Career Possibilities for Graduates of a Bachelors of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science Program
Change is inevitable. Everything changes except change. Hence it can be said that change is the only constant thing in this universe. All organisms evolve and the smaller simpler ones like microorganisms seem to adapt and evolve faster than bigger and more complex ones such as us human beings. This is why new strains of bacteria or viruses and new kinds of infections are reported are discovered every now and then. Some pathogens evolve slightly and small tweaks to the currently available treatment may suffice. Some strains however undergo drastic changes that completely new treatment and vaccines are necessary. It is for these circumstances that graduates in Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science come into play. They lead in devising ways to detect, diagnose, and treat diseases and infections.
Areas of Study
The foremost areas of study and test procedures are:
- Bacteriological
- Biological
- Chemical
- Haematological
- Immunologic
- Microscopic
Job Opportunities
There are around half a million jobs for graduates in Bachelor of Science in Clinical Laboratory Science in the United States alone. Around 300,000 of these jobs were employed in hospitals. They work as members of a team working under a physician or as researchers and agents in diagnostic and medical laboratories. The remaining jobs were in health care services and education. The profession is basically secured and stable as once employed, they can usually remain in the position until retirement or until promoted to a higher rank.
Job Requirements
A bachelor’s degree is needed to practice the profession. Qualification is strict since human life may be at stake each time you perform your duties and render your services. The common required courses are:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Microbiology
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Clinical Laboratory
- Compute Applications
You should also supplement your theoretical knowledge with practical knowledge that can be obtained via internships of on-the-job training activities. You should also be literate with the latest in modern technology especially the equipment and applications you may use while in practice.
If you want to earn as soon as possible you can work as a technician after finishing an associate degree which requires only two years. However, as a technician you can only practice as an assistant and should never practice without the supervision of an accredited professional.
Some states may require both technicians and clinical scientists to pass license exams before they can practice their profession.
Clinical laboratory scientists should possess:
- Good analytical judgement.
- Ability to work under pressure.
- Good attention to detail
- Good dexterity and hand to eye coordination.
- Clear and color vision.
- Ability to follow instructions correctly.
- Problem solving skills
There have always been more job vacancies than job seekers in regards to clinical laboratory personnel. And the demand keeps growing more and more each year. You can rest assured that you will find employment easily and quickly upon finishing the degree.
Earning Possibilities
Clinical laboratory technologists and technicians earn an average of $60,000 per annum with a range of $40,000 to $70,000.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Look for parasites, bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.
- Analyse the chemical composition of fluids.
- Match blood for transfusion purposes.
- Analyse drug levels in the blood to assess responsiveness to treatment.
- Prepare samples for examination.
- Look for abnormalities in the blood and body fluids.
- Report findings to physicians.
- Evaluate test results.
