Contents
A certified medical technologist (CMT) is a professional who has earned a credential recognizing their mastery of medical laboratory science.
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Job Description
A Medical Laboratory Technician, also called a Med Tech, is a highly trained professional who performs testing on patient samples. Med Techs work in hospitals, clinics, and private laboratories. They use a variety of instruments and techniques to perform their tests.
Duties
The job duties of a certified med tech can vary depending on the specific job title and the size and type of facility where they work. However, there are some common duties that are typically expected of all med techs. These include:
-Collecting and processing patient samples for testing
-Performing various laboratory tests
-Maintaining equipment and supplies
-Ensuring that quality control procedures are followed
– documenting test results
-Providing training to other staff members
Salary
The average salary for a certified medical technologist is $51,770 per year.
Education and Training
To become a certified med tech, you will need to have at least an associate’s degree in medical technology or in a related field. You will also need to complete a clinical internship or externship. After you have completed your education and training, you will then need to take and pass a certified medical technologist exam.
Certification
There are several ways to become a certified medical technologist. The most common way is to earn a bachelor’s degree in medical technology from an accredited institution and then sit for the American Medical Technologists (AMT) or Board of Certification (BOC) certification exams. You can also earn an associate’s degree in medical technology, although this may limit your career opportunities. Finally, some employers will offer on-the-job training for those with a bachelor’s degree in another field and relevant experience.
Programs
Though a few certifying boards offer programs that include both classroom and clinical instruction, most accredited programs leading to certification as a medical technologist are bachelor’s degree programs in medical technology or clinical laboratory science. These 4-year programs typically include 2 years of general education coursework followed by 2 years of coursework specific to medical technology. Programs may be affiliated with hospitals or other health care institutions, and many students complete clinical rotations at these facilities as part of their degree program.
Courses
Education and Training for a Certified Med Tech
The term “med tech” covers a wide range of medical professions. A med tech can be a certified medical assistant, a licensed practical nurse, a registered nurse, or a medical doctor. The scope of the med tech’s job will depend on his or her specific title and level of education.
A certified med tech has completed an accredited course of study and has passed a national certification exam. A certified med tech is qualified to work in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices.
Courses for a Certified Med Tech
A certified med tech will have completed a course of study that includes both classroom and clinical instruction. Coursework for a med tech program will cover topics such as anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, patient confidentiality, infection control, medical law and ethics, and recordkeeping. In addition to academic coursework, a med tech program will also include clinical training in which students gain hands-on experience working with patients.
Career Outlook
A certified med tech is a medical technician who has been certified by the state in which they practice. In order to become certified, a med tech must complete an accredited program and pass a state-administered exam. The certified med tech career outlook is positive, with a projected job growth of 14% from 2018-2028.
Job Growth
The median annual wage for medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians was $51,770 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $33,860, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $80,730.
Employment of medical and clinical laboratory technologists and technicians is projected to grow 14 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. More sensitive and sophisticated laboratory tests will be needed as the population grows older and as research continues into new areas of medicine, such as gene therapy.
States with the Highest Employment Levels
The states with the highest employment levels for medical technologists are as follows:
-California
-Texas
-Florida
-New York
-Pennsylvania
