Medical technologists work in all areas of the lab, including immunology, microbiology, genetics, histology, hematology, chemistry, toxicology, and blood banking.
The role of a medical technologist is usually determined by the branch of pathology that their lab specializes in, but is otherwise only limited by the tools they have to work with. The main purpose of their work is to help providers make diagnoses.
In clinical pathology, a medical technologist would conduct and oversee lab tests done on body fluids and tissues. The tests are done to look for markers of infectious and non-infectious diseases.
The kinds of specimens a medical technologist will look at include:
Blood
Urine
Sputum (phlegm)
Stool (feces)
Spinal fluid
Pleural fluid
Peritoneal fluid
Joint fluid
Bone marrow1
Anatomical Pathology
In anatomical pathology, a medical technologist would look at tissues taken from the body during a biopsy or surgery.
While some of the diagnostic tests can be done by the technologist, others require the expertise of a pathologist.
The technologist can help with exams including:
Gross examination (looking at tissue with the naked eye)
Histology (looking at tissue under a microscope)2
Cytopathology (looking at loose cells under a microscope)3
Electron microscopy (using special high-resolution microscopes to look at samples)
Cytogenetics (looking at chromosomes with special technology)
Medical Technologist Expertise
Medical technologists prepare tissue samples, slides, and cultures for the pathologist to look at. By doing these tasks, they help streamline the diagnostic process and make it possible for lab results to come back quickly.
In larger facilities, medical technologists will do more complex tasks, such as molecular, genetic, or genomic testing. They can also step in to help when there are diagnostic challenges, like uncommon or confusing lab findings.
The training that medical technologists undergo provides them with the insights needed to know which testing methodologies, tools, and agents are most appropriate for each case.
Medical technologists typically work under a pathologist but can also work independently and be tasked with operating a lab.
In this role, medical technologists will oversee the work of lab technicians as well as manage their own duties.
Although the pathologist is ultimately in charge of the lab and its staff, the medical technologist will generally be the one who makes sure that the lab runs smoothly, safely, and properly on a day-to-day basis. This includes tasks like setting up, calibrating, and sterilizing lab equipment, as well as analyzing and checking the accuracy of lab reports.
Most medical technologists work behind the scenes and do not have direct contact with patients.
The health professionals who get patient specimens are usually phlebotomists and lab assistants, and some specimens are delivered directly to the lab by providers and surgeons.
Medical Technologist vs. Phlebotomist
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