Medical technology degree is a branch of the medicine study that provides training on how to carry out lab research to assist the doctor in diagnosing and treating the patients. The study focuses on both natural and health sciences. The degree program is for people who enjoy studying science subjects as it will include subjects like biochemistry, microbiology, mycology, hematology, and immunology. In the last semester, the students will spend much of their time in going from laboratory to laboratory of partnered hospitals as part of the requirement of their courses. The following are the 8 benefits of taking a medical technology degree.
Medical technologist plays an important role in assisting the doctors to save the lives of people. Medical technologist collects samples of bodily fluids like blood and urine from the patient to find out if there is any abnormality. They will discuss their findings with the doctor so that the doctor can prescribe the right treatment for the patient. They are also involved in conducting research to allow doctors to provide more accurate diagnoses, less invasive surgery, improved disease management, and reduced time spent at hospital to treat patients.
Taking a medical technology course can equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills in operating equipment like x-ray and ultrasound. Knowing how to operate these equipments allows you to provide accurate information to the doctor so that he can diagnose the patients accurately. You will learn how to perform lab test on various types of body fluid specimen as well as evaluating the test result. Students will learn how to communicate with the patients so that the patients can have a happy experience. In addition, you'll also learn how to supervise a research lab test conducted by other junior students.
Most of the people looking for jobs in the medical technology field have a degree so you need to have a degree to secure a job. You can find job opportunities in hospitals, laboratories, pharmacy and research centers. There are many job areas to specialize including doctoral assistant, radiologist, laboratory technologist, forensics, and medical engineer. There may also be medical technology companies that partner with your college. They open up opportunities for fresh graduates to instantly have a job and start earning a salary after graduation.
In the college, you have the opportunity to take part in hands-on training to earn some extra pocket money and gain experience at the same time. The experience you gain in your hands-on training will help you to be prepared in the first job you will undertake when you graduate. Hands on opportunity are usually organized at a brick and mortar college. Online degree programs may not provide this type of opportunity. If the college has the facility, they will let you undertake the hands on training on site. If the school does not have the facility, they will organize you to receive an internship at a selected hospital
There are situations where the student will change his mind about getting a job in the medical technology field after graduating. However, this is nothing to worry about because many of the skills you learn are transferable to other careers. Some of the transferable skills you will learn are presentation, communication, and engineering.
There is a favorable job outlook opportunity for graduates of medical technology degrees programs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of jobs in the medical technology field in between 2014 - 2024. If you are currently in a job position, you can consider taking a higher educational degree to improve your chances of obtaining a promotion so that you can boost your earnings.
Many states require the medical lab technicians to hold the appropriate certification. To receive the certification, you must enroll in an accredited medical technology degree program. At the end of the course, you will sit for an exam provided by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). A passing score is required in order for you to use the title MT (medical technologist) when you get a job in the workforce afterwards.
It takes 4 years to complete a traditional medical technology degree program. If you can't find time to attend the classes at the brick and Mortar College, you may want to consider signing up for an online medical technology program. Many online medical technology programs are self paced programs that allow you to finish your studies in 1 year or so. You can decide how many courses to enroll every term. The study materials and exams are accessible through an online blackboard system. You can also communicate with the teacher and get his feedback through the blackboard system. The faster you study, the faster you can complete the course and get the degree.
About Author: Kristina Yan is a blogger and writes about medical technology in online blogs and journals. Her interests are medical imaging technology, vendor neutral archive technology and enterprise imaging. She works as a full time blogger at www.paxerahealth.com
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