I want a career that makes a difference in the world. How can a medical technologist make a difference ?

Question

in the world. Also can a medical technologist be involved in research in helping find cures for diseases?

Answer 1

Medical technologists impact vast numbers of residents in their communities on a daily basis.  It is estimated that the information provided by the laboratory is responsible for 70 to 80% of medical decisions.  Patients are usually admitted to the hospital from the trauma emergency department based on the results of a laboratory test indicating a critical condition requiring hospitalization.  Patients move from ER to intensive care units, to other nursing units, throughout the facility and eventually are dismissed all because of the results of laboratory testing.  Tentative diagnoses can be made but without a good laboratory staff, a definitive diagnosis would not be likely.  The work performed by medical technologists can confirm a physician's suspicions or unvail an underlying and otherwise undetected abnormality or condition.

Medical technologists are currently in very high demand due to a retiring majority.  MTs are a constant influence on their respective health care facilities.  They spawn change that positively impacts patient care, diagnosis and the quality of their laboratory tests.  Investment in new materials or methodologies for a particular test or analyte, alteration of procedures to increase detection of a cellular marker or bacterial pathogen, or changes that cause a decrease in the time required for a particular test to reach completion are all common examples of how medical technologists have made immeasurable differences.  Laboratorians can specialize in one of multiple areas or disciplines that often lead to a clinical expertise and published articles.  Many medical technologists move into sales, industry, research, hospital management and administration, and education.  For example, the former administrative director of our laboratory (a medical technologist) is now the executive director of ancillary services for our 900+ bed hospital.