxford-University-Press which is a company located in the United Kingdom. Indeed, the subscription cost of the journal for an individual is USD 906 for the print copy and USD 741 for the online access (ASCP, 2021).

For the medical technologist profession, the CEU (continuing-educational-units) apply based on the approval by ASCP; in this regard, 152 units are required for the entire program and the cost impact is USD 95 for online access (ASCP, 2021). Members of the American-Society for Clinical-Pathology ASCP can earn extra CEU points without necessarily having to attend the course subjects under the scheduled program (Garcia et al., 2021). Therefore, one of the best methods is that a professional medical technologist can attend conferences (workshops) and seminars organized by the ASCP (ASCP, 2021). Further, a member can undergo workforce training and earn themselves CEU scores (Garcia et al., 2021). Moreover, participation in experiential learning can gain extra points for the CEUs for the member.

Healthcare Professional Interview (Inner-View)

Mr. James Smart serves the role of a medical technologist at a referral hospital in a neighboring county. I first met James a few months ago after a recommendation for mentorship from a close friend at school. For the purpose of gaining insight into the job or workplace situation for a medical technology. James and I held a one-hour long interview over the phone as he meticulously explained to me how a typical day-at-work looks like for him. James admitted that every day at work always introduces a new perspective for medical technology and laboratory work based on the understanding that new patients visit the healthcare facility on a daily basis. Therefore, James starts off by checking the records from the physicians on the types and number of tests he has to conduct at a given time and assesses their urgency.

James collects blood (tissue) samples from the recommended patients. He then prepares the required solutions to be subjected to the samples for testing. The samples collected are keenly analyzed for the purpose of establishing any form of abnormalities that may be present (Mortazavi, 2020). On the other hand, James may be required to undertake further tests for urine samples as recommended by the physicians. James also maintains, sterilizes, and preps the high-technology equipment such as spectrophotometers, gamma counters, densitometer, and microscopes to prevent any chances of contamination with toxic material and bacteria (Koo, 2019). James has to attend brief departmental meetings at the opening of the day at work and while closing the day as they check their day’s output.

James shared insightful words of wisdom and encouragement to me. He told me that maintaining a high focus on providing the best service to patients will set me apart from other medical technologists in the market; just having excellence in service to the community including, patients, peers, and supervisors. Further, he insisted on adherence to the principles (code) of ethics in the profession since it would catapult my growth in the organization (Mortazavi, 2020). Again, James advised that there is a need to attend professional workshops and seminars is a fundamental strategy for personal and professional development.

Reflection (Personal Career Plan)

Without a doubt, I feel that I have a strong fit for the job or career of a medical technologist based on the view that I have always had a passionate desire to serve in the medical world. My curiosity in life- from my childhood days- will be a big boost in my dream to work as a medical technologist. I have a strong conviction that my insatiable desire to watch documentaries on groundbreaking discoveries in the medical world coupled with my zeal for promoting health awareness among the public will serve as foundational pillars in my career as a medical technologist. Further, I have read books themed on medical and laboratory technology so I would be greatly fulfilled to see that I practice some of the interesting approaches and methods described in the text.

My parents offer a good support network (system) for me and I am confident that I have all that it takes to build a successful career in medical technology. My plan to join the field will start off by signing up for bachelor degree in medical (laboratory) technology in one of the top universities in the United States. I had an excellent performance in mathematics and sciences; thus, my chance of acceptance into the degree- medical technology- are reasonably high. My future goal is to advance my scholarly journey after the bachelor program and get to master level in the same field of medical technology.

References

American-Society for Clinical-Pathology (ASCP). (2021). Board of Certification. ASCP-BOC; USA. Retrieved from: https://www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed#examinfo

Garcia, E., Kundu, I., & Fong, K. (2021). American Society for Clinical Pathology’s 2019 wage survey of medical laboratories in the United States. American journal of clinical pathology, 155(5), 649-673.

Koo, B. K. (2019). Professional certification of medical technologists in Korea, Japan, and United States of America. Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science, 51(1), 1-14.

Mortazavi, R. (2020). Critical look at challenges in the medical laboratory science training in the workplace. International Journal of Medical Science and Education, 7(4), 1-4.

U.S-Bureau-of-Labor-Statistics. (2021, Sep. 8). What Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians Do (Web)? United States Department of Labor; USA. Retrieved from: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/clinical-laboratory-technologists-and-technicians.htm#tab-2

U.S-Department-of-Labor. (2020). U.S-Bureau of Labor-Statistics. United States Government; USA. Retrieved from: https://www.dol.gov/

United-States-Higher-Education-Commission (USHEC). (2022). Accredited Institutes in Your State (Web). U.S Department of Education; USA. Retrieved from: https://www.ushec.education/