Medical Technology is a vast science where technology and medicine converge to find tech-forward and data-driven solutions for various pathologies. Within this discipline, medical lab technology deals with the diagnostics, preventive techniques, and treatment of ailments within a clinical laboratory setup.
Now that you have a fair idea about what medical lab technology is, you might be wondering, can an engineer make their way into medical lab technology? Let us put your mind at rest and tell you that all the problem-solving skills you’ve learned when pursuing one of the best courses for mechanical engineers or any other engineering vertical will come in handy if you decide to get into this field.
The study of mechanics and physics form the basis of many thriving and evolving technologies. Biomechanics and biophysics are no different. Biomechanics is a subset of biophysics where the natural aerodynamics, force, and motion of biological components like limbs or wings are emulated in machines. Biomechanics has made the lives of many paraplegics and amputees better.
Like biomechanics, medical lab technology will involve the application of advanced technologies to immunology, hematology, histopathology(study of pathologies in organic tissues), and cytopathology(study of pathologies within cellular systems). This description is hardly enough to include all that medical lab technology is. As a registered medical lab technologist, you’ll also be researching and experimenting on virology, bacteriology, Parasitology, and several biomedical techniques to diagnose and treat ailments.
If you want to get admission to top medical universities, then you can start UCAT preparation to boost your knowledge in medical entrance exams. But enrolling in an online medical lab technology course is also a great option. Being a paramedical course, the Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (DMLT) does not require you to have a mandatory bachelor's in medicine. You can pursue this diploma course after your 12th as well.
Several online platforms offer certificate courses on medical lab techniques such as edX, Coursera, Udemy, Futurelearn, etc. These courses typically last from a few hours up to 3 to 4 months at the most. The best thing about online courses is that you can learn at your own pace, save travel time, and they don’t burn a hole in your pocket.
You can expect to familiarize yourself with the main concepts in medicine, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, community medicine, biochemistry, pathology, and microbiology. Pathology includes immunohematology, blood banking, hematology, histotechnology, and cytology. At the same time, microbiology includes immunology, serology, parasitology, virology, and bacteriology.
Unusually individuals registered as medical lab technologists work as phlebotomists, i.e., they draw and run diagnostic tests on blood. They can also be responsible for maintaining biomedical equipment as biomedical lab technicians and work as pathology assistants etc. The level and extent of your employment opportunities in this field will inevitably depend on how qualified you become. You can work with research labs, universities, hospitals, blood banks, and pharmaceutical companies.
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Even if medical lab technologists are allied health workers or paramedics, they form a crucial part of healthcare. There will always be a demand for professional lab technologists within the healthcare industry.
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