Medical lab assistants must know how to prepare slides for microscopic examination and clean lab instruments. In addition, they do skin punctures to collect blood for testing and handle front-office duties such as fielding telephone calls, greeting patients and obtaining patient medical records. They also must know how to use different types of equipment to test samples and then record their observations, according to DiplomaGuide.com. Medical lab assistant training programs teach students how to perform these many important responsibilities.
Individuals who are interested in becoming a medical lab assistant can complete one-year certificate or two-year associate degree programs in fields such as clinical laboratory assisting. To get into these programs, students typically must have a high school diploma or GED. Although coursework in certificate and associate degree programs are similar, degree programs include general education courses such as English composition, math and the humanities as well.
Classes in a medical lab assistant training program cover topics such as medical terminology, phlebotomy, anatomy, physiology and patient care. Students also study clinical microbiology, chemistry, laboratory safety, hematology, blood banking and human biology. In addition, courses cover urinalysis and the management of specimens. Many programs also require students to complete hands-on internship experiences in a laboratory environment before they graduate.
Medical lab assistant training programs prepare students to find work in medical laboratories, hospitals, clinics and research universities. Hospitals provide the greatest employment opportunities for these health care workers. Individuals who want to advance in this field also can complete more training to become medical lab technicians or even medical lab technologists. In addition, training programs prepare students to be licensed in states where licensure is required for all laboratory workers.
The demand for medical lab workers remains strong as the population grows and ages and as new types of diagnostic laboratory tests are developed. Employment of medical lab workers is projected to climb by 14 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average salary for medical lab assistants in 2010 was $37,000, reports SimplyHired.com.