You don’t have to be a doctor to work in the medical field. Many hospitals and other medical organizations are in need of support staff, including medical lab technicians. With this job, you can work in a fast-paced, interesting environment, but you don’t have to go to school for ten years! In fact, you can get a job working as a medical lab technician with one to four years of training.

As a medical lab technician, you’ll be as responsible for a patient’s care as a doctor, but without actually dealing with patients in most cases. Instead, you’ll work to present lab results to doctors, who will make judgment calls based on each patient. Your exact duties will depend on the type of medical laboratory where you work – Anatomic Pathology, Clinical Microbiology, Clinical Biochemistry, Hematology, or Genetics. In most hospitals and clinics, the microbiology lab is the largest, encompassing bacteriology, virology, parasitology, immunology, and mycology labs. In a lab setting, you’ll use equipment to study tissue, blood, and other samples from patients to help diagnose diseases, create cures, and otherwise study the human body. Every day is different as a medical lab technician.

Training as a medical lab technician starts with relevant classes in high school, including high levels of math, science, and computer information technology. Following high school, look for an accredited medical lab technician associate’s degree program. Alternatively, there are four-year degree programs for those who want advanced training. After school, you’ll need to take one of the national certification tests, administered by the Board of Registry of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, the National Certification Agency for Medical Laboratory Personnel, or the American Medical Technologists.

As of 2006, there were 95,000 medical, dental, and ophthalmic laboratory technicians in the United States. From 2006 to 2016, medial lab technician job demand is expected to grow by about 9%, which is about average when compared to other careers in the US. You won’t get rich quick with this career choice, as median hourly wage is just around $17, but if you stick with your career choice and advance in the field, you could make more than $27 per hour.

Although most medical lab technicians work at hospitals, there are other places where you can find a job as well, including research facilities, crime laboratories, universities, pharmaceutical companies, and biomed companies. You can even pursue a career as a medical lab technician in the military, and if you enjoy working with animals, you can switch you focus and work as a veterinary lab technician instead of working with humans.

Working in a medical laboratory requires a high level of responsibility, manual dexterity, and the ability to work well under pressure. In this career field, however, you really can make a difference in people’s lives, even if you’re not interested in becoming a doctor. Check out medical lab technician programs at schools online or in your area today to learn more about this career path.

For those looking to become a medical laboratory technician, a minimum of a two-year associate's degree is usually required to gain an entry-level position in the field. For those looking for more advancement, a bachelor's degree is recommended. There are numerous accredited online schools that offer such degrees, listed below.

BS in Clinical Lab Science	University of Cincinnati — The Bachelor of Science degree in clinical laboratory science offered by Cincinnati University is a perfect fit for individuals persuing a career as a medical lab technician. This program is designed to prepare students to become Clinical Lab Techs (CLTs) or Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLTs) in under three years.
AS in Allied Health Science	South University — The AS in allied health science degree program offered by South University emphasizes life science subjects like anatomy, chemistry, nutrition, and physiology. It is designed to prepare students for a wide variety of health careers, including medical laboratory technician.
AA in Human Services Mgmt	University of Phoenix — The AA in human services management degree offered by the University of Phoenix provides students with knowledge and skills related to the management of human services organizations.
AS in Health IT	DeVry University — Kaplan, one of the most prominent online universities in the United States, offers an Associate's degree in health information technology. The four-year program is designed to train students for a variety of HIT-based medical environments, including physician practices, home health care agencies, vendor firms, and more.
AS in Health IT	Rasmussen College — Rasmussen's associate's degree in health information technology teaches students medical front office procedures, how to handle patient accounts and records, and how to schedule patient appointments. Upon completion of this program, a graduate will be prepared to begin an HIT career.
AABA in Medical Coding & Billing	American InterContinental University — The AABA in medical coding and billing offered by American InterContinental University is an associate's degree-level education program designed to prepare students for a healthcare career. Students will learn the basics of medical terminology, anatomy, legal aspects of health information, health database management, and more.
BS in Health Services Mgmt	Virginia College Online — Virginia College Online offers a bachelor's degree program in health services management. This bachelor's degree presents students with a solid general education in addition to a focused teaching of basic healthcare principles. Graduates of this program will be prepared for management positions in a variety of healthcare settings.
Click here to see more schools offering online health degrees...