Please enjoy this guest blog on medical laboratory professionals by Rodney E. Rohde, Regents’ Professor, MLS Chair, and Global Fellow, Texas State University and Associate Adjunct Professor of Biology, Austin Community College.
I’ve mentioned before in this blog that too often the work scientists do is hidden from the public. This particularly affects students as they make decisions about their future careers. Dr. Rohde, as guest blogger for this entry, discusses a key scientific profession that is vital to all of us. Thanks so much for your post, Dr. Rohde!
Medical Laboratory Science
As we continue to live during a pandemic from SARS-CoV-2, the dangerous virus which causes COVID-19, it seems as if everyone now talks about laboratory testing. Medical laboratory science encompasses all the work done in medical laboratory tests to ensure the health and safety of our communities. Medical laboratory professionals perform myriad tests for many health needs, not just COVID-19.
Laboratory testing is the single highest-volume medical activity affecting Americans. It drives about two-thirds of all medical decisions made by doctors and other health care professionals. Every time you enter a hospital or health care facility for care, your life is in the hands of a medical laboratory professional.
Medical laboratory professionals form the backbone of health care and the public health system. They conduct some 13 billion laboratory medicine tests annually in the U.S. As of December 2022, these individuals had also performed more than 1.25 million COVID-19 tests and counting during the pandemic.
Who are medical laboratory professionals?
A medical laboratory professional is an actual major you obtain in college. There are various levels. These include: an associate degree [medical laboratory technician, MLT], a bachelor’s degree [medical laboratory scientist, MLS], and graduate degrees [masters in specialization areas or the doctorate in clinical laboratory science, DCLS]. Just like other healthcare professionals, after these professionals graduate they must pass a national medical laboratory exam. Once passed, they earn their credential.
Most middle school, high school, and early college students do not know how to look for “medical laboratory science” as a college major. Teachers/professors steer students who love science, math and similar areas toward medical degrees [doctors, nurses, pharmacists, etc.] or science degrees like biology, chemistry, engineering, or physics. We also hear about the STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] initiatives at that level. Students rarely hear of medical laboratory science or that it is a major. I’d like to change that!
What do medical laboratory professionals do?
Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS) and Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLT) — also known as Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS) — perform laboratory tests on patient samples. These tests provide information needed to diagnose or monitor treatment. Examples of common laboratory tests include tests to detect anemia, diagnose diabetes and strep throat, and provide a transfusion to an accident victim. Specialists and doctorates in clinical laboratory science (DCLS) interact with physicians and other healthcare professionals. They provide more intensive information regarding the best medical laboratory test to utilize and how to interpret it correctly.
Have you ever wondered who conducts the detailed laboratory testing for your annual exam? Who analyzes the results to get cholesterol and glucose levels? Or who conducts specialized testing for genetic disorders like sickle cell disease? How about those who identify an antibiotic resistant infection like Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)? Who determines which antibiotic is required to save someone’s life as a result of those investigations? Medical laboratory professionals conduct these lifesaving lab tests each and every single day, often without you seeing them in action.
The college major is rigorous, challenging, and exciting as part of the world of laboratory medicine and public health diagnostics. The students, and later professionals, learn theory and hands-on medical laboratory skills in clinical chemistry, clinical microbiology, immunohematology [blood banking] and hematology [medical science behind red and white blood cells and other components of blood and lymph to identify things like cancer or autoimmune disorders].
Shortages in the profession
The medical laboratory workforce, like many other healthcare professions such as nursing, is in a dangerous workforce shortage. Shortages existed prior to 2020, but the pandemic has created a national crisis. Currently the United States, is experiencing between 40-50% workforce shortages in the profession.
Everyone needs the work done by these professionals to remain healthy. Since our professionals are often not seen everyday in the public eye of patient care [like doctors, nurses, and others] and because we are often in the laboratory out of sight, most in the public and education areas do not know about the medical laboratory science major.
If you are a student, teacher, advisor, or anyone else who knows students who may be a great fit, please consider directing them to this post, or to any of the links within it. I and many other colleagues are working tirelessly to raise visibility and awareness of our major and shortages. Our hope is that we can inspire students, teachers and others to help us share this exciting major and career in investigative and diagnostic detective that is the medical laboratory professional.
Medical laboratory professionals are “the doctor’s doctor!”
