♪
(woman)
I decided to become
a medical technologist
because I love microscopy,
which is working
with microscopes.
Using the microscopes
to look at bacteria
and living things that we
can't see with the naked eye
is exciting, and I get
to use that in my job.
It's thrilling, and I love
that part of my job.
My key responsibilities
are receiving and analyzing
blood specimen
and body fluids.
I run the tests and report back
to the nurses and doctors,
give them the levels and results
needed to treat the patient
and make sure my instruments
are working correctly,
so I do maintenance every night
before running the tests.
I also check on the last shift
to ensure they don't need help
when I first come in.
Than I receive the specimen
that comes from the floor.
Stats are a specimen that needs
to be resulted right away,
and routines are specimens that
can be done after the stats.
All results are done as quickly
and efficiently as possible.
It's important to give accurate
results for many reasons.
First, because that's what
they use to treat these people.
They're using their levels,
their different chemical
balances, their blood counts.
They're using everything
I give them to treat them.
It's important
to give correct numbers
and very important that
my instruments work correctly.
Doing controls is important,
that everything's falling
in the right ranges
so patients also
fall in the right ranges.
For example, if I gave a result
that was too high on a patient,
they could make
their level lower,
when in reality,
their level was normal,
and that's very
harmful to a patient.
To become
a medical technologist,
you need a four-year
bachelor degree,
and then a one-year, clinical
year in an accredited school.
You can do that
a few different ways.
The path I chose, I received
my bachelor's degree in biology,
and then I pursued
the one-year clinical rotation.
I did that locally, here.
Another avenue is some
colleges have a CLS program,
a clinical laboratory
science program,
where you do three years,
then your last,
your fourth year of college
becomes your clinical.
That makes it
a little shorter.
If you're interested in becoming
a medical technologist
and you're in high school,
I recommend taking
science courses.
I would recommend taking
maybe some chemistry.
Even though that wasn't
my favorite in school,
you still have to take it.
I also recommend to friends that
have children in high school
to take a post-secondary option.
If your school allows
taking college courses
while still in high school,
that's very beneficial to you.
I recommend going to a
laboratory and shadowing there.
That will tell you in one day
if this is what you want
to be doing with your life.
Hi, it's Amanda. I have
a critical for you guys.
I'm one step away
from actual patient care.
I'm a very compassionate person,
and I've dealt with many things,
but I don't like to see that.
People are sick and hurting
and caring for them takes a lot.
It takes special people
to care for them.
I help by reporting
to those nurses and doctors
that are caring for
the patient firsthand.
I love my job because
no two days are ever the same.
There's always different
problems to be solved.
Sometimes it's problems
with the instruments
or problems with patients.
It's exciting, and I don't want
to do the same thing every day.
I think that's boring,
so I love my job.
Funding to purchase and make
this educational production
accessible was provided by the
U.S. Department of Education:
PH: 1-800-USA-LEARN (V)
or WEB: www.ed.gov.
♪
