Medical laboratory scientist

From Food & Medicine Encyclopedia

Medical laboratory scientist (MLS), also known as a medical technologist or clinical laboratory scientist, is a healthcare professional who performs chemical, hematological, immunologic, histopathological, cytopathological, microscopic, and bacteriological diagnostic analyses on body fluids such as blood, urine, sputum, stool, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), peritoneal fluid, pericardial fluid, and synovial fluid, as well as other specimens.

Education and training[edit]

Medical laboratory scientists have a bachelor's degree in medical laboratory science or in a life science. They also complete a clinical internship in a hospital or clinical laboratory. In the United States, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) certifies medical laboratory scientists, and the American Medical Technologists (AMT) certifies medical technologists.

Duties and responsibilities[edit]

Medical laboratory scientists perform complex tests that help other healthcare professionals such as doctors and nurses to detect, diagnose and treat diseases. They also maintain and troubleshoot laboratory equipment, and may supervise medical laboratory technicians.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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