Excuse the pun but medical testing really is the lifeblood of the health care industry, and at the moment the employment outlook for Medical Laboratory Technicians is encouraging! Graduates of the Carrington College Medical Laboratory Technology associate degree program should have the skills and practical hands-on experience needed to perform complex test procedures on blood and other body fluids. It’s the results of these tests that help doctors diagnose illness and disease. This might be a good time to consider a career as Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT); here’s why:

• According to the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, half of all clinical labs report difficulties finding applicants, and 82% of labs are experiencing greater difficulty finding nightshift coverage.
• According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL), there are not enough new MLT graduates to meet the current demand. The DoL projected that about 13,800 medical laboratory professionals will be needed each year through 2012, but today fewer than 4,000 are graduating from Medical Laboratory Technology programs each year.
• A large percentage of MLTs will likely be retiring soon. The average age of lab technicians is currently 55; and many of them were forced to return to work after the economic crash. Once economic conditions improve, many will likely leave the workforce again.
•  Many laboratories have also changed the way they operate due to economic necessity. Where once a lab may have been manned by several senior Medical Technologists, they are now being run by one Medical Technologist who oversees a number of Medical Lab Technicians.

Most Medical Laboratory Technicians work in hospitals or reference lab environments, but they can also work on remote sites, perform contract and traveling work, become technical support for laboratory analyzers, or be employed in research and forensic labs. The Medical Laboratory Technology program, available at Carrington College Phoenix Westside, AZ and Tucson, AZ campuses, prepares our students for entry-level positions in these kinds of environments. The 22-month program culminates in an externship at a clinical laboratory facility, over half of our course is devoted to laboratory instruction, where our students apply the concepts and methods that learn in the classroom. Successful graduates receive an Associate of Science degree and are then eligible to sit for the American Medical Technologists (AMT) certification exam. Some states require Medical Laboratory Technicians to be licensed or registered; information on licensure is available from your State Department of Health or a Board of Occupational Licensing. Now is an exciting time to be a Medical Laboratory Technician; To find out more about the Medical Laboratory Technology Associate degree program available at our Carrington College Phoenix Westside, AZ and Tucson, AZ campuses, call a Carrington College Admissions Representative at 1.877.204.4718.