Introduction
Medical technology, also called clinical laboratory science, is an allied health profession. Medical technologists perform laboratory procedures which enable physicians to detect, diagnose and treat disease. These activities include the analysis of body fluids and cells, blood typing, micro-organism screening, cell counts, and chemical analyses. They often use sophisticated automated equipment and instruments that perform a number of tests simultaneously.
Technologists in small labs perform many types of tests while those in large labs often specialize. Those who analyze the chemical and hormonal contents of body fluids are called clinical chemistry technologists. Blood bank technologists collect, type and prepare blood for transfusion. Microbiology specialists examine and identify bacteria and parasites. Cytotechnologists have specialized training in the microscopic screening of cells for abnormalities.
Students typically spend three years on campus completing prerequisite coursework and a fourth year in a clinical internship at one of five approved hospitals. The academic requirements include successful completion ("C" or higher) of general, organic and quantitative chemistry, and general biology, genetics, microbiology and immunology.
Application to the clinical internship program is made in the fall semester of your junior year. Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.8 to be considered; entry is competitive. Satisfactory completion of the 50 week clinical internship leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology and eligibility to take various national certification exams.
A Sample of Related Occupations
| Analytical Chemist | Cytotechnologist | Microbiologist |
| Bacteriologist | Food and Drug Inspector | Parasitologist |
| Biochemist | Hemotherapist | Pharmaceutical Sales Rep. |
| Blood Bank Technologist | Histologist | Public Health Specialist |
| Chemist | Medical Equipment Sales Rep. | Quality Control Specialist |
| Clinical Chemistry Technologist | Medical Laboratory Manager | Research Assistant |
| Clinical Pathologist | Medical Librarian | Toxicologist |
| Crime Lab Analyst | Medical Technologist |
Types of Employers
| Private & Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Biotechnology firms | Diagnostic testing companies | Medical equipment manufacturers |
| Blood banks | Health maintenance organizations | Pharmaceutical companies |
| Clinics | Hospitals | Physician's offices |
| Colleges and universities | Laboratories | Research institutes |
| Government Agencies | ||
| Centers for Disease Control & Prevention | Department of State | NJ State Department of Health |
| Department of Health and Human Services | Food and Drug Administration | Peace Corps/Americorps |
| Department of Justice | National Institute of Health | US Armed Services |
Jobs Obtained by Rutgers Graduates
| First Jobs of Recent Graduates | |
| CMP Operator, Psicor Office Laboratories | Medical Technologist, Good Samaritan Hospital |
| Medical Laboratory Technologist, Valley Hospital | Medical Technologist, St. Barnabas Medical Center |
| Medical Technician, Princeton Medical Center | Teacher, South Plainfield High School |
| Medical Technologist, Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals | Technical Service/Support Rep., Polestar Labs, Inc. |
| Jobs of Experienced Alumni | |
| Assistant Pharmacologist, Hoffmann-La Roche | Medical Research Associate, Knoll Pharmaceuticals |
| Biochemist, Schering-Plough Research Institute (MS Biochemistry) | Medical Technologist, Atlantic City Medical Center |
| Chief Medical Technologist, Arden Hill Hospital | Medical Technologist, CentraState Healthcare |
| Cytotechnologist, Norwalk Hospital | Microbiologist, Schering-Plough |
| Director of Technical Services, Blood Center of NJ | Physician, Life Balance Health Care (MD) |
| Forensic Chemist, NJ State Police | Quality Assurance Manager, Abbott Laboratories |
| Health Economics Research Specialist, Department of Health (MBA) | Science Teacher, South Plainfield School District |
| Hematology Supervisor, General Hospital Center at Passaic | Sr. Regulatory Affairs Assoc., Hoffmann-La Roche |
| Industrial Hygienist, Hughes Aircraft Co. | Sr. Research Technician, Exxon Corp. |
| Manager of Technical Services, Ortho Diagnostic Systems Inc. (MBA) |
Graduate Schools Attended
| California College of Health Sciences, Management | Fairleigh Dickinson University, MS, Biochemistry |
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Last Updated: 01/05/2011