While specialists in healthcare science will follow protocols, procedures and clinical guidelines, consultant clinical scientists will help shape future guidelines and the implementation of new and emerging technologies to help advance patient care. Though clinical scientists have existed in the UK National Health Service for ~60 years, the introduction of formally-trained and accredited consultant-level clinical scientists is relatively new, and was introduced as part of the new Modernising Scientific Careers framework.Ĭonsultant clinical scientists are expected to provide expert scientific and clinical leadership alongside and, at the same level as, medical consultant colleagues. In the United States these scientists may function in the role of clinical laboratory directors, while in the United Kingdom they are known as consultant clinical scientists. In the United Kingdom and the United States, senior laboratory scientists, who are typically post-doctoral scientists, take on significantly greater clinical responsibilities in the laboratory. Many medical laboratory scientists are employed in government positions such as the FDA, USDA, non-medical industrial laboratories, and manufacturing. Because medical laboratory scientists have many transferable technical skills, employment outside of the medical laboratory is common. In some facilities that have few phlebotomists, or none at all, (such as in rural areas) medical laboratory scientists may perform phlebotomy. The most common tests performed by medical laboratory scientists are complete blood count (CBC), comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), electrolyte panel, liver function tests (LFT), renal function tests (RFT), thyroid function test (TFT), urinalysis, coagulation profile, lipid profile, blood type, semen analysis (for fertility and post-vasectomy studies), serological studies and routine cultures.
An estimated 70% of medical decisions are based on laboratory test results and MLS contributions affect 95% of a health system's costs. Medical laboratory scientists may also assist healthcare providers with test selection and specimen collection and are responsible for prompt verbal delivery of critical lab results. To this end, much of the work done by medical laboratory scientists involves ensuring specimen quality, interpreting test results, data-logging, testing control products, performing calibration, maintenance, validation, and troubleshooting of instrumentation as well as performing statistical analyses to verify the accuracy and repeatability of testing. The utility of clinical diagnostic testing relies squarely on the validity of test methodology. The scope of a medical laboratory scientist's work begins with the receipt of patient or client specimens and terminates with the delivery of test results to physicians and other healthcare providers. Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science (Scientist)Ī medical laboratory scientist ( MLS) or clinical laboratory scientist ( CLS) or medical technologist ( MT) performs diagnostic testing of blood and body fluids in clinical laboratories.Honours degree in Laboratory Science (Scientist).Master of Science often for Education/Management Roles.
Doctor of Medical Laboratory Sciences (DMLS) for Management/Directorship Roles.Doctor of Philosophy for Management/Directorship Roles.