What is Laboratory Medicine?
Laboratory medicine is the science, which provides information about the condition of the human body through the analysis of such samples as blood, urine, and other body fluids and tissues. The science encompasses such disciplines as chemistry, microbiology and hematology to name a few.

How is this Information Used?
Laboratory scientists produce data, which aid in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and the assessment of general health. This information assists professionals in variety of medical fields including:

Clinical Medicine Industrial Medicine Reproductive Medicine

Veterinary Medicine Environmental Medicine Public Health Medicine

How is this Information Obtained?
Initially, a specimen is obtained. Persons involved in specimen acquisition include doctors, nurses, phlebotomists, Clinical Laboratory Scientists and other health practitioners. The specimen is then sent to the laboratory where it is prepared for analysis. The kind of specimen and the information needed determine the type of analysis and the laboratory analyst required. In many cases, the analyst is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist.
 

What is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist?
A person licensed as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist possesses:

A Baccalaureate degree Extensive scientific educational background High motivation

Technical skills Professional status

The Clinical Laboratory Scientist is a central member of the health care team.

How Does One Become a Clinical Laboratory Scientist?
Completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 16 semester hours in chemistry, 18 semester hours in biological sciences, 3 semester hours of physics or quarter equivalents and college algebra or higher is required. Recommended courses include virology, parasitology, human physiology and anatomy, computer science and statistics. Persons interested in becoming a Clinical Laboratory Scientist must also complete a clinical education program or medical technology trainee program approved by the California Department of Health Services. These programs prepare students with the theoretical and practical skills necessary to enter the field of medical technology. Graduates of the programs are then eligible to sit for the national certifying examinations and the State of California licensure examination.

What Is the Employment Outlook for Clinical Laboratory Scientists?
Exciting and diverse career opportunities for the Clinical Laboratory Scientists include employment in:

Hospital laboratories Reference clinical laboratories Physician offices Industrial firms Biotechnology

Management Education Technical assistance and sales Laboratory information systems Research and development

Most areas of California have employment opportunities with attractive salaries for professionals in clinical laboratory science.