Research should include consulting authoritative, current sources to determine educational requirements, career benefits and drawbacks, employment outlooks, salaries, and job descriptions. Research should include opportunities for qualified job seekers at all levels of educational preparation, including
- non-degreed phlebotomist/clinical laboratory assistant
- AAS-degreed certified medical laboratory technician/clinical laboratory technician
- BS-degreed medical laboratory scientist/clinical laboratory scientist
- BS-degreed pre-medicine graduate
- MS-degreed clinical laboratory scientist
- PhD-degreed professional in science-specific discipline.
Job opportunities for career paths should represent a wide range of laboratory settings, such as
- hospital
- reference laboratory
- industry
- physician office
- acute care facility
- health maintenance organization (HMO)
- public health
- forensic laboratory
- education
- consulting services
- computer science and biomedical engineering
- research.
Process/Skill Questions:
- What colleges and universities offer programs in medical technology in Virginia? In nearby states?
- Which postsecondary programs are considered among the strongest in the United States?
- What classes should a student take in high school to prepare for a career in medical technology?
- How have national initiatives (e.g., Homeland Security legislation, Human Genome Project) affected job opportunities in medical technology?
- How has mass media affected the level of interest in medical technology careers?